As 2012 runs ahead full speed, Dr. Matthew Smith, lead pastor at Pacific Baptist Church of El Segundo, begins a 4-message series on the ABCs of Loving God.
As we open Luke 10, we will look at our attitude and ask, “How do I respond to God?”
Let’s listen now as Pastor Matt prepares the congregation in El Segundo for whatever 2012 will bring …
By Dr. Matthew Lee Smith
As the Christmas season came to a close, I can remember how the focus for many was on themselves. They were interested in what THEY were going to get, what parties THEY were going to and what things THEY were going to be doing.
In contrast to this was Christmas morning as we bundled out of the car to head for the restaurant for breakfast … a Christmas tradition in our family. As we stepped onto the sidewalk a homeless man with a shopping cart and a little dog asked if we could spare any change. Since I don’t carry any, I politely told him I had nothing on me.
Sitting at the booth, my wife Melodee ordered him a “to go” breakfast, and when it arrived, she immediately took it to him. The jumbo coffee and hot breakfast were gratefully received. When she came back to the table I sat there in awe of my wife who was more interested in being of service to this one man in a difficult situation than she was about how well we were served our traditional Christmas breakfast – her breakfast was cold.
This year, we can all remember that there are two motivations in life – one selfish, the other selfless. Do we see the needs all around us? Do we love our neighbor as we love ourselves? As we ate our breakfast Christmas morning, I was sure that one person did, and she was sitting right across from me.
And that brought a question to my mind as I sat there: Will I be more interested in my service of others or how others serve me in 2012? What about you?
We are thrilled you have rejoined us for another year of Encouraging Achievement in Godly Leaders by Emphasizing Servanthood!
In today’s episode, Dr. Smith starts us on a journey through the most important subject in life: How do I please God?
As we open our Bibles to 2 Chronicles 7, let’s listen in as Pastor Matt explains to the people of Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, CA how we please God by knowing him personally!
By Dave Ferguson
We welcome our good friend Dave Ferguson back to Eagles in Leadership today. We know this article could change your 2012 in ways only God can imagine. With that in mind, we submit this great idea to you for your consideration:
My good friend Bob Bouwer was having lunch with the campus pastor of COMMUNITY a couple weeks ago when he said, “Everyday at the top of my journal I write these three letters: E (emotional), P (physical) and S (spiritual) and then give myself a 1-10 rating.” He went on to explain how this daily routine of rigorous self-evaluation helps keep him in a healthy place.
As I heard Bob talk I was inspired to do the same; but to use a tool that is a regular part of our coaching of leaders at COMMUNITY and explained on page 120 of Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement. We refer to this tool as “checking your RPM’S.” This tool is based on Luke 2:52 that says, “Jesus grew in wisdom (mental) and stature (physical), and in favor with God (spiritual) and men (relational).” So for the last week on a daily bais I have put at the top of my journal these four letters: R (relational), P (physicial), M (mental) and S (spiritual) and given myself a 1-10 rating.
I am already convinced that using this tool on a daily basis, rather than just during coaching sessions may be one of the most powerful self-leadership tools around. I would strongly encourage you to try it for yourself. Let me briefly explain each of these and give you a few questions to ask in your own daily self-evaluation.
RELATIONAL: Our relational world typically includes the people with whom we interact on a regular basis: our immediate family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and small group members. Here are some questions you can ask yourself.
PHYSICAL: Our physical well-being is often the most overlooked aspect of a leaders life. Yet diet, exercise, sleep, and rest are all vital to our ability to lead effectively. If we are serious about developing as a whole person, we have to take seriously our physical well-being. Here are some good questions to ask:
MENTAL: Another often-overlooked aspect is the development of our minds. In order for us to stay sharp and be a lifelong learners, we need to be challenged. Here are some questions we can ask to see if we are developing mentally:
SPIRITUAL: It is also imperative that we discover and act on whatever it is that helps us grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus. Here are some questions we can ask to see how we are developing spiritually:
The longer I am in leadership the more I am convinced that the most important leadership we can offer is self-leadership. Use this tool everyday and lead yourself!
This article was first published on December 15, 2011 at daveferguson.org and is used by permission.
Artwork Credit: philosophicalanthropology.blogspot.com
Welcome back to the Transformed podcast! In today’s holiday episode, Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Lead Pastor at Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California shows us how to have a character of compassion.
