Hey, Brother — Circle back with me to when you took Rock Solid. It’s Gathering #7. Our prep includes reading chapter 4 of Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership. In the middle of the download, one of the brothers calls out his big takeaway by reading a portion of page 68. From the storyline of Moses and the burning bush, the indwelling Spirit reaches down and divinely ‘connects the dots’ for you with laser-like clarity:
For a leader to take time to turn aside and look is no small thing. In the rush of normal life, we often blow right past the place where God is creating a stir to get our attention. But at the heart of spiritual leadership is the capacity to notice the activity of God so we can join Him in it. Amid the welter of possible distractions, an essential discipline for leaders is to craft times of quiet in which we allow God to show us those things that we might otherwise miss. We need time for the chaos in our soul to settle so that we can turn aside to look at the great sights in our own life and seek understanding about what they mean.
Did you see it? Did you catch YOUR job #1?
Amid the welter of possible distractions, an essential discipline for leaders is to craft times of quiet in which we allow God to show us those things that we might otherwise miss.
While God’s job is the work of transformation, our job is the work of creating space. At the end of the day, life change is essentially a dynamic cooperation between the transforming work of God’s Spirit within us AND our proactive choice to create the opportunity for Him to do that work. Make no mistake: He does the heavy lifting, but we still have a pivotal part to play.
Brother, there is always a next faithful step in creating space for God’s work of transformation in your life and in your leadership.
What’s yours?
What rhythm/habit/practice is God inviting you to engage more deeply so that you can show up strong in your circle of influence, looking more and more like Him?
BTW #1: If you live in or close to the San Gabriel Valley, join us for the 2024 Rock Solid Solitude Sunday at Eaton Canyon in Pasadena on Sunday, March 10. All Rock Solid grads are invited! Here are the details.
BTW #2: We have a couple more spots available for Rock Solid NEXT: Road to Character. Here are the details.
Hey, Brother — It’s impossible to navigate life without regrets. Impulsive decisions made that needed more thought. Hurtful words spoken (that seemed justified in the moment) that deeply damaged a relationship. Fill in the blank…
While we can’t erase the regrets of the past, the good news is that going forward we can change the game. We can write a better script.
To that end, I want to encourage you to listen to this message by Jon Tyson. It’s both thought-provoking and convicting. He talks about how regret happens, the consequences of regret, how to avoid regret, and how regret can be redeemed.
Allow this teaching to set the stage for a year where we live intentionally, generously, and reflectively.
Let’s go!
Before you go, I’ve got two more items to put on your radar:
Hey, Brother — I’ve got a set of Bible verses that I am memorizing so that I can intentionally have God’s Word available in my daily life. One of those Scriptures is John 14:12-14:
I tell you the truth,
anyone who has faith in Me
will do what I have been doing.
He will do even greater things than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And I will do whatever you ask in My name,
so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
You may ask Me for anything in My name,
and I will do it.
Wait a minute! Run that by me once more…
You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.
To state the obvious, there’s a lot in these verses. But in the short, when it comes to prayer, my job is to ASK—and to do so in the name of Jesus, that is, in sync with His purposes, His will (check out 1 John 5:14-15).
No question but that I want IN on that promise. Pretty sure you do too.
With those truths ringing in our ears, can I tee-up a challenge for you to complete in the next few days?
Here it is: Would you join me in writing out your BIG prayers for 2024?
Where do you need God to show up with His limitless power in your life and in your leadership in 2024?
Let’s not sit on the sidelines with those who “have not because they ask not.”
Let’s rise up, Brother!
God IS the Way-Maker.
Miracle-Worker.
Promise-Keeper.
Light in the darkness.
Here’s to a year like never before!
Hey, Brother — Each November, in anticipation of Thanksgiving, I like to call a pregame huddle for every Rock Solid grad to be ready to maximize this significant holiday.
As a Kingdom leader, Thanksgiving provides a Grand Canyon-sized opening to lead well, serve well, and love well as you gather with family and friends.
Knowing that you may be the go-to person in your respective Thanksgiving gathering, what’s your game plan for leveraging your leadership that day?
Let me jumpstart your thinking by uploading some considerations:
During or after your feast, what if you were to…
May your initiative as a leader create space for the Spirit of God to visit with you and your loved ones in a way that moves it from mundane to meaningful…from ordinary to extraordinary.
Hey, Brother — Some people grow OLD, but sadly they never grow UP.
While aging is inevitable, maturing is totally optional.
In his must-read book The Road to Character*, best-selling author David Brooks tackles the topics and values that should shape our lives, including what it means to be mature:
The person who successfully struggles against weakness and sin may or may not become rich and famous, but that person will become mature. Maturity is not based on talent or any of the mental or physical gifts that help you ace an IQ test or run fast or move gracefully. It is not comparative. It is earned not by being better than other people at something, but by being better than you used to be. It is earned by being dependable in times of testing, straight in times of temptation. Maturity does not glitter. It is not built on the traits that make people celebrities. A mature person possesses a settled unity of purpose. The mature person has moved from fragmentation to centeredness, has achieved a state in which the restlessness is over, the confusion about the meaning and purpose of life is calmed. The mature person can make decisions without relying on the negative and positive reactions from admirers or detractors because the mature person has steady criteria to determine what is right. That person has said a multitude of noes for the sake of a few overwhelming yeses.
In reading Brooks’ comments on maturity (and taking the conversation directly to SPIRITUAL maturity), I am compelled to ask:
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand,
take care that you are not carried away
with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
–2 Peter 3:17-18
Fighting for the hearts and souls of Kingdom leaders,
*Shout out to LWYL board member Jim Howe for putting this book on my radar. I’ve asked him to lead a Rock Solid NEXT on this insightful resource in Q1 of 2024. More info to follow.
Hey, Brother — The math is simple: Breakfast burritos + Krispy Kremes + Rock Solid brothers = Good times!
Last Saturday was fabulous as all the local Rock Solid brothers gathered for our annual breakfast. (Check out a few snaps below).
Our morning culminated with a chance to talk about how to break a ‘free fall’…what to do when you feel like the proverbial pinball ricocheting off the seemingly endless bumpers of life. What to do when our lives lack focus and intentionality…and those who live downstream from our leadership are footing the bill.
From there, we called out the words of our Lord in Jeremiah: “Stop at the crossroads, and look around. Ask for the old, godly way; and walk in it.”
Next, we trotted out what the “old, godly way” looks like. Specifically, we circled back to our respective season of Rock Solid to recount three practices/rhythms of a leader who is on point:
At minimum, each of us NEEDS these rhythms for two reasons. First, they are means to cultivating a vibrant, life-energizing relationship with Christ, who is the ultimate treasure. And second, to the extent we have this kind of relationship with Christ, is the extent that we show up strong with godly leadership for those who count on us to do so.
