THE LIFE CYCLE OF A HEALTHY LEADER/CHURCH

If you have been around me much you have heard me say this many times:

Healthy things grow

Growing things change

Change requires risk

Risk requires faith

Faith makes you healthy.

This is what I call the life cycle of a healthy leader, or for that matter, a healthy church.

For the next several blogs I would like to dissect these modules. So let's start with "healthy things grow".

We often use the early church as our picture of health. When you read the book of Acts you see two very profound things taking place. There was incredible numerical growth as well as spiritual growth. In other words we can safely say that the early church grew both in depth and breadth. More than 10 times Luke tells us that the church grew numerically because of the many conversions taking place. It was also critical to the early church to continue to be strengthened. The level of persecution and trials the early church endured required them to persevere and grow deeper. That is why Paul challenged the church in Collosse to be strong and vigorous in the truth so their spiritual roots would grow deep. You read the same thing in Acts 14 where Paul and Barnabas were strengthening the believers so that they would persevere in the faith.

The bottom line is this. In order for any leader or church to be healthy there must be evidence of fruit in two areas. One is that of conversion growth and the other of growing deeper in love with Jesus Christ.

So the question for you and your church is this: Are you healthy? If so, are you growing in these two areas?

SUFFERING FROM INFLATION?

I have seen many preaching pastors that seem to have an inflated view of their skills. Unfortunately too much of our identity is wrapped up in our ability to preach. Therefore it is often a difficult issue to bring up in many pastor's lives. So let me take a risk by challenging you to do a little self evaluation,

1. Have you ever seen people checking out during your messages?

2. Are your too long? (Sometimes more is less and less is more.)

3. Is your message congruent, logical, and systematic so they are easily followed?

4. Are your messages too academic and not practical enough?

5. Is there any evidence of life change as a result of your messages?

6. Are your sermons pointing out the obvious or is there some intrigue that captures both the

immature and mature listener?

7. Is your delivery sort of flat rather than dynamic and captivating?

8. Are your sermons transforming your life?

9. Are your listeners able to connect with you as much as the message?

10. Are you leaving room for the Holy Spirit?

11. Have you done a thorough study of the text?

These are just some questions you might want to give someone whom you trust and know will give you some loving and honest feedback. You also may want to listen and watch your preaching if you haven't done so in a long time. It may give you some clues as to how you can improve. Remember, healthy pastors aren't afraid to ask the hard questions.