Leadership Lessons Podcast

Pastor Daniel talks about the spiritual discipline of fasting. When Nehemiah heard of the situation in Jerusalem, he fasted before God (Nehemiah 1:4). It is important to know what fasting is and what it isn’t. We know we are called to fast. Pastor Daniel talks about the correct understanding of fasting and the great spiritual value and benefit it produces in our lives. 

In Pastor’s Perspective, Pastor Joe Williams talks about his own experiences of fasting and how it has impacted his life. It has been a struggle for him as it has for most leaders. But the benefits are worth it. 

Jentezen Franklin, in his book Fasting, says, “Prayer and fasting were a big part of Jesus’s life. Why should it be such a small part of yours? If Jesus needed to fast, how much greater is our need to fast?”

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Prayer links us to heaven and fasting separates us from earth. - Charles Spurgeon

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“Reading about prayer instead of praying will simply not do. But reading about prayer in addition to praying can be a valuable way to learn” - Donald Whitney, from Spiritual Disciplines

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Fasting is not a requirement; it is a choice. It is a vow you choose to make to pursue God on a deeper level. The entire time that you are on a fast you are acknowledging God. When you are feeling hungry, empty, and weak, you connect with God without all the clutter. -Jentezen Franklin

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The secret to tapping into the supernatural is for you to have the courage to do the natural first.” -Jentezen Franklin

Pastor Daniel talks about the importance of prayer. From Nehemiah 1:4-11, we read the heartfelt response of Nehemiah’s heart to what he had learned about the situation of the people of Israel in Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s sets an example for leaders of how to respond to the burdens God places on our hearts. It is a prayer packed with wisdom.

In  Pastor’s Perspective, Pastor Joe Williams shares how God has used the power of prayer throughout his 40 years of ministry…sometimes saying yes, sometimes saying no and sometimes saying wait. But God answers every time we pray. 

Donald Whitney said, “This much we do know---Jesus prayed. Luke 5:16 tells us “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed”. If Jesus needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray? Prayer is expected because we need it. We will not be like Jesus without it.

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Chuck Swindoll  said, “Nehemiah was quick to call for help. His favorite position when faced with problems was the kneeling position.”

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Although burdens/problems can be painful at times, they can also bring passion and calling. Our concerns and cares should cause us to act!

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Tony Evans says, “You can always tell how serious people are about their belief that only God can make a difference by their prayer.”

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God can do more in one moment than we can in a lifetime!

Pastor Daniel talks about the importance of asking questions in ministry, seeking God’s wisdom first and also inquiring about other people. Nehemiah asked questions in order to understand what was happening with God’s people in Jerusalem. We can learn so much if we ask and take the time to listen.

In Pastor’s Perspective, Pastor Joe Williams shares his insights into the benefits of waiting on God, listening to Him and listening to others. 

Charles Swindoll says, “A leader must have a clear recognition of the needs.”

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Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20
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If we know something, we are challenged to act.

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Can I ask you… Are you looking? Are you asking? Do you care?

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We need to be more in the moment than just rushing through life!

Pastor Daniel talks about the context of Nehemiah. What is happening in Nehemiah’s world at this time? What is the setting? Why does is this important? Nehemiah is an autobiography of Nehemiah’s calling to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls which are in ruins. God is restoring the people and the city of Jerusalem once again. God wants to restore us in order to use us in restoring and blessing others. God is in control, even when it doesn’t look like it.

In Pastor’s Perspective, Pastor Joe Williams joins Daniel to share his own perspective on the context of Nehemiah and how God works in difficult situations, through His word, through the writings of others and through the personal relationships we have with brothers and sisters in the faith. 

Pastor Craig Groeshel says, “You can never fulfill your calling in your comfort zone.” 

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“True greatness is not measured by the headlines a person commands or the wealth he or she accumulates. The inner character of a person—the undergirding moral and spiritual values and commitments—is the true measure of lasting greatness.” Billy Graham

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“God uses our own mistakes and the mistakes of others to humble us and give us the ability to teach others. We don’t have to make every mistake ourselves to learn what not to do.” Pastor Joe Williams

Pastor Daniel is back with a whole new season, a new audio podcast format and a new segment called Pastor’s Perspective. This season will be a deep dive into the book of Nehemiah. With all that’s happened in the last couple years, it is a great time to look at how God taught Nehemiah how to be a leader in the midst of troubled times. Pastor Daniel will do a teaching segment on Nehemiah each lesson, followed by an in-depth conversation for Pastor’s Perspective with his father, Pastor Joe Williams. Pastor Joe has been a pastor in Tacoma, Washington for 40 years. He has great insights to share from his years of walking with the Lord.   Join us for this exciting new season.

