Transformed Episode #060 Wisdom – Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!

Posted on May 3, 2009 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

We are here to tell you today that your Father in Heaven is with you (remember that Jesus’ name Emmanuel means ‘God with Us’)! He wants to make so much more out of our lives than any of us are currently enjoying!

That is exactly what He says in this book of Ephesians! The Bible says,

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly / abundantly / above / all / that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

God clearly states that whatever our wildest dreams are AS A CHURCH, He can do and is willing to do FAR MORE than we can imagine!

As we continue this study with Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Palos Verdes, we will learn that God wants you all to show off that abundant life to everyone on Earth! Why? So the world will know that there is a God in your community, and that they too can enjoy Him forever!

Let’s explore how you can possess the five dimensions of wisdom God wants to give to His people!

If you would like to start reading God’s Word so that you can capture all that God has for you, we encourage you to pick up a copy of the Word In Worship Daily Devotional Journal and get started the exciting journey of Wisdom, Beyond Your Wildest Dreams! Copies are available on the side bar at the EaglesInLeadership.org website.

If you’d like to comment on this episode or contact Dr. Smith you can do so in one of three ways:

If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review at iTunes!

Posted in christian life, Ephesians, Transformed | Leave a comment

WNWC Celebrates 50 Years

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith
107551

Mike Powers (photo courtesy of JOHN MANIACI - Wisconsin State Journal)

Mike Powers, Executive Vice President of Media here at Eagles in Leadership, was featured in the Wisconsin State Journal for the 50th anniversary of WNWC. Mike has been a faithful member of WNWC radio staff since 1987, reaching and touching people with the positive message of hope in turbulent times.

To read the article in the Wisconsin State Journal please click here.

Posted in Greeting, Mike Powers | Leave a comment

Fear or Faith?

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Feel free to forward this to a friend!

“We can either be driven by fears or governed by fear. Fear-driven lives are out of control. Fear-governed lives are surrendered to the everpresent supervision and companionship of the Lord of all.”  ~ Jan David Hettinga

Fear can destroy our leadership! Whether it is the fear of another or the fear of the unknown, fear paralyzes one’s faith.

But there is another possibility. It is possible that fear is just an external symptom of a lack of faith! Listen as Jesus explains …

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Mark 4:35-41 (NKJV)

We become like Jesus when …

o We trust God in the midst of any storm!

Imagine being in the midst of the Sea of Galilee and the storm is so fierce that you are fearing for your life … it seems imminent that you will die! Wow! Now, consider that Jesus is asleep in your boat … and you are still that fearful! These are the conditions surrounding Jesus’ rebuke of his followers in this passage.

It is pretty obvious that the men had not yet grasped the concept of exactly who Jesus really was … their words after the event betray this: “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

We may sit back and laugh at the foolishness of these men … but many of us would have to admit that we still do the same thing. Although Jesus isn’t physically present with us, he is with us, nonetheless. And although these men didn’t grasp the enormity of Jesus’ persona, we have the benefit of the whole revelation of God to demonstrate His position inside the Godhead.

Now, we come to the point of this lesson: Do I trust Jesus enough in the storm to swallow my fear, draw on my faith and move forward without anxiety? If not, perhaps internalizing Romans 10.17 will recharge our faith-batteries before the next storm approaches? And believe me, it will come! There is always another storm approaching!

Trust Jesus! He is able to deliver you from all that comes at you!

© 2009 By Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Posted in Becoming Like Jesus, Eagles E-Letter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Transformed Episode #059 – Benefits – Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!

Posted on April 26, 2009 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Jesus did not die on the cross, and rise the third day so that we could “cope.” He sits at the right hand of the Father on his glorious Throne so that we can OVERCOME! He is accompanying you throughout your life, and he wants to make so much more out of our lives than any of us are currently enjoying!

We begin a new series of messages today entitled Living Beyond Your Wildest Dreams. It is a study through the book of Ephesians, capturing the core of God’s heart for your life on Earth!

As we begin this study today with Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Palos Verdes, we discover how we can enjoy the seven supernatural benefits God has given to His people! Let’s listen in now as we discover how we can access God’s Benefits Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!

If you would like to become a part of God’s family and experience His never-ending love, please contact our friends at 1-800-NEED-HIM.

If you’d like to comment on this episode or contact Dr. Smith you can do so in one of three ways:

  • leave a comment on this post,

  • or by emailing us at transformedpodcast@gmail.com

  • or you can call our voicemail line at 206-350-0019. Leave a comment that we can play on a future episode …

If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review at iTunes! Feel free to pass this episode on to a friend.

Posted in christian life, Ephesians, Transformed | Leave a comment

Coming Sunday! New Series: “Life! Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!”

Posted on April 24, 2009 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Listen as Mike Powers interviews Dr. Matthew Lee Smith about the upcoming podcast series which starts April 26!

While the world struggles with global recession and terrorism, there is a people group who are Experiencing incredible benefits in all aspects of their lives! You are invited to come and discover the keys to ‘abundant living’ that are driving the lives of these people.

Once you apply these life-changing guides to your life, you, too, will experience Life! Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!

