Leader to Leader: Good leaders learn to listen
Here are 7 things I’ve learned that have developed my listening skills
1. Look the speaker in the eye: Give them your undivided attention, no cell phones or looking at your watch
2. Don’t interrupt: When you interrupt you are saying, “I don’t care what you have to say, what I have to say is more important.”
3. Focus on understanding: you want to remember what some says, don’t just hear the words, you will forget the words, focus on understanding what they are saying, you will remember that.
4. Listen for the need: Anytime you determine the need you of the person you are talking with the better you will be able to help them.
5. Control your emotions; If you get mad or even act surprised the person will shut down
6. Be active in the conversation: Let them know you are listening, nod your head, smile, say things like, “Really, I didn’t know that, that must have made you feel good…”
7. Ask questions for clarity: REMEMBER to ask non threatening questions, you will be surprised at what people will tell you
I am listening, and I hear that God is making a real difference in the lives of so many people through you LifePoint Church!

“…From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.” Acts 3:28
Paul’s teaching of the Word included “explaining”, “declaring”, and “trying to convince”. These verbs describe how we should fit our teaching to the hearing and needs of our audience.
Our goal, whether on stage Sunday morning, or in a LifeGroup Wednesday evening, must be that people know the truth – that they understand it and all its implications and requirements. In fact we must make God’s truth so clear that they can see no other choice but to embrace it.

Have your seen the new commercial about Charles wanting to be your role model (for losing weight). I don’t even think Charles expects, or even cares, if anyone looks to him as a role model for anything; but it is a good way to grab attention for weight watchers.
I think that’s the attitude of a lot of Christians; thinking they can live an ungodly lifestyle and still draw attention to Jesus. To many Christians use the excuse of “Don’t look at me I’m just human, look to Jesus.” I want to remind you that the lost are looking to us hoping to SEE Jesus!
We should be striving to live a life that is transparent; transparent to the point when the lost and the unchurched look at us they see Jesus

The taller the building, the deeper the foundation; our ministry will grow in direct portion to the values deep inside of us; character, commitment, discipline, organization… In his book “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, John Maxwell calls this idea “Law Of The Lid”. Our level of leadership will be determined by our abilities. In order to grow as a person and a leader we will need to increase our abilities.
How do you do that? Start with…
• Praying a lot
• Reading a lot (not just God’s word but lots of leadership material)
• Make it a priority to hang out with Godly leaders
• Take on things that cause you to dig deep inside yourself

As leaders the greatest injustice and the greatest burden we can place on a person (and ultimately the church body) is put them into a leadership position before they are ready.
My most often made mistake (that has cost much pain and frustration) is placing people in leadership roles that they might be capable of achieving physically, but not ready spiritually, emotionally, or mentally.
It takes a lot to help people grow and prepare for leadership, but it sure pays in dividends and saves a lot of pain and frustration for everyone, especially you!

Towel Awards – Clinton – April 3, 2011 from Lifepoint Church on Vimeo.

Towel Award Ceremony – March 6, 2011 from Lifepoint Church on Vimeo.

4. Thinking “I Can Do This By Myself” (Read Zechariah 4:6)
We were never designed to do life alone, and we were certainly never designed to do God’s work alone. As leaders, if we are not equipping and permitting others to do the ministry we are failing as leaders.
GET THIS: When we try to do it all by without others we cheat our people out of blessings, and we end up tried and frustrated

OTOH God called us to work THROUGH us…at the end of the day HIS working power working through us, not our works, is what works.