How to Get and Keep the Best Volunteers

Skills vs Heart

We all want highly skilled volunteers. We all need highly skilled volunteers. We can’t do this by ourselves, and when we aren’t in the room we want to know with absolute certainty that what is happening is being done the best way that it can be done. So what we usually do is look for the people who are highly skilled in that area. It is a really good strategy, but if you just look for competence then you are missing the bigger picture. The thing that you want to look for above anything else when you are building a team is heart. Hopefully you won’t have to choose between skills and heart, but if you do, choose heart every time. Why? 

Skills can be taught.
People can be trained! Yes it means work for you as a leader, but training people who love what they do is much better than dealing with someone who is good but hates it. If people have a servants heart and love what they are doing, they won’t mind training, in fact they will welcome it. We all want to be better at what we love. So surround yourself with people who are teachable and you will have a great team much quicker than you might think.

Hearts are hard to change.
The heart is much harder to teach. It is very difficult to teach someone who knows everything already. When a person’s heart is not into what they are doing, everyone can tell. It doesn’t matter how skilled a person is if they have no love for what they are doing. They may need a break, or they may just need to be removed from the team. It is one of the hardest things to do, but it is the best thing that you can do for your team.

Attitude is contagious.
Attitude, both good and bad, is contagious. You can tell when a team loves what they are doing because how they talk about what they are doing changes. Instead of hearing, ‘I have to work today,’ you will hear this phrase: ‘I get to work today!’ The difference is massive. A negative attitude filters down not just to the other volunteers but to the people you are serving as well. As the leader, it is your job to protect the hearts and attitudes of your people. This may mean letting someone take a break for a time (or permanently). 

Proverbs 4:23 says, ‘Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.’ As leaders we have to guard our hearts, but we also have to guard the hearts of those we lead. You will find that a team full of people whose hearts are full of joy because of what they are doing will attract those who are skilled as well. Set your expectations high, not just for skills, but for heart, and God will bless you, your volunteers, and the people you serve. 

Enjoy the Journey

For Mercy's Sake

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7 NIV)

This beatitude strikes a death blow to the heart of pride. The reality is that we all need mercy, because we are all sinners. There is nothing that we can do to earn our way into heaven. And apparently one of the things that we need to do in order to be given the mercy that we desperately need is to show mercy to others. The thing that isn't any fun about this is that it requires you to put yourself in a position where you need to give mercy. The truth is this isn't really that hard, because people need mercy all the time. The trick is actually being able to give that mercy out freely.

So what are we talking about home are talking about mercy? Are we talking about ignoring sin or glossing over it? Absolutely not. Justice and mercy are not mutually exclusive. It is quite merciful to help someone realize the sin in their life and repent of it. Nathan showed David mercy when he did not just cut him off, but hope to guide him to repentance. This is what we are to do for others as well. Ignoring sin and waiting for someone else's inevitable judgment is not mercy at all, no, in reality it is quite cruel. 

The key here is how you go about making someone aware of their sin and helping them return to the right path. It is the how that is the difference between mercy and judgment. May we be found merciful, so that we can receive mercy.

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Stay Thirsty My Friends

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6 NIV)

Jesus uses the words hunger and thirst here because of something everyone can understand. He's talking about a longing that goes on forever. We are supposed to be continually chasing after righteousness. The question real answer is, 'How badly do I want to be righteous?' If I am satisfied with where I am, then I will never make it. If I think that I can make it on my own, and I am greatly mistaken. Because if I think that I can make it on my own, then I will have no need to seek after Jesus. It is only through Jesus that righteousness is given. Notice what it says in the second half of that sentence, for they will be filled. It doesn't say that they will achieve it, and it doesn't say that they will fill themselves either. 

No, righteousness is something that can only be given by Jesus himself. Therefore, if you're happy with where you are and you never seek after Jesus, you will never be righteous. This ties in with what Jesus said when he said, 'I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Me.' Hungering and thirsting for righteousness never ends, but if you know where to look, you will be filled. Stay thirsty my friends.

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Why the Meek will Inherit the Earth

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5 NIV)

This problem every I've ever seen on this earth. We are taught from a very early age by society that to get ahead you must be ruthless. But here Jesus says it is those who are humble, gentle, and kind that will inherit the earth. I think that it the humbleness these people comes from the heart poor in spirit. They have realized that there is no hope without Jesus, so what is there to be arrogant about? They have laid down their pride and taken up their cross. This is supposed to be the trait of every follower of Jesus. It doesn't mean that you are supposed to just let anyone walk over you, but that you have a right view of yourself and your place in the world. 

The people hearing this for the first time would have thought that he was talking about the promised land. They are correct, but he is talking about so much more than that. God story is one of redemption, and I believe that he will redeem the entire earth, not just Palestine. But who will inherit this new earth? Those who have surrendered their lives and their pride to Jesus, and follow him wholeheartedly. 

Even now the meek this life more fully. One characteristic that they share is contentment. They can be happy with what God has given them, and therefore enjoy this life more than others. They are calm, and therefore more peaceful and stable. They have servants hearts, and they have discovered the joy that can only come from having servants heart. 

