GraceWorldAGLeadershipPodcast

Values Driven CultureHonor, Humility, Hunger, Holiness, Health "For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:8, ESV) As a church, we preach two messages. First, there is the message we share from the platform, discuss in our groups, and teach in our classrooms. Then there is the message we share with our very lives. This is the way we welcome our guests, engage with one another, pray for one another, and challenge each other. It's the way we live, not just as individuals but as an organization. When a culture is healthy, those two messages align and reinforce one another. When a culture is unhealthy, they create an obvious conflict. As important as both are, if I had to choose between the two in terms of their effect on a house, I would say the message experienced off the platform is far more potent. Ultimately, people see it louder in us than they hear it from us. Culture wins 100% of the time! We've talked a lot about our culture. It's printed on our walls and shared in leadership talks. But is it hanging in our hearts? 2 Peter 1:8 follows a list of virtues that culminates with a charge not just to know them but to grow them in your life. Peter says these things produce a life that is both effective and fruitful. Peter is asking more than can you name your values; he is asking can people see them in your life! A Kingdom Culture Our values were not randomly chosen. They are drawn from the values of the kingdom. After all, if a church is an expression of the kingdom, shouldn't it look like, sound like, and behave like the kingdom? Honor invites Heaven."Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel." (Psalm 22:3, ESV) We give God and others our best because God gave His best. This begins with honoring God in worship and extends to the way we treat people. Honor shows up in our preparation, our words, and our response when someone disappoints us. We can address a problem without diminishing a person. Humility gives access."God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6, ESV) We seek to serve, not be served. Humility keeps us teachable. It allows us to receive correction, admit when we are wrong, and ask for help. We do not have to be the most important person in the room to make an important contribution. Hunger is how we receive."Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6, ESV) We never stop asking God for more. More of His presence. More growth in righteousness. More of what He wants to do in us and through us. We cannot become so familiar with the work of ministry that we lose our hunger for the God of ministry. Holiness is how we remain."Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14, ESV) We show people what Jesus is really like. Holiness means our lives belong to Him. We do not separate our public ministry from our private obedience. What we carry into the sanctuary should agree with what we carry into our homes, our conversations, and our decisions. Health is how we thrive."I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10, ESV) Healthy lives build healthy homes, teams, and churches. The abundant life Jesus gives reaches beyond what we accomplish at work. We want people to flourish in Him. That means paying attention to our relationships, our pace, and the way we care for one another. A healthy life, a healthy home, a healthy church! The Value of ValuesThere are at least six ways clear values serve us. They give us more than words to repeat. They give us a way to lead. 1. Decisions — What do we choose? Values help us choose at the moment of decision.When values are clear, you do not have to reinvent the answer every time. "Should we say this?" "How should we handle this?" "Is this worth doing?" Values are a filter. They pre-decide many of our decisions by settling what matters before the pressure arrives. 2. Diagnostics — What is wrong? Values help us name what is out of alignment. When something feels off, our values give us a common set of questions. Was that honoring? Did it reflect humility? Have we settled, or are we still hungry to grow? Are we showing people what Jesus is like? Is this helping us become healthy? Without values, you know something feels wrong. With values, you can name why. Then we can address the actual issue instead of simply reacting to the feeling. 3. Discipline — What do we correct? Values tell us which behaviors we must correct. This is huge for culture. You do not correct merely because someone upset you. You correct when a behavior violates what the house has agreed matters. "This is who we are; therefore, this is behavior we cannot normalize." Correction should carry the very values it is protecting. If we correct dishonor with dishonor, we reinforce the problem. What we celebrate gets repeated. What we tolerate gets repeated too. 4. Development — What do we cultivate? Values tell us what kind of people we are trying to form. You hire for them. You onboard around them. You coach toward them. You evaluate through them. And you promote those who embody them. As a leader, don't underestimate or underuse this. You do not need to invent a new set of leadership values every time you develop someone. Continue developing these values in those you lead. Greater responsibility should be accompanied by growing character, not just greater skill. Our values must be more than corrective. They must be developmental! 5. Distinction — What makes us us? Values give our shared convictions a recognizable expression. Culture is the particular way Grace World lives our convictions together. These kingdom qualities are not exclusive to us, but the way we consistently embody them should make our house recognizable. You should be able to walk through the halls, attend meetings, watch conflict get resolved, experience a Sunday, and say, "That feels like Grace World." That recognition should come from the way people are treated, not just the name on the building. 6. Direction — How do we move toward the vision? Values guide how we pursue our calling. Vision tells us where we are going. Values tell us how we will travel there. Our vision is Revival. Our mission is Life. Our message is Jesus. We exist to help people discover life in all its fullness. Our values describe the kind of people we must become as we pursue that calling. We teach people to honor God and others. We show them how to serve one another. We encourage them to encounter God and experience all He has for them. We show them what Jesus is really like, and we help them grow in the abundant life He promised. Simply put, we live, teach, and develop a kingdom culture. How we pursue the vision must agree with the message we preach. Put Our Values To Work Our values work if we will work our values. I want to give you permission and a charge to put these to work in the hallways, classrooms, and sanctuary—and in the office, the meeting, and the conversation no one else hears. Before your next decision, use the values as a filter. When a guest needs help, give them your attention and take responsibility for helping them connect. When a teammate brings correction, listen before you defend yourself. When you prepare to serve, make room to pray instead of relying only on what you already know. When you see something out of alignment, address it with honor and humility. A healthy culture learns to correct itself because people take responsibility for what they carry. Begin with yourself. Speak directly and graciously to the person involved, and bring matters that need leadership involvement to the appropriate leader. When you see a value being lived well, name it. Tell someone, "That was honoring," or, "I saw humility in the way you handled that." Let our values become the language of our encouragement as well as our correction. And when you develop someone, give them something concrete to practice. Do not just tell them to be humble. Invite them to receive feedback. Do not just tell them to honor people. Show them how to handle a difficult conversation. Do not just tell them to pursue health. Help them recognize a pace or pattern that needs attention. Values tell us how we behave when no policy exists, no supervisor is present, and the answer is not obvious. That is where we discover whether the values are hanging on the wall or living in our hearts. Questions1. Where have you seen one of these values lived well? Where have you seen one violated? 2. What is one action you can name and carry out this week that would put our values to work? 3. Which value needs to become more visible in me?

