Catalyst West Coast. Session One Notes with Andy Stanley

After an amazing opening act of music, spoken word poetry, and multimedia; Andy Stanley opened up Session One of Catalyst West Coast, speaking on the topic; “What if we stepped into all that God created us to be.”

Here are my notes from his session:

Often times a single act of courage is the tipping point (or transition) to something huge.

Revolution begins with single acts of courage. (Like the recent revolutions in Egypt and Libya.)

The individuals who are involved in the single act of courage often never see involved the revolution or change com’n when they step out- Rosa Parks didn’t know her single act of courage would start a civil right’s movement.

The Bible is filled with normal people who enacted huge change through single acts of courage:

Abraham- leaving his home and a nation is born.
Moses- confronting Pharaoh.
Joshua- crossing the river.
Joseph-choosing to forgive his brothers.
David and Goliath.
Shadrach, Mischech, and Abendego
Joseph- choosing to marry Mary.

These things are big and dramatic. And if those who were a part of them knew the outcome of their courage, they would have been more likely to act on it in the first place.

But we don’t know the outcome of our acts of courage (yet), AND we’re not a king, a general, etc….

Our context is different (than most of the Bible “heroes”).

But there are opportunities that we will face that will be tipping points for something extraordinary in your life. And we have to embrace those opportunities.

Those opportunities will require acts of courage in order to embrace. And there are Four Faces of Courage that we will face as leaders in order to embrace these opportunities:

1. Courage to stay, when it would be easier to go.

2. The courage to leave when it would be easier to stay.

-You don’t want to ask yourself, in the future, “What if we hadn’t left?”

3. The courage to ask for help when it would be easier to pretend like everything is okay.

- Secrets are dangerous.
- When a pastor ‘falls’, theology is rarely the issue (or never is); secrets are.
- If you’re carrying a secret; you compensate for it in your leadership.
- When you’re in the front of your organization (or at the top) it’s harder not to compensate.

4. And, four…Andy never got to four…