Church and Ministry Q and A – The Many Nuances of Benevolence
Mark Helland, C.P.A.

Mark Helland, CPA is a partner with the public accounting firm Elliott, Dozier and Helland, PC (www.edhcpa.com) which is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mark’s practice focuses on the unique needs of non-profits and he specializes in outsourced accounting, compliance and tax related issues for church and ministry clients across the United States. For further assistance from Mark on these services, Mark can be contacted via email at [email protected] or by phone at (918) 627-2286. You can also connect with Elliott, Dozier and Helland and get updates via social media at Facebook.com/hellandcpa, Linkedin.com/in/hellandcpa and Twitter.com/hellandcpa.

Of the many issues that we help our church and ministry clients with, benevolence is in my view one of the toughest areas to deal with as it is hard to tell if a need is valid or not. It is unfortunate that this area is so difficult to navigate because it is clearly a direct calling of the church by the teachings of the Bible. My title of this article mentions the many “nuances” and clearly this short article won’t be able to cover all of them, for sure, but I will focus on one particular nuance of benevolence.

The nuance of benevolence that I get questions on time and time again is what I will label “directed” benevolence. In other words, a congregation member knows of a needy family and wants to give a donation to the church (could occur in a ministry too but this is less often seen than in the church setting), with the church then giving the money to the family. In effect, the church becomes only a conduit to pass along the donation to an individual or family. The donors in these types of situations, invariably and understandably, always want their donations to be tax deductible as well. Does this situation sound familiar to anyone at this point?  These situations can also be troublesome for a pastor or church leader to deal with because they often involve higher income families that tend to be larger donors to the church or ministry. While being well-intentioned, the donors that make these types of requests are often un-informed as to the legalities of what they are asking you, as a church leader, to do.

On benevolence giving from the church or ministry to the congregation or community, here are some key points to consider:

1. Is the benevolence payment being given to an employee of the church or ministry?
2. Is a congregation member trying to “direct” benevolence to a particular individual or family and get a tax deduction?
3. Is the benevolence payment being given in a non-biased manner?

Regarding point #2, of “directed” benevolence, a church or ministry cannot operate in this manner – i.e. allowing a donor to use the church or ministry as a conduit to direct benevolence to a particular individual or family. If the donor wants to give money directly to an individual or family, (1) this needs to be done between the two families directly OR (2) the church can take the donation from the donor and make the payment to the individual or family, without treating this donation as a tax deductible donation. The church or ministry should only take the actions in (2) if they believe that a valid benevolence need exists though, and that the need meets the standards of the church.

Exceptions exist here though, as churches typically have designated giving programs such as those for single moms, widows, etc. Donors can give to generalized programs with the church then having discretion over which families are blessed through these programs. Also, giving directly to individuals for missions trips is an issue that is a separate issue than the directed benevolence situation mentioned here.

Some additional best practices and ideas on benevolence are as follows:

1. Have a budget for what the church or ministry can afford on a monthly basis for benevolence situations. A benevolence committee that weighs the merits of applications for benevolence is a great idea. A key item in the eyes of the IRS is that they want documentation that there was no relationship between officers and those who were provided benevolence.

2. Benevolence should be for basic needs like clothing, food, medical needs, transportation, etc. I have seen churches give large benevolence gifts for mortgage payments and I guess I am a little bit more skeptical or concerned on gifts of this nature. In other words, it should not be a situation where someone is getting constant monthly support from the Church. That is beyond the scope of what "benevolence" should be.

3. Benevolence gifts to employees are a real problem area. Any payment made to an employee is considered by the IRS to be taxable income, even if for benevolence. Logically, this makes sense – if payments to employees could just be considered “benevolence,” this would be a great way to lower taxable income!

As always, we are here to help with questions in this area. Sometimes it is easier to navigate these types of situations with donors if you can blame the outside CPA for their advice on how to handle certain situations!

 

This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is shared with the understanding that neither the author nor Tony Cooke Ministries is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, psychological, medical or other professional services. Laws and regulations are continually changing, and can vary according to location and time. No representation is made that the information herein is applicable for all locations and times. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

© Tony Cooke Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

Church and Ministry Q&A – Focus on Expense Reimbursements
Mark Helland, C.P.A.

