Dave Williams's Blog, page 8

Turning Followers into Leaders

This principle is so powerful and simple that it can advance you years in your business, family, and ministry. It is a leadership principle that says leaders must produce other leaders!

The Lord gave Joshua a commission:

Joshua 1:6–7 NLT

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.”

A leader is someone who takes people where they otherwise wouldn’t go. And a pacesetting leader is someone who doesn’t just lead but trains leaders and delegates leadership to others, raising up a new generation of leaders.

Build the People

The principle of building people up and staying focused on your vision applies to all areas of life, but let’s look specifically at how this applies to ministry.

What is the main goal of a church? To go out and teach all nations.

That is the Great Commission Jesus gave to us, and no one is excluded from it (Matthew 28:18-20). Every believer has the common mission to go into all the world and teach the Good News of Jesus Christ. So a church must produce disciples. If it doesn’t, it can hardly be called a church.

For example, say there was a toothpaste company, and one day the CEO visited the factory and saw doughnut coming off the conveyor belts; he would know immediately there was a problem. Money had been invested to make toothpaste, but instead, the factory was producing doughnuts. The workers might say, “Doughnuts improve the morale around here. We love taking a break and having doughnuts. So we’re making those instead of toothpaste.”

You would no longer call that a toothpaste factory; you would call it a doughnut factory. The same is true for the church. In a church, money is invested in the form of tithes and offerings. Man-hours go in. What is the church supposed to be producing? Disciples! Jesus’ mandate was to train people to do what he did and then let them do it. If a church is producing only converts, it’s not a church. Conversion is only part of the process. The ultimate goal is to make disciples.

The same principle applies to businesses and families and organizations of all kinds. If you have strayed from your foundational purpose, then the nature of what you do has changed. Ask yourself, are you leading people toward the original goal or to a different destination? Is it time to get back on track?

Delegate to People

Once I had a vision of a man who was full of holes, he was missing an arm and leg and other parts. I asked, “Lord, what is that?” He answered, “That is you in the ministry I gave you. You are not complete in yourself. The body of Christ is not complete unless everybody fits in and finds their ministry and gifts. You have missing parts. To make the ministry complete, educate, impart, and delegate to people. Then it becomes a whole body.”

That was an important moment as I realized that a pacesetting leader is supposed to lead others into their calling, so the local body, business, or endeavor will be complete. Moses, one of the greatest leaders in history, had to learn this same lesson.

Exodus 18:13 NLT

The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.

“Pastor Moses” was leading two million people. Everybody wanted to see him personally. They stood in line to have him counsel them. Moses thought he was a good pastor by handling every question and dispute and being all things to all people. Some people run a business or an enterprise the same way, not realizing that when you have your hands in everything, your bottom line will be nothing. Here is the fruit of the decision Moses learned from his father-in-law in Exodus 18:14-24.

Moses did not have a nervous breakdown but was able to continue leading the people for forty years.

He went from being on the verge of collapse and saying, “God, if you’re going to treat me like this, just kill me—I’d rather be dead!” (Numbers 11:14) to becoming a pacesetting leader over the long term.

All the people’s needs were met!
Others got to exercise their gifts and grow in their own leadership skills.

People who get involved and trained in leadership are engines of growth for your church. For every person trained as a leader, and serves the church, will cause growth. I have seen this pattern for years. I believe this principle applies to your business, as well. It all goes back to training people to be disciples and delegating the work to them.

This is exactly the example Jesus set when he trained his disciples. First, he sent the twelve, then another seventy, then all who believe. Jesus loved training his disciples. After the crowds had gone away, he seemed eager to get alone with them to teach them how to be effective leaders. Why? Because he knew these men would carry on his work after he ascended to heaven.

We should have the same passion for training leaders to run with our vision.

Unlimited growth

Many leaders try to build their church or enterprise like a triangle with the tip of the triangle pointing down and the whole weight of the business, company, or ministry on one key person—the leader. As it grows, the pressure on the leader also grows, and that leads to rapid “burn-out.”

The way to unlimited growth without overwhelming pressure is to make disciples. Then the growth is shared among everyone.

Remember you cannot possibly accomplish all the functions needed in a church, business, small group, or classroom you lead. If you don’t train up leaders, you will severely limit the size and success of your undertaking.

The fact is, if your church or business is going to grow, you’ve got to train others and delegate work to them.

Training and delegating others will cause multiplication in every area of your life and cause your business, your ministry, or your church to fill the earth. The entire world would be filled with the glory of God in a tangible way in just a few years if every believer would make disciples.

The post Turning Followers into Leaders appeared first on Dave Williams Ministries.

What is Self Sabotage?

Have you ever noticed someone’s life that seems to have it all together, and then they mess it up? Have you ever seen somebody sabotage their success, happiness, or relationships? Have you ever wondered why that happens?

Song of Solomon 2:15 

Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes

Often it’s the little foxes as Solomon said this spoil the vine. Just little things that get overlooked that go into sabotaging our future.