Brother, would you join me in looking in the mirror? What do we see? What would the Spirit of God want us to see?
Let’s celebrate our wins, our progress. AND let’s make any course corrections needed to break a free fall.
A lot of people (that you care about deeply) are depending on you to do so.
Fighting for the hearts and souls of Kingdom leaders,
Hey, Brother — Several months ago, Pattie and I started The SixPack Bible Reading Club.
The what?
Long story short, we are encouraging our six grandkids to read the Bible daily.
Here’s how it works:
Pinch me! Having a convo with my grandkids about the Bible–what could be better?!
What I want for my g-kids is what I want for myself. As it says in Colossians, I want the Word of God to DWELL RICHLY in me. I want God’s truth at home in my heart. When squeezed, I want it to ooze out of me. I want to be much more conversant about the Scriptures than newsbreaks, the latest Netflix series, video games, or even college football!
You get the picture.
Maybe it’s time to launch your own Bible Reading Club. With some family members? With some colleagues at work? With a couple Rock Solid brothers?
The ROI will be bullish. Guaranteed.
Fighting for the hearts and souls of Kingdom leaders,
Hey, Brother — For those who follow Christ, decisions come in two buckets.
Bucket #1 are decisions in life that are UNCLEAR, calling for the need for WISDOM.
Bucket #2 are decisions in life that are CLEAR, calling for the need for OBEDIENCE.
Bucket #1 decisions are matters of discernment because there is no go-to ‘chapter and verse’ to anchor your decision. Things like what job do I take, what car should I buy, who should I date/marry, etc.
But Bucket #2 decisions are a different breed. These decisions DO have a ‘chapter and verse’ that provide undebatable guidance for what to do. Things like do I report all my income to the IRS (Romans 13)? Can I ‘enhance’ my resume to increase my marketability (Colossians 3)?. Can I sleep with my girlfriend (1 Thessalonians 4)?, etc.
Brother, as a follower of Christ, and even more so as a Kingdom leader, we need to be men of obedience—saturating ourselves with the truth of God’s Word and then living it out without compromise.
Over the years, my counsel has been this: If you want God’s BLESSING, then position yourself as best as you can to receive it.
As I review the game film of my own life, it’s our self-serving will that too often gets in the way.
“Father, today I once again surrender my will to Yours. But I admit, it’s a struggle. The fight between the flesh and the Spirit is real…and at times, fierce. Empower me, embolden me to rise up to live a life of obedience—for there I find health and wholeness. Your path of righteousness always leads me to soul-satisfying places. Thank You!”
Fighting for the hearts and souls of Kingdom leaders,
Hey, Brother — You will recall from your Rock Solid journey our conversations about the priority of sexual purity in the life of a leader. In reviewing the storyline in Genesis 39 of Joseph’s refusal to the advances of Potiphar’s wife, I am reminded that every major moral compromise is preceded by a string of small ones.
How are you doing in the area of sexual temptation?
As we all know, it is one of the most powerful weapons of our enemy to blow up our lives and our leadership. Too many Kingdom leaders have been sidelined by caving in to the temptation of sexual sin.
When it’s all said and done, the reality check is this: Spiritual leaders refuse the passing pleasures of sin in exchange for the lasting joys of honoring God.
So I leave you with this question: In this season of life, what mid-course corrections do you need to make in order to accumulate a bank account of wise, everyday choices that position you for success in a moment of temptation?
Bring those corrections into the light—both with Christ and with the like-minded brothers with whom you do life.
Don’t waste your time on useless work,
mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness.
Expose these things for the sham they are.
It’s a scandal when people waste their lives
on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see…
So watch your step. Use your head.
Make the most of every chance you get.
These are desperate times!
Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly.
Make sure you understand what the Master wants.
—Ephesians 5:11-17 (MSG)
Fighting for the hearts and souls of Kingdom leaders,
Hey, Brother — Rock Solid is the foundational ministry initiative of Lead With Your Life with the mission is to equip Kingdom leaders to lead from the inside out.
Which begs the question: What does it actually mean to “lead from the inside out”?
Glad you asked…
Below you will find a collection of statements I’ve curated over the years. They serve as an ongoing north star for me personally. Additionally, they serve as my own personal annual ‘performance review’.
Before you read them, can I tee-up a recommendation? First, do a personal inventory by jotting down a rating after each statement. And second, next time meet up with some Kingdom-minded leaders, perhaps in a Huddle Group, share the statement that you most want to see cultivated in your life and leadership.
Fighting for the hearts and souls of Kingdom leaders,
Hey, Brother — One of the verses I have put to memory (so that I can reflect on it often) is John 15:5. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from the Me you can do nothing.
Every time I reflect on this verse, it is a reality check.
You too?
Unless I am abiding in Christ, the things that I do are empty…off-target…self-serving…and come with a short shelf-life. You get the picture.
That is NOT the life I want!
Sign me up a life that “bears much fruit”.
And to get THAT life, I need to become a better and better “ABIDER”. You tracking?
But what does it actually mean to ABIDE? The word in the original language of the NT is meno. Meno means to abide…remain…rest…stay connected.
“Stay connected” gets it done for me. As the branch stays connected to the tree, there is life and vibrancy and growth and fruit.
So…HOW do you “stay connected”? Not just for a few moments at the start of the day, but THROUGHOUT the day.
Over the years, I’ve put certain practices into my daily life to help me in this pursuit (think Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence).
During this season of my life, I am finding this question to be a very helpful prompt in staying connected:
Father, what are WE going to do NOW?
It’s a great re-centering question. It’s a question that pulls me back to doing life WITH Christ not just FOR Him. (NTF: I’ve got to keep reminding myself that he values RELATIONSHIP above SERVICE!).
So give it a try. I think you’ll find it to be a spot-on prompt to keep you connected to the source of our vitality…throughout the day.
Fighting for the hearts and souls of Kingdom leaders,
PS: From time to time, Rock Solid grads ask how they can support the work of Lead With Your Life. My response: pay it forward for the next brother…especially during our matching gift month/April where each gift is doubled.
Hey, Brother — Carey Nieuwhof in his blog entitled The 7 Most Likely Challenges To Take You Out or Stunt Your Growth As a Leader calls out these specific challenges: Cynicism, Compromise, Disconnection, Irrelevance, Pride, Burnout, Emptiness. (I encourage you to read the blog).
But I’d like to add one more that will stunt your growth as a leader: LACK OF INTENTIONALITY.
I’m sure you would agree from your season of Rock Solid, the word that was used the most in our discussions was INTENTIONALITY.
But why? What’s the big deal?
Well, in short, the harsh reality is that living life on auto-pilot will only yield a limited ROI. But you were made for more. A lot more.