Mark Helland, CPA is a partner with the public accounting firm Elliott, Dozier and Helland, PC which is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mark’s practice focuses on the unique needs of non-profits and he specializes in outsourced accounting, compliance and tax related issues for church and ministry clients across the United States. For further assistance from Mark on these services, Mark can be contacted via email at [email protected] or by phone at (918) 627-2286. You can also connect with Elliott, Dozier and Helland and get updates via social media at Facebook.com/hellandcpa, Linkedin.com/in/hellandcpa and Twitter.com/hellandcpa.

How do I get reimbursed when I personally pay for a church expense? 

The first step is to make sure that your church board has adopted an IRS acceptable accountable reimbursement plan. There are specific guidelines that the IRS expects organizations to follow when reimbursing employees for out of pocket expenses. If these guidelines are not followed, then the reimbursements would in effect be considered taxable W-2 income to the employee. Having your board approve an accountable reimbursement policy will provide your organization with the guidelines to follow in reimbursing business related expenses. For example, an accountable reimbursement policy normally stipulates certain parameters such as a maximum number of days after an expense is incurred that an individual can submit a receipt for reimbursement. The accountable plan also must define the rules for substantiation of expenses for which an employee is requesting reimbursement – i.e. receipts or notes that document the nature of the expense.

Can I pay my housing expenses and other personal expenses directly from a church or ministry bank account?

Only if you want to lose your church or ministry’s tax exempt status and pay huge amounts of back tax, interest and penalties to the IRS. Using non-profit funds is never an acceptable route to take in paying housing or any other personal expenses. These types of expenses would not fall under the accountable reimbursement plan, mentioned above as they are not valid church or ministry business expenses but are instead personal in nature. It is critically important to maintain separate accounts, as your personal expenses should not be mixed in with the funds of a 501c3 organization. As mentioned in many previous articles, a board approved salary and housing allowance is the way to pay yourself from the church or ministry and then use these funds within your personal bank account to pay your own expenses.

I have taken someone out to eat for my ministry. What is the appropriate way to document the event?

Meals are a major item where we see problems in our audit work. While it is completely acceptable to take guest speakers, congregation members or staff out to eat, documentation is critical. Make sure that the meal receipt includes the date, the amount, and the name of the restaurant – obtaining the detail bill for the meal in addition to the charge slip is also a good idea. Most importantly, make sure to write on the receipt the names of the people involved and the business purpose for the meeting as well.

Can I use the church’s debit, credit or gas card to buy gas for my vehicle?

No, this is not an IRS approved way to pay for fuel and travel costs and this is a very dangerous practice. Providing gas cards to church or ministry employees is extremely dangerous and is literally asking for fraud to occur. Ministry employees should not be allowed to use a gas card to fuel a personal vehicle as it is impossible to determine what portion of a tank of gas was used for ministry trips as opposed to personal trips. Additionally, this practice violates all IRS requirements for accountable reimbursement plans. Employees who drive their vehicles for business purposes should instead submit a request for reimbursement with a detailed listing of mileage driven, including the locations driven to, business purposes and mileage amounts. More to come on this tricky area in future articles…

 

This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is shared with the understanding that neither the author nor Tony Cooke Ministries is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, psychological, medical or other professional services. Laws and regulations are continually changing, and can vary according to location and time. No representation is made that the information herein is applicable for all locations and times. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

© Tony Cooke Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

Purchasing Property – What Makes a Piece of Land Right or Wrong for the Church?
By Charlie Daniels

With more than thirty years of construction experience, Charlie Daniels is the President and CEO of Churches by Daniels. Churches by Daniels is a full service construction firm offering construction management, general contracting, and design-build services. Their home office is located in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, however they build churches nationwide. For more information on them visit them on the World Wide Web at www.churchesbydaniels.com or phone them at (918) 872-6006.

Building a church is not an easy undertaking! There are many steps to this process, and often times we see churches getting hung up in the beginning stages, which prohibits them from ever getting to actually build their new building. One of the areas that can cause a church problems up front is purchasing property. It is difficult to know what makes a piece of land the right or wrong property for the church to buy.

It is not uncommon for a church to find a piece of property that is listed for a great price and want to jump on it and buy it quickly in fear that someone else might get to it before they get the deal done! The problem with this is that all land is not created equal. Sometimes when a property has a great price, there is a reason for that. It is important to make sure that due diligence is done on the property before the purchase is made.

Some items that need to be considered are: 

1. Zoning – Can you build a church on this piece of land? The zoning will determine that. 

2. Is the property in a city or county that is conducive to building? Sometimes one mile can make all the difference in the world, and can save you money and time in the long run. We have built in cities that make is so difficult to build that it cost the church years, not just months, in planning and approvals. In construction, as with other industries, time is money. Construction material pricing can change drastically from year to year. This can really affect your budget, and can mean the difference in what you are able to build.   

