Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

Spirituality

Germs, UV Sanitizers, and Spirituality

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korea-sanitizer

When I used to live in Korea, my wife and I bought a UV sanitizer to sanitize the bottles and toys for our firstborn. Here’s a picture of the box.

It’s fascinating that this company has effectively advertised that germs are from the Devil. Interesting, isn’t it?

When’s the last time you’ve seen a product in North America advertised in a spiritual manner?

We’re talking about worldview here. When I lived in Korea, I noticed that spirituality was much more on the forefront of people’s minds, than it is here in North America.

Now what does a UV sanitizer–with a picture of the devil on it–have to do with church leadership?

The answer is…everything.

When’s the last time you’ve read Ephesians 6?

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. (Ephesians 6:12 HCSB)

Ultimately, the biggest obstacle to living a vibrant life in Christ isn’t your overbooked schedule, stressful children, or finances…it’s Satan.

In C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, he mentions that one of Satan’s strategies is to try to make it look like he actually doesn’t exist.

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5 Steps to Being Missional

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photo-1416453072034-c8dbfa2856b5

Last post, I covered some important concepts on serving as a group, but today, I want to go a bit more in detail on being a group that extends and lives out the love of God–a group that is, as Jesus puts it–salt and light.

Evangelism is best done out of the context of a gospel community whose corporate life demonstrates the reality of the word that gave her life. – Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church

In this day and age, how do we tangibly tell others about the good news that has so shaped our lives? Out of love, we want to tell others about Jesus, but how do we do this in a way that doesn’t feel like we are shoving something down someone else’s throat? How do we appropriately engage others with the truth of the Gospel?

Here are five steps that will help us to better share about the wonderful hope that we have in Jesus Christ with our family, coworkers, neighbours, and friends.

1. Developing Trust

This is all about developing trusting relationships. After all, people don’t care what we have to say, unless they know that we care. This isn’t about trying to fake a trusting relationship, this is all about genuinely loving and caring for those around us so that trust is built up between us. This isn’t a bait and switch thing either, it’s simply about being a great friend. Doesn’t everyone need great friends whom they can trust and rely on? That’s what we need to do–be the best friend, coworker, neighbour, and family member that you can be. Why? Because that’s what Jesus would do, wouldn’t he?

2. Having Conversations and Living Life Together

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Book Review: Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders

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Spiritual Leadership, with an emphasis on the word spiritual, is definitely an accurate description for J. Oswald Sanders’ book. He covers popular leadership principles, such as, time management and the importance of developing our talents, but the majority of his points and illustrations are all in reference to spiritual leadership.

Sanders introduces each chapter with a scriptural reference, by which he uses to ground his ideas within the chapter, but much of his explanation is rooted in his wealth of experience and/or the experience of other notable figures, such as Charles Spurgeon, A.B. Simpson, A.W. Tozer, and J. Hudson Taylor. Sanders believes that all Christians are leaders and that we should all develop our leadership potential.

Central to this book is the belief that God is the one who calls forth leaders in the church and then subsequently anoints them.

Spiritual leadership is a matter of being chosen, rather than choosing. Spiritual leadership is all about being last, rather than first. A spiritual leader is one that imitates Christ Jesus–the greatest spiritual leader of all. As important as it is for a leader to listen, lead, articulate, and inspire well, what takes precedence over any method or skill is one’s connection to the vine–Jesus Christ.

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Prophets of a Future Not Our Own – Oscar Romero

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Here is an amazing poem attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero. Enjoy!

Wikipedia
Wikipedia

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.

The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,

it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction

of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.

Nothing we do is complete,

which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection,

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.

No set of goals and objectives include everything.

This is what we are about.

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3 Ways to Avoid Losing Your Job

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This is Part 4/4 of my popular Desert Experience in Ministry series.

skyloader
skyloader from flickr

There seems to be a universal rule out there that goes something like this,

If thou wantest something, thou shalt put a wack-load-of-effortitis into getting it

But what happens to most of us when we finally get that thing? Think about it for a moment. What happened to that Bow-Flex you bought? That machine that was going to revolutionize your life? Or what about that Juicer that was going to make you so healthy? It went from being on the counter, to being under the counter, to being in a box in your garage. Am I right?

It’s funny, most of us don’t mind putting the effort into getting something that we want, but once we get it, it’s easy to put it aside and focus on that next big thing that’s on the horizon.

If you’re not careful, the same will happen with your job.

Do you remember the amount of energy and mind space that you put into getting that job of yours? You prayed about it. You researched it. You weighed the options. You candidated. You name it, you know you did it. But since getting that job, where has your energy and mind space gone? Is it in the work that you know you were called to do? Or do you find yourself drifting?

It’s one thing to lose your job because of laziness and lack of performance. (The only advice that I can give you on that point is that a worker deserves their wages. Buckle up your bootstraps and get your work done). However, it’s a whole other thing to lose it unexpectedly. And that’s what I want to help you with today!

It’s one thing to lose your job because of laziness. It’s another to lose it unexpectedly.

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Here are 3 ways to prevent unexpected transition (a.k.a. 3 ways to avoid losing your job):

1. Set Expectations and Record Progress

Job descriptions are fluid – especially in ministry. I can guarantee you that your job description will change multiple times over in your first year, so don’t work off of a static document. Get a clear picture as to what’s expected of you from your boss, your peers and those you’re leading. Don’t assume that you know what they expect of you, and also don’t assume that they know what you’ve done. So set 30, 60 and 90 day goals after those conversations and report on your progress. This iterative process will allow you to adjust your goals as you work and create an environment where everyone is happy with the working relationship.

2. Communicate Clearly and Regularly

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