Here’s the takeaway: An intentional leader deliberately and proactively arranges his life to think and to act about what matters most, setting in motion a pattern of life that yields worthy outcomes.
Here’s some starting blocks to forward the conversation:
Like me, you probably have room for improvement when it comes to intentionality. With that reality, my encouragement is simply to ask God to show you what your next faithful step looks like.
He’ll be glad you asked.
And so will you.
Fighting for the hearts and souls of Kingdom leaders,
Hey, Brother — Jesus was the master of the MIC DROP. In fact, He invented it. The list is long. Here’s one of them:
And what do you benefit if
you gain the whole world
but lose your own soul?
Is anything worth more than your soul?
Matthew 16:26 NLT
That verse begs the question: Do we treat our souls as the most important reality of our lives?
BTW, just so we are on the same page: Your soul is the unseen operating system that integrates and provides meaning to all that you are and all that you do. (Huge props to John Ortberg’s book Soul Keeping for providing an incredible resource for understanding the soul).
Paying attention to the state of my soul is an ever-increasing part of my spiritual journey. And the pursuit has been invaluable.
If you are tracking, and if you’re buying what Jesus is selling, then I’d like to invite you to join me in attending more intentionally to the most important reality of your life.
Ready?
Grab your journal and for the next 40 days write your response to these two statements:
I guarantee you that you will find this simple drill to be revelatory. I did. And it prompted some mid-course corrections that have my soul trending toward greater health and wholeness.
LMK what you think.
Fighting for the hearts and souls of Kingdom leaders,
A couple reminders:
Hey, Brother — As a Rock Solid “grad”, I want you to know with certainty that your season in Rock Solid (whether it was last year or ten years ago) is not a finishing line but a launching pad. Mark it down: your nine-month Rock Solid journey is designed to lay a formidable foundation of spiritual leadership upon which you build for the rest of your days.
To that end, we are all about resourcing and investing in you along the way. Some of those resources include a monthly Leadership Blog, monthly Book Notes, and a monthly Rock Solid Challenge.
But let me highlight three additional resources:
Fighting for the hearts and souls of Kingdom leaders—together,
Hey, Brother — I’m fired up to have the Rock Solid brotherhood benefit from the leadership wisdom of Kevin Hoist. Kevin serves as the part-time Director of Key Initiatives for Lead With Your Life. In addition to his day job of financial consulting, he is working on a master’s degree in Industrial Psychology…AND…at the end of last year, he competed in the Arizona Iron Man race! —Chuck
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Research shows that to the extent leadership is learned, it is learned from experience – primarily, through challenging experiences. However, learning from experience is not automatic. Some people learn only part of what they could learn, some learn the wrong things, and some refuse to learn anything at all.
As Rock Solid leaders on mission, how do we ensure we are learning from the experiences in our life?
One of the most proven strategies is to spend time in reflection. As little as one hour spent reflecting on a challenging situation, either alone or with a helper, has been proven to significantly increase the learning from that situation.
In his book Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport describes such a moment by Martin Luther King Jr. after being released from prison for the first time (italics mine):
Martin Luther King Jr. made sure to pause, pray, and reflect on the life-changing experience that he had just faced. The level of clarity that he discovered about his mission would go on to propel his life and leadership to the influence and impact that we have come to know and be grateful for.
Brothers, without reflecting on where we are and where we want to be we abandon opportunities to discover valuable wisdom for our life and leadership.
As we embark into a new year, I want to challenge you to take a few steps into the posture of a reflective leader:
We will experience reflection activities in unique ways. That’s okay – discover a process that works for you. In my experience, the simpler I keep it the more consistent I keep it.
For example, a couple months ago, I spent some time reflecting on my 33rd birthday. I wrote down some of my thoughts and some accompanying truth statements that were on my heart. I’ve included them below in the hopes that it will encourage you in your self-reflection.
Keep it simple. Keep it consistent. Let’s keep growing.
In this together!
Kevin Hoist
Director of Key Initiatives | Lead With Your Life
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A few thoughts on turning 33…
It’s pretty interesting to pause and reflect on where I am in my life right now. In some ways, I’m not where I imagined I would be and in other ways I have far exceeded my imagination and expectations for myself.
I don’t think this dichotomy is going away and I believe this is a vital part of the human journey. It highlights the truth that the plan for my life is not fully in my control and yet I also have far more within me than I originally believed. Every year that goes by, I become more aware of my human limitations and more inspired by my divine abilities. And I am continually amazed by His blessings in my life…
Here are a few simple truths I’m reflecting on today:
I love my family more than ever.
People are the most fulfilling investment and ROI that we have access to.
I have a deeper relationship and trust in God than any other season of my life.
I am using each day to take another step into greater purpose and meaning.
I will fight for joy and gratitude even in the midst of challenging obstacles.
Excited for what’s to come. 33… let’s get after it!!!
KH
Hey, Brother — In the current Rock Solid season, we have been carefully considering the words of Paul the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. So whether you are presently in a Rock Solid cohort or you are a RS grad, I feel led to double-down on the truth of this all-important slice of God’s Word.
Specifically, I find these words ricocheting in my head and heart:
C’mon, Paul, lighten up. Why the intensity?
To that question, the image that comes to mind is Paul squaring me up, looking me straight in the eyes, and calling me up and out. “Chuck, pay attention, the stakes are high, disqualification is real. Don’t be a stat. Don’t be relegated to the cheap seats. Be a player. Engage. Train. Work. Sweat. God’s Spirit is waiting to empower you to RUN TO WIN. Those who look to you for leadership NEED your best, your A-game. Don’t punt. Don’t mail it in. It’s your stewardship. This is your moment.”
In your pursuit to RUN TO WIN, what does your next faithful step look like?
To that question, I want to call you to sit in the presence of the Holy Spirit with these questions:
Brother, no judgment or shame here. We are all a work in progress.
But the point is that God has called you to be a LEADER and leaders don’t sit on the sidelines hoping for something to happen. They INITIATE. They make the first move.
Remember: Life change is essentially a dynamic cooperation between the transforming work of God’s Spirit within you AND your proactive choice to create the opportunity for Him to do that work.
Let’s RUN TO WIN…as a commitment to honoring Christ and as a benefit and blessing to those who live downstream from our life and leadership.
Hey, Brother — Each November, in anticipation of Thanksgiving, I like to call a pregame huddle for every Rock Solid grad to be ready to maximize this significant holiday!
As a Kingdom leader, Thanksgiving provides a Grand Canyon-sized opening to lead well, serve well, and love well as you gather with family and friends.
Knowing that you may be the go-to person in your Thanksgiving gathering, what’s your game plan for leveraging your leadership that day?