John 10:10

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

We all want to have an abundant life in every arena. Still, there is a creature designed to devastate your mind, will, and emotions, a thief that wants to obliterate your influence, mutilate your success, liquidate your assets, and annihilate your future.

Jesus came to bring abundant life, but there are overlooked small things that can radically impair our progress, neutralize our faith, extinguish our joy, dismantle our mission, and butcher our relationships. These things have the power to sabotage your life.

There are practical things in the Bible that can keep us from the pitfalls along the road to happiness and success.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Paul spoke about all the trials of the children of Israel how God brought them out of Egypt and did wonderful things for them. And then they fell back, judgment came.

Everybody goes through the same kinds of trials, but God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted or tested beyond your ability. He will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.

Many people have been ripped off by the devil and sabotaged by little things. Here are just three of them (In the YouTube series, I’ll show you 21 self-sabotaging “little things” that can bring loss and ruin.)

1. Not knowing or pursuing your purpose

You were not put here on earth to fill space. You’re not on earth to be a background player to somebody else’s movie. God put you on this earth for a purpose, and nothing would be the same if you didn’t exist.

This is probably the most important one. God said I’m not willing that any perish but that all come to repentance. God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die on the cross, and I am so thankful.

2. Being too religious

Religious people are rigid. You’ll never look exactly right to a religious person. They seem to have a commitment to the law rather than to the Lord, to a myriad of rules. As a result, they miss miracles.

3. Not being clear about what you want

Jesus said to WANT (or desire) things!

Mark 11:24

Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

We think that it’s the really big sins and transgressions that sabotage our success, but most of the time, it’s merely little things. You can listen to the entire series FREE on my YouTube channel.

The post What is Self Sabotage? appeared first on Dave Williams Ministries.

The Secret Ingredient for Joy

What is the secret ingredient for joy and happiness? King David discovered this amazing truth. In Psalm 16, he said to God:

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore.

Psalm 16:11 (KJV)

How would you like to come to a place in life where, no matter what happens, nobody could take away your joy? Someone says, “What an ugly dress!” and you smile. The bank calls and says, “We made an error, and you owe us $5,000,” and you aren’t fazed.

Does that describe you now? Would you like it to describe you?

Unbreakable Joy

There is an ingredient, often unknown even to devout Christians, that can make our joy unbreakable. Jesus had it. Do you think He worried that the Pharisees did not like Him? Wanted to trip Him up? Wanted to kill Him? Nothing they did bothered Him.

Even when King Herod requested an audience with Him, Jesus could have cared less. “Go tell that fox I am going to continue working miracles and doing My Father’s will,” He said, probably to the amazement of His hearers. Jesus was chiefly concerned about remaining in the presence of His Father. He cared what God thought. That is the miracle ingredient.

In the presence of the Lord, the Bible says, our enemies perish—enemies such as sin and sickness. Why do some Christians have so many hang-ups and problems? Because they are not experiencing the presence of God. Whenever you flee from the presence of God, there is a vacuum, and that vacuum creates all sorts of imposter solutions.

What brings lasting happiness?

Saints and sinners alike are looking for something or someone to bring joy. We instinctively look to other people, saying, “When I get married, I am going to be happy.” Two weeks after the wedding, that ideal disappears. Then follows a litany of other hopes we hang our hats on:

“I will be happy when I have children.”
“I will be happy when my children are gone.”
“I will be happy when I retire.”

When will we learn that none of these things bring lasting joy or happiness? When will we learn that God’s presence can bring us genuine and magnificent joy every day of our lives? When we have experienced the presence of God, we do not need other people to encourage us. We do not need affirmation from any other man or woman, not even our spouses!

In His presence is fullness, or saturation, of joy overflowing to everyone with whom you come into contact. Where is that joy found? In His presence. For further study, check out my book The Presence of God.

The post The Secret Ingredient for Joy appeared first on Dave Williams Ministries.

Lead Like the Master: 7 Master-Level Qualities

Pacesetting leaders possess seven master qualities that build a solid character. Master-level leaders learn from the best when they follow Christ and adhere to the Scriptures. In my many years of leadership, I have observed seven essential qualities that help build solid character in leaders and bring out high achievement in their work.

1. A positive, faith-filled attitude

It is unbelievable what attitude can do. I believe that at least 85% of success stems from your attitude. The attitude you want as a leader is one of great faith, one that says, “God, I believe your Word. I trust in you.”

I went to a hospital to visit an older man who had requested prayer. He was a member of another church, so I went with that church’s pastor. The man was in bed, I said, “I’m going to anoint you with oil, and we’re going to believe that God will heal you.” He said, “Yes!” I anointed him with oil; we prayed over him, then rejoiced and thanked God for the outcome. After I walked out of the room with the other pastor, he said to me, “I don’t think he’s got long to live.” Talk about a lack of faith! We had just prayed in faith, but this pastor walked away from that faith within moments. What a negative attitude and poor leadership!