3. What type of site are you purchasing? We have seen churches purchase property that was a great price but it is on the side of a hill. They did not realize when they purchased the property that although they were saving $50,000 on the property it was going to cost them $200,000 in additional site work when they got ready to build the building. This can be devastating to a church that is on a tight budget!  That just took $150,000 out of their building budget. Be sure to look for a site that is balanced. This means that there are no hard or drastic elevations.

4. Be sure to check the properties easements and setbacks. This is another item that can really catch you off guard. The property may look great, seem to balance well and have lots of space, however there could be easements or setbacks that cut it down to where there is no place to actually set your new building or there will not be enough room for future expansion. In this case the church ends up with a piece of property that they cannot use and that is also difficult to resale.

5. Be sure to budget for permits. This can be a costly item that is easy to leave out of your budget! The city requires certain permits and these permits cost money. Many cities also have other fees attached to a construction project. They may require you to pay for street improvements in front of your property to accommodate the new amount of traffic flow by adding acceleration or deceleration lanes, they may require you to bring water to your property if it is not already there and so on. It is important to count the cost before you begin planning your building so that there are no surprises that set your project back.  

6. Parking regulations are very important to consider as a church. Most cities will require at least 1 parking space for every 4 people, however this usually will not be enough. Not having enough parking can hinder your future growth! You may have the seats you need to accommodate the people but if they cannot find a place to park they will leave, and never make it inside your building. Be sure that you can fit adequate parking spaces on your property for current and future growth. We like to suggest a minimum of 1 space for every 3 people but prefer 1 for every 2 people. 

The purchase of property is just one of items that can become a major stumbling block for a church during the building process. However, armed with the right tools, Pastors can sail right through these obstacles and have a peaceful and successful building project! It is important to get started on the right note and by purchasing the right property, you can do exactly that! 

 

This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is shared with the understanding that neither the author nor Tony Cooke Ministries is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, psychological, medical or other professional services. Laws and regulations are continually changing, and can vary according to location and time. No representation is made that the information herein is applicable for all locations and times. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

© Tony Cooke Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

The Prophet’s Pledge
Dave Williams

Dave Williams served as pastor of Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan, for more than thirty years. In that time, Dave trained thousands of ministers through the Mount Hope Bible Training Institute, Dave Williams’ Church Planter’s School, and Dave Williams’ School for Pacesetting Church Leaders. Dave is a teacher, speaker, author, and trainer. He coaches church leaders, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and followers of Christ on how to live a pacesetting life. His three-pronged approach—spiritual, attitudinal, and practical—has transformed ordinary people into extraordinarily successful leaders in every field of endeavor. Click here to learn more about Dr. Dave Williams.

1. I will speak prophetically ONLY as God speaks.
2. I will not risk being disqualified by speaking from my own desires.
3. I will not risk being disqualified by speaking from my own imagination.
4. I will not risk being disqualified by speaking from pressure.
5. I will never strain to “work up” a prophetic word.
6. I will always work from God’s Covenant, God’s Presence, and God’s Kingdom.
7. I will speak with faith and confidence ONLY that which harmonizes with God’s will and purposes, calling those things that be not as though they were.
8. I will walk softly, in authentic humility and integrity, while exercising faith and confidence in the Holy Spirit.
9. I will renounce pride (and all of its forms) as the mother of all sin.
10. I will endure insults and persecution graciously, knowing the Spirit of Glory rests upon me.
11. I will always give Jesus Christ preeminence in my life, my home, my work, and the ministry God has graciously given me.
12. I will remain servant-hearted, teachable, and will daily draw close to Jesus.
13. I will develop in holiness, purity, character, and will make love a primary goal.
14. I will always include hope and God’s solutions in my prophetic words, never allowing judgment, condemnation, or hopelessness to dominate.
15. I will worship God in Spirit and in Truth and lead others with a true heart.

Numbers 22:18
18 But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God.

Numbers 22:38
38 Balaam replied, “Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.”

Numbers 23:12
12…“I will speak only the message that the Lord puts in my mouth.”

Numbers 24:13
13 ‘Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord.’ I told you that I could say only what the Lord says!

Romans 4:17
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Romans 12:6
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

Psalm 69:7
7 For I endure insults for your sake; humiliation is written all over my face.

Luke 10:21
21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

I Corinthians 14:1
1 Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy.