Let me jumpstart your thinking by uploading some considerations:
During or after your feast, what if you were to…
May your initiative as a leader create space for the Spirit of God to visit with you and your loved ones in a way that takes your gathering to a very memorable Thanksgiving 2022.
Hey, Brother — A few weeks ago, we rallied on a spectacular Saturday morning in the San Gabriel Valley for our annual Rock Solid Breakfast. An awesome time to connect. Fabulous food. Challenging conversations in our circles. (Check out a couple of snaps below.)
All of this culminated in asking ourselves one question: With a commitment to playing the long game, what “halftime adjustment” is God asking you to make in order to run the race with honor and to finish with strength?
Included in our morning was a reminder of the do-or-die necessity to do life IN COMMUNITY with other like-minded leaders. As my mentor, Prof Howard Hendricks would often say: A leader living in isolation is a moral disaster waiting to happen.
One way you can do life in community as part of the Rock Solid brotherhood is by staying in the group/community of leaders you have already formed. Or you might like to start a Huddle Group (or participate in one)—whether in-person or virtual. Please reach out to John Gilmour @ johng@jdgilmour.com who is our point person in providing leadership and ideas as you take on this initiative.
May the Lord bless you and anoint you as you lead those entrusted to your care out of the overflow of your personal and intimate friendship with the living Christ!
LEADERS warmly welcomed AT THE ROCK SOLID BREAKFAST.
Chuck eagerly welcomes a leader to the breakfast.
Leaders hearing from Rock Solid Coaches on key ways to grow the groups towards implementing the practices we study.
Rock Solid leaders enjoying their friendships.
Hey, Brother — Two things to pass along…
First…if you are in the SoCal area, be sure to join us for our annual Rock Solid Breakfast on October 8. Click here to RSVP.
And second…are you in a hurry?
The other night in a Huddle Group gathering, there was a discussion on The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. Here’s the box score of our conversation:
“Hurry sickness” is a malaise in which a person feels chronically short of time, and so tends to every task faster and to get flustered when encountering any kind of delay.
Hurry kills. It kills relationships. It kills joy, gratitude, appreciation. It kills wisdom. It kills everything we hold dear: spirituality, health, marriage, family, thoughtful work, creativity, generosity.
Hurry kills our capacity to pay attention to God. And what we pay attention to is the person we become.
And then the author, wanting to make sure you’re awake, pitches a question high and tight: If we lose our capacity to pay attention to God—for long, or even short, lengths of time—who knows who we’ll become?
The point is sufficiently clear. No need to double-down.
So I leave you with the question that I have to ask the guy in the mirror:
To become the person God wants me to become,
what halftime adjustments are required?
Hey, Brother — I’ve got an invitation. I hope you’ll accept it.
Grab a drink.
Grab a chair.
Grab your journal.
And watch this video by Andy Stanley.
It’s packed full of stuff that we as leaders need to think about.
At one point, Stanley makes this insightful (and convicting) statement: I will not lie to myself even when the truth makes me feel bad about myself.
This statement took me back to some of our Rock Solid conversations about choosing to live in the reality of our brokenness, knowing that there is nothing in our brokenness that is outside the redemptive reach of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
So, Brother, enjoy the freedom that comes with naming our reality. (What a relief that we don’t have to pose or pretend). And the beauty of God’s power to transform us from the inside out! (Something He does really well!).
Hey, Brother — Roll the highlight reel from your Rock Solid group and it undoubtedly will have Stone Stories on center stage.
There is an aching theme to our Stone Stories. Pain. Disappointments. Confusion.
But on the flip side is the theme of God. Period. Full stop.
A God (a good God) who opts to place us in the fire. To refine. To renew. To redeem.
And in the words of Josh Baldwin, the evidence is endless–the winter storms making way for spring.
Let these words fill your soul with the reminder that God is writing a good story—a really good story—in you…
Note: Mark your calendar for our next Rock Solid Breakfast: Saturday, October 8, 2022 in Altadena, CA.
Hey, Brother — I’ve got a question…but first some context.
In an effort to understand God’s POV re leadership, you will recall that the first passage we study in Rock Solid is Mark 10:35-45. In it, we read these words from Jesus: Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.
From the context of this passage, it was clear that the Jesus’ followers were surrounded by a distorted, self-centered view of greatness. So Jesus—as is His pattern—flips the script and re-routes the road that leads to true greatness: serving…giving yourself away.
In short, God calls us to greatness—not in status, but in service.
So here’s the question: In this season of your life and leadership, where is He calling you to be great by giving yourself away?
Pursuing what matters most—together,
Quick update: There is a lot going on behind-the-scenes in pursuing the mission of Lead With Your Life—to equip Kingdom leaders to lead from the inside out. The LWYL Board is going through a prayerful process of considering both new and expanded strategic initiatives. With that focus, while we won’t be offering Rock Solid NEXT: Leading With Soul as we have the past two summers, we do want to encourage you to read and reflect on Soul Keeping by John Ortberg. Do it on your own. Better yet do it with your Huddle Group. And if you aren’t in a Huddle Group, just call up a couple brothers from your Rock Solid group and make it happen.
2022 Rock Solid Solitude Sunday, Pasadena, CA
Hey, Brother — Last month was the annual Solitude Sunday. There were formal gatherings in Pasadena and Palos Verdes, CA and St. Louis, MO, along with countless other individual times of solitude.
In the SS groups I participated in, the comments I heard repeatedly in our debrief time included:
Let me I double-down on that last comment: “I don’t stop and reflect very much.
Here’s my take on REFLECTION…
Reflection is the deliberate process of considering God’s truth in His presence LONG ENOUGH that it changes you.
Regrettably, reflection is a largely lost art for followers of Christ, especially followers who have been entrusted with the role of leadership. (NTF: That’s US!).
To that end, I want to challenge you to take an hour or two of solitude at least once a month. Schedule it. Plan for it. And stand strong against the distractions that the enemy will bombard you with.
Do it. Get ALONE with God. For an EXTENDED time. You will be amazed at what He wants to say to us when we take the time to listen.
Long story short, start every day with some time in prayer and in the Word. And build in solitude—an extended time with God—into your monthly rhythm of what it means to be a Kingdom leader whose life and leadership OVERFLOWS from intimate times with Christ.
Pursuing what matters most—together,
Hey, brother — As a Rock Solid grad, you will recall that one of my favorite leadership verses is Acts 4:13.
The members of the council were amazed
when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,
for they could see that they were ordinary men
with no special training in the Scriptures.
They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
This verse inspires me to the core!
In a culture that esteemed the educated class, Peter and John were so “everyday”. Essentially, they were counted among the move-along-nothing-to-see-here segment of society.