Moving Towards Stewardship

Leaders Make It Better

Matthew 25:29 (ESV) — "For to everyone who has more will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

I've had the privilege of visiting Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on four separate occasions. Every visit left its own unique impression.

The first time, it was the awe of standing beneath those soaring ceilings, seeing the beautiful stained glass and the iconic art. It was nine hundred years of church history silently speaking through the cathedral itself. Notre Dame is a masterpiece.

On my second visit, I had the privilege of taking my daughter. It was special experiencing the church through the eyes of a child. You notice things, new things, and appreciate them even more.

Then came April 15, 2019.

The world watched as fire broke out beneath the roof. For nearly fifteen hours, flames consumed one of the most recognizable structures on Earth. The ancient oak roof collapsed and the iconic spire crashed through the ceiling. For a moment, it felt like history was reduced to ashes. No one thought Notre-Dame could ever be rebuilt.

My most recent visit was in 2022, during the restoration. This time the crowds were not there to admire the cathedral, they were watching the craftsmen.

Massive scaffolding surrounded the building as stone masons carefully replaced centuries-old limestone, one block at a time. Carpenters hand-shaped oak beams using techniques that had nearly disappeared from history. I later watched a documentary about the restoration and learned that many of these craftsmen had to relearn forgotten skills just to faithfully restore what had been entrusted to them.

This is a picture of stewardship in the kingdom! None of those craftsmen were restoring something that belonged to them, they were rebuilding something sacred that was entrusted to them. They gave every stone, every beam, and every detail the care of an owner because they understood their assignment as faithful stewards.

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Own what you don't own.

Grace World isn't nine hundred years old, but it is over ninety. Our church was built by faithful men and women who came before us, and it is now entrusted to us in the same way that one day it will be entrusted to those who come after us.

We know that Grace World does not belong to us, it belongs to the Lord. We simply have the privilege of stewarding it for this season.

That understanding carries a weight. One day, each of us will give an account for how we led in this season. The question that matters is, did we lead with the heart of the master or did we behave like a foolish servant?

The Talent Was a Test, Not a Reward

Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 25 about a master preparing to leave on a journey. Before he departs, he entrusts his property to three servants. He gives them no detailed instructions. He simply places what belongs to him into their hands and leaves.

