Regret is a Monster To Our Faith

Greetings,

I want to share a recent decision I made concerning continuing or not continuing in the EDd Christian Leadership program in Christian Ministry in an email to my academic supervisor at Liberty University: 

Greetings, Professor Momeny,

Life experiences are about making decisions, big and small. Proverbs 3:5-6 is a reminder to Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. This scripture and others guided me as I made this decision. So, with a clear conscience, I have decided not to continue with this program and take the executive certificate of completion option. I have prayed about this decision and talked it over extensively with my daughter, and she made some valid and solid points that I had already shared with God while in prayer all week. I know this is God's will and that God will use this decision for my good and His glory. As I reflected on yesterday, success is not about reaching an expected end but rather what I have learned and how God will use those lessons to make me a more excellent Christian educator. I am really at peace on this decision. Thank you for taking the extra time with me on this journey. I appreciate your wisdom in the academic and spiritual advice you have shared with me. After completing this email will be working on editing the prospectus to turn in on time. 

Sincerely,

Sylvia Joyner

His response: 

Sylvia,

You have done some incredible work and I am proud of you. You pushed into the unknown yesterday and in such brave fashion. I am also grateful that you focused effort and consideration on prayer before making a final decision. I believe that completion of a post-graduate level executive certificate is just incredible and will enhance both your resume and the areas in which you seek to apply all of this collected wisdom. I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you regarding the completion of this work. Should you ever want to publish a paper for the Christian Education Journal, or some other venue for publication, just look me up and we can write together.

Sincerely,

 

Leonard S. Momeny, EdD   

Adjunct Instructor   

John W. Rawlings School of Divinity  

I'm sharing this because life is about decision-making...and as Christian men and women of faith requires making those decisions without regret. My decision also included an option to choose the Executive Certificate of Completion in Christian Leadership as well, which shows the work that was done at the doctoral level has merit. 

I thank God for the opportunity and wisdom collected along the way. I pray that it strengthens your conviction to look forward rather than look backward.

 A lesson I have learned in decision-making is that peace and contentment abound within my entire being. Never should our expression be of looking back and saying, woulda, coulda, or even shoulda did this or that. No, every step I made was ordained by God to bring me to this space in my life. 

This proverbial scripture in Luke 9: 62 summarizes how you should conduct your everyday affairs, signifying that when one follows after Christ and His kingdom, that person should no longer operate from a worldly standard but from a Godly standard. To continue in that temporal vein makes an individual susceptible to always looking back with regret. Someone said, looking back will get you nowhere fast.

The scriptures below speak to the supremacy of living a life of faith and maturity in God. God has not purposed us to be regret makers, but men and women of positive conviction undergirded by the Word of God.

• 2 Timothy 4:7. 7 I have fought the good fight, I …
• Acts 3:19. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that …
• Acts 17:30. 30 In the past God overlooked such …
• Acts 20:24. 24 However, I consider my life worth …

So, the next time you have a decision (in any area), remember that your decision reflects your ability to live facing forward rather than looking back. 

Remember Lot's wife!!!!!

Richly Blessed,

Minister Sylvia Joyner

Life is Not a Series of Quotations

Greetings,

Life is not a series of quotations, but experiences, hope, and trust in God. A quote is a summation of another person's thoughts, actions, and speech. So, if you presume to live your life through quotations, then be prepared to live by another person's experiences. Now don't get me wrong, I love quotes in their purpose to serve, which is to add insight and knowledge to what is already known. This thought was borne out of a conversation I had with someone recently. The understanding is that many in the church body inclusive live lives hyped up on (one)scripture without benefiting from the context of the scripture's entire focus. And many view the Word of God as quotes, all fair, but quotes limit one's focus.

Life is not a series of quotations, through which one passes through and chooses which one suits one's circumstances for that day. The Bible expresses in Proverbs 4:7 (NIV) The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it costs all you have, get understanding and put another way: New King James Version Proverbs 4:7 (NKJV) Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

My point is further undergirded by the performance of 2 Timothy 2:15 in which the Apostle Paul says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy, 2: 15, King James Version). 

Life is not a series of quotations, but our lives are in God, leading us beyond the quotes written to soothe your thoughts. God's word supersedes the quotes of life that only have the power to express the change for that time. God's words are written to change the direction of thoughts and actions for a lifetime. The Word of God gives a good illustration of how mankind views himself concerning eternal life and fleeting life in evaluating yourself. And then you do something about what you see. The Bible says that God's Word is like a mirror: "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like" (James 1:23-24 NIV). 