But they learned something on the streets that was noticeably absent from rabbinical curriculum: when you match up your ordinary-ness with God’s extraordinary-ness, stuff happens. Good stuff. Big stuff. Kingdom stuff.
At the end of the day, Peter and John weren’t identified as celebrities (something that our world craves ad nauseam), but rather they were identified as “men who had been with Jesus.”
And from the richness and intimacy of their friendship with Christ, they showed up. They showed out. Their lives (and their impact) were simply an OVERFLOW of that relationship—living large from the inside out.
I guess you could say, Peter and John were rock solid on the inside and dangerous for the Kingdom on the outside.
Brother, where is God asking you to loan Him your ordinary so He can make it extraordinary?
Pursuing what matters most—together,
Brother — As we ride into the new year, I want to challenge you to evaluate the habits that are currently established in your life and leadership.
How are they structured? What goals are they serving? Are they a reflection of who God has created you to be?
These are important questions. As Craig Groeschel asserts in his recent podcast (High-Impact Habits for Successful Leaders), “The potential of your leadership is a direct reflection of the quality of your habits. Because you are what you repeatedly do.”
But rather than obsess over habits for productivity sake alone, we must understand the deeper value and purpose of this endeavor. I like how Craig Groeschel puts it, “rather than focusing on do-goals, we are going to focus on who-goals.”
This language should be familiar to us as identity is a central theme of our Rock Solid journey. As we know, everything we do flows from our understanding of who God has created us to be.
Remember this quote from Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership?
“Before calling has anything to do with doing, it has everything to do with being that essence of yourself that God knew before the foundations of the earth, that God called into being and that God alone truly knows. It is the call to be who we are and at the same time to become more than we can yet envision.” Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, 77
The exciting part is we get to play an active role in becoming who God has called us to be. This is why it is important for us to understand and take control of the habits in our lives.
Brothers, let us avoid the temptation trap of “average” as we embark into 2022. It is becoming easier and easier to adopt an identity less than the one God has given to us. Take hold of the truth that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator of the Universe. May we continually commit to the humble pursuit of who He is calling us to become.
If you are looking for a few practical steps to get started, I would suggest the following:
In this together!
Kevin
Kevin Hoist
Director of Key Initiatives
leadwithyourlife.comEquipping Kingdom leaders to lead from the inside out
Brother —
Year after year, the witness of Rock Solid grads is how significant Solitude Sunday was! There is nothing quite like experiencing solitude TOGETHER (which is a huge oxymoron…but you know what I mean ).
This year, we want to invite all Rock Solid grads (who live in Southern California), to join us for this annual highlight.
Here’s the 411:
You in? Hope so!
Please let Steve Keith (Steve@leadwithyourlife.com) know if you plan to come and when the date gets closer, he will send you the details.
Pursuing God—together,
Brother — A few days ago, I sent an email to all the current Rock Solid brothers, relaying some customized challenges that fit the mid-point of the Rock Solid journey. I want to pass along these challenges to you as well since I believe that most of them have relevance to all Rock Solid grads.
At this half-way point in the Rock Solid journey, I want to relay a few reflections…a few reminders:
Brother —
In a recent Rock Solid gathering, the key passage was 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. You will recall that this scripture is about exercising “strict discipline” in order not just to run the race, but to WIN the race.
From that discussion, I was reminded of the comment from sage Gordon MacDonald:
Disorganized Christians rarely enjoy intimacy with God. They certainly have intentions of pursuing that camaraderie, but it never quite gets established. No one has to tell them that time must be set aside for the purpose of Bible study and reflection, for intercession, for worship. They know all of that. They simply are not doing it. They excuse themselves, saying there is no time, but within their private worlds they know it is more a matter of organization and personal will than anything else.*
In short, we make time for what really matters to us.
During this season of gift-giving, perhaps the most significant gift you can give to those in your circle of influence is the gift of a relationship with Christ that though it is not perfect, it is…
Real.
Fresh.
Not second-hand.
Not borrowed.
It’s yours.
Nothing compares to loving and serving and leading out of the OVERFLOW.
Showing up strong…together!
Founder | Lead With Your Life
Brother —
Over the past several years, each November, in anticipation of Thanksgiving, I like to call a pregame huddle to make sure that every Rock Solid grad is ready to maximize this one-of-a-kind holiday.
As a Kingdom leader, Thanksgiving provides a Grand Canyon-sized opening to lead well, serve well, and love well as we rally with family and friends.
Knowing that you may be the go-to person in your respective Thanksgiving gathering, what’s your game plan for leveraging your leadership that day?
Let me jumpstart your thinking by uploading some prompts for your consideration:
During or after your feast, what if you were to…
May your initiative (that’s what leaders do) create space for the Spirit of God to visit with you and your loved ones in a way that moves your gathering to a holy, memorable Thanksgiving.
The Olson SixPack fired up for T-Day!
Hey, Brother — Now THAT was good! Really good!
It was awesome to rally with a backyard full of Rock Solid grads a few weeks ago for the Rock Solid Breakfast! (Check out the snaps below).
Here are a few out-takes for those who jumped into the mix!
The focus of our morning was to tee up the question: Why are so many Christian leaders falling? In tracking down that question Rock Solid coach and Lead With Your Life board member Garrick Hanger stated:
Brother, let’s keep first things first. Let’s call each other to a faithful walk with Christ…out of which we serve and lead from the overflow.
May we be counted not among the fallen, but among the faithful,
Chuck Olson
Founder | Lead With Your Life
Hey, Brother — If we’ve not met personally, I’m Chuck Olson, founder of Lead With Your Life. And it’s a privilege to welcome you to the 2021-2022 Rock Solid journey!
Rock Solid is not a class. It is not a curriculum. Rock Solid is an experience.
I believe with all my heart that this journey will transform your life and leadership. You will be challenged and stretched and perhaps at times, uncomfortable. You will be called to do the hard and courageous work of leading from a place deep within you.
At the end of the day, Rock Solid creates space for God to do an uncommon and irreversible work in your life and leadership.
But here’s the secret: You‘ve got to go get it.
Engage.
Do the hard work.
Be all in.
Do it for yourself. And do it for those who live downstream from your leadership influence.
Strength and honor,
Chuck Olson
Founder | Lead With Your Life
FYI: As a leader within the ever-growing Rock Solid brotherhood, I look forward to including you in two monthly posts: the Rock Solid Challenge (for all Rock Solid leaders—grads and present) and the Lead With Your Life Leadership Blog (a variety of topics related to leading from the inside out are shared). I trust these will provide a timely voice of encouragement and inspiration to you as a Kingdom leader.
Hey, Brother — This month, the 2021-2022 Rock Solid season starts.
Think back to your Rock Solid experience. It may have been last year. It may have been several years ago.
Reflect for a moment on how God met you during that time…and thank Him.