Two of the servants immediately go to work. They invest what they have been entrusted, and each doubles it. When the master returns, he speaks the words every follower of Christ longs to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

But the third servant responds differently. Out of fear, he buries his talent in the ground. When the master returns, he explains himself: "I knew you to be a hard man… so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground," (Matthew 25:24-25, ESV).

Get this! It is entirely possible to become so afraid of getting it wrong that you bury the very thing God trusted you with. You keep the ministry small enough to manage instead of growing it large enough to require faith. You hold tightly to your roles and responsibilities rather than delegating. You hold off on the decision or the opportunity because it feels risky. You call it being careful. God calls it burying the talent.

When the master comes to demand an account, he isn't angry because the servant failed to double the talent like the other two. He is angry because the servant didn't even try. The issue was never what the servant was given. The issue was always what the servant did with what he had been given.

THE TALENT WAS NEVER THE REWARD. THE TALENT WAS THE TEST.

"For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." Matthew 25:29 (ESV)

The principle here is clear—God entrusts us before He increases us!

We Are Entrusted with Two Treasures

Every leader is currently stewarding two kinds of treasure. And it is so much more than finances. These are the decisions, the appointments, the meetings, the ministry, and every conversation you have. Kingdom treasure fits in two different chests.

First — I steward WHAT God places in my hands.

These are the resources you are entrusted with. Your time. Your treasure. Your talents. Your opportunities. Every one of them is a Kingdom tool, and every one of them is on loan.

Am I maximizing what God has already placed in my hands or am I sitting on it?

Second — I steward WHO God places in my care.

These are the relationships you are entrusted with. Your soul. Your family. Your team. Your church. Your neighbor. Kingdom leadership is not the stewardship of programs. It is the stewardship of people.

Remember, in the kingdom, we are entrusted with resources so that we can better steward the relationships because in the kingdom, people are the mission!

What A Faithful Steward Knows

1. Everything belongs to God.

A faithful steward understands that they own nothing but steward everything. The moment I start treating a role as mine, resources as mine, the platform as mine, results as mine, I am no longer behaving as a faithful steward but a foolish servant. The foolish servant says, "My ministry. My people. My success." They forget that a faithful steward holds everything with an open hand because they know whose hand it actually came from.

Stewardship dies the moment our possessions replaces our surrender.

1. Faithfulness comes before increase.

God doesn't send more until we've proven faithful with what we already have. Before asking God for more, have you fully stewarded what you already have?

Where you see lack, ask two questions. First: Where is waste quietly eating away at my resources and my relationships? And second: Where do I have a surplus I've been protecting instead of investing?

The increase you're praying for usually walks in through the door of the small thing you've been faithful with. God is watching how you steward the little before He entrusts you with the large.

3. Stewardship is measured by multiplication, not accumulation.

God does not measure what you accumulate. He measures what multiplies because it passed through your hands. Everything that passes through a faithful steward should become more fruitful. That means the ministry is healthier, the leaders are more capable, and the people are further along than when you first met them.

This means the ultimate test of your stewardship is not what you hold on to but what you hand off.

That is our assignment. Not to accumulate resources and relationships around ourselves but to steward those things so well that we hand them back to the Lord stronger than the day it was handed to us.

If your area of ministry could not survive your absence, you have been accumulating. If it is being built to outlast you, you are multiplying it.

Putting Your Talent to Work

Carry your area like the outcome is yours to answer for. Notice the broken thing before it becomes a crisis. Invest the talent instead of burying it out of fear. Treat the people entrusted to you as a trust you will one day give an account for.

We are all stewards of something we did not build and will not lay the final stone in place. We are the current stewards. Ninety-two years of faithfulness came before us, and generations will come after us. We are craftsmen on a very long project. Refuse to be the ones who cut corners or fail to invest in the present. Carry this house with the master's heart one stone, one beam, one leader, one person at a time.

Questions

1. What am I under-stewarding? What gift, person, or opportunity have I been sitting on instead of investing?
2. What have I over-controlled instead of entrusted? Where have I buried a talent by holding on too tightly and calling it "being careful"?
3. Who needs more of my attention than my agenda? Which person entrusted to me have I been managing around instead of investing in?
4. What resource am I sitting on instead of multiplying? What has God already placed in my hands that I keep meaning to put to work?
5. If God evaluated my stewardship today, where would He say "Well done" and where would He ask me to grow?