As a pacesetting leader, you must have a faith-filled, positive attitude and keep your words in harmony with what you believe.

2. An unswerving sense of mission

You have a call, a destiny, and a purpose, but there will be distractions along the way. Someone once said, “If you’re hunting for quail, don’t shoot at rabbits. If you do, you scare off the quail.”

For many years, I had a sign hanging in my office that said, “Stay on Target.” Pacesetting leaders stay on target with an unswerving sense of mission. Too many people get involved in things outside their calling when they should stay focused like a laser beam on what God has called them to do. These distractions can be tempting because they seemingly offer different kinds of “success.” You might be called to ministry but working at a company that wants to advance you and offers you free college courses in their field. You have to ask yourself, “Is that going to help me in what God has called me to do?” If not, you must pass that opportunity up as a distraction.

When you have an unswerving sense of mission, you are like a river instead of a swamp. A swamp doesn’t flow with purpose and direction but sprawls in every direction. A swamp breeds algae, bacteria, snakes, and other scary and unhelpful things. But a river flows positively in a particular direction and gives life to all sorts of beneficial things.

3. Seeks results, not activity for activity’s sake

Many would-be leaders are hard workers, but their life is full of activity, not results. What counts is not doing everything but doing the right things. Jesus had something to say about this.

John 15:8 KJV

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Better to have a tree with fewer, healthier fruit than a tree full of many tiny, useless fruit. Judge your activity by results.

4. Wants to serve rather than be recognized

The Pharisees and religious leaders in Jesus’ day loved to sit in the most prominent seats at important events, loved their titles, and loved their position and authority. To them, leadership was all about having power over people and a big reputation. They were schemers and plotters. They had no desire to serve. Jesus said they wouldn’t even lift a finger to help someone.

Matthew 23:3–4 NLT

So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

Every business that starts with the main idea of only making money will fail. Every church that starts with the idea of having the best reputation will fail because every successful endeavor begins with serving others.

When I prepare a message, my goal is not for people to think, Dave Williams is smart. Most people listen with one mindset: What’s in it for me? Jesus knew this, which is why he talked to people in normal language and down-to-earth stories. He wasn’t trying to impress others with his intellect. He wanted to speak clearly so he could serve his listeners. He essentially said, “Here’s what’s in it for you.” He healed the sick, cleansed lepers, opened blind eyes, and fed the multitudes to show them a true servant’s heart.

In the same way, everything we do in life, church, or business should serve people without the goal of enhancing our reputation. As a pacesetting leader, you have the privilege and responsibility of leaving your reputation in God’s hands.

5. Delegates and releases potential in others

Moses was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when his father-in-law Jethro said, “The thing you do is not good.”

Moses was trying to be a good leader to two million people who were waiting in line to see him so he could settle their disputes and receive counsel (read Exodus 18). Jethro told Moses he was not being a good pastor because he was spreading himself too thin. Jethro then counseled Moses to let other people do some of the work, and let them handle the smaller matters. Then Moses wouldn’t wear himself out. In essence, Jethro said, “You will be able to lead them for a long time, and other people will get to spread their wings and become leaders under you. Everyone’s needs will be met.”

Jesus delegated responsibility to his disciples, and Paul delegated to Timothy. It is the natural way of pacesetting leadership.

When I spoke at pastors’ conferences in East Africa, they were very concerned when I talked about delegating because, in their country, the pastors did everything: weddings, funerals, baptisms, visitations, and more. I told them, “You’ve got to learn to delegate, or your church won’t grow.” One pastor pulled me aside and said, “I do not believe you are a true pastor to say that we must delegate.” I said, “If you don’t start delegating, you’re not going to live very long.” At that time, the average life span of men in his country of Tanzania was about forty years. I got a call the next year from that pastor’s wife. She said, “I think you saved my husband’s life. He’s starting to delegate and let other people take responsibility for ministry in the church, and the church is growing.”

Delegating expands your leadership and empowers others, which is a significant goal of pacesetting leadership.

6. Commitment to Excellence

“Good enough” is not good enough! I hear people say in the church and business worlds, “When dealing with volunteers, we can’t expect too much. After all, they’re not being paid.” I say if they are volunteering to help, they deserve to be led by someone who expects the best! Who wants to volunteer for mediocrity? No, I expect a lot from every volunteer. They should be better trained and better equipped than many Bible school graduates.

God cared enough to send his very best when he sent Jesus. He didn’t send an angel. He didn’t send an animal. He sent his Son, Jesus, to die for us. He gave his best! We should give him our best in everything.

A good leader watches out for lousy workmanship. Don’t do anything half-way. Do it with absolute excellence.

Proverbs 22:29 NLT

Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.

Excellence is speedy, accurate, dependable, and reliable. It’s doing the very best you can. God doesn’t expect perfection, but he does expect our best. Pacesetting leaders must be committed to excellence and expect excellence from those they lead.