Posted in Transformed | Leave a comment

Leaders Are Learners!

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Feel free to forward this to a friend!

“Don’t let your learning lead to knowledge, let your learning lead to action.”

~ Jim Rohn

The bottom line of being a leader is using what you know. Many times leaders rest on the ‘old ways’ and, as it has been said far too many times, the last words of the church are: “But we have always done it that way.” Yet, that doesn’t mean everything we have learned in the past is without merit!

Jesus wants us to utilize our learning … both the old things that we know are true and the new things we are learning. Why? So that we accomplish the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Listen as he explains …

Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” Matthew 13:51-52 (NKJV)

We become like Jesus when …

o We utilize our learning to accomplish God’s heart and mission!

Eagle Leaders … by definition … seek to move people to greater heights and higher accomplishments. This is a noble goal. Some have complained using the old adage: “How can I soar with the eagles when I am surrounded by these turkeys?!” And this can be a fair complaint … as long as we are not the ‘head turkey!’

Eagle Leaders understand that, just as Jesus did, we must call people to count the cost and follow Him. This is essential to motivation. Those who pay the price should be mentored. How we do that may be found in the many examples from God’s Word. Using the tools you have from both the Old Testament and New Testament, “like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old,” can provide the necessary methods to develop action in your team. That is why Eagle Leaders are constant students of the Word of God … seeking methods as well as truth!

If you would like a plan to follow so that you can squeeze every possible idea from God, download the PDF Bible Reading Schedule file from the side bar at http://EaglesInLeadership.org today! I invite you to join me in deepening your adventure by discovering new and old methods for leadership development from God’s Word!

© 2009 By Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Posted in Becoming Like Jesus, Eagles E-Letter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Only 1 Week until New Series: “Life! Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!”

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Listen as Mike Powers interviews Dr. Matthew Lee Smith about the upcoming podcast series which starts April 26!

While the world struggles with global recession and terrorism, there is a people group who are Experiencing incredible benefits in all aspects of their lives! You are invited to come and discover the keys to ‘abundant living’ that are driving the lives of these people.

Once you apply these life-changing guides to your life, you, too, will experience Life! Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!

Posted in Transformed | Leave a comment

Teaching Those Who Are Listening – Part 7!

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Feel free to forward this to a friend!

“Our contemplation and evaluation should lead naturally to calculation – how much will it cost me to change? What things must be different? Are certain friends or acquaintances a roadblock on my journey of glorifying God? Are any of my activities or habits wrong? Do they hinder my pursuit of God’s glory? Am I feeding any unhealthy appetites that have become taskmasters? What must I do to overcome these? Where can I get help? (Again, a trusted friend can be of enormous value.)” ~ Skip Hertzog

As Jesus wraps up his answers concerning who we should be developing as future leaders, he tells three specific, short stories that all point to the same truth: Teach people who are willing to pay the price of leadership. Listen as he explains …

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:44-50 (NKJV)

We become like Jesus when …

o We carefully identify the sacrificial within the crowd!

Paying the price is what leadership is all about. Over the course of your life, leadership will be one sacrifice after another. Every day there is an exchange for the Eagle Leader. Why? Because you are willing ‘to give up to go up.’ Such a life of release is only possible because we have the ultimate reward waiting for us as Christ’s followers … His approval.

In these turbulent times choosing protégés wisely is of ultimate importance. We have little time and few resources to restart with. Too much depends upon the willingness of those we mentor – they must be sacrificial and committed. Jesus longed for each Eagle Leader to reproduce themselves in the lives of others. He also wanted to prevent the wasting of our time in the process!

© 2009 By Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Posted in Becoming Like Jesus, Eagles E-Letter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Only 2 Weeks until New Series: “Life! Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!”

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Listen as Mike Powers interviews Dr. Matthew Lee Smith about the upcoming podcast series which starts April 26!

While the world struggles with global recession and terrorism, there is a people group who are Experiencing incredible benefits in all aspects of their lives! You are invited to come and discover the keys to ‘abundant living’ that are driving the lives of these people.

Once you apply these life-changing guides to your life, you, too, will experience Life! Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!

Posted in Transformed | Leave a comment

Eagles In Leadership Spring Summit Recap

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

From Friday, March 20 – Friday, March 27 the EIL staff met in San Pedro, CA to do strategic planning and work on ministry events. In this audio wrap-up, Mike and Matt discuss the highlights of that week.

Among the highlights, spending time with Jentezen Franklin (FreeChapelOC.org) became a key event. Jentezen brought us a strong word of hope and encouragement from Zechariah 4, encouraging us to move forward in incredible ways, believing God for the completion of ministry projects in the planning stages!

fraklin

Times of prayer were key to the week as Matt and Mike took advantage of God’s incredible and majestic vistas as their backdrop.

beach-1

Some studio time afforded us the opportunity to work on some projects that are about to launch!

eil

We are very excited about the 15 part series entitled Life! Beyond Your Wildest Dreams! Only a few weeks away! As you listen to this recap, we know you will be excited as well for all God is about to do in your life as you allow us to partner with you!

Posted in Events | Leave a comment