J. Oswald Sanders said in his book Spiritual Leadership, “Nehemiah is one of the most inspiring  leaders in the Bible” (pg 163). 

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Tony Evans states that, “Nehemiah provides a study in great leadership” (pg 461).
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Chuck Smith always used to say “Blessed are the flexible for they will not be broken”
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“Methods are many, principles are few. Methods always change but principles never do.”

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In his book Pass Me a Brick, Chuck Swindoll said, “Nehemiah, although an ordinary man underneath, emerges as one of the most significant leaders in history. He was highly motivated to do a job for God that had many difficult circumstances surrounding it” (pg 4). 

Pastor Daniel talks with Daryl Nelson, Senior Pastor at Calvary Chapel of the Palm Beaches, Lake Worth, FL about longevity in ministry. Daryl started and has pastored this church for 25 years. In what ways have you been discouraged? What are some things you can do to keep your passion and love for God and people alive? Daryl shares how he was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in ministry? No one is perfect. What are some mistakes you’ve made and grown from in ministry? How important is it to have fellowship/support from other pastors and leaders? Practical wisdom from a humble servant of the Lord. 

QUOTES:

“Because you are a shepherd of the sheep, you love the sheep. They are sheep. Some of them bite.” -Daryl Nelson

“A delay is not a denial. Keep your eyes on the Lord.” -Daryl Nelson

“May my highest height always be at the feet of Jesus.” -Daryl Nelson

“Stay on your knees. Remember that you are a sheep.” -Daryl Nelson

“You are a Christian, a follower of Jesus first. Be close to the presence of God.” - Daniel Williams

“True ministry comes from the overflow, as you are filled with the Spirit. What flows out of you ministers to the people.” -Daryl Nelson

3 MINUTE MESSAGE

THE LORD IS YOUR LIGHT by Ben Courson | Proverbs 4:18

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.”

LINKS:

Contact Daniel: [email protected]

Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com

Pastor Pilgrim Benham, Shoreline Church, Bradenton, FL, shares about what it means to send and be sent by God. The Apostle Paul describes his own commissioning in Galatians 1:11-12,  For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. But even though Paul had an unusual calling directly from Jesus Himself, he is still led to spend significant time in preparation before he was sent (Galatians 1 & 2). Pastor Pilgrim uses the examples of Paul, Moses, David, Peter and even Jesus to discuss this “formative time”of preparation and equipping. If you’re a leader who wants to send others, make sure you are investing in training and equipping those who are being sent. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. (3 John 7-8) ‘We should be willing to go and be willing to send. Until the Lord comes.”

QUOTES:

“We should expect great things from God. We should attempt great things for God.” - William Carey, 1792

“There should be some of us who are willing to go down into the darkest places to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, yet the only way that we can possibly do that is for someone to ‘hold the ropes.’” -Pilgrim Benham

“Though Paul was greatly used by the Lord, he actually had to first be sent by the Lord.” -Pilgrim Benham

“We have to grow in the grace of God. We have to be rightly prepared before we’re used of God greatly.” -Pilgrim Benham

“We have to be dedicated to the hard, long-term task of sending people.” -Pilgrim Benham

“Let’s make sure we’re sending people well.” -Pilgrim Benham

3 MINUTE MESSAGE:

BE GENEROUS by Chuck Lind | Proverbs 3:9-10

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

LINKS:

Contact Daniel: [email protected]

Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com

Pastor David Guzik, Santa Barbara, CA talks about the leadership/ministry principles of structure and organization. God’s very character is one that is ordered and structured, even though it may not seem so from our limited human perspective at times. God has passed this character trait to us, who are created in His image. It is a principle spoken of in scripture: But all things should be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:40) God values this idea. “It isn’t so much that order and organization are requirements for progress in the Christian life. They are progress in the Christian life.” This is not talking about making an idol out of order and structure, but the simple idea that we become more like God as we become more organized and more ordered in what we do. Paul writes to Timothy in Ttius 1:5: This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order. “Order and structure were an important answer for Moses when he was overwhelmed by his leadership responsibilities.” This is an impassioned discussion from one of the most eloquent Bible teachers today. You can read David Guzik’s full Bible commentary online at www.enduringword.com or download the app. 

