Genesis 8:6-13:
6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7 Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. 8 He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. 10 And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. 11 Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore. 13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry.
Mike's Thoughts:
There's a valuable leadership lesson for me in these verses and one that should be part of Noah's legacy to leaders forever. The lesson is that it is a leader's responsibility to practice patience when making important decisions. The leader is to make sure they have enough accurate information before taking action. I'm sure that Noah was under pressure from his family to open the ark after being cooped up with all those smelly animals for so long. It's not explained, but to open the ark early might have proven disastrous. Noah waited until he got the correct information and then waited some more to be sure before he acted. Although it is not mentioned, I'm sure Noah prayed daily over the proper timing for his action. His patience and strength were rewarded as his family was richly blessed.
Mike's Action Points:
1- I need to be patient and not make hasty decisions when the situation does not warrant it.
2- I need to pray for guidance.
3- I need to seek the correct information needed on which to act.
4- I need to resist the urgings of others to take hasty action.
Please see my leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Become the Legacy Leader God Created You To Be
Genesis 6:6:
"And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart."
Mike's Thoughts:
So, did God "mess up" when he made man? Is it possible that our God, who is "perfect" in every way, actually made a mistake in creating man? Absolutely not! The real problem is that God made us TOO well. He gave man free will and God was "grieved in His heart" over how man was exercising this free will. From a leadership perspective, often I beat myself up because I didn't do enough for my people or give them enough direction and I feel that I have failed them because they get off track. However, I need to remember that they have the ability to come to me and ask for help
or guidance and it is not necessarily my fault if they fail to do so. A final note that really got my attention in this verse is that God has a heart! I never think of God in such human terms that He would even have need of a heart. As the omnipotent being in the universe, I just assume that God is love and exists in another dimension that we can't comprehend and has no need for a human heart. Perhaps God is talking to us through the Bible in language we can comprehend and does not literally have a human heart.
Mike's Action Points:
1- Do my best for my people.
2- Keep my door open to them.
3- Listen to my heart, but seek God's will and guidance in my life and decisions that I make.
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
"And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart."
Mike's Thoughts:
So, did God "mess up" when he made man? Is it possible that our God, who is "perfect" in every way, actually made a mistake in creating man? Absolutely not! The real problem is that God made us TOO well. He gave man free will and God was "grieved in His heart" over how man was exercising this free will. From a leadership perspective, often I beat myself up because I didn't do enough for my people or give them enough direction and I feel that I have failed them because they get off track. However, I need to remember that they have the ability to come to me and ask for help
or guidance and it is not necessarily my fault if they fail to do so. A final note that really got my attention in this verse is that God has a heart! I never think of God in such human terms that He would even have need of a heart. As the omnipotent being in the universe, I just assume that God is love and exists in another dimension that we can't comprehend and has no need for a human heart. Perhaps God is talking to us through the Bible in language we can comprehend and does not literally have a human heart.
Mike's Action Points:
1- Do my best for my people.
2- Keep my door open to them.
3- Listen to my heart, but seek God's will and guidance in my life and decisions that I make.
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Training God's Leaders Today
John Maxwell's "25 Ways to Win with People":
16. Find the Keys to Their Heart - Nehemiah and builders
(Nehemiah 2:17-18)
Mike's Thoughts:
When Nehemiah needed to motivate a work force that was divided between support for Nehemiah's "cause" and the local leaders, he made an appeal to the hearts (emotions) of the work force to attain their support. Nehemiah was a true Legacy Leader in that first he prayed, then he took action and when he needed help he appealed to the emotions of the people he wanted to motivate. As a leader, Nehemiah left an excellent legacy for me to learn from. Karl Stephen Brunig wrote a song called "Nehemiah Man" (www.karlbrunig.com) which I really like and talks about working with my tools in one hand and guarding my work with my sword in the other hand. This is very good advice for me today. I do need to work hard with the tools I have to work with and, at the same time, I need to be a good steward of the work I'm doing whether I'm doing it for my company, my family, my community or myself.
Mike's Action Points:
1- First, I should seek God's guidance before taking action.
2- Next, I should take the appropriate action.
3- If I need to motivate others, I should appeal to their hearts/emotions.
4- I should do the best work I can with the tools provided.
5- I need to be a good steward of the work I am performing.
6- I need to always strive to be a "Nehemiah Man".
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
16. Find the Keys to Their Heart - Nehemiah and builders
(Nehemiah 2:17-18)
Mike's Thoughts:
When Nehemiah needed to motivate a work force that was divided between support for Nehemiah's "cause" and the local leaders, he made an appeal to the hearts (emotions) of the work force to attain their support. Nehemiah was a true Legacy Leader in that first he prayed, then he took action and when he needed help he appealed to the emotions of the people he wanted to motivate. As a leader, Nehemiah left an excellent legacy for me to learn from. Karl Stephen Brunig wrote a song called "Nehemiah Man" (www.karlbrunig.com) which I really like and talks about working with my tools in one hand and guarding my work with my sword in the other hand. This is very good advice for me today. I do need to work hard with the tools I have to work with and, at the same time, I need to be a good steward of the work I'm doing whether I'm doing it for my company, my family, my community or myself.
