RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Everyone wants to be great.  But not everyone is willing to do what it takes to be great.

When you think of someone being great, what do you think about?  A star athlete?  Someone who has accumulated great wealth?  An extremely talented person?  A CEO of a growing company?  A famous actor?  A musician with songs listed high on the charts?

While these people may be great according to man's standards, God has a different standard of greatness.

Look at this story in the Bible with me.


When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.

It shall not be this way among you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus says to be great you have be a servant.  Greatness is not found in how many people serve you.  Rather it is found in how many people you are serving.  

I like what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said about this. 

"Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve." 

If you want to be great in 2020, then make it your mission to serve others. 

If you want to be great in 2020, then lift others up. 

If you want to be great in 2020, then spend your time helping others get better.

If you want to be great in 2020, then humble yourself and help others succeed.

If you want to be great in 2020, then spend your time making other people stars instead of trying to be a star yourself. 

If you want to be great in 2020, then stop trying to be powerful and spend your time empowering others. 

If you want to be great in 2020, then invest in others.  

This is the path to greatness in 2020! 

I just finished reading a powerful new book by Dan Stanford.

It's called "Losing the Cape" and shows how God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people.

Dan is the pastor of The Well Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

This book is a great reminder that when we surrender our lives to God and ask Him to use us for His glory, He will do above and beyond anything we could ever accomplish in our own strength.

Here are a few quotes that really jumped out to me as I read this book.

"It's not about our power; it's about God's presence."

"You don't need an 'S' on your chest when you have the Savior in your heart."

"Sometimes the world just needs one or two brave individuals to go first."

"The most important thing we can pass along to the next generation is a robust relationship with Jesus."

Dan shares examples of ordinary people that God used in Scripture to work His wonders.  He also shares from his own personal experience.  He and his family are living examples of how God uses even times of weakness and suffering to show Himself strong through us.

In this book, you will read the powerful story of his wife, who has a disease that is causing her to lose her hearing and eyesight.  In spite of this, she serves and inspires hope for others in the midst of the limitations this disease imposes on her.

This book will bring hope and encouragement and passion to your life as you read through it.  If you have a young person you are mentoring or want to invest in, I believe it is a great book to place in their hands as well.

Dan has graciously invited us to give away a free copy of the book to one of our readers.  You can enter to win by simply emailing me - dale@buildingchildrensministry.com.  We will randomly select a winner and notify you next Monday.

You can also purchase the book now at Moody Press or at Amazon.

There is a degree that every effective leader has.  What is it?  It's an MBA degree.  What's an MBA degree? 

Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's hamburgers, coined the MBA degree phrase.  It stands for "Mop Bucket Attitude."

Here's what he said.

I got my MBA long before my GED.  I even have a photograph of me in my MBA graduation outfit; a knee length work apron.  I guarantee you that I’m the only founder among America’s big companies whose picture in the corporate annual report shows him wielding a mop and a plastic bucket.  That wasn’t a gag; it was a case of leading by example.  At Wendy’s, MBA doesn’t mean Master of Business Administration.  It means Mop Bucket Attitude.  It’s how we define satisfying the customer through cleanliness, quality food, friendly service, and atmosphere.

Having an MBA degree is about leading by being a servant first.  It's about grabbing a mop bucket and mopping before mandating...caring before commanding...jumping into the messiness before jumping onto the podium...doing before demanding...lifting up rather than being lifted up.

Every effective leader has learned the power of being a servant leader.  Servant and leader together?  Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?  But it's not.  In fact, it's the secret to the kind of leadership people will follow. 

Dave Thomas wasn't the first leader to model this.  Jesus, the ultimate leader, had an MBA leadership degree. His disciples thought that leadership was about how many people served you.  And they got it honest.  It's all they knew.  The leadership they had seen modeled by those who ruled over them, the Romans and Jewish religious leaders, was leadership that led by force, taking, putting others down and lording over people.

This is evident in Matthew 20, where you see the disciples arguing about who would have the greatest title and authority when Jesus established His kingdom.  This is when Jesus shared with them what an MBA leadership degree is.  

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different.  Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Remember the night when Jesus and the disciples arrived at the upper room?  In that culture, when you arrived somewhere, the servants in the house would wash everyone's feet.  Washing guests' feet was something only done by servants.  It was the lowest position in the kingdom.  The disciples weren't about to "lower themselves" to do such a task. 

Jesus decided to model for them what an MBA degree is.  As the disciples sat around talking about who would be the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus quietly got a towel and basin, and began washing their dirty feet.  He showed them that effective leadership doesn't lead with a title.  It leads with a towel of serving others. 

