Category Archives: Ministry
Friday Focus: Serve in love
Serve in love…
No one enjoys having a cold sore- because they hurt, and whoever you speak to does not listen to anything you say because they are fixated on “that thing” on your lip. At least that is what we may perceive. So what do cold sores have to do with serving? Well let me take you on a trip. My son is such an awesome young man! I love him for who he is and who God is making him to be. This weeks focus is on serving with love. Anyway, he wanted a drink of my beverage, but I had a cold sore and my wife shouted “don’t use his straw! Look, Daddy has an ouchie on his lip!” To my surprise my son grabbed my cheeks, looked at my sore, then looked at me straight in the eye and says “I don’t see an ouchie, I see my daddy and I love him.”
I was expecting to hear an “ewe that’s gross”. He did what I believe our focus should be this week when we serve in our ministries or jobs. We should serve with love. Serving with love is not weakness. Serving in love is like, on the eve of your betrayal after dinner you grab a towel and basin to wash your students feet. Serving in love is waiting for the master to just say the word for your daughter to be healed. Serving in love is helping a victim even to the point where your’re paying for his expenses while others have passed him by.
Serving in love is healing the hurts, loving them through it, like Jesus.
Free to share
Friday Focus
In the spirit of blogging I am attempting a new project. It will be called ” Friday focus” and the intent would be to focus on serving the ones who serve highlighting a focus of servant leadership. This weeks focus is on the call of leadership.
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 _________. 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. By it self it can’t do anything but in the hands of a mechanical ninja. It can breakdown or build. These tools have been designed for the challenges it will face and much like a butter knife it can be made versatile for other uses.
We can be referred to as tools in God’s tool box. Tools that can produce or destroy. In the hands of the master mechanic we can do many things but failure is not on the list. If The Lord who called you formed you and designed you for the purpose that only you can do, then what things can try to come against or better yet win against the armies of God. You are unstoppable because of Christ who lives and lives inside your heart. Because of whose you are you are able to do greater things that have been recorded in history why? Because you are a tool, used by God. When you belong to his toolbox you’re not alone you have other tools that can help bring change, to find hurts and heal them. And with a team that strong, who can win against you.
So as services begin and the people need a word. Know that you are not alone but part of a team. And we are behind you in your service to The Lord, together who can be against us.
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 KJV)
Free to share
The Parable of the Missing Sock……
As I am recovering from surgery, one of my self-imposed man duties around the house is the laundry. I am not able to do all the laundry, so I do as much as I can. Teresa is absolutely amazing at the multitasking of all the house chores but, around the great expanse of our hacienda I am known as:
“THE SOCK FOLDER”
Yes, armed with nothing more than a mesh laundry bag and patience as my sidearm, I rescue the small (my son’s) poor, defenseless single sock from the clutches of the evil sock eating washer/dryer bandit gang. Then, I heroically bring them back to its mate safe and sound. “It’s all in a day’s work ma’am as I gently tip my Stetson and ride off into the west on my trusty steed “laundry basket”. While many of us look at laundry as mundane. I learned a lesson that I would enjoy to share with you the reader.
Most of us would not even think twice about a missing sock because it is just a sock. Although, the question remains “would you look for that missing sock?” Are you willing to go and look around the laundry room for that sock? Its’ just a sock, right!? I mean, we have others that closely look alike and we could just make do with what we have although, we will not get what we pay for because there will always be a sock in the drawer that is missing it’s pair.
I think we as leaders could experience this when we are running at 90% but refuse to go after that last 10. Rather than finish strong with our project by ensuring everyone on the team was recognized. We go on without a sincere appreciation of our team members’ gifts reducing their contributions as a part of their paid duties.
Regarding ministry, we may experience this when we continue to run our ministries without those precious souls who fade away after our big outreach campaign or you fill in the blank. Whether from installing a network, to even handing out drinks during a community clean-up everyone is important. EVERYONE!
That is what was communicated in the book of Luke chapter 15 in illustrating the dual likeness of how far people will go including our heavenly Father. The bible records Jesus telling a story of a shepherd leaving the 99 safe sheep for that one in danger. He continues to reason with his audience giving the mental picture of a woman lighting a lamp looking for that lost coin. He concludes with the lost son. He does all this to answer why he chose to fellowship with the have-not’s….. Because in him (Christ), the misfits fit.
People matter, whether they fellowship with you at church, serve alongside you or slip out of contact. I ask you, would you go and see if they’re ok? Like a missing sock in a sock drawer we too can be ineffective without our team members.
Would you go after the missing sock? What are your thoughts?
Escalanteministries.com 