Leadership Challenge #5

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Proverbs 21:5  (The Message)  “Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.”

5.  The Plan of a Leader.

I can’t remember a time when I waited until the last minute on anything and ended up with the best possible product or outcome.  Not in driving somewhere, or putting something together, or in sermon or message preparation.  The writer of this proverb hits many of us hard right between the eyes.

How often are we guilty of procrastinating that which is Most Important to the organizations and people we lead?  How often do we fail to plan effectively and consequently give those we’re trusted to lead an inferior product… a mediocre outcome.

Peace and Joy live in the planning.  If you want to enjoy your work more, do the hard work of doing the most important work first.  Plan ahead, it’s just better.

? Where are you putting off that which is most important?

Matt

Leadership Challenge #4

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Proverbs 21:4  (The Message) “Arrogance and pride – distinguishing marks in the wicked – are just plain sin.”

4.  The Biggest Temptation of a Leader.

No question about it, one of the greatest struggles a leader can face is Arrogance and pride.  I recently made the comment to some pastor friends of mine that, “the ministry is an extremely prideful place.”  There’s just something about the ministry that causes good men (& women) to get prideful, territorial & insecure.

I want to be a leader that checks pride and arrogance at the door.  There’s a big difference between walking in a God Confidence in what you’re called to be and to do and being arrogant or prideful.

Learning the difference can often be the difference maker between a leadership legacy of mediocrity and greatness for God.

Deep… very deep.

Matt

Leadership Challenge #3

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Proverbs 21:3  (The Message)  “Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to God than religious performance.”

3.  The 2 Great Commands of a Leader.

I like that the writer of this proverb lays out what we’re really supposed to focus our time and attention on as leaders.  Not “religious performance” but Living right before God and living right before others.

Jesus echoed these same sentiments when He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”  In fact, He said these are the two greatest commandments.

Excellent Leadership Advice from the Greatest Leader of all time…

? How’s your lifestyle? Is it pleasing to God? And does it serve others?

Just another Leadership Bloggish thought,

Matt

Leadership Challenge #2

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2.  The Undercurrent of Leadership.

Proverbs 21:2  (The Message)  “We justify our actions by appearances; God examines our motives.”

Verse 2 is a continuation of verse 1 in this regard.  That which is unseen beneath the current of our leadership is the undercurrent… our motives.  Our motives, as leaders, play a HUGE role in how we lead, where we lead, and the pace of our leadership.

It’s easy as a leader to “justify” as the verse says, our actions by the way things look, but we can never forget that God knows our heart.

If we don’t do the hard work of judging our heart’s motivations in how we lead, God will be forced to.  The wise leader submits their motives to God before God calls them on the carpet.

? When was the last time you sincerely checked your motives as a leader?

Matt Keller

Year End Leadership Challenges

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As the year comes to an end, I found some "Leadership Challenges" from the book of Proverbs, chapter 21.  I hope they challenge you like they're challenging me.

By the way, they're all taken from the Message Bible which I just love the vividness of the language.

Thanks for tracking along with my blog,

Keller

Proverbs 21:1  (The Message)  “Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses.”

1.  The Current of Leadership.

There is a powerful principle in this verse about what I would call, “The Current of Leadership.”  From this Proverb we can see that Leadership is like a river.  It has limitations and is driven by a strong current.  However, the course of the current is directed by God.

I can see a mighty river in my mind with a strong current flowing inside the banks and to a destination.  Our leadership must be the same way.  It must have movement, flow and a destination.  If we lack any of those things, we are simply unbridled water which has the power to destroy anything it touches.

However, if we keep ourselves inside of “God’s banks” we end up at our destination just fine and sweep many along with us as well.

Just a Bloggish Leadership thought,

Matt Keller

Trying a New Upgrade ... Video Blogging

Hey everyone, 3 days to Christmas! what's up now! I'm so excited.

As many of you I'm sure notice, I always sign off of every blog post with: "Just a Bloggish Thought..." Well, as you've noticed I've been on a bit of a "Bloggish Break" the last few weeks and I just wanted to officially let you know that I'm back from my "Bloggish Break" with some brand new, "Bloggish Thoughts." Hope you enjoy,

AND...

I found a great new, free video website that is changing my world, seriously. It's called Tokbox.com and it's all web based and absolutely free!

So here's the deal, I'm going to try to "video blog" as well as regular blog for the final series of posts this year. I hope it works, and I can't to hear (& see) your comments about it

You can expect the first video post to show up tomorrow morning.

They're on 'Leadership Challenges' from Proverbs 21.
To see a sample of tokbox and find out how to sign up check out this link...

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See you tomorrow,

keller

My Christmas List - A Humorous Look

At the risk of getting comments like, "Dude, you're so selfish." or "Why are you making Christmas all about you?"  I want to discuss a very important and strategic part of my Christmas ritual... My Christmas List.

Right around Thanksgiving every year, I release my "Official" Christmas List.  It lives on the counter, or frig, or somewhere that everyone who wants / needs to see can see it.  Every once in a while I get a weird look from a "Non-List-Making" individual.  I don't let it throw me, but I feel obliged to explain my logic for "My List."  I shall use this blog to do so...