MOVING TOWARDS OWNERSHIP When leaders own the mission, the mission multiplies.

"And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2, ESV)

The next time you pull into a McDonald's, look for the sign underneath those golden arches: "Billions and Billions Served" This is not clever marketing, it is the celebration of a culture of multiplication. When Ray Kroc bought into the McDonald brothers in 1954, he saw more than a fast food restaurant. He saw something ready to be multiplied.

Kroc realized the genius of McDonald's was not just the product. It was their process. He knew that if he could take what was working in one location and make it repeatable, then growth would no longer be tied to one location or even a single owner. So in 1955, he pioneered the franchise model and built a system that allowed others to carry the mission.

Today there are over 40,000 locations around the world. But Ray Kroc did not build those 40,000 restaurants. He raised people who thought like him. And because of that, the mission no longer depended on him. He built a culture of ownership that built 40,000 restaurants without him.

Take that thought into the Kingdom. There are billions and billions waiting to be served, and the mission of the church is to reach every one of them. We will never reach those multitudes without moving toward multiplication.

If Grace World is going to become all God has called us to be, a church that awakens hearts, connects in community, trains for purpose, and sends into fullness, then we have to make a shift. What we produce is good. The process works. But moving from a great church to a multiplying church requires more than better systems and stronger strategies. It requires more people owning the mission.

Because when leaders own the mission, the mission multiplies.

1. MISSING THE MARK ON MULTIPLICATION Think about what a healthy church does in a typical week. We gather to worship. We go deep into God's Word. We connect in groups and ministries. We share the life of Christ with people who have yet to discover it.

And yet a church can do all of those things really well and still miss the mark on multiplication. Multiplication was not a suggestion Jesus added at the end of His ministry. It was built into the DNA of the church from the beginning as a non-negotiable. He didn't send His disciples out to build crowds. He sent them out to make disciples. We are only here today because every generation before us had someone who owned that mission personally. Someone who didn't just attend. Someone who reproduced. Here is where it breaks down. There is a difference between working at McDonald's and owning a franchise. McDonald's employs thousands of people, many of them working their very first job. They are learning how to show up, follow a system, and be part of something larger than themselves. But that is not ownership. And you can see the difference immediately. Not every location feels the same. Not every team carries the culture the same way. The mission is present, but the ownership is inconsistent. Inconsistent ownership produces inconsistent results. We met Mary at our local McDonald's. She hosted us the moment we walked through the door. She made us feel welcomed. It stopped feeling like fast food. It felt like a dining experience. I would have assumed she owned the place if I didn't know better. She made us want to come back. Nobody told her to do that. She just did. Somewhere along the way, she stopped acting like an employee and started acting like an owner. That is the difference ownership makes. Our church does not have a participation problem. Our teams are full of people who show up and serve every week. But are they owners? Are they watching the mission take place from the sidelines or are they owning it? That's the difference between a church that grows and one that multiplies! 2. OWNING MULTIPLICATION Jesus didn't just give us a mission. He gave us the model. He was the first to... • AWAKEN: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17, ESV) • CONNECT: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19, ESV) • TRAIN: "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." (John 13:14, ESV) • SEND: "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." (Mark 16:15, ESV) No, we did not invent the mission. We just inherited it! We also inherited the responsibility to own it the same way He did. Here is the deal. You can admire a mission. You can agree with a mission. You can show up for a mission, serve faithfully inside it, give generously to it, and still never own it. Admiration is not ownership. Agreement is not ownership. Ownership is when you take personal responsibility for what happens next. Last week at Easter we had 1,350 people on campus. Record attendance. And that number matters. But the story is always deeper than the crowd. It lives in the individual moments most people never see. Charlotte served that morning on the New Here team. She met a single mother with two kids who walked through our doors alone. Charlotte helped her find her way, got her kids checked in, and made her feel like she belonged. But she didn't stop there. She texted her that week to follow up. That mom shared that she was looking for a family. She came back this past Sunday. Charlotte greeted her again. And then watched her respond to the altar for salvation, met her at the altar to pray with her, then spent time with her afterward. That is owning the mission. That wasn't a pastor. That was a member of our church family who saw a moment and refused to let it pass. She didn't wait for someone else to follow up. She didn't assume the system would handle it. She took personal responsibility. And eternity was impacted because she did. That is what multiplication looks like at ground level. One person who owned it so completely that another person's life was permanently changed. "And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2, ESV) Charlotte didn't just serve that morning. She reproduced the mission into someone who may now do the same for someone else. That is how it multiplies. One owner at a time. 3. MULTIPLICATION HAS A TIPPING POINT What percentage of fully invested leaders who truly own the mission does it take to move a church from growth into multiplication? Less than you think. Malcolm Gladwell explored this question in The Tipping Point. His central point was this. There is a moment in any movement where small, consistent shifts reach critical mass and everything changes. What looked like slow progress becomes unstoppable momentum almost overnight. And it does not require everyone. His research pointed to predictable thresholds. Ten to fifteen percent ownership starts influence. Twenty to twenty-five percent creates momentum. Thirty to forty percent becomes the culture. Fifty percent or more becomes unstoppable. That means if somewhere between twenty and thirty percent of our leaders and members truly own the mission, we cross into multiplication. We are not there yet. But we are close. Getting fully there requires two things from every leader in this room. First, every leader must recognize they are an owner of the mission. ACTS is not just what Grace World does as a church. It is what every leader does as an individual. We awaken new people. We connect them to the mission. We train them in how to live it. We send them into it. We do not just attend this church. We multiply it. We multiply Charlottes. Second, every leader must own the multiplication of other leaders. It is not enough to own the mission yourself. Ownership reproduces ownership. The goal is not to be a great owner. The goal is to raise one. I believe we are close to the tipping point. But we will not reach it accidentally. Each of us has to do more than admire what God is building. We have to own it.

