Category Archives: Helps Minsitry

Leading-D.M.Escalante

Leadership is not always pretty. I watched how the movies serve up the hero; smooth, calm and, collective. Calling the shots like a boss.
It makes me want to be like that leader or that coach we see in the movies. I watched the movie Remember the Titans. Do you remember the scene during one part of the movie the football coach was breaking the players individuality down to reveal the need for them to rise as a team. The Coach’s way of discipline may seem brutish however, it was very effective. I later had found out that this movie was based on actual events.

While watching, My friend says “man, I could totally do that!!” I simply chuckled, as I thought to myself. not because of my friends comment. I chuckled because of what I have experienced in my leadership and what I know what it takes to be that inspiring leader.

Because leaders make leadership look easy. We look to them and believe they are larger than life. We may meet them as a character in a movie, we have known them all, but five or ten minutes of the movie and when the movie gets to the climax we are rooting when the leader is victorious. We see leaders rise in emergency situations. We assume no evil befalls them.. They don’t have “craziness” going on in their life.

In reality, it is totally different. Leaders are actively working when others are just getting to work. Leaders are those who bring a solution to the complaint or question they may have.

Leaders are human. They endure family issues they carry struggles with the metaphorical “thorn in the flesh” like the apostle Paul did. They have short comings. they fight with one hand on the battle ahead and yet another building their home. True leaders will admit they are not perfect. True leaders understand that ultimately love patches the wounds in their leadership. But leaders are tough. They push when others quit. They are the ones who thrive when others die-off because they have “grit” and sheer will. Leaders continue to lead while building up their weaknesses.
Leaders purpose their days, and not allow their days to rule them. They fight to complete priorities because LEADERS ARE ones who finish.
If you want to lead, i have given you some good guidance to start.

Here is the secret: You can already do this stuff!!! You might have to square up with the reflection you see in the mirror every morning and choose to be the leader you desire to be.
I bet you have some questions-good leaders always do. I want you to have the courage to ask questions.

How do you lead where you are?

What if no one is following you?
What would Jesus do? ha ha.
what does leadership look like to you?

I hope we can discover together what it takes to lead from a biblical perspective. share you questions.
So let’s pack our bags and go on this trip together. i can assure you we both can use this..

..Thank you for reading my post I hope we can connect in the future. If you have any prayer requests, let’s connect and join in prayer together. God bless you.
-Michael

New blog.

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 KJV)

If God be for us, than who cam be against us? Too often the question comes to the forefront of I am not able to carry out the task of _________(fill the blank).

You get the idea. “I don’t think I’m able to support my pastor,” or “I don’t think I’m ready to begin ministry,” How can I lead? “. Well the answer lies in these words penned over two thousand years ago.

I want to share that apart from Christ, we can do nothing ………. That means nothing , NO-thing, projects that have been completed without the leading and direction of his holy inspiration will come to ruin in time. This is why, in my opinion, many “on fire leaders” soon burn out as a result of an unbalanced life style. But that is another focus.

I have a tool box at home and each tool has a function, even the brake-bleeder kit with its rustic blend of hose and jar with a coat hanger to compliment the home manufactured asset. Each tool is designed for use to assist in the production of the end item; the repair of my truck.

The tools by themselves  cannot do anything.   However, in the hands of a”mechanical ninja,” (like myself ha-ha) these tools Read the rest of this entry

Friday Focus: Serve with perfect love

Perfect love casts out all fear.

The first time I ever was involved in prison ministry, I was nervous. I’ll be honest. I was scared and that was just filling out the questionnaire to go.  I believed that God called me to minister. I didn’t know where my niche was so I served everywhere an opportunity was available. Actually, I wasn’t great anywhere I ministered, but I love to help and there was a need in ministering to those on the “inside”. Like a quote I heard from comedian Steve Martin, he said, 

Persistence replaces talent in some cases.”
If you ask me, I think many are incarcerated to some degree.  Living in society with out the physical bars of a prison cell. Although within, they could face lockdown of low self worth. 

For some It could be substance abuse, others could be hiding in eating disorders, drowning in debt or imprisoned within there negative thinking, even depression. These people are suffering. 

  They serve self -imposed sentences without a chance (in their view) of perole. This point of view can make the surest of men or women crumble as they endure this punishment. It can make them do things they wouldn’t fathom.  The people try and succeed for a moment, then back in confinement they go. How cruel is it to live in this manner. 

     So as a born again believer how would you minister to those imprisoned? 

  Because they don’t look nice. They’re hard. They’re ferocious. They have lived hard lives and know more about survival than then any cast member of survivor. On the “inside,” They don’t have time to play games, and can spot a phony a mile away.

Here is the good news……

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (‭I John‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ NKJV)

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. (‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭17-18‬ MSG)

It takes real guts to walk in love. You may feel without weapons, but you are walking with the love of God. You are victorious and even your shadow can heal!  You enter with the Lord on your side.  Fighting with you with artillery that is out of this world. Just a thought I wanted to share,  What are your thoughts? Please share with a friend. I would love to hear your input. How can we serve those who seem to have lost love?