QUOTES:

“We understand that God is a Being of order and structure. There is nothing chaotic about God.”

“I want to challenge you with the idea that there is a limit to what we can be and there is a limit to what we can do for the Lord without order and organization.”

“Sometimes we just accept an unacceptable level of disorganization or chaos in our life.”

“You can’t organize things well until you know what you have. Do you know the resources God has given you?”

‘No inventory is truly complete. And God always works mightily through things that can’t be counted.”

“We don’t make an idol out of our organizing.”

“All order in Israel began by being centered around God Himself. That’s where order and organization begins.”

3 MINUTE MESSAGE:

FAMILY VALUES by Laura Williams | Proverbs 15:16

"Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it." Proverbs 15:16-17

LINKS:

David Guzik’s Website: https://enduringword.com

Contact Daniel: [email protected]

Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com

Pastor Daniel talks with Peyton Jones, an experienced pastor and church planter in the U.S. and Europe over the past two decades. He is currently in the process of planting a network of churches in the North County San Diego area. Today’s topic is the micro church—what is it and what is all the talk about? This concept has been popularized recently by Francis Chan in his book Letters to the Church. Peyton describes a micro church as more of an outreach gathering. You go to the lost; you don’t wait for them to come to you. This concept is based on minimal ecclesiology, which is not having to have all of the trappings of a large church in order to do ministry. This is pictured in Acts 2:42. Everyday believers are released to use their gifts and calling to reach the lost wherever they are. Peyton has written several books: Church Zero; Reaching the Unreached: Becoming Raiders of the Lost Art; and The Ninja Church Planter. Find him online at peytonjones.ninja

QUOTES:

“Everybody is still just trying to reach lost people.”

“When you read the book of Acts, very little of it happens inside a building. The key is getting out there.”

“Micro church is almost like a missional outpost. It’s not a gathering in your home for a backyard barbecue. It’s going to them, to the lost, where they’re at.”

“Micro is a way of saying you’d focused on the people in front of you at all times.”

“We’re empowering everyday believers in their gifts.”

“We need to always ask, not is it a new thing, but is it a New Testament thing? And if it is, let’s get back to it.”

3 MINUTE MESSAGE:

THE FEAR OF THE LORD by Jim Gallagher | Proverbs 8:13

"The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate." Proverbs 8:13

LINKS:

Peyton Jones: https://peytonjones.ninja

Contact Daniel: [email protected]

Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com

Pastor Daniel talks about not missing out on what God has for you in your life and ministry. Based on 1 Samuel 1-4, Daniel recounts the failures of Eli the priest and how the Lord instructs us through failure. Eli had a clear calling by God. He was around the things of God, but he wasn’t worshipping God. He missed out on seeing God work in Hannah’s life when she prayed in the temple for a son. God wants us to focus on Him, on the Giver over the gift. We can get so busy in ministry that we neglect our relationship with the Lord. Eli was fulfilling basic duties, but we are told in 1 Samuel 3:1, 3: And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision…The lamp of God had not yet gone out. Eli was not hearing from God. We are exhorted to abide in Him. Unless we abide in Jesus, we cannot produce fruit. (John 15:4,5) Finally, don’t miss out by compromising your character. Eli made this mistake as well. He did not rebuke his sons and honored man over God (1 Samuel 2:25-30). When we sin and compromise our integrity and character, it produces death. It’s knowing what’s right and not doing it. God gives us these warnings because He doesn’t want us to lose out. Acknowledge His grace and focus your life on Jesus.

QUOTES:

“We need to learn from our mistakes. We need to have humility.”

“As John Maxwell always says, ‘We need to fall forward,’ walking in humility, because God pours out His grace on those that are humble.”

“When we come together and lead His church, this is the grace of God.”

“God is always working, but we have to be looking for it.”

“The task of every generation is to discover in which direction the Sovereign Redeemer is moving and then move in that direction.” - Jonathan Edwards

“Busy-ness doesn’t equal effectiveness.”

“Just because you’re doing good things doesn’t mean you’re doing God things.”

“The most effective way to make Christian leaders is to be one ourselves.”

“God takes sin seriously in our lives as church leaders.” 

“We will not miss out if we are able to abide in Jesus.”

3 MINUTE MESSAGE:

LISTENING by Joe Williams | Proverbs 19:20

"Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future." Proverbs 19:20

LINKS:

Contact Daniel: [email protected]

Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com