7. Has a proprietary disposition

Pacesetting leaders behave like they own the place, even if they are not the boss or the owner. I mean this in the best sense of the word. The pastor, CEO, or “top-dog” shouldn’t be the only one concerned about customers or members. Everyone in the organization should “own” the outcome.

If you see trash in the parking lot, don’t say, “Where’s the janitor?” Just pick it up! Make it your responsibility. That is part of a proprietary disposition. Take ownership of the problem and the solution. Then your business, ministry, or organization will rise above the others. You will develop in yourself, and others, the heart of a pacesetting leader.

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Assimilate these seven keys, and expect your church, ministry, business or organization to rise above the crowd. You will develop in yourself and others the heart of a master-level leader. The Art of Pacesetting Leadership complete course is available online at DaveWilliams.com/PLonline.

 

 

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The Tipping Point for the Glory of God

As the Body of Christ, we may now be standing at the threshold of a new era of God’s glory and healing love. And you are a part of it all.

What I share with you today will dramatically impact you, your family, and the people in your life who need a miracle.  We may now be at a tipping point for streaming into the Glory Realm where anything becomes possible! 

Over the past 48 years, I’ve seen glimpses of the glory realm and encountered supernatural events that many would consider “glorious.” I’ve personally witnessed God heal hearts, legs, ears, eyes, and more. I have also seen the Lord annihilate tumors instantly.

Mary Jo, my wife, met a lady at a market in Florida, who had verifiably received a brand-new stomach from the Lord after hers was removed accidentally in a medical mistake. She received her miracle in a Billy Burke miracle service.

The Glory Cloud of Healing is Stirring Again

Ruth Ward Heflin, a descendant of 18th-century revivalist Jonathan Edwards, as far back as the 1970s, began alerting the Church of the amazing power of the coming glory-presence of God into their meetings.William Seymour, of the 1909 Azusa Street, Los Angeles revival, prophesied the “glory cloud of healing” would return in 100 years.

A man who had been a part of the Azusa Revival testified that he saw a manifestation of “glory fire” coming through the floors, and the ceiling and miracles began happening all over the place without struggle. Amazing healings spontaneously occurred.

Numbers 14:21 NKJV

But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord

Habakkuk 2:14 NKJV

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea

Since around 2009, some churches began to report the appearance of a “glory cloud” which they believed to be a physical manifestation of God’s presence in the form of a beautiful cloud that lingers over the worship services. Such clouds have been reported manifesting in churches and services all over the world.

I know it sounds strange to most, but the “glory cloud” is not an unprecedented phenomenon.

Exodus 40:34

Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

1 Kings 8:10-11 MSG

When the priests left the Holy Place, a cloud filled The Temple of God. The priests couldn’t carry out their priestly duties because of the cloud—the glory of God filled The Temple of God!

What is the Glory Realm, and what happens when it is manifested? 

The glory cloud is the physical or sensory manifestation of the Divine presence.

A place of acceleration
A place of Miracle Ease
In the glory, much more accomplished
In God’s glory, divine favor manifests with miracles

Author Joshua Mills said, “The anointing enables us; the glory disables us.” That’s because God Himself takes over, and miracles begin occurring spontaneously without human involvement. Faith can accomplish much. The anointing much more. But when we move into the presence of God’s glory, striving ceases, acceleration begins, and astonishing miracles appear in overflowing abundance—miracles of supply, physical miracles, and astounding wonders.

1 Kings 8:10-11 (NKJV)

And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

Can we access the Glory Realm?

Our access to God’s Glory is through entering into His presence until His Glory is unmistakably present. We praise until the spirit of worship settles upon us; then, we worship until the manifest presence of God ushers in His glory. The Glory Realm is beyond the “anointing realm.”

It’s beginning to happen globally.

Habakkuk 2:14 NKJV

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.

2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

During a Miracle Service in Indonesia, a supernatural cloud appeared and lifted to the stage as the congregation was faithfully worshipping Jesus. The rest of the service encountered profound miracles of healing: deaf ears opened, paralyzed people began walking, and the list goes on.

A church in Illinois reportedly reached the tipping point in worship when rays of light came to orchestrate a most spectacular heavenly light show. The vibrant lights danced in unison to the melodies, covering a wall with the overlapping colors of rich red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and violet as they moved like the Ezekiel’s “wheel within a wheel.”

When the worship finished, these lights flowed from the wall forming a glorious blue cloud of mist that descended and was suspended about two feet above the large audience.

Massive miracles were released, and for two hours, people were touched and transformed. Then as quickly as the cloud had descended upon the audience, it began to ascend and vanished through the ceiling.

The Glory Realm is a manifestation of God’s presence. 

Praise brings anointing, and worship brings the glory. When the glory arrives, there is no struggle for healing, abundance, teaching, preaching.

