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All Access 2010 ... Craig Groeschel

more notes from ARC's All Access 2010:

All Access 2010

Thursday, April 29, 2010

 

A Leader's Constant Companion: PAIN … Craig Groeschell

 

·      Most of us try to avoid pain. 

·      If we are not careful, we will try to lead and step away from pain. 

·      If you are going to plant a successful church, you will deal with pain.

 

The difference from where you are today and where God wants you to be is the pain that you are unwilling to endure.

 

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 (NLT) --- Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
  28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.

 

Our potential is tied to our ability to deal with pain

 

1.  Increasing your pain threshold ….

 

·      Deal with criticism.  If no one is criticizing you, you are not doing anything.  The higher the level, the most of the devil you will encounter.

·      You will be attacked.  Christians will attack you the most.

·      They persecuted Jesus.  We are no better.

·      If you are not being criticized, you are not preaching the Gospel.

·      If you are not hurting, then you are not leading.

·      The quickest way to forget about what God thinks of you is to believe what people think about you.

 

2.  Increase our threshold for making painful decisions …

 

·      In the first 12 months of church planting are some of the most difficult decisions.

·      Making tough decisions is a must.

·      God is seeing how we will do with the little bit.  How well we do determines the blessings to come.

·      Often happens when you don't know how you will come out.

·      Be willing to make the hard decisions.  Some are real hard dealing with people you care about and/or influential.

·      The old saying "this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you".  You have to step into hard decisions.

·      The best are willing to hurt.

 

3.  Increase the ability to deal with the pain of God's pruning …

 

·      There are often times when God does more in you than through you.

·      If you blame yourself for the decline, you will pretty soon take credit for it when it is doing well.

·      You often don't know the pain that people endure.  Those people who seem to have it altogether have endured pain in various ways.

·      Be thankful for the suffering because God is working.  God will use it.  Christ experienced so much pain for me.

·      Suffer for the one who suffered for us.

·      Show people the best of who Jesus is.  Endure the pain.  Blessings are coming.  Thank God for the pain.

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