CCF Winter Retreat this year was at the lovely Camp Dixie. I had a fantastic time and made a few new friends and caught up with some I haven't seen since the last retreat. We played games and goofed off... A lot... But we also spent a lot of time talking about Jesus and non-vocational missions.
One of the biggest points Joe Blanchard (the speaker for the weekend) made Saturday morning was being financially able to respond to God and have greater influence. We cannot serve God and money, and money is a direct reflection of where our hearts are. [Proverbs 13:22; 21:20; 22:7, Luke 10:29-37; 16:10-14, Matthew 6:19-21]
Your integrity eclipses your image.
Saturday night, Joe talked about authority and our relation to authority– we are all under authority and sometimes we are the authority. When we are in authority, we need to be conscious of the authority that we do have. Most of the time, the only authority we have is moral authority; this kind of authority is like having the moral high-ground and it must be guarded with our lives. Once we lose this, it is so very hard to build back, if it can be built back at all. [Matthew 8:5-13, Nehemiah 5:1-16]
Everything that comes out of your mouth matters! Everything that you do matters!
And Sunday morning, Joe spoke about leadership, unity, and excellence. He gave ten ways to have influence:
1. It's lonely to lead. – Chuck Swindoll
2. Never eat lunch alone.
3. Begin with the end in mind.
4. Find a Paul. Be a Paul.
5. The quality of your "yes" is determined by the quantity of your "no." – Andy Stanley
6. Good is the enemy of great.
7. Words matter. Choose them wisely, – Ephesians 4
8. Leaders are readers. Who cares who the Batchelor sent home? – Dave Ramsey
9. When your experience does not meet your expectations, believe the best- not assume the worst. – Andy Stanley
10. Know your strengths and stay in your lane, – Dave Ramsey
Five Enemies of Unity
1. Poor communication
2. Gossip (sharing a negative with anyone who can't help solve the problem)
3. Unresolved disagreements
4. Lack of shared purpose
5. Sanctioned incompetence (don't just let everything go- sometimes you need to confront someone)
Remember, you may be someone's only window to Jesus.
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