Category: Work

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Leadership Leading for the Lord Work

Influence

Leadership is influence with integrity. Everyone is a leader at some level. Everyone has a God-given sphere of influence. You may not fully comprehend the parameters of your sphere, but God has placed you on this planet to be an irresistible influence for His Glory. What are you doing with the influence God has given you? What are you doing to maximize the moments God has orchestrated for you? The ultimate servant leader, Jesus, reminds us, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (Luke 12:48 ESV). Your life is a stewardship of the influence God has entrusted to your care. Every moment of your life matters to God so make every moment count for God. Don’t waste your life, invest your life in what matters most. Think of what will matter ten months from now and then consider what will matter ten years from now. Let’s go deeper! What’s going to matter in eternity when you stand before God to give an account for your one and only life? Leverage your influence for God’s glory. You are placed on this broken planet to make an eternal difference. Live each day with an eternal perspective. There’s more to life than you can see, so plan your life for eternity. Learn to say NO in order to say YES to God’s best. You will be bombarded by endless options to diffuse your impact. Be selective and learn the value of saying NO! Reserve your YES for God’s best! Make wise decisions to reduce potential regrets. It takes knowledge to take something apart; it takes wisdom to put it back together. Walk in wisdom. Consider reading one chapter of the Book of Proverbs each day and you will read through the entire book of Proverbs each month. Your influence has the capacity to inspire others and to lead them into an eternity shaping relationship with Jesus Christ. Be a leader for the Lord by allowing Him to live His life in you and through you! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Work Worship

Work and Worship

“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” Psalms 29:2 (NIV) Don’t worship your work! Let your work be an act of worship. You have a choice. You can treat worship as a noun or a verb. As a noun, worship becomes something you go to on Sunday mornings in a building incorrectly referred to as the church. As a verb, worship becomes something you do twenty-four-seven-three-sixty-five. Worship becomes a lifestyle. Instead of going to church to worship, you become the church worshiping. What would be different about your workplace if you embraced worship as a verb? What would be different about your attitude and actions related to work if you began to turn your work into an act of worship? The heart of God is moved by how you work just as much as how you express your worship to Him on Sunday mornings in the corporate worship setting. Your work matters to God. Your workplace matters to God. Turning your work into an act of worship will be one of the most important decisions you will make on this side of eternity. Allow your worship to be a witness at work. There are individuals who need to know the One you worship. Until they have a personal relationship with Jesus, they will not have the hope of heaven and eternal life. Bring your worship with you to work. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Work Worship

Work

Turn your work into an act of worship. Don’t worship your work! Let your work be an act of worship. You have a choice. You can treat worship as a noun or a verb. As a noun, worship becomes something you go to on Sunday mornings in a building incorrectly referred to as the church. As a verb, worship becomes something you do twenty-four-seven-three-sixty-five. Worship becomes a lifestyle. Instead of going to church to worship, you become the church worshipping. “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” Psalms 29:2 (NIV) What would be different about your workplace is you embraced worship as a verb? What would be different about your attitude and actions related to work if you began to turn your work into an act of worship? The heart of God is moved by how you work just as much as how you express your worship to Him on Sunday mornings in the corporate worship setting. Your work matters to God. Your workplace matters to God. Turning your work into an act of worship will be one of the most important decisions you will make on this side of eternity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

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Mission field Office Work

Office

Turn your workplace into a mission field. From age 18 to 65, if you work 40 hours per week, you will work at total of about 94,000 hours. Wow! Think about that for a moment. You will spend a major portion of your life at work. What will you do with the 94,000 hours? That’s a lot of time to make an eternal difference. It all depends on how you view your workplace. If it is just a place to earn money, then your impact will be greatly limited. If it is just a place to climb the professional ladder, then your impact will fall short. However, if you began to embrace the reality that your workplace is your mission field, then eternity becomes a blessing for those in your sphere of influence who turn their lives over to Christ alone for salvation. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matt 5:14-16 (NIV) “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV) How many people will be in Heaven because of your faithfulness in serving the people in your workplace as your mission field? You are a missionary to your workplace! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Categories
Leadership Leading for the Lord Work

Leading for the Lord

Leadership is influence with integrity. Everyone is a leader at some level. Everyone has a God-given sphere of influence. You may not fully comprehend the parameters of your sphere, but God has placed you on this planet to be an irresistible influence for His Glory. “And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.” Eph 6:9 (NIV) “…From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48 (NIV) “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Col 3:17 (NIV) For those serving as an employer, embrace these actions steps: Action Step #1: Don’t threaten your employees. Action Step #2: Treat your employees with dignity and respect. Action Step #3: Recognize your employees’ value and worth. What are you doing with the influence God has given you? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Categories
Work Working for the Lord

Working for the Lord

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” Eph 6:5-8 (NIV) Where do you work? Now think about your workplace and rediscover your ultimate boss, Jesus. Therefore, you are working for Jesus. When you are working, in the workplace, for the Lord, what does that look like? Snapshot #1: You willingly do what you are asked to do. When your passion is to please Jesus, you will obey your earthly boss. Your obedience is not based on how your boss treats you; your obedience is based on pleasing your ultimate boss, Jesus. Snapshot #2: Your attitude will be consistent with your actions. Your beliefs determine your behavior. If you believe that Jesus is your ultimate boss and if you believe that you are truly working for him, then your actions at work will be consistent with your beliefs. Your actions will reflect the authenticity of your attitude. Do you have an attitude of gratitude, even at work? Snapshot #3: Your actions are consistent when no one is watching. Do you give your best when no one is looking? When the cat’s away do the mice still play, if they are Christian? You know that Jesus, your ultimate boss, is all-knowing and all-seeing. He is watching even when your earthly boss is not in visual contact. What you do when no one is watching is a clear indicator of your caliber of character. Take a close look at each snapshot of a believer working for the Lord. Identify the snapshot that needs improvement in your life.   Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care