So not only are the meek more joyful, peaceful, and stable on this earth, they will inherit the new heaven and new earth. 

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Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3 NIV)

The exact meaning of this verse is always been kind of a mystery to me. But tonight as I sit by the fire I started to do some digging. I took a look at several different commentaries to see what other people thought this might mean. While this is not the word of God, other people often have helpful insights. We are told throughout Scripture to obtain wise counsel, so while it is good to look at commentaries, we should be careful who we rely on. I looked at several, and they all basically said the same thing. 

The poor rely on other people to take care of their needs. When I say that, I am not demeaning who they are, I am simply stating a fact. Likewise, we are totally dependent on Jesus for our salvation. There is nothing that we can do to obtain it without His help. Spiritually speaking, we should be seeking his help all of the time. It is only when we realize that we cannot make ourselves right with God our own, that we can become poor in spirit. When we realize that we need help, and we seek out, we will find it. Only then can the kingdom of heaven be ours. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.' That doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room. 

It is very humbling to realize that you cannot make it on your own. Truthfully it is sort of depressing to know that it does not matter how hard you work, you will never make it. How badly do you want to be a part of the kingdom? Do you want it bad enough to rely completely on Jesus? It's really a silly question, because there is no other way. But it is an important question, because our answer determines our destiny. Can I lay my pride at the foot of the cross, and admit that I need what only Jesus can provide? If my answer is yes, then I will be counted among the poor in spirit. If I am counted among the poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven will be mine.

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Who am I Fighting?

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:12-17 NIV)

It is so easy to lose track of who our struggle is against. Sometimes I think it's even harder because of the church. You see the church is full of people, and people fight. It is easy to get caught up in things that don't really matter, and allow them to ruin your day, month, or even year. When these kinds of things happen, we're missing the point. There is a much bigger battle going on all around us all the time and we need to stay focused. This is difficult, because we like to have our own way, and we are all too quick to make things about ourselves. And so it is easy to forget that our battle is not against people, but against the spiritual forces of evil, who would see us all miss out on heaven. We are busy but we can not engage the true enemy.

So we are told to put on the belt of truth. Truth comes from the word of God, and it should define our lives. If our lives are guided by the truth, it is much more difficult to steer us off the path. Much like my belt keeps my pants from falling off, truth holds me steady when times are uncertain. A breast plate is meant to deflect blows, and righteousness speaks for itself. If I am living righteously, the enemy can take his best shot. The gospel was never meant to be an end, but the beginning of a great mission. The Gospel has prepared me to introduce people to Jesus. I have to be ready, because this is a big deal and it is urgent.

The shield of faith is to deflect arrows from the evil one, and the truth is we face a constant barrage. People have been trying to disprove the gospel since the day Jesus rose from the dead. The truth of the matter is there are some things I just can't explain. With that being said, there are many things that I can explain. I choose to take what I know about God and see the world through that lens. Because faith is the evidence of things unseen. If I could explain everything about God, He wouldn't be that impressive. There are some things I just won't know until the end. But there are many things that I do know about God, and I know enough to trust Him.

A helmet is to protect your head, and it often saves your life. The salvation that I found in Jesus has saved my soul for eternity. Salvation is found nowhere else, for there is one name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. The Word of God, or the Bible, is often referred to as a sword. This is because God's word is powerful. It was through His word that the universe was made, and He has the final say in everything. When Jesus was being tempted in the desert by Satan, He used the word of God to gain the victory. The same is true our lives, the Bible is a powerful weapon that cannot be defeated. It is has stood the test of time, and will continue to do so because it is the very word of God.

The word of the day is focus. We do have a battle fight, just not with one another.

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Why Loving Abi is Easy

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:25-28 NIV)

I find it appropriate That I read this passage the day after my anniversary. God hs a tendency to do things like that all the time! It's just a little reminder, 'Hey, did you see what I did there?' The best marriage advice I was very given was given to us by Arron Chambers (love that guy!), during out marriage counseling he said something I will never forget: "Make it easy for your spouse to love you." The thing that I love most about being married to Abi is that it is effortless to love her. It is effortless to be around her and to talk to her about anything. It is priceless to me and I know it is extremely rare. We were just talking about this last night on our way to Christmas Town! That is why it is so important to choose wisely. Our relationship has never felt like work. Why? Because it is based on love for Jesus and each other.

She loves Jesus more than anyone I know. She expects me to put Jesus before her and before Micah. Jesus modeled love by giving his life for the church. He modeled love by loving people who didn't even love him in return. In that way, this isn't really a fair comparison. I can honestly say that it is easy for me to love Abi. Again, I know this isn't true of all marriages, but that is why it is so important to make the right choice in who you marry. A man who marries well will have a blessed life. I am blessed beyond what words can describe. I love Abi with everything I am, and would gladly give my life for her. I guess for once, at least in this way, following Jesus isn't really that hard. But that is because we are both focused on the same thing: loving Jesus and each other well. The rest is just gravy. My prayer is that you choose well and that your marriage would be blessed like mine.

Enjoy the Journey