All Access 2010: Day Three, Session Four with Craig Groeschel

Session Four of Day Three at the Association of Related Churches‘ All Access 2010 conference saw Pastor Craig Groeschel of Life Church speak. Craig is one my ministry heroes so I was excited to hear what he had to say.

Craig’s message was essentially titled: “A Leader’s Constant Companion: Pain“. Here are some notes from his session:

The Gospel tells us that we should step into the same pain that Jesus went through for us.

Learn to hurt with integrity, passion and consider it in honor.

The difference between where you are and where God wants you to be could be the pain you’re unwilling to endure. (Wow!)

Using 2 Cor 11:23-24, Groeschel calls us to remember what Paul and others endured for the Gospel. Paul’s conclusion in this passage, despite all of the atrocities he had suffered (being beat, stoned, whipped, shipwrecked etc…), was that his greatest suffering was the daily burden of his concern for the churches.

The potential within yourself is related to the pain that you’re willing to endure.

Groeschel offers us three things we need in our ministry:

1. An increasing your pain threshold-

We will suffer the pain of unjustified pressure and criticism.

Some people say,” the higher the level (of power) the more the devil (attacks you will receive).

The media will attack you, the world will attack you, but Christians will attack you more than everyone else! (So True!)

We often think,” Don’t criticize my ministry!” But if you’re not being criticized you’re not preaching the Gospel! If you’re not hurting, youre not leading!

And the quickest way to forgot about what God thinks about you is to be concerned with what others think about you.

If an annoying person in your town is making your life miserable, then you are doing someth’n (right)!

So don’t worry when you’re criticized, worry when you are not.

2. Increase Our Threshold For Making Painful Decisions

If you are a church planter, the first year of your church will hold some of the hardest decisions you’ve ever made.

Some people may have a volunteer or staff person in the way of what they are doing  because they are not in the right spot for them- which means that they are not in the right spot for your church.

You may even have to remove your best friend from the ministry at your church- decisions will be hard!

The ‘spanking’ phrase “It will hurt you me than it hurts you”, is true in these situations because you will have to live with the hurt feelings you have caused with your decision- I have learned this already.

‘ Look at the decision that you have to make, recognize that it’s going to hurt, and do it’ was Craig’s plea to the crowd.

3. Increase Your Ability to Endure the Pruning In Your Own Life

God may have to do something in you before He can do something through you.

Sometimes this means just taking credit for your mistakes or something you’ve been involved in that’s failed. If you take credit for the decline today; one day you can take credit for the increase.

Craig says,”It’s the things that no one sees that get you to the places that everyone wants.”- That’s Good! All about integrity and private difficult decisions.

Be grateful that you get to experience a little bit of pain because Christ suffered so much for us.