5 Reasons Why I Make a Christmas List Each Year:

1.  "You have not because you ask not." I'm not saying I'm quoting scripture exactly accurately here, but it's true... I don't assume that loved ones, friends, or perfect strangers for that matter are "picking up my hints" along the way.  Christmas morning is just too important to leave to chance!

2  "It's hereditary." I have to tell on my dad on this one.  He's a list maker at Christmastime too.  So I come by it honestly.  I watching my dad get what he wanted because he made a list.  Thanks dad!

3.  "It's just practical." If I'm being honest with you, I just like getting stuff I want on Christmas morning.  No need for surprises, just stick to the list and nobody gets hurt, you know...

4.  "It's all about the love, baby." Gifts are one of my favorite love languages, so come on somebody, love me!

5.  "Everyone's just happier." Who doesn't love getting something they really, REALLY want?!? I mean really?  When people get you what you want, even if it's silly stuff like "New cool looking, 1.00 magnification reading glasses" it just makes a guy happy!

So there you have it, agree or disagree, the reality stands.  I am a List-Maker, and at the Christmas Season, I will make my list proudly and without reservation, because hey, I love Christmas Morning!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone,

Matt

Does This Thing Need an Overhaul???

So the next big question that is in order concerning the Digital Extension of MWK's life is:  "Does this blog need an overhaul?"  Help me with this one:

3 Choices:

1.  A New Name.

2  A New Look.

3.  A Everything.

Give me some detail as to why you think we need to overhaul that area and specifics on what we could do with this thing.  Afterall, the virtual sky is the limit...

Thanks for the help,

Keller

5 Weeks of Service - Story of Life-Change

I couldn't wait to share with all of you a story of life-change that I got to be a part of.  Over the past few weeks, we've been doing our "5 Weeks of Service" every Saturday mobilizing a couple hundred Next Level Church attenders to serve our community in various ways each week!

It's been so incredible!  So today, one of the 4 places that our teams went was to Doug Morris's house!  Doug is a single dad raising 3 kids on his own.  Doug has been apart of NLC for like 4 years and brings his kids faithfully to NLC every single week!  Doug works hard just to put food on the table for his family.

So when the NLC community service team showed up to give his house an "NLC Extreme Home Makeover" he was blown away.  In 1 day, the NLC team completely ripped up the entire living room and kitchen floor, and the 2 kid's bedrooms!  They repainted the entire interior of the house, put up a Cars border in the boys room, and princess wallpaper in the girl's room!  They patched a hole in the side of the house and replaced rotted floor boards in the kitchen under the refrigerator!

Then... with Tile and Hardwood that was donated by an EXTREMELY GENEROUS BUSINESS OWNER in our church, they gave the family beautiful new flooring throughout the 2 kids bedrooms and the living area!

What the NLC community service team did is absolutely life changing for Doug and his family!

And this is just 1 of the many projects that NLC has been doing to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of people across Southwest Florida!

I am so proud of all of you who have given your time, talent and treasure this Christmas Season to make a difference.  I am blown away that I get to be your pastor!

Thanks for making the season bright for so many,

Pastor Matt

Pray for Next Level Church, New Hampshire!!!

I just got off the phone with Josh Gagnon, the pastor of one of our daughter churches, Next Level Church, New Hampshire.  The ice storm has hit them extremely hard, and they and most all of the 300 + people in their church are without power and staying in hotels!!!  The Gagnons have 2 kids under 3 years old!!!

so listen to this though... They decided to do what no other church is doing to reach people no one else is reaching, so they worked it out with a "Chili's type restaurant" called Marguarita's to serve the entire community FREE BREAKFAST at the restaurant tomorrow morning instead of having church.  So they have tons of food donated from Wal-Mart and other Grocery stores!!!

They also mobilized all their church people to put flyers under every hotel room door in the entire city!!!  They literally are influencing the entire region during this crazy, stressful tragic time!  All the TV stations are reporting on it as well!!!

Pray for them that they can live Jesus and serve people tomorrow!  Their website is:

www.NLC.tv

Thanks,

Matt

The Jury is In... and the Verdict is...

So after 8 days of deliberating and hearing the evidence from all of "ya'll" (I was in Texas last weekend) I have decided to CONTINUE with the Blog in 2009.  But I think some modifications are in order, and as a good American, I want all of you to weigh in and help me decide what direction we should tailor the content:

3 Choices Include:

1.  Random Personal Funny Stuff.

2.  Leadership Insights I'm learning.

3.  Random Church Stuff.

Of course this list isn't exhaustive, but I want to make sure that I'm adding the most value to your lives with the time you're willing to dedicate to the reading of the blog.

Thanks for helping me Modify the Digital Extension of MWK to the world,

Matt

If a Blogger stops Blogging, Does anybody care?

I'm just wondering if a Blogger (like me) stops blogging and instead just does twitter and facebook, would the world really miss my blog?

I mean really...

Would they?  I swear I'm not looking for petty little "Aw, Matt, you're so awesome and wonderful" sentiments either.  I mean, what if twitter is the new "Insta-blog"?

If so, I think it's just a lot better use of my time,

thoughts?

Keller