Maybe it was clarity on your Kingdom calling.
Maybe it was to engage with an ongoing community of like-minded brothers.
Or maybe it was to deepen your resolve to lead from the inside out as you cultivated new spiritual practices as a leader.
Not only does the world need you and your leadership, but YOUR own personal circles of influence needs you and your leadership!
But let’s not go auto-pilot. Let’s not cut and paste the leadership of power and position.
Let’s do leadership Kingdom-style.
With simplicity and clarity, Jesus calls out true leadership: But whoever would be great among you must be your servant. –Mark 10:43 ESV.
So show up strong…to serve.
Every day give yourself away for the benefit and blessing of those who live downstream from your leadership.
You won’t regret it. And neither will they.
This month’s Rock Solid Challenge is written by Kevin Hoist
who serves part-time as Lead With Your Life’s Director of Key Initiatives.
Stay Committed to the Process
Hey Brother —
In 2014, I had the chance to participate in Rock Solid for the first time. I can still remember the stirring in my soul as I read the invitation email from Chuck Olson. The subject line alone gave me goosebumps –Are You Ready to Lead Like Never Before? By the time I finished the email, I was sure of the answer and I promptly fired off my confirmation response.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but my young twenty-four-year-old soul knew I needed this experience – the truth of the matter was that I had drifted in my relationship with God over the prior few years and I was deeply craving for a meaningful connection point with God and His community again.
As I prepare to coach my fourth Rock Solid group this Fall, I asked my family to describe what they have seen take place in me over the last several years. Here they are: Increased gratitude. Deeper humility. Higher character. Commitment to the process.
The last one is my favorite. Commitment to the process. I have come to realize that life and leadership do not operate on a linear line. It is not something one sets in motion and gets to place on “cruise control”. As a result, there will be seasons where gratitude, humility and character need to be worked on. That is why it is critical for leaders to stay committed to the process.
What is the process that I am referring to? The process of God doing a deep work in us so He can do a deep work through us.
Despite challenges existing in and around me, I am fighting to stay committed to the process. In fact, I think I am falling in love with the process. I continue to discover a safe space of peace and freedom in my moments of silence and solitude with God that I would not trade for anything. It is the most important place I can be, and it has the most profound impact on my life.
Why is this place so important? Henry Nouwen explains it well…Without silence and solitude with God, we remain unconvinced of our worth. Instead, we will live each day striving for affirmation, praise, and success. Rather than being set free to love others, we will be endlessly seeking to prove our own value. We will labor to water our gardens by drawing buckets from the world’s empty wells. In the end this leads not to love, but to a dry and weary existence.
Dry and weary existence. This is not the life that I want to pursue. And as we know, our life is deeply integrated with our leadership. If we are not living with God, it is not possible to lead with God.
So, my encouragement to you is to stay committed to the process. Fall in love with it. Continue to embrace the deep work God wants to do in your life and leadership. And be reminded: what He has started in you He will finish…Philippians 1:6—“being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
On this journey together!
Kevin Hoist | Director of Key Initiatives
Brother – Take a look at these words from Henri Nouwen.
But first sit down.
And buckle up.
Contemplative life is a human response to the fundamental fact that the central things in life, although spiritually perceptible, remain invisible in large measure and can very easily be overlooked by the inattentive, busy, distracted person that each of us can so readily become.
Do you find his words challenging?
I do.
The longer I live the more I realize that I need to start each day pushing back against the relentless pace of life that too often leaves me “inattentive, busy, and distracted.” Because if I don’t, my life, my soul misses that which it needs most: a daily love relationship with the living Christ.
What are you doing DAILY to fan the flames of your relationship with Christ?
Recently, I renewed my commitment to memorizing (and more importantly, meditating) on Scripture. Long story short, I listed out a number of topics that I want to reflect on more and more: abiding, confession, hope, meditation, transformation, perspective, soul, worry, to name a few. From there, I have selected a verse that relates to that topic.
Not rocket science. But it works great! And since I have my cell with me most of the time, I put the verses in the NOTES section so that whenever I need to review or refresh my memory, it’s right there.
One of my verses is Romans 12:1-2. In it is says: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
The math is simple, right?
And when the Word of Christ richly dwells within me, my love relationship with Him goes deeper and grows richer…and those downstream from my leadership reap the benefits…
Brother –
During my grad school days at Dallas Seminary, I was introduced to the writings and sermons of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. To this day, his riveting articulation of biblical truth continues to inform and inspire my pursuit of Christ.
The other day, I came across one of his many stop-look-listen statements:
I have now concentrated all my prayers into one,
and that one prayer is this,
that I may die to self, and live wholly to Him.
Simple.
Straightforward.
And spot-on.
Brother, perhaps my prayer, my confession will prompt yours…
“Father, I confess my great need to die daily to myself. My self-centeredness. My selfish wants. My desire for more, bigger, better, newer. My time spent on lesser things. Thinking more about myself than about others. May my life be defined by an unrelenting pursuit of You…and You only. In the name of and for the sake of Jesus. Amen.”
He must become greater and greater,
and I must become less and less.
John 3:30 NLT
Brother –
How in touch are you with your Kingdom Calling? Have you spent time meditating on it lately? Perhaps you’ve lost touch with the approach by which to process your Kingdom Calling?
Ruth Haley Barton so accurately reminds us of the proper order of understanding our calling:
Before calling has anything to do with doing, it has everything to do with being that essence of yourself that God knew before the foundations of the earth, that God called into being and that God alone truly knows. It is the call to be who we are and at the same time to become more than we can yet envision. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, 77
This is a fresh reminder that our calling is not a thing to do but a person to be.
To that end, I challenge you to pause and ask yourself, “In this season, am I intentionally living into who God has called me to be?”
If you need renewed clarity on your Kingdom Calling, may I encourage you to spend time in solitude with your Creator?
Even now, take ten seconds to slow your mind down. Close your eyes. Softly whisper, “Lord, remind me once again who you have called me to be so that I can embrace who you are calling me to become.”
Brothers, please make this prayer a rhythm of your life. Your Kingdom Calling matters that much.
Kevin
Kevin Hoist
Director of Key Initiatives
Brother –
Looking in the rear view mirror of your Rock Solid season, perhaps you will recall this penetrating comment from Henri Nouwen:
One of my takeaways from his provocative words is my need to dial down the rush and the noise and in turn rachet up my commitment to a lifestyle of REFLECTION.
In this pursuit, what I am learning about myself (and other leaders in my sphere of influence) is that I rarely sit in the presence of the Father and the truth of His Word LONG ENOUGH to have my life transformed.
