Simply Profound... (50 Nuggets of Advice for Ministers)

This list was compiled by a group of ministers on WordShare Forum. Simply Profound...

1. Pray always
2. Be patient
3. Love the Word
4. Keep a journal of ideas
5. Remember that God is sovereign
6. Listen to your wife!
7. Nothing happens overnight
8. Be a Giver
9. You are a servant… never a master
10. Take notes on everything, keep every note you take
11. Hurting people hurt people
12. You can only see 30% of what people are feeling, treat them accordingly
13. You are always a leader, whether you are doing well or not
14. Every person is valuable and all flesh is designed to fail
15. Nothing can take the place of prayer
16. Always look for a door of reconciliation… always
17. Saints are sheep - they have to be led, they can’t be driven
18. Take care of your family – saints will come and go
19. Relationships are invaluable, connect with as many peers as you can
20. To thine own self be true - don’t copy anyone, develop your own ministry
21. Never seek a position or title. If it is God’s will, it will come
22. When it comes time to “step down” then step down in the same way as you “stepped up” – with grace, dignity, thankfulness that you had the opportunity to serve the kingdom
23. Always leave something better than the way you found it. Leave a legacy for the next person
24. There are two primary choices in life: Accept things as they are or accept responsibility for helping to change them.
25. Know when to be silent
26. Never lose your ability to dream!
27. People are not going to understand you and some are not going to like you… get over it!
28. Don’t feed people yesterday’s bread
29. People resist change, God loves change
30. Men who challenge you are not your enemies; they keep you in check and are often sent by God
31. Refused to be offended.
32. Don’t preach for response
33. Talent alone does not justify using someone, a servant's spirit does
34. Don’t throw rocks at every dog that barks
35. Give the Word the credit it deserves
36. The message is more important than the messenger
37. There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us, that it does not behoove any of us to talk about the rest of us
38. Living a sermon is more important than preaching one
39. Prayer accomplishes more than preaching
40. Lessons not learned will be repeated
41. Spend more time praying over a message than you do preaching it
42. Love people; use money - Do not love money; use people
43. Trust is the greatest commodity you can give or receive
44. Do not accept gifts that make you beholden to the giver
45. Do not dwell in an ivory tower and neglect the flock
46. Do not dwell with the flock so much that you cannot be a prophet on Sunday
47. Stand up straight, speak boldly, and sit down quickly.
48. Always leave them wishing you had preached longer opposed to wishing you had quit sooner
49. Only say …”I am closing “ once
50. Never give a position to appease.

Surrendering Your Future

God called Abraham out of the land of Ur. He called him to leave the land of idolatry; the land of his fathers; everything that he knew and even who he was.

Abraham surrendered it all. The Bible said when he was called out that he obeyed not knowing where he was going.

He surrendered his past.

In the story of Abraham there is a great lesson for us. When God calls, He calls us out. He asks us to surrender our past.

This level of commitment is basic and in many ways, easy compared to the next level that He calls us to.

We bring our sin, our guilt, our hurts, our failures and our pain to God. Our shattered dreams are healed and restored in his presence. The guilt of our past fades into peace and contentment in the light of His mercy.

However, the story of Abraham does not end there. God promises him that he is going to have a son and that his seed will be as the stars in the sky and the sands of seashore. Isaac was promised and chosen.

Therefore, I am sure that it was devastating to Abraham when God told him to take Isaac and sacrifice him.

When Abraham looks at Isaac he not only sees his beloved and long awaited son, his own flesh and blood, he sees much more.

He sees in Isaac the face of his dreams. He sees his promise. He sees the future.

God was not only asking for his son. He was asking for his dreams, his ambitions, and his legacy.

As Abraham bound Isaac to the altar he also bound his desires.

As he raised the knife he surrendered his future.

Surrendering our past is an obvious benefit to us. We give God our guilt, our hurts and our pains. He takes the tattered pieces and weaves them into something beautiful.

However, are we willing to surrender our future? Are we willing to give God our dreams, our hopes, and our ambitions?

As we surrender everything we desire it releases us to be completely led by Him.

Position, titles, prestige, or even geographic location no longer dominates our desires.

Completely surrendering our future to God opens up a whole new level of covenant, power, and anointing.

As God told Abraham, "now I know."