I Corinthians 14:32-33, 39-40
32 Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can take turns.
33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.
39 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues.
40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.

Proverbs 15:33
33 Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.

John 4:24
24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

Colossians 1:18
And he [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Jeremiah 1:7-10
7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.
8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth!
10 Today, I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”

1 Peter 4:14
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Dave Williams ▪ www.DaveWilliams.com
PO Box 80825 ▪ Lansing, MI 48908-0825
517.731-0000
Orders: 800-888-7284

Prepare Your Kids For A Great Future
(Eight Things No Kid Should Leave Home Without)
Joe McGee

In this fast paced world, time alone with our kids at home is limited and before you know it the day arrives for them to move out of the house. Are they ready for what faces them? Quality time loving and getting to know our kids is paramount, but it is also critical to prepare them for living a life on their own.

There’s an old saying, "Marriage is forever, children are just passing through." Nothing could be more true. As parents our job is to prepare our children to grow up and leave the nest.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24 (KJV)

Eighteen years seems like a long time, but it’s really not. Birthdays, Christmas holidays, little league, school plays, piano lessons, vacations, school proms, it moves by so fast. That is why we must make use of the time we have.

In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Moses gave specific instructions to help parents know how to pass on their faith and their values to their children. The key family times we have are morning time, meal time, drive time, and bed time. This is when we can instruct them about common sense everyday living.

My wife and I will always be Mom and Dad to our kids, and we’ll always have a relationship, but we are preparing our children for something beyond their time with us. As their parents, the most important thing we need to do is to make sure our children are ready to go out into the world and do whatever God has called them to do.

All too often, most young people don’t leave home with what they need to rise above life’s challenges and to reach their full potential. They don’t leave home with what it takes to make it in life.

Every time I’ve read a true success story I’ve noticed something: successful people have certain traits in common. Whether they’ve made their mark in athletics or politics, literature or science, the church or the corporate world, they all posses some of the same characteristics. Some left home with them, some left home without them but they learned to develop these traits in adulthood. They got what they needed from the school of hard knocks. Either way all of them made an enormous impacts on the world.

As I took my oldest daughter and her fiancé through several weeks of pre-marriage counseling I realized I had tried to cover too much. By our last session I simply said, "Every thing I have told you I have reduced to eight things on this 3 x 5 card I am giving each of you. If you will make an effort to apply these eight simple Biblical principles on a daily basis you life will free of many of the hardships that face most couples."

I believe these eight traits enable young people to leave home with an advantage in life. No matter your vocation, ethnicity, religious background, or upbringing, these eight traits will get you somewhere. They will also give you a better standard of living – a godly standard that will bring you His blessings. These eight traits are:

1. A Sense Of Self Worth

Matthew 22:39 (NKJ) You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Ephesians 5:28 (NKJ) Husbands ought to love their own wives an their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

If you don’t love yourself, your neighbor and your wife are in trouble. You can’t give away what you have not received, and God is the only source of love. Every child deserves the right to leave home born again and a student of the Word. They know that their worth has been settled in heaven.

Humans treat others based on how they feel about themselves. Many leave home with holes in their souls because they don’t know who they are in Christ. They don’t know that they are both loved and accepted in Christ, so they spend their life trying to prove that they deserve love from others. People who don’t like themselves talk about themselves all the time because they need constant affirmation from others. People who do love themselves do so because they know God loves just the way they are. They don’t need affirmation from others, They can walk into a room and be the miracle, not need the miracle.

Low self-worth creates chameleons.
Low self-worth makes you wishy-washy.
Low self-worth invites rejection.
Low self-worth squanders potential.
Low self-worth makes moral pushovers.

Plant self-worth in your kids by teaching them who they are in Christ!

2. A Big Vision

Proverbs 29:18 (NKJ) Where there is no vision, the people perish.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJ) No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him – but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

God has big plans for everyone. We have to raise our kids to think, "I’m here for something really important. My name may not be in the encyclopedia, but God created me to do something great. Maybe not today, but eventually I’m going to make a mark here on this planet."

Kids don’t just automatically think this way about themselves. As a parent, we have to put that into them. And, if you didn’t get that as a kid, you have to put that into yourself too. How do you do that? You do that by looking into the mirror of God’s Word..

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NKJ) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hop.

Psalm 139:16 (NLT) You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT) Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Oh that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live.

God sent an angel to Gideon not to call him what he was but to call him what he was going to become. We need to speak God’s word over our kids and call them what they are going to become not what they are.