Summarily, my objective is to move individuals from Bible-believing, scripture quoting, hard-pressed believers. God desires that each of his believers not only quote His Word but live His Word eternally.

Blessed Peace,

Minister Sylvia Joyner             

Leadership Requires A Team Ministry Perspective

God still expects his people to operate from a kingdom perspective. Knowing our roles and purpose as leaders is vitally important to see it from God's perspective. Hiebert (2008) notes that being in covenant with others acknowledges worldviews as the organizational foundation of those cultures. Team ministry is the vehicle by which God uses various individuals' skills, personalities, and abilities to carry out the mandate of Matthew 28: 18-20. 

The overarching question throughout focuses on one question, "Why team ministry" (Temple, 2019). One response is that team ministry is biblical. God reveals biblical examples of effective and ineffective team ministry throughout the biblical narrative. Focused on teaching leaders today what composes a biblical team. It is essential to distinguish team ministry purposed in mission and methods. VanEngen (2018) stresses a biblical worldview is God-focused, as expressed in the Genesis account (VanEngen, 2018). As a leader, this writer recognizes the importance of a Biblical-based approach that is God-driven and meets God's approval. In particular, team ministry is a biblical ministry, which characterizes God's plan for authentic community in building and increasing trust among teams working with diverse communities locally and in other countries (Temple, 2019).  

For example, throughout the Old and New Testaments are effective leadership teams and ineffective leadership teams observed from two models, Moses and Aaron and Jesus and the Disciples (Temple, 2019). Other examples are seen in how Paul trains and instructs his leadership team. Objectively, leaders lead others, but they also must model Christlikeness. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul writes to the Christian church at Corinth, admonishing his followers to "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (New International Bible, 2011/2021).

Greater still, the book of Genesis 1:26-27 declares that man was made in God's image and in His likeness, pinpointing a view about human behavior (Erickson, 2013). Yes, Jesus is one's excellent example in modeling positive behavior and positive relationships. Furthermore, leadership is about relationships, and administration operates on the knowledge that leaders lead others by example in their commitment to God, self, and others. This writer understands the importance of biblical leadership focused on God's purpose for team ministry. The words expressed by Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 are team-focused, "Then Jesus came to them and said," (New International Bible, 2011/2021). 

Lencioni (2002) discusses five negative attitudes that will produce ineffective team performances, noted as "inattention to results, absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment and avoidance of accountability" (Lencioni, 2002, p. 97). The easiest way to forfeit one's leadership calling is to give up as a team leader. This writer clearly understands that leading people requires an understanding of self and others.  

As leader and manager, Paul provides three foundational principles, which serve the Christian leader or a leader/manager in other environments. Cited are a clearly defined mission (1 Corinthians 1:17, a consistent confirmation of the fundamental values and communication (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), a leader's ability to communicate effectively to all team members (1 Corinthians 9: 19-23) (Howell, 2003).

Practical Applications That Will improve Your Leadership of Teams 

The quest of leading effectively in team ministry is equally biblical and practical. This writer agrees with the statement. Why? Because the combination of the two approaches creates a strong bond toward improving leadership teams. One example, practical measures to ensure that all team members will be a part of the totality of the group. Secondly, individuals on the team must be recognized for their particular skills and abilities. In essence, practical approaches are approaches anyone can implement. Too many times, leaders harbor biases against certain people and use these cultural differences to disrupt the team goal. 

Steven Covey the author Seven Habits of Highly Effective People once said, “Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”  

References

Erickson, M. J. (2013). Christian theology. 3rd. ed. Baker Academic.

Hiebert, P. G. (2008). Transforming worldviews: An anthropological understanding of how

people change. (Wordsearch Version). https://app.wordsearchbible.com

Howell, D. N. (2003). Servants of the servant: A biblical theology of leadership.

            Wipf & Stock Publishers.

New International Version. (2011). New International Bible Online.

 https://www.biblegateway.com

Stephen Covey. (n.d.). AZQuotes.com. 

Temple, T. (2019). Biblical principles for team ministry. [Video]. https://libertyuniversity.

Temple, T. (2019). Why team ministry? Part 2. [Video]. https://libertyuniversity.

Van Engen, R.  (2018). Presentation: God created organizations.  [Video].

https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/