Using the birth and life of Jesus as a springboard, Pastor Matt shows us three ways to enjoy and share the love of Christ throughout the New Year!
Let’s sit back, open our Bibles to 2 Corinthians 1, and listen to this last podcast of 2011 as Dr. Smith teaches the congregation in El Segundo.
From all of us at Eagles In Leadership, we want to thank you for your support over the past year. We wish you a …
And in the New Year we look forward to our mutual partnership to Encourage Achievement in Godly Leaders by Emphasizing Servanthood!
In a recent article in the California Southern Baptist, Mark Kelly reported that Focus 21 Task Force Chairman E. Glen Paden, a retired pastor and president emeritus of California Baptist Foundation, said committee members agree dramatic changes are needed to take the gospel to more than 37 million Californians-at least 60 percent of whom will be non-Caucasian in 25 years.
“We see that happening in the public school population among the young people here, and if we don’t set our sails to our future residents in this state, recognizing this change that’s occurring, we definitely will miss the boat,” Paden said. “There is no question in my mind that, not only here but all across our Southern Baptist Convention, changes are needed.
Eagles in Leadership would ask you to read the following paragraph very closely …
“We are basically an agrarian-structured denomination, and our structure and frame-work of our convention life have not changed very much, even though the world has changed significantly,” Paden added. “The geography from which our denomination was constructed was so limited, and now through electronic media and other ways, those lines have all gone, but we still maintain those structures.”
Urban centers are so radically different from agrarian society that we must think new thoughts if we are to do more than have a token presence in the city!
That’s our thoughts and we would love to hear yours!
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Original quotes from an article entitled, CSBC task force to bring recommendations By Mark Kelly in the California Southern Baptist, Volume 70, October 2011, Number 10.
I will be at Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo this Sunday for worship at 11 am. The message this week is on the topic: “How to Have a Spirit of Selflessness!” from Philippians 2.1-4.
I know you will want to be there for the encouragement and inspiration the Word of God and the Spirit of God will bring along with the AMAZING John Scott leading worship!
Dr. Matthew Smith will be the worship speaker this Sunday, December 4th at the Brainard Avenue Baptist Church in Countryside, IL.
He will speak that the 9:30 am worship service on the subject, It’s All About the Mission!
This powerful message will inspire you and encourage you to reach out to friends, family, and neighbors during the holiday season with the life-changing message of the Good News of Jesus Christ!
The church is located at 6251 S. Brainard Avenue, Countryside, IL 60525.
You are invited to attend and encouraged to bring family and friends!
For more information, you can contact the church at 708-354-6797.
On the web at http://www.brainardavenue.org/
Our own Mike Powers caught up with Mike Weaver about their tour and their new song, “Love Come to Life!”
For more than a decade, Big Daddy Weave has been one of Christian music’s most successful and musically compelling groups. Their songs, including hits like “In Christ,” “Audience of One,” “What Life Would Be Like,” “Every Time I Breathe,” “You Found Me” and “You’re Worthy Of My Praise,” have been among the genre’s most treasured.
Formed at the University of Mobile, the quintet—Mike Weaver, Jay Weaver, Joe Shirk, Jeremy Redmon and Jeff Jones—has earned a reputation both for the musical conviction that has carried their songs to the top of the charts and for the joy and passion that have made their live performances such moving and memorable experiences.
Big Daddy Weave has also compiled a stellar list of milestones: “One And Only” debuted in SoundScan’s Christian Top 5 and stayed in the Top 20 for six weeks; “In Christ” peaked at #2, stayed for 24 weeks on R&R’s AC chart, and became one of ASCAP’s 25 most performed songs of 2002; the group was nominated for a Dove Award as New Artist of the Year in 2002, honored at ASCAP’s Christian Music Awards in 2003 and 2004, chosen for the WOW Hits compilations in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011, and won a Dove Award for Christmas Album of the Year in 2010.
“The Ultimate Collection” summarizes the group’s career to this point and, with their new single “Love Come To Life,” points the way to one of music’s most promising futures.
Click any book cover to order now!
NEW!
Hope Enabler is the real-life story of one Christian parent’s struggle with a runaway child and the hope that God enabled her to have during the darkest moments of that struggle.