We will soon be witnessing DRAMATIC glory encounters and unprecedented healing miracles regularly.

Ezekiel 44:4

I looked and saw that the glory of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord, and I fell face down on the ground.

Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord. He tells in chapters 43 and 44 what invites this manifest presence and what can hinder it, including not coming clean with the Holy Spirit. We must understand what true holiness means—not outward, but of the heart. We must love the things God loves and hate the things God hates.

Don’t let the devil destroy your destiny in this exciting time. Jesus will be honored and worshipped globally (Philippians 2:10)

It seems as though all of eternity now is pouring into the present, causing us to accelerate forward by God’s glory and for God’s glory—we are now at the tipping point.

Are you ready? 

For further study, check out my book The Presence of God. 

Moving in Glory Realms: Exploring Dimensions of Divine Presence by Joshua Mills

 

The post The Tipping Point for the Glory of God appeared first on Dave Williams Ministries.

Your Inner Kingdom Determines Your Outer Kingdom

If its 63 degrees and too cold, what do you do? Do you go downstairs, switch off the furnace breaker and open the windows? No! You change the thermostat. Reset your thermostat and relearn and reprogram the correct thinking. Words create an environment for increase or decrease.

Words Create

Thoughts attract, words create, and faith actions begin the manifestation.

What Do You Want?

When you know what you want, you start attracting it! To get what you want, keep a list of goals in front of you to sharpen your focus.

Mark 11:24

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Hebrews 11:1-3

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Your Outer World: Shaped by Your Inner World

What you have on the outside comes from what you think about, dream about, and how you concern yourself.

Proverbs 23:7

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

Setting the Direction of Your Future

Fruit is the result of a root. Planning for the future is vital to producing the things you desire.

You will never rise above your inside image

Something I’m known for saying at all my seminars is this: “Your inner kingdom determines your outer kingdom.”

In New York, a group of Christians went to a run-down apartment building and, as a gesture of goodwill, fixed it all up. It was beautiful. The people should have been proud of their newly renovated home. Instead, in less than two years, it was all run down again. You can get a new set of clothes, but if you don’t change your inside image, you’ll be back in rags before long.

Until we change our image on the inside, we will stay the same as we are. That’s why Paul told us to renew our minds (Romans 12:1–2). Don’t be like the ten spies with a self-image problem. Be like Joshua and Caleb, who knew that with God, they were more than winners.

Do you see yourself as a victim or as a conqueror?  If you see yourself as a victim of your age, your background, your family history, your past failures, your environment, or your culture, change it now! See my posts Be a Conqueror and 10 Traits of a Conqueror.

Use God’s Word to discover everything He has said about you. Find out who you are in Christ and take a few minutes every day, with your eye of faith, to see yourself as the conqueror God has created you to be.

Tap into God’s reality to overcome your present circumstances. You can live and walk in victory! For further study, check out the audio series Creating Your New Reality.

The post Your Inner Kingdom Determines Your Outer Kingdom appeared first on Dave Williams Ministries.

Twelve Rocket Engines for Successful Ministry

Twelve Rocket Engines that will boost your ministry off the launching pad into successful orbit!

I watched in horror as the televised explosion of the space shuttle Challenger played again and again on the special news report. Only moments after Challenger’s apparently successful launch, something went wrong. It started as just a little problem, but the results of that problem mushroomed into a tragedy.

What went wrong? A simple 0-ring gasket on the solid-fuel rocket booster failed. All of the expertise, planning, money, and manpower that went into that mission came to less than nothing.

Unfortunately, some churches and ministries experience failure, much like that Challenger mission. They take off like a powerful rocket—all systems go and on target—and then something goes wrong. Some little problem occurs, and the next thing anyone knows, a promising ministry has exploded and crashed in utter ruin.

Be Sure of Ministry Success

As a young pastor, I wanted to lead a successful, growing church. But how could I be sure of success? I didn’t want to overlook some little problem that could lead my ministry to ruin. I had never pastored a church before; I wondered what to do. How could I be certain that no “0-ring” would be neglected as my church began to “lift-off.”

I heard advice from self-appointed, shoot-from-the-hip advisors who eagerly offered unsolicited opinions. From this, I learned advice is cheap.

I wasn’t interested in counsel from unqualified advisors. I was, however, interested in counsel from those experiencing success and those who were leading thriving churches and growing ministries. So, I set about studying the most successful ministries I could find.

I started by taking twenty of the nation’s greatest churches and ministries and studying them with reasonable concentration. I read their publications, sent for their media, attended their seminars, asked questions, conducted research, took notes, and compiled data. My research revealed that each successful ministry shared 12 common threads.

To my mind, these 12 principles seemed like the rocket engines that lift a ministry off the launching pad and push it into successful orbit. I call them The 12 Rocket Engines of Successful Ministry.

Picture your ministry as a rocket with 12 engines. The success depends on igniting all 12 rocket engines and checking to make sure they continue to operate effectively.