So what does that look like? For me, one way that I am currently expanding my engagement in the spiritual practice of reflection is by simply taking a slow stroll through Psalms and Proverbs, reading a verse or two AND then inviting the Spirit to allow His truth to encourage me or guide me or to reveal something below-the-waterline that needs attention. And it’s been refreshing. Revealing. Transforming.
Rock Solid brother, what steps will you take in the coming days to create space for the life-changing work our Father longs do you deep in your soul?
Brother —
2021. A new year. A fresh start. And a wide-open door of opportunity.
Are you ready?
Whether you took the Rock Solid journey back in the day or are currently there, you will recall our study of 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. —1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT
In 2021, is your plan to RUN TO WIN?
In the Kingdom economy, plans are preceded by prayers. Prayers that humbly confess that it is only in God’s strength that we can run well the race to which we’ve been called.
So before we get too far into the new year, would you roll up your sleeves and write down a Prayer of Expectancy?
And can I suggest a preface to your prayer?
As you write out your prayer, in the spirit of Ephesians 3:20-21, pray BIG, with anticipation, leaving nothing on the table.
Father, by Your grace, and with the empowerment of your Spirit, in 2021 I ask that every Rock Solid brother would love, lead, and serve like never before. For Your glory. In the name of Jesus.
Adding Value…
With a deep commitment to encouraging your Kingdom leadership, starting this month, Kevin Hoist, LWYL part-time Director of Strategic Initiatives, will share with you as a Rock Solid grad an additional resource.
Here are his thoughts this month:
With so much disorder around us, how do we maintain order in our personal lives so we can adequately lead those around us?
John Mark Comer addresses this challenge head on and says we need to have a “Rule of Life”–a schedule and a set of practices and relational rhythms that make space for ‘abiding’ and allowing us to live in alignment with our deepest desires.
As we head into 2021, I think it is wise for us to take a few minutes (4:41 to be exact) and consider the 7 daily practices and rhythms that John Mark presents in his video on this topic (Rule of Life). They are tangible, relatable and concise and they are a great starting point to ground our lives and leadership with order and intentionality as we embark on a new year.
Let’s train so we may run to win in 2021
PS: If you’re unfamiliar with John Mark Comer, he is the pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church in Portland, OR, author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (a very timely and instrumental book in this season) and follower of Dallas Willard and John Ortberg. He believes the “way of Jesus is a way of life” and he loves teaching others how to practice that life.
Brother —
No debate, 2020 will finds its place in the record books. A year where over-used superlatives have abounded—unprecedented, extraordinary, unbelievable—to name a few.
But before we put 2020 in the rear-view mirror, let’s be sure to grab hold of all the VALUE that we can.
From your Rock Solid days, you will recall the discussions we had about “wilderness”—a hard season, a desperate season. Yet a season where God was on the job, building and preparing you.
Don’t let 2020 slip away without calling out what you have learned—about yourself and about your leadership. Don’t waste the wilderness. Yes, the wilderness is hard, but it is an ESSENTIAL part of God’s curriculum.
So grab your journal and sit in God’s presence. Answer these questions:
Showing up strong in 2021 starts first with stealing away in the quiet where we meet with the One who strengthens our soul so that we might go out and then pass that deep resolve of character along to others.
Never forget: Everyone’s life gets better when a leader’s life gets stronger!
In Him, with Him, for Him,
I urge you to live a life worthy
of the calling you have received.
–Ephesians 4:1
Brother – Thanksgiving is coming fast! And if we ever needed it, 2020 certainly qualifies as the year. Without debate, it’s time to hit a huge PAUSE button. In the middle of extraordinarily challenging days, we need to call out our blessings.
With health and safety precautions being what they are, perhaps your Thanksgiving day will look different in 2020 than in years past. But regardless of who and how many may be at your Thanksgiving table, as a Kingdom leader, I want to have you consider how you will lead well, serve well, and love well during your gathering with family and friends.
To that end, let me jumpstart your thinking by uploading some thoughts I share every year at this time with Rock Solid grads.
Question: Knowing that many of you will be the point person in your respective Thanksgiving gatherings, what’s your game plan for leveraging your leadership that day? How will you capitalize this day to focus on what matters most?
During or after your feast, what if you were to…
May your initiative (that’s what leaders do) create space for the Spirit of God to visit with you and your loved ones in a way that moves your gathering to a holy, memorable Thanksgiving.
Post a comment below about your plans
Brothers – I’ve got some great news to share with you!
This month, Lead With Your Life welcomes Kevin Hoist to its ministry team, serving in a part-time role as Director of Key Initiatives. For the past few years, I have been asking the Lord to expand our impact by adding a next-generation leader to the team. And He has done just that! One of Kevin’s initial areas of focus will be to deepen the ongoing experience of Rock Solid grads, including RS Huddle Groups.
Many of you know Kevin, but for those who don’t here’s a great photo and a few brief words of introduction.
Kevin is second on the left. His energetic smile and adventuresome spirit so evident!
Kevin’s leadership has been significantly impacted by Lead With Your Life and in many ways it has been a catalyst for the expanded vision that has been instilled in him. He has been a Rock Solid coach for a number of years and will continue on with that, but is also excited to contributing to the organization in a more formalized partnership. The timing could only have been orchestrated by God.
After spending a successful 10 years at one of the top accounting/consulting firms in the country, Kevin has received confirmation that God is calling him to expand the vision for his talents and leadership. Kevin is a Kingdom leader whose passion is to invest in people, desiring for them to understand and step into their God-given potential. While he will ultimately expand this calling into multiple spaces, he is deeply excited for Lead With Your Life to be one of them.
Growing together for His purposes,
Kevin can be reached at Kevin@leadwithyourlife.com.
Brother,
Got a question: What is the least understood, too easily overlooked, yet most important thing about you?
Answer: Your soul.
This summer, along with a Zoom-full of Rock Solid grads, I took a five-week deep dive of discovery. I wanted to more fully understand the centrality of the soul in the life of a leader.
It was good.
Check that. It was life-changing.
While it would take pages to upload adequately the trek we took, I’d like to share a few things curated along the way.
I could go on. But let me stop and leave you with a challenge:
Believing that your soul is the most important thing about you,
what will you do today to cultivate and care for it?
Reflect on it. Write it down. Get a game plan in place on how you are going to intentionally be the keeper of your soul.
“Father, as leaders who are committed to being rock solid on the inside and dangerous for the Kingdom on the outside, grant us fresh eyes to see how to attend more fully to the most important thing about us—the state of our soul. In Your powerful name, Jesus, we ask this. Amen.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“If any of you wants to be my follower,
you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.
But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world
but lose your own soul?
Is anything worth more than your soul?
—Matthew 16:24-26 NLT
Rock Solid Leaders:
The other day I was reading a post and immediately knew I wanted to share it with you, my Rock Solid brothers.