The Challenge I am not asking you to take on more responsibility, I am asking you to take on more ownership. This isn't Daniel and Jenna's church. It's your church. This isn't Pastor Daniel's vision. It's our vision. This isn't the responsibility of someone else, it's our responsibility. Before you leave today, answer these questions. With actual names. Who am I developing? Who am I preparing to deploy? If you can answer those questions with real names, you are an owner. Grace World will not multiply because the vision is compelling. It will multiply because leaders in this room decided to take personal responsibility for reproducing it. One investment at a time. That is how Jesus built it. That is how we build it. When leaders own the mission, the mission multiplies..

Discussion Questions 1. Is there a difference between how you serve the mission and how you own it? What does that gap look like practically? 2. Where in your ministry is growth happening but reproduction is not? What would it take to close that gap? 3. Who is one person in your sphere of influence you could begin intentionally developing in the next thirty days?

Moving Towards TensionLeaders Make It Better "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11, ESV) True growth is painful. It comes after testing, heat, pressure, or resistance. Most people run from the pain of tension, but wisdom tells us tension is necessary if you want to keep growing. Likewise, an organization will not grow by eliminating all tension; it grows by embracing it in a healthy way. Consider this: Toyota is known for building vehicles with remarkable reliability. They consistently hold some of the highest resale values in the automotive market and are regularly recognized for longevity and durability. But Toyota did not become synonymous with quality by accident. In the decades following World War II, Japanese automakers were not globally respected. Toyota had to fight its way into credibility. Their breakthrough came when they made a radical decision to prioritize quality over speed. While many manufacturers focused on producing more cars faster, Toyota chose a different path. They developed what became known as the Toyota Production System, often referred to as Lean Manufacturing. Lean manufacturing removes unnecessary complexity. It strips away waste. It refuses to grow comfortable with inefficiency. But perhaps most remarkable is this: Toyota literally built tension into their assembly line. At the center of their system is something called the Andon system (Andon means lantern in Japanese). Running alongside the assembly line is a bright cord. At any moment, any worker, regardless of rank, can pull that cord. And when they do, the entire production line stops. Not slows down. It stops. In an industry obsessed with speed and output, Toyota empowers the person with their hands on the product to halt the entire line if they see something wrong. Why? Because they understand that small tension now, prevents catastrophic failure later. So what does that mean for us? If a company can embrace tension in a system that produces cars, why would we try to avoid it in a church that is building people? Tension is the stretch we feel when growth pulls us beyond our current comfort. It's not a sign that something is wrong; it's a sign that something needs to grow. Learning how to lean into it and use it is key. Let me give you a practical example. Since September, we've seen a significant increase in first-time guests. At the same time, I felt something was off in our follow-up systems. We're not seeing the retention I expected, so I "pulled the cord," in a manner of speaking. What we found was alarming. Systems we designed years ago are no longer adequate or effective for where we are now. We became too comfortable with automation. Our contact reads like scripts and templates. It isn't personal. It isn't surprising that we haven't received a reply to any of our texts or emails since October. It hasn't been personal; it hasn't felt real. Personal is powerful, and artificial is inauthentic. If we want God to keep sending