Prayer | Engine 1

“Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it” (Psalm 127:1). To grow ministries must embrace the certainty that only Jesus Christ builds his church. Without his involvement, failure is inevitable.

Prayer brings power, anointing, and revival. It is better to spend one-hour laboring in prayer, thereby experiencing success than to spend ten hours laboring in the natural without success. Work is never a substitute for prayer!

Attitude | Engine 2

A ministry or church that has a desire and attitude to grow will grow. An analysis of 50 churches found a distinct relationship between growth and the members’ attitudes toward growth. Attitude is the key.

As a pastor, I felt responsible for inspiring the congregation with a corporate desire for growth. I continually highlighted the benefits of a growing church. Like a plant, if a church doesn’t grow, it will die. Solomon said, “The desire of the righteous shall be granted” (Proverbs 10:24). The effective ministries that are growing today have a united attitude and desire for growth.

Vision | Engine 3

Mountains will move aside for the leader who embraces a God-given vision. Conversely, a ministry without a vision will flounder like a car stuck in the mud. Though church members may be expending vast quantities of energy pushing for growth, without a vision, they will just be spinning their wheels.

It is my conviction that the pastor of the church, or the leader of a ministry, has a vested duty to seek the Lord for vision for that ministry and then share it with the people. When I began to share the vision God gave me with the congregation, the effect was immediate and overwhelming. The additional benefit of sharing God’s vision allowed people to identify where they could fit into the big plan that God had given.

Atmosphere | Engine 4

A warm, exciting, non-judgmental atmosphere is indispensable to church growth and effective ministry. Friendly greeters should meet everyone as they come through the doors. Smiling staff with helpful attitudes should minister to the needs of the regular attendee and visitor alike. There are so many ways to show people they are loved and welcomed. Attractive, well-landscaped grounds, clean bathrooms, clear direction signs, and helpful ushers are just a part of what it takes to provide a welcoming atmosphere. You want people to feel enveloped in God’s love the moment they step into your facilities.

Teaching | Engine 5

Bible truths must be expressed in fresh and practical ways. Clear, direct, easy-to-understand teaching, and preaching is the best. The Bible says, “A wise teacher makes learning a joy” (Proverbs 15:2a TLB).

Delegation | Engine 6

Christian education should always focus on a desired end result. The desired result of Christian education is to equip the saints “for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). Recognizing their limitations, pastors of growing churches must educate and delegate qualified, reliable individuals to share in ministerial duties. Read Exodus 18:13–26 for God’s solution for Moses when his ministry overwhelmed him.

Visibility | Engine 7

“Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel” (Matthew 5:15 KJV). When something special is happening at your church, don’t keep it a secret; let the community know. Newspapers, radio, and television stations are happy to make public service announcements. Also, invest in quality advertising and make good use of the internet and social media. Using all these methods to get the word out pays off in increased attendance.

Missions | Engine 8

There is a direct relationship between missions giving and church growth—both in numbers and in finances. When I was pastor, the church board tithed ten percent to missions on all money donated to the church, as well as matching every dollar directed as offerings to missions by the congregation. This practice resulted in phenomenal growth. Over the years, the church I used to pastor sent away over $43 million into missions! As our missions giving grew, every aspect of the ministry grew as well. The goal was to expand our outreach at home and abroad.

Goals | Engine 9

Without specific short-term and long-term goals, there is no way to measure progress. Setting goals is the way to bring God’s vision for the church to reality. Each department leader should be responsible for setting goals and deadlines within the framework of God’s overall vision. Each month, progress should be evaluated and recorded. This provides a vital means for measuring progress and assuring you stay on target.

Evangelism | Engine 10

You can practice evangelism in three ways. First, encourage every member to be a soul-winner through friendship evangelism. Second, during every service, offer an opportunity for people to respond to an invitation for salvation. Finally, reach out to your community with healing teams, sidewalk evangelism, tracts, giveaways, special productions, and the myriad other ways that bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people.

Priorities | Engine 11

When you are hunting for quail, don’t shoot at rabbits. Making sure that every aspect of your ministry is bringing about the desired result will lead to success. No matter how good an idea or program sounds, if it doesn’t bear fruit, it should be ruthlessly eliminated. Don’t substitute “busyness” for high-priority involvement.

Service | Engine 12

If people flock to a local church, it is because they are receiving ministry that meets their needs. Great churches and ministries search for ways to better serve the Lord, the congregation, and the community.

A church with a service-hearted attitude will be a church that draws the lost and needy to it. Read Mark 10:43–44.

What causes churches to grow and ministries to succeed?

The answer is summed up in Jesus’ Parable of the Sower: “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the Word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop,” (Luke 8:15 NIV). Big churches don’t get that way overnight. As you persevere in applying these 12 principles, you will find that little by little; your ministry will grow and produce abundant fruit. Your rocket will be successfully launched and orbiting!