God’s plan for our life is not based on us, it is based on him. It is not based on our GPA, our IQ, or on anything we have done. God looked down through time and saw every sin we would ever commit and still sent his son for us.

Plant a big vision in your child by telling them what God thinks about them.

3. A Love Of Math

Proverbs 24:3-4 (TLB) Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense; and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.

God is an accountant. Everything he owns is numbered and inventoried, from the days of our lives to the hairs on our head. In heaven we will give an account of every idle word, deed, and thought during our lives.

God is a God of stewardship.

Matthew 25:29 (NLT) Jesus said, "To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away."

According to the U S census, 97% of all families have no working budget. People don’t know how much they earn, owe, or own. That maybe why we are the number one debtor nation in the world.

We profit wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts. We get more of what we take care of. If God does it, we who are made in his image should do it!

Teach your kids a love of math so that they can live an abundant, profitable life when they leave home.

4. Organizational and Time Management Skills


Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT) For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 


Proverbs 90:12 (NKJ) So teach us to number our days That we may gain a heart of wisdom. 


1 Corinthians 14:33 (NLT) For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. 


1 Corinthians 13:40 (NLT) But be sure that everything is done properly and in order. 

Most kids do not do poorly in school not because they are dumb, but because they are disorganized. "Do we need a pencil in this class?" "Is the test today?" Organizational and time management skills should be taught to kids when they are young. We live in a disordered world. Many adults struggle with getting places on time, paying bills on time, remembering important dates, etc. The human brain can only retain so much information.

Children should be taught early to use a calendar, and a watch. They need to be taught to organize their backpacks, their room, their closet, their drawers, etc.. They don’t learn in one day, one week, or one year. Some take longer than others but wee need to be consistent in training them. Don’t yell, call them names, or describe some horrible future but calmly instruct and train every day.

Plant the ability to self-organize and manage their time. They will thank you when they grow up!

5. Teachable Spirit

Psalm 37:11 (NKJ) The meek shall inherit the earth. And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Matthew 23:12 (NLT) But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

1 Timothy 3:2 (ISV) Therefore an elder must be…teachable.

Proverbs 29:23 (NKJ) A man’s pride will bring him low. But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

Everything I both own and posses is a direct result of doing everything I know. If I hope to ever do more or have more I must learn something I currently don’t know. Teachable people will inherit the earth. We must teach our kids a love of learning. They are not going to be good at everything, only a few things. But, that doesn’t stop them from learning. There is an old saying, " The more I learn, the more I learn I don’t know."

You only get paid for two things on this planet, for what you know or what you can do. If you don’t know more than someone else, or you can’t do more than some else, you don’t get paid more than someone else."

Create in your children a love for learning.

6. Communication Skills

Proverbs 15:2 (NLT) The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.

Proverbs 15:28 (NLT) The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.

Ephesians 4:29 (NLT) Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Proverbs 18:21 (NLT) The tongue can bring death or life, those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

Success in life is based largely on our ability to communicate. We might be sitting next to the smartest person in the world but they might not be volunteering any information. And, all wars, divorces, and affairs begin with words. The book of Proverbs is an entire course on communication, what to say or not say, when to say it or not say it. Have your child read a Proverb every day and it will change the way they talk.

Matthew 12:34-35 (NLT) For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from treasury of an evil heart.

Children learn mainly how to communicate by listening to us. Just something to think about!

7. Character

Proverb 22:6 (NKJ) Train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ephesians 6:4 (NLT) Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

Character is revealed by what you do when no one is looking. The problem is that someone is always looking. God is looking, the devil is looking, angels and demons are looking. Teach your children to do right because it is right to do right.

Nobody gets away with anything. In 1 Timothy 5:24 (ISV) we read, "The sins of some people are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment. The sins of others follow them there." And, in Numbers 32:23 (NLT) we read, "your sin will find you out."

Teach you children that there is profitability in godliness but the wages of sin is death. Do, say, and act right because it is right!

8. Sense of Humor

Proverbs 15:13 (NKJ) A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance. But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Proverbs 17:22 (NKJ) A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.

Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Teach you kids how to laugh and no take life so serious. Nobody wants a pickle face for a friend. Nobody wants to be married to a pickle face. People love people who make them laugh. We need to bring our laughter with us. "Today is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm 118:24.

It is said that the most common trait among the most successful businessmen in a strong sense of humor.