The title of the post is 25 Random Pieces of Advice for Leaders in their 20s-30s-40s. It is written by Carey Nieuwhof. While his audience tips in the direction of leaders in vocational ministry, his counsel is solidly for all of us (including those who live north of 20-30-40 😉).
Here are a few of my top-picks from this write:
1. DEAL WITH YOUR ISSUES EARLY
You have issues. Everyone does.
As tempting as it is to believe otherwise, it’s not your wife, husband, kids or job who are causing all the pain in your life. You are the common denominator in everything that’s happened to you. So deal with you.
Go see a trained Christian counselor. Hire a coach. Read some books. Do what it takes to deal with your junk.
4. STUDY AND PRACTICE FAITHFULNESS
Faithfulness is rare. Not just in marriage, but also in life.
Culture teaches us to dispose of anything or anyone we don’t like.
So do the opposite.
Learn how to be consistent, loyal, and steadfast, holding to what you know is right even when you feel like doing the opposite.
7. CHOOSE A FEW AWESOME FRIENDS AND STICK WITH THEM
Friendships can be confusing in your 20s, 30s, and 40s. Friendship circles change when you leave school, get married and even change jobs.
In the midst of all that change, find a few friends, and stick with them for life.
Most people can only handle 5 really close relationships in their life. Choose those 5 well and build into those relationships deeply.
10. RELENTLESSLY PURSUE SELF-AWARENESS
Self-aware people make the best leaders and frankly, are the easiest people to hang out with in life. Chances are your favourite people are people who are deeply self-aware.
But self-awareness doesn’t come naturally. I’m naturally blind to the impact I have on other people around me. So are you. If you want more on this issue, here are 4 things self-aware leaders know that others don’t.
13. GET COMFORTABLE WITH SOLITUDE
Solitude is a thoughtful leader’s best friend. It also is a key to self-awareness.
If you really want to grow as a person and as a leader, and grow in your relationship with God, get comfortable with solitude.
17. DON’T GIVE INTO STUPID TEMPTATIONS THAT WILL COME YOUR WAY
You will be tempted to do stupid things. Don’t.
Don’t have an affair, take short cuts or cheat to get ahead.
It’s so not worth it.
20. WORK TWICE AS HARD ON YOUR CHARACTER AS YOU DO ON YOUR COMPETENCY
Competency is not the main key to success. Character is.
Your competency will take you only as far as your character can sustain you.
23. BOOK APPOINTMENTS WITH YOURSELF
Your calendar will naturally fill up with urgent things other people believe are important.
And you will watch a decade or more pass by without doing anything really significant.
Book appointments with yourself to do what really matters, whether that’s taking a day off, being with your family, writing an important talk, or taking time to think.
Then when someone asks you if you’re busy, you can truthfully say “I’d love to help, but I have a commitment.”
Good stuff, huh?
My CHALLENGE to you my Rock Solid brother: Calendar some one/one time alone with the Father. In the spirit of Psalm 139:23-24, ask Him to reveal to you which of these words of advice was written just for you.
You see, at the end of the day, leading well is simply identifying your NEXT FAITHFUL STEP of following the One, the only One, worth following.
Let’s go!
Brothers, Allow me to share my heavy heart…
Like you, I’ve been trying to take in all the swirling events of these unprecedented days. Reflect. Understand. Pray. In that effort, for me personally, I need to write. I trust that my thoughts and reflections will serve you as you do the same.
There is no debate that our country is in a desperate place. Daily we are reminded of the deeply-seated, long-standing evils of racism, of injustice, of inequality. As you know, Lead With Your Life is an organization commissioned by God to equip Kingdom leaders. As such, we stand in heart and in spirit with all who cry out for God’s healing, restoration, forgiveness, and righteousness.
I mourn with my brothers and sisters who face the sins of racism and injustice and who live in fear as a part of their daily experience…and boldly declare that this is wrong, that it grieves the heart of God, and that it cannot, it must not continue.
At this pivotal moment in history, I want to share several things that are serving as anchors to my soul during these tumultuous times…and I trust they will do the same for you.
Finally, Brother, as a Rock Solid alum, we have called ourselves to be leaders who are rock solid on the inside and dangerous/courageous for the Kingdom on the outside. To that end, in that spirit, and in recognition of these days, I ask you the question that I ask myself: What does Kingdom courage look like…today…for me? Take that question to the prayer closet. Lean in. Listen. Discern.
And then show up strong…for everyone bears the Imago Dei.
…the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what He requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
—Micah 6:8 NLT
Rock Solid Brothers,
Like yours, my heart is undone, overwhelmed.
Anger. Grief. Confusion. For starters…
For me, the unprecedented days of the coronavirus have been eclipsed by the brutal and evil deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd.
My heart is broken. For Ahmaud’s and George’s loved ones who will never again sit down over a meal to laugh and love and cry together. For my black friends who received yet another reminder that they live with a risk many of us will never know. For a nation that is a mixture of good and evil, of respect and prejudice, of heroes and devils.
Yes, my heart is broken. And I need to sit in that brokenness. Let it sink in—deeply. And with the psalmist, lament “How long, O Lord, how long?”
And with words that feel so inadequate, I say to my black brothers…
You are my friend. You are my brother. We are one—bonded in and by the blood of the living Christ. I love you. I stand with you. I lock arms with you in fighting for the justice owed to you—to every bearer of the Imago Dei. I commit to understanding more deeply what it’s like to walk in your shoes. I am on my knees asking our Father that His kingdom would come…that His will would be done…on earth, as it is in heaven.
This is the cry of my heart…
Rock Solid Brothers,
Like you, given these days of DON’T ROAM-STAY HOME, my weekly worship has shifted from in-person to online. In a recent remote time of ‘corporate’ worship, the song Ancient Words was sung.
And it moved me deeply. To tears.
The words reached out and gripped my heart…
Ancient words,
Ever true,
Changing me,
Changing you.
Not fully sure why it hit me so hard. I guess I was caught up in the overwhelming and humbling reality that God has faithfully and graciously (and patiently) used the truth of His Word to make me different.
I was undone by the thought of where I would be…who I would be, save the transforming work of His Word in my life.
No doubt, I’ve got a long way to go. But I am forever grateful that God placed my feet on the solid rock of His truth.
In the most significant sermon ever preached—in-person or online—Jesus places it all into perspective:
These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. —Matthew 7:24-25 MSG
Brother, during these unprecedented days, let’s lean into and build upon these “foundational words.”
And let’s guide our loved ones to do the same.
I love you, Brother.
Everyone’s life gets better when a leader’s life gets stronger.
– Chuck Olson
Sign Up for Free Resources via Email
From Chuck’s Blog to Book Notes to Insider information and more, it’s all free for the asking. Get your free subscription now!