The post Twelve Rocket Engines for Successful Ministry appeared first on Dave Williams Ministries.

8 Action Steps for Wealth

If you are not yet enjoying “the wealthy place,” then it may be because you haven’t taken enough actions in the right direction. Here are some simple wealth actions that you can begin right away.

Action 1: Get out of Debt.

Deuteronomy 28:12–13 tells us that we are to lend to many nations and not borrow. This is one of the ways God promised to make His people the head and not the tail. List all your debts and come up with a plan for paying them off rapidly.

Action 2: Open a storehouse account.

It’s all right to have a bank savings account, but don’t expect much increase there. They will loan you money for a high percentage, but when you loan them money (by keeping your money in a savings account), they will pay you hardly any interest at all. It’s better to get an account with Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, or some other trusted brokerage.

Action 3: Use legal tax shelters.

Some people are afraid of tax shelters, but Congress created them to meet specific needs in the country. When the need is no longer there, they will build different tax shelters. The IRS isn’t out to “get you.” They want you to take every legitimate deduction and deferral within the framework of the law. But they want you to comply with the laws. That’s their job.

There are more tax advantages you can enjoy on certain select investments, but they change so often, you should check this out for yourself, rather than take a chance on getting some outdated information from me.

Action 4: Make small corrections along the way.

The best pilots have something in common. They have a firm fix on their destination, and they make small corrections along the way. You can do that in your investments, also. Sometimes you’ll want to own domestic stocks, sometimes you’ll want international stocks, and sometimes you’ll want both. But you’ll always be making small corrections here and there along the way to the “wealthy place.”

You can check your investments virtually any time you want on the internet. You may have the computer savvy to use an Internet brokerage company. Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard, e-Trade, Ameri-Trade, and others offer Internet trading services, making it easy for you to make little corrections along the way.

Action 5: Don’t count on Social Security.

The Social Security System was not designed to be a retirement plan, but a supplement. The maximum annual benefit to recipients in the year 2000 was $12,663. Can you live on that? Don’t even try. Plan ahead by funding your storehouses and letting God bless them.

If an 18-year-old person saves just $1 a day with an average 15% return, he will have a little over $2,646,156 by the time he retires. If he saves $2 a day, it will come to over $5,000,000. Most people, however, are currently putting a pile of their money into interest payments so that they will suffer in the years ahead.

If you invest in just eight of America’s finest companies, it’s possible to double your money every five years. $100,000 will go to $200,000 in five years. Bill Staton, “America’s Money Coach,” has some excellent audios on subjects like this: Seven Secrets to Becoming a Multi-Millionaire. Bill became a millionaire investor by the age of 35.  Bill and his wife Mary are my friends and both have spoken at our Club 52 events.

Action 6: Protect your assets.

Don’t go “hog wild” with insurance, but you do need to protect your family.

Make sure you have a will and a trust set up properly. This step is invaluable in protecting your assets after you’ve gone to Heaven. You’ll need to find a good attorney who handles things like this.

Action 7: Warning!

Don’t throw money into speculations on commodities, precious metals or options, unless you have a clear word from the Lord and you know what you’re doing. Many people lose their proverbial shirts on these investments.

Don’t buy investments on “hot tips.” You will usually find a bankrupt brother-in-law who knows everything about the next big winner. Right! Never buy on “hot tips.” And don’t buy because of a phone or internet pitch from some broker or dealer. Investigate all your investments yourself. Buy when they are low and sell when they are high.

Action 8: Bring your tithes to God’s house.

Don’t even think about robbing from God to begin your storehouse accounts, or to add to them. Give your radical offerings and keep making those supernatural faith promises. God will make it all up to you and more by commanding blessings on your storehouses. You don’t want your finances under a curse, so be sure to make your principle investments into God’s Kingdom.

Now it’s time to take action! Write out your vision and commit yourself to get knowledge, both spiritual and practical.

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Goals and Faith Goals

Goals are important, but goals alone, without faith, can end up being nothing but fantasies.

“Human life is but a breath, and it disappears like a shadow. Our struggles are senseless; we store up more and more, without ever knowing
 who will get it all.

“What am I waiting for? I depend on you, Lord!”

Psalm 39:6–7 CEV

Goals that are not coupled with genuine faith can kindle a fire of inner emptiness even when they are achieved. Solomon discovered this when he completed all his lofty goals, but left God out. He built huge homes, gardens, and cities. But Solomon felt hollow after all his achievements. He reached all his goals but became cynical and frustrated—empty without the relationship with God he once enjoyed. He wrote:

So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned.

And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless!

So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world.

Ecclesiastes 2:17–20 NLT

Human goals alone can produce things that won’t last because, as Jesus said, the flesh can only produce more flesh. But if your dreams, visions, and goals are born of the Spirit, they will be spirit. They will count for eternity and last forever.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:6

What are Faith Goals?

