Biblical Success

My wife and I are at a pastors and wives retreat. The speaker’s main focus is on biblical success. He comes across as a storyteller with some good points. Here are some of his good points. I am going to reorder them because I think they should be in a more specific order (I listened to the sessions, but my friend Neil took the notes. These are from his notes).

In order to be biblically successful you need to:

1. Love God
1. This is the greatest commandment.
2. You can be a pastor of a large church and still not love God
3. Do you love God with all that you are or do you love the ministry more than the giver of the ministry?

2. Be Faithful:
1. We are not called to be successful but to be faithful
2. We need to know what faithful is so we know the new definition of success (This means knowing the word of God)
3. Every one can be singing your praises but that does not mean that you are a success in God's eyes (This one hit me)
4. Faithful is obedience in God's eyes

3. Serve Others:
1. No success without a servants heart
2. Jesus came to serve.
3. We cannot have a I deserve something mentality.

There is no success without:

1. Faith
1. Believe what you believe!!!!
2. God will not take pleasure in our accomplishments or the things we do, or who we become with out faith

2. Prayer
1. You must sharpen your ax!

i. We must sharpen our skills!

ii. Prayer- prayer is the key to staying sharp!

2. Prayer is a struggle but…

i. You can do more after you pray than you couldn’t do before you prayed.

3. We have an endless need for God and Prayer is what supply that need.
4. Like old film. The longer we exposed to God in prayer (in His presence) the more that He is impressed on us.
5. Prayer is surrender in cooperation with the will!

i. Prayer is a must for success because it molds us to God

ii. Prayer brings power (massive power) into ministry - prayer partners for kids

iii. We must pray because Jesus prayed

3. Holiness
1. God calls us to be Holy. This call is especially strong in the light of purity and sensuality.
2. When a brother falls from a lack of Holiness it is heart breaking.
3. Holiness is not easy at all, but it is within reach!

4. Attitude
1. Even in ministry Attitude is everything
2. Two extremely harmful attitudes in ministry:

i. Negativism

ii. Jealousy - I've really got to look at this one… actually I struggle with both of these

3. Remember to God be the glory!
4. Paul didn’t care how Jesus was being preached, just that he was being preached.
5. We are not meant to bear the worldly weight of what they call success- God's yoke is so much lighter and better.
6. We need to have a positive attitude

I was hit by prayer and attitude. I can be a doer without sharpening my ax. I need to focus on prayer in my life. I also need to make sure I do not have a attitude of entitlement. I need to have an attitude of a servant. This is not about me. It is about bringing glory to God!!!!!