people, we have to truly see people. Do you feel the tension? HOW TO MOVE TOWARDS TENSION 1. RECOGNIZE TOMORROW'S GROWTH REQUIRES TODAY'S PAIN Two months ago, I shared "Moving Away from Complexity." I didn't realize at the time just how timely that message would be for us. We've worked hard to move from an older version of Grace World to the healthy expression we have today. Yet this cannot be our stopping place. There is a future version of our church that is leaner and stronger than we are right now. Getting there will require the right amount of pain. We have to embrace the tension. Time under tension is the only way to produce growth. If you've been feeling tension, that's a good thing. Lean into it. Don't run from it. If you haven't been feeling tension, it's likely you're too comfortable and need to challenge yourself. Comfort says, "This is what got us here." Leaning into tension asks, "What will get us there?" • Look for your current pain points. • Find a leadership book, podcast, or coach that will stretch you. The key is to decide today that you will embrace the tension. 2. ASK, "IS IT MISSION CRITICAL?" We are not a program-driven church. We are a mission-driven church. We show people who Jesus is and introduce them to the fullness of life that He offers. We help people discover life in fullness. To do this… We Awaken hearts. We Connect in community. We Train for purpose. We Send into fullness. Everything we do should be regularly run through that filter: Does this awaken? Does this connect? Does this train? Does this send? If it doesn't clearly move someone toward life in its fullness, we must refine it or release it. A clear mission should create tension. Every program. Every event. Every activity. Every role. Each must answer the question: How is this mission-critical? • Review your events and ministries through the lens of our mission. • Look for measurable fruit. • Are you duplicating efforts? • Where are you doing too much? • Make sure you and your team know exactly how this moves the mission forward. Remember, clarity of mission protects our calling. 3. MAKE FEEDBACK YOUR FRIEND Every member of this team needs to be able to pull on the rope. You see things we can't see. We cannot fix or refine what we refuse to see. Invite them into the feedback loop. We depend on an amazing team of pastors, campus staff, group leaders, and Kids and Student leaders. It takes teamwork to make this dream work. When was the last time you invited feedback or felt that yours was truly welcome? Normalize post-event debriefs: • What worked? • What didn't? • Where was there confusion? • What was missing? • Schedule regular check-ins with key teams and leaders. • Invite input before making major adjustments. • Ask, "What are you seeing that we are missing?" • Reward their honesty, not just their harmony. A lack of feedback usually means we've grown comfortable. You have to challenge the system. 4. HAVE THE HARD CONVERSATIONS You cannot move a team or organization forward without embracing hard conversations. These are the conversations that challenge the status quo while moving us toward the mission. Avoiding these conversations may protect your comfort, but having them protects our culture.• Separate identity from assignment. • Anchor the conversation in our vision and values. • Remember, the first goal of communication is clarity. • Land on clear action steps. If we know our vision and live out our values, we already have a framework for every hard conversation. It's built into the culture. Pull on the rope! SHARPING THE EDGE If we want to stay sharp as a church, as leaders, and as a team, we cannot run from tension. We must lean into it. The right kind of tension is not a threat to our culture; it is proof that we care enough to grow. So here is the action step: pull the cord. This week, identify one area where something feels "off" in your ministry, your systems, or even in yourself and address it directly. Don't ignore it. Don't normalize it. Lean into it. Remember, leaders make it better. And sometimes making it better means embracing the friction that sharpens us.