Mike's Action Points:
1- First, I should seek God's guidance before taking action.
2- Next, I should take the appropriate action.
3- If I need to motivate others, I should appeal to their hearts/emotions.
4- I should do the best work I can with the tools provided.
5- I need to be a good steward of the work I am performing.
6- I need to always strive to be a "Nehemiah Man".
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Building Leaders Today, Creating Legacies for Tomorrow
Jeremiah 29:1-14:
This is from a Bible study led by Linda Aubert of Grace Community Church in Houston. I won't show all the text here, but please take a few minutes to read it. It is the story of the Israelites who are in exile in Babylon and through Jeremiah, the Lord sends them a message to move forward with their lives while in captivity and that He will return them to their land in seventy years. They are instructed to make peace with their captors, create a comfortable
and peaceful life where they are at and prepare the next generation for their return to their home land.
Mike's Thoughts:
Often, as a leader, Christians tell me they are just going to pray about a situation and wait for God to deliver them or our nation. This is not Biblical! God always demanded appropriate action from His people in addition to their prayers. In these verses in Jeremiah, God gave his people specific actions to take to improve their current situation and prepare the way for the next generation. Prayer alone was not enough. This is the essence of Legacy Leadership; being in prayer, taking appropriate action for today and preparing the way for the next generation.
Mike's Action Points:
1- I will pray for God to reveal the appropriate actions He wants me to take.
2- I will take the actions revealed to me.
3- I will work to prepare the way for the next generation.
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
This is from a Bible study led by Linda Aubert of Grace Community Church in Houston. I won't show all the text here, but please take a few minutes to read it. It is the story of the Israelites who are in exile in Babylon and through Jeremiah, the Lord sends them a message to move forward with their lives while in captivity and that He will return them to their land in seventy years. They are instructed to make peace with their captors, create a comfortable
and peaceful life where they are at and prepare the next generation for their return to their home land.
Mike's Thoughts:
Often, as a leader, Christians tell me they are just going to pray about a situation and wait for God to deliver them or our nation. This is not Biblical! God always demanded appropriate action from His people in addition to their prayers. In these verses in Jeremiah, God gave his people specific actions to take to improve their current situation and prepare the way for the next generation. Prayer alone was not enough. This is the essence of Legacy Leadership; being in prayer, taking appropriate action for today and preparing the way for the next generation.
Mike's Action Points:
1- I will pray for God to reveal the appropriate actions He wants me to take.
2- I will take the actions revealed to me.
3- I will work to prepare the way for the next generation.
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
Monday, September 28, 2009
Why You Need to Learn Legacy Leadership Skills
Genesis 4:1-7:
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Mike's Thoughts:
Both Cain and Abel brought offerings of their work to the Lord, but the Lord only accepted Abel's, why? Because Abel offered the BEST of his work for the Lord and, evidently, Cain did not. As a leader, I should work EVERY day as if I'm working for the Lord (because I am) and therefore I should do my BEST for the Lord every day. I found verse 7 to be very compelling. God is telling me that if I do my best, I will be accepted! How simple is that? God
goes on to say that if I do less than my best I'm opening myself up to sin and that sin will seek me out, but I can rule over sin by doing my best.
Mike's Action Points:
1- I need to pray for the strength and discipline to do my best every day.
2- While I can't be perfect, I should always strive to improve and give my best effort in everything I do so that I may be accepted and have authority over sin in my life.
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Mike's Thoughts:
Both Cain and Abel brought offerings of their work to the Lord, but the Lord only accepted Abel's, why? Because Abel offered the BEST of his work for the Lord and, evidently, Cain did not. As a leader, I should work EVERY day as if I'm working for the Lord (because I am) and therefore I should do my BEST for the Lord every day. I found verse 7 to be very compelling. God is telling me that if I do my best, I will be accepted! How simple is that? God
goes on to say that if I do less than my best I'm opening myself up to sin and that sin will seek me out, but I can rule over sin by doing my best.
Mike's Action Points:
1- I need to pray for the strength and discipline to do my best every day.
2- While I can't be perfect, I should always strive to improve and give my best effort in everything I do so that I may be accepted and have authority over sin in my life.
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Leadership Skills Today for Tomorrow's Leaders
John Maxwell's 25 Ways to Win With People:
14. Do for Others What They Can't Do for Themselves - Joseph
(Genesis 41)
Mike's Thoughts:
As a servant leader, I need to be cognizant of opportunities to help others in ways they can't help themselves. The key is to help in ways they CAN'T help themselves and perhaps I can. What is implied in this message is NOT to do for others what they CAN do for themselves. It is important for me to show tough love for those who seek to take advantage of my servant heart, even if they do not realize they are doing so. Perhaps they are capable of
helping themselves and just don't realize it. In this situation, it is my role to provide guidance and counseling so that they will understand how to help themselves.