Faith goals carry the astonishing power to transform your life, family, marriage, ministry, or business into an amazing and successful adventure.
Faith goals furnish you with the power and means to achieve 100 to 1000 times more in perhaps half the time.
Faith goals provide you with the opportunity for remarkable intimacy with God.
Faith goals are rooted in the Bible.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mark 11:24

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]

Hebrews 11:1 AMP

So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.

1 Corinthians 9:26 NLT

The Difference Between a “Goal” and a “Faith Goal”

Some sincere people set goals and work themselves into the grave, trying to achieve them. They exert all their natural energies to accomplish these human-set targets. Quite often, when they do realize these goals, they experience a feeling of emptiness inside, a let-down and sense of dissatisfaction. Achieving goals on your own, by the “sweat of your brow,” can leave you profoundly unfulfilled.

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Galatians 3:3

Faith goals are different because, although they are goals, they are goals inspired by the dreams and visions God graciously puts on your heart during those lingering moments in his presence. Faith goals are goals where God works with you. When you reach them, you can genuinely say, “Look what the Lord has done!”

Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.

Psalm 40:30 NLT

When the Lord helps you reach your impressive faith goals, others will be amazed and decide to put their trust in the Lord too. So, in addition to providing you an exceptional life, the practice of setting and reaching faith goals functions as an instrument of inspiring others as well.

Human Goals…

Say, “Look what I have achieved.” Faith goals say, “Look what the Lord has done!” or “You must work really hard to achieve this.” Faith goals say, “You do your part, and let God do his!”
Are achieved by human effort. Faith goals are achieved in a partnership with God. (Isaiah 40:30–31)
Require human energy, exertion, and plenty of grunt work. Faith goals also require energy, but it’s the inexhaustible energy of God’s Spirit (Mark 16:20)

Why Faith Goals are More Powerful than Human Goals

Human goals are important and can be rewarding. Not all human goals lead to emptiness and frustration. When you are trying to accomplish an enormous task, instead of scattering your efforts on ineffective activities, a goal helps brings the single-mindedness and focus needed for the achievement.

But a faith-goal is even more powerful than a human goal because faith goals are micro-steps that go into achieving a dream you believe God put in your heart. Faith goals have scriptural backing. They are not just something a person dreams up on his own. Goals are important. Faith goals are really important.

What happens when we have no faith goals? We drift, we become aimless like a ship that sets out to sea and then turns the engines off, hoping to drift someplace tropical. Well, I hope we drift to Hawaii or Fiji. The chances are pretty close to ZERO! (Romans 8:11)

Stop and think. Isn’t that the way many people live their lives? They just drift. Isn’t that how many ministries and businesses are operating today? They drift, hoping someday God will do something. And they do nothing to break down their macro picture into manageable segments we call micro-steps or faith goals.

Designing an Exceptional Life

Setting faith goals is the practice of cooperating with the Divine. It’s partnering with God to design an extraordinary life. A faith goal will give focus to faith.

You’re about to do something failures never do. Fruitless, unproductive people never set faith goals. It never occurs to them that faith is the only thing that pleases God. It never occurs to them that faith is the substance of the things you hope for. It never occurs to them to believe Jesus when he said, “What things soever you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them.” (Mark 11:24)

Faith Goals are micro-steps that take you forward toward your macro-picture, the vision or dream God has put on your heart. Learn more in my book The Miracle of Faith Goals or get a FREE session on goal setting from The Art of Pacesetting Leadership.

 

The post Goals and Faith Goals appeared first on Dave Williams Ministries.

Why We Need Spiritual Vision

You are a precious and royal child of God made to experience the realm of the prophetic. Yes, God made you to hear His voice, to see into the spirit realm, and enjoy amazing supernatural experiences in the Holy Spirit.

Many churches believe in gifts of the Spirit, but few offer training to their members to activate these gifts. Each of us has gifts and capabilities from God that are meant to bring us into intimacy with our creator and release God’s love into the lives of others — saved and unsaved alike.

Romans 12:6

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith…

1 Corinthians 12:1

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

1 Corinthians 12:4

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL VISION

Why do we need spiritual vision? So, when we look at situations on earth, we can see them as they will be when brought into contact with God’s perfect power.

Earth-perspective gives only a vague picture of what’s happening. But when we are using our spiritual vision, God will show us the finished work. It is already finished in His mind, and He causes our spirit-eyes to see it before our natural eyes do.

1 John 3:2 (KJV)

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Revelation 19:10

… Worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:31

For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.

THE TIME IS NOW

Over the past 40 years, God has blessed me with visions, dreams, and spiritual encounters that have been precious and life-changing.

I am convinced that we are on the verge of the greatest outpouring of God’s Spirit. And those who know how to penetrate the spirit realm and engage the prophetic will be on the leading edge.

When God’s people understand the New Testament prophetic gifts, and walk-in Christ’s love, using these gifts, millions will be swept into the Kingdom!

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