Moving Away From ComfortLeaders Are Self-Led

"Remember not the former things… Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:18–19, ESV) Friday nights in the 90s often started with a drive to the strip mall to visit the local Blockbuster. I still remember that distinct smell of a thousand plastic cases mixed with the faint scent of buttered popcorn. We'd wander the aisles aimlessly, scanning rows of movies, hoping to find something good. The New Releases wall was always empty, so we ended up with two or three classic movies. A quick scan of your Blockbuster card, some microwave popcorn, and an ice-cold Coke, and our weekend was officially set, as long as you remembered to, "Be kind, rewind." At its peak, Blockbuster had nearly nine thousand stores. Those iconic blue and yellow signs were in every town. Home entertainment ran through them. They did not compete in the market. They were the market. Then a small company showed up with red envelopes and a simple question. What if people didn't have to come to us? What if movies showed up at their door? What if there were no late fees at all? Blockbuster laughed. Netflix was a novelty. A slow option for people willing to wait. Blockbuster had momentum. They were not failing. They were winning. They were comfortable. That comfort cost them. Netflix started by mailing DVDs across the country. Then, while that model was still working, they began investing in a new idea, streaming movies through the internet. No one thought it would work. Few had the bandwidth or patience. When it did work, they leaned in harder. Soon the mailed DVDs, the model that built them, was discontinued. When online content exploded, they shifted again, producing original stories and building a global platform. Netflix was never married to a method, only its mission, "to entertain the world." Blockbuster lost because they tried to protect what they were comfortable with. Netflix won because they challenged their own comfort zones. Comfort rarely looks like failure. However, that's what it becomes when you settle into a season of success. Blockbuster did not fail because it lacked resources. It failed because it clung too tightly to what worked in a previous season.

That is why the Lord says, "Remember not the former things." God is not dismissing what He has done. He is warning us not to settle there. Yesterday's success can quietly become today's blind spot if we stop perceiving what God is doing next (Isaiah 43:18–19, ESV). The Hidden Cost of Comfort There is a big cost to falling into complacency, one that should terrify a leader. It costs momentum. Momentum is built by consistently moving in the right direction over time. When you have it, everything feels easier. When you lose it, everything becomes harder. Momentum never gives you permission to coast. You are always fighting some sort of friction. If you stop adding the right amount of energy, momentum dies, and once it's gone, you may never recapture it. It costs multiplication. Multiplication is momentum that begins to compound. It takes a season of winning and turns it into sustained fruitfulness. But comfort interrupts that process. What should be multiplying suddenly starts getting managed, and management stalls growth. It costs maximum impact. The goal of a leader should be to make the greatest impact possible, leaving nothing on the table. We seek to give God the fullest return on our obedience. Comfortable leaders may stay busy, but they will never reach their maximum potential. Comfort does not destroy leaders. It limits them. Comfort becomes their ceiling. Signs You've Grown Comfortable • You reference past wins more than present opportunities. • You defend current systems more than you discern coming seasons. • You explain away holy discomfort instead of leaning into it. • You manage what exists rather than steward what God is birthing. Read those again slowly. One of them likely stung. Getting comfortable is where leadership stalls, not by failure, but in settling. You quietly trade significance for the status quo. How to Move Away From Comfort God asks, "Do you not perceive it?" He says something new is springing up. This means it is not the availability of opportunity, but your attentiveness to it. So where do we begin? 1. Start with what now feels easy. Where does your leadership no longer require faith? What can you do now without thinking that once caused you to push yourself? Ease is often the first warning sign of growing too comfortable.

2. Disrupt your routine. Growth rarely comes from big changes. It often begins with a simple disruption or change of rhythm. Delegate something you like controlling. Have the conversation you have been avoiding. Look for a new way of doing something old.

3. Choose a place to stretch your faith. Ask yourself where growth would require more faith than experience. Your maximum potential just might live on the other side of some discomfort. 4. Invite accountability into your comfortable spaces. Ask a trusted leader this question: "Where do you see me playing it safe or leaving potential untapped?" Invite feedback and discover where growth is possible. 5. Reignite hunger.Does your current vision still require God? If you fulfilled every current goal you have, would anything really change? Remember God's call on your life is immeasurably more. That has to mean more than the status quo, right? "Behold, I am doing a new thing," is an invitation to get uncomfortable again. Comfort will keep you where you are. Moving away from comfort will take you where you are called to be. Questions: 1. Where in your leadership have past wins quietly become present assumptions? In other words, what are you still doing primarily because it once worked, not because you are convinced God is calling you to do it now? 2. What area of your leadership currently feels safest, most predictable, or least dependent on God? How might that comfort be limiting your growth, influence, or maximum potential? 3. What specific discomfort is God inviting you to embrace in this next season? Name one concrete step you could take this week that would require faith, stretch your capacity, and move you away from maintenance and toward mission.