If you want to be an effective leader, then make sure you have your MBA degree.  At the end of the day, it's not about how many people serve you, it's about how many people you serve. 

We live in a challenging day, don't we?  We've been called to reach Generation Z.  They are the largest generation on the planet.  74 million in the U.S.  2 billion in the world.  9,000 babies are born and join Generation Z each day.

They have an attention span of 8 seconds.  They are digital natives and interact with up to 5 screens a  day.  The average age they are exposed to pornography online is 11-years-old.  Terrorism is a way of life, they are growing up walking through metal detectors at their schools, large event venues, airports and more.

Gen Z's parents are struggling as well.  Over 2 million of Millennial parents are addicted to drugs (either prescription or illegal).  Much of this is driven by an opioid epidemic.  Babies born to a parent taking opioids has increased by 300% in the last 10 years.

If we are going to reach today's kids and families, then it can't be business as usual!  It will take greater impact and influence.  How can we have greater influence?  How can we make a greater difference in people's lives?  It will take greater leadership.  The saying is true, isn't' it - everything rises and falls on leadership.

Greater impact is made possible by greater leadership.

This is certainly not the first time a group of disciples like us have been called upon to have greater leadership.  Think back with me to the early disciples.  They had the challenge of taking the Gospel to the world.  And it was a world that was hostile and totally unfamiliar with the Gospel since it would just be unfolding.

Jesus knew it would take greater leadership for the disciples to effectively impact the world with the Gospel and so He began preparing them.  You see many incidents in Scripture where He taught them what greater leadership looked like.

One of those times is found in John 15.  Throughout this chapter, He explains greater leadership to the disciples.  And the entire chapter can be encapsulated in verse 13.  Here's what it says.

There is no GREATER love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

In this verse, we see the 4 elements of greater leadership.  Ultimate leadership.  The best kind of leadership.  Leadership that is a game changer.  Let's examine it.

1. Greater leadership loves people.  

Notice again what He says.

There is no greater LOVE than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

The foundation for greater leadership is love.  It reflects the heart of God for people.  If you want to have greatest leadership, then...

Ask God to renew your love for the kids and families in your community.

Ask God to give you a fresh love for the volunteers and people you serve with.

Ask God to fill your heart with love for those who are far from God in your neighborhood.

Ask God to break your heart for the broken families in your city.

Ask God to give you unconditional love for the child who seems unlovable, uncontrollable and uncooperative.

When people know you truly love them, it opens their heart to your leadership and influence in their life.

2. Greater leadership serves others. 

Look at the verse again.

There is no greater love than to LAY DOWN one's life for one's friends.

We have been told that leadership is about taking charge...climbing the ladder...having power...exercising authority...advancing no matter who you have to go over to get there...getting the office with a window view...being known as powerful...taking....getting.

The disciples had seen the same thing modeled.  The Roman government ruled by fear, power, punishment, strength of the army and force.  The religious leaders of the day lived in a class above the ordinary person and lead by rules, regulations, pomp and circumstance.

But then Jesus came and taught them about a greater kind of leadership.  Look what He says in the verse above.  He tells them greater leadership is not about getting, but about giving.  It's not about taking, it's about laying down.

He not only taught this greater kind of leadership, He modeled it.  In Matthew 20, the disciples were arguing about who would have the greatest authority...the greatest title in the kingdom that Jesus would establish.  Again, they were reflecting the leadership they had grown up with.  Leadership that is established by power and force and position.

Jesus tells them this. 

You know how the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different.

Here it is. He's about to tell them about a different kind of leadership.  A greater leadership.

But among you it will be different.  Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

Whereas the world says leadership is about how many people serve you, Jesus says greater leadership is flipped.  Greater leadership is about how many people you serve.

He then models this by washing the disciples feet.  While they were busy arguing about who would have the best title, Jesus took a towel and water, got down and washed their feet.  In that culture, only the lowest servants washed people's feet.  It was the lowest job, the lowest position in the kingdom.  When there were no servants present to do this "demeaning" task, the disciples weren't about to wash anyone's feet.  So Jesus used the opportunity to show them what great leadership looks like as He washed their feet.

Greater leadership is servant leadership.  It's an oxymoron, isn't it?  Servant and leadership.  But that's the beauty of greater leadership.  Before you can become a great leader, you must first become a great servant.  

Greater leadership is about replacing your "ego" with "we go" as you invest in others.  It's not about being powerful, it's about empowering others. 

Good leaders are starts.  Great leaders create stars. 