Mike's Action Points:
1- When presented with an opportunity to help another, I should pray for discernment concerning my role in the situation. Should I "do" for them or provide guidance so they can "do" for themselves.
2- If I am led to "do" for them, I need to do so with a pure heart.
3- If I am led to provide guidance, then I should be prepared that this guidance may not be received by pure hearts.
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
14. Do for Others What They Can't Do for Themselves - Joseph
(Genesis 41)
Mike's Thoughts:
As a servant leader, I need to be cognizant of opportunities to help others in ways they can't help themselves. The key is to help in ways they CAN'T help themselves and perhaps I can. What is implied in this message is NOT to do for others what they CAN do for themselves. It is important for me to show tough love for those who seek to take advantage of my servant heart, even if they do not realize they are doing so. Perhaps they are capable of
helping themselves and just don't realize it. In this situation, it is my role to provide guidance and counseling so that they will understand how to help themselves.
Mike's Action Points:
1- When presented with an opportunity to help another, I should pray for discernment concerning my role in the situation. Should I "do" for them or provide guidance so they can "do" for themselves.
2- If I am led to "do" for them, I need to do so with a pure heart.
3- If I am led to provide guidance, then I should be prepared that this guidance may not be received by pure hearts.
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Not Leading Today Will Cause Regrets Tomorrow
John Maxwell's Commentary on Genesis 3:6-19:
First Leader to Drop the Ball
At the moment he received God's mandate to rule over the earth, Adam became the first spiritual leader in human history. Initially, this meant overseeing the garden and providing direction to his family. Adam was to be a good steward over his resources and relationships. Unfortunately, he failed on both counts.
When Eve brought the forbidden fruit to Adam, he mismanaged God's
creation by eating it. Adam also mismanaged his wife by remaining
passive when he should have taken a stand, thus allowing both Eve
and himself to fall morally. When God confronted him with his sin, he blamed others: "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave
me of the tree, and I ate" (Gen. 3:12).
Spiritual leadership isn't complex; it simply requires a willingness to take responsibility. Sadly, many spiritual leaders continue to duplicate Adam's mistake by shirking their responsibilities at home, in the neighborhood, on the job, and in the church. They forget that while Adam's failure started at home, in just a short time it damaged all his relationships, spoiled the beautiful place he lived, and ultimately devastated the entire world. And the whole mess can be traced back to one spineless refusal to lead.
Mike's Thoughts:
Leadership begins in the home. If I can't be a good leader in my home then I surely can't be a good leader elsewhere. Adam's mandate from God was to oversee the garden and give direction to his family. As a leader of my family, my mandate today is really no different than Adam's. I am to be a good steward of the resources and relationships God has blessed me with. Being a good steward is not always easy; in fact, more often than not it takes work, dedication and, of course, prayer. As John Maxwell states, "it simply requires a willingness to take responsibility."
Mike's Action Points:
1- I will pray for the strength, wisdom and character to be the leader God wants me to be.
2- I will look to other Godly leaders as role models and mentors.
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
First Leader to Drop the Ball
At the moment he received God's mandate to rule over the earth, Adam became the first spiritual leader in human history. Initially, this meant overseeing the garden and providing direction to his family. Adam was to be a good steward over his resources and relationships. Unfortunately, he failed on both counts.
When Eve brought the forbidden fruit to Adam, he mismanaged God's
creation by eating it. Adam also mismanaged his wife by remaining
passive when he should have taken a stand, thus allowing both Eve
and himself to fall morally. When God confronted him with his sin, he blamed others: "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave
me of the tree, and I ate" (Gen. 3:12).
Spiritual leadership isn't complex; it simply requires a willingness to take responsibility. Sadly, many spiritual leaders continue to duplicate Adam's mistake by shirking their responsibilities at home, in the neighborhood, on the job, and in the church. They forget that while Adam's failure started at home, in just a short time it damaged all his relationships, spoiled the beautiful place he lived, and ultimately devastated the entire world. And the whole mess can be traced back to one spineless refusal to lead.
Mike's Thoughts:
Leadership begins in the home. If I can't be a good leader in my home then I surely can't be a good leader elsewhere. Adam's mandate from God was to oversee the garden and give direction to his family. As a leader of my family, my mandate today is really no different than Adam's. I am to be a good steward of the resources and relationships God has blessed me with. Being a good steward is not always easy; in fact, more often than not it takes work, dedication and, of course, prayer. As John Maxwell states, "it simply requires a willingness to take responsibility."
Mike's Action Points:
1- I will pray for the strength, wisdom and character to be the leader God wants me to be.
2- I will look to other Godly leaders as role models and mentors.
Please see my Leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
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