Average leadership ponders its rights.  Greater leadership ponders its responsibilities. 

3. Greater leadership depends on God. 

The third component of greater leadership is found in the next part of the verse.  Look what it says.

There is no greater love than to lay down ONE'S LIFE for one's friends. 

In this chapter, Jesus shows them that the life is found in the vine.  As life flows from the vine into the branches, fruit comes forth.  He reminds them that without the vine, the branches can do nothing.  Nada.  Zilch.  Nothing is going to happen without the vine. 

Greater leadership acknowledges that without God nothing of eternal value will happen.

That's good news for leaders.  You see, greater leadership is not based on how talented you are, how charismatic you are, how big your budget is or how nice your facilities are.  It's about the power of God working through you.

Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 2:

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

Greater leadership is not about walking in your own confidence.  It's about walking in Godfidence.

4. Greater leadership builds friendships.

Notice what Jesus calls the disciples in the last part of the verse.

 There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's FRIENDS. 

Jesus shared with them that greater leadership leads through relationship.  The word He used for this is "friends."  The word "friends" carried a special connotation.  It was a reference to kings who would have a group of special friends that he brought close to him.  This group of friends would be the king's trusted inner circle.  He would ask their advice before anyone asking anyone else.  They had access to the king 24/7.

You've heard the statement "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."  That's what greater leadership is all about.  It's earning people's trust and respect over time through relationship.  

Jesus also tells them that He is not going to call them "servants."  Rather they will be His friends.  When someone leads servants, the people serve because they have to.  They don't have a choice.  They are made to serve. 

But greater leadership leads through friendship.  When you lead through friendship, people follow you because they want to.  You lead through motivation instead of mandating.

Greater leadership invests in people.  Greater leadership is there for people in their time of need.  Greater leadership goes on a journey with people.  Greater leadership is not about what you want from people, it's about what you want for people. 

If you want to see people serve with you for the long haul, then focus on relationship.  The amount of time people spend serving with you will be in direct correlation to the depth of the relationships you build with them. 

Greater leadership loves people - ask God to renew your love for people.

Greater leadership serves others - ask God to give you the heart and attitude of a servant. 

Greater leadership depends on God - before you serve, fall on your face before God and ask Him to fill you with His power and anointing.  Acknowledge that without Him you can do nothing. 

Greater leadership builds friendships - invest deeply in the people God has called you to serve with. 

Do these things and you'll make a greater impact.  You'll provide greater leadership for the kids and families God has called you to serve.  

Do these things and God can use your leadership to turn the world upside down.  

Recently Romans 2:8 caught my attention.

"But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves..."

This verse got me thinking about ambition.  Ambition can be a good thing, if it's the right kind of ambition.  But it can also be a bad thing, if it's the kind described in the verse above...ambition that is about exalting the person who is consumed by it.

Here's some differences between the right and wrong kind of ambition.

The right kind of ambition is about empowering others.  The wrong kind of ambition is about obtaining power.

The right kind of ambition is about serving others.  The wrong kind of ambition is about being served.

The right kind of ambition seeks to build God's kingdom.  The wrong kind of ambition is about building your kingdom.

The right kind of ambition looks for a towel to serve others like Jesus used a towel to wash the disciples' feet.  The wrong kind of ambition looks for a title.

The right kind of ambition chases after God's approval.  The wrong kind of ambition chases after man's approval.

The right kind of ambition seeks to make riches so it can be used for eternal purposes.  The wrong kind of ambition seeks to make riches so it can be used for earthly purposes.

The right kind of ambition hungers for righteousness.  The wrong kind of ambition hungers for unrighteousness.

The right kind of ambition uses the ministry to build people.  The wrong kind of ambition uses people to build the ministry.

The right kind of ambition shines the spotlight on others.  The wrong kind of ambition shines the spotlight on himself or herself.

The right kind of ambition promotes others.  The wrong kind of ambition wants to be promoted.

The right kind of ambition brings glory to God.  The wrong kind of ambition brings glory to man.

The right kind of ambition is driven by love.  The wrong kind of ambition is driven by lust.

The right kind of ambition mourns when another falls.  The wrong kind of ambition rejoices when another falls.

The right kind of ambition wants what is best for the team.  The wrong kind of ambition wants what is best for him or her.

The right kind of ambition says "we."  The wrong kind of ambition says "me."

The right kind of ambition is humble.  The wrong kind of ambition is haughty.

The right kind of ambition strives to be faithful.  The wrong kind of ambition strives to be great.

Let's be ambitious...but make sure it's the right kind.