All of life has its challenges but we should be enjoying the process most of the time. Jesus said he came to bring a rich and satisfying life! John 10:10 (NLT)

Jesus prayed, "Father, let my joy be manifested in them!" Jesus wants us to have homes of laughter and homes of Joy! People remember what they laugh at.

Lets teach our kids the joy of living!

There they are, eight principles that will enhance your family’s life. Lets live it to the fullest!

Preference or Conviction? Todd Bailey

Todd and Wendy Bailey have ministered throughout the United States, Europe, South America and Asia in both denominational and non-denominational churches, nursing homes, bible schools, church retreats and youth groups. Todd is a graduate of Norvel Hayes’ New Life Bible School “Special School of Ministry” in Cleveland, Tennessee, and RHEMA Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Todd is the author of the book, The Power of Choice.  To learn more about Todd’s ministry, please visit www.toddbailey.org.

Everyone in this life, Christians and unbelievers alike, make choices. These choices vary from the place we choose to work, the clothes we pick to wear, the food we select to eat, and the friends with whom we surround ourselves.

People always make some kind of choice. For example, if a person says he or she doesn’t want to make a decision about something, in reality they are making a choice. As the saying goes, “No answer is a ‘no’ answer.”

So even though you and I say nothing, that action alone would express our decision, because our actions can dictate a “no” or “yes” answer.

The word choice in the Webster’s Dictionary means “The mental faculty by which one deliberately chooses or decides upon a course of action.” Other definitions are: to select from a number of possible alternatives, decide upon and pick out, to make a choice, select, decide, and to select one from two or more.

More study on the word “choice” revealed another synonym with expresses the same meaning – preference.

Preference can be described as “a choice; negotiable (optional).” Therefore, the opposite of preference is conviction. Conviction is defined as “a requirement; non-negotiable (no “plan B”).

Let’s look at some scriptures to give us more insight on what is “required” of us.

Matthew 22:35-39 (Amplified)

35 And one of their number, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him. 36 Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light – which are heavy?] 37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). 38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (Amplified)

19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own. 20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.

Now in 1 Peter 2:21, scripture tells us that Jesus left us an example to follow. I believe the life Jesus lived was a life of conviction.

In His youth, we can see a glimpse of the life of conviction He lived. Joseph and His mother were looking for Him in Jerusalem (Luke 2:43-46) and upon finding the young Jesus in the temple, His mother asked Him why He did what He did. Jesus replied in verse 49, “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”

When Jesus was in His earthly ministry, we can see His dedication to live the life of conviction.

John 5:19

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

John 7:16-17

16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

John 8:50

And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

John 9:4

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Even when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, we can see Him staying true to the life of conviction He chose to live. In Matthew 26, we see in verse 38 that His soul was “exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.” Now we know that the soul of a person is the mind which thinks (your intellect), emotions which feel, and the will which chooses or decides.

In the garden, Jesus was affected in every part of His soul.

To live a life of conviction, you cannot allow your mind or emotions to control you. If you do, then your will (the strongest part of your soul) will become double minded and unstable.

Let’s see what Jesus did to continue living a life of conviction beyond what His emotions or mind were dictating to Him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Matt 26:36-45

36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Notice in verse 39, where Jesus asked His Father, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

Jesus’ mind (intellect) was challenged here to live the life He was called to. This happened once again in verse 42, and for a third time in verse 44. But every time his mind was challenged, He met it by yielding to God by saying, verse 39 “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Verse 42, “Thy will be done.” Verse 44″…and prayed the third time, saying the same words.” It would have been so easy to say “Never mind” but Jesus, determined to live a life of conviction, said “Nevertheless.”

This attitude was also written about in Luke’s account of Jesus garden experience when His emotions were challenged.

Luke 22:44

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

After the Garden experience, Jesus once again demonstrated His determination to live a life of conviction. Being crucified by the Romans was one the most brutal deaths a person could have suffered, yet Jesus knew He was laying down His innocent life for mankind and that at any moment He could have summoned God to deliver Him. He fulfilled the scriptures that He was born and called to fulfill.

Philippians 2:8

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

You might be asking the question right now, “How does living a life of preference or conviction apply to me?”

God has given to us all the power of choice. We can do our own “thing” or we can do His “thing.”

In his famous play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare penned the famous line, “To be or not to be; that is the question.” I think it should be rephrased – “To be what I want to be, or to be what God wants me to be; that is the question.”

Ephesians 2:8-10 and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 give us a good idea of what He wants us to do and also to be.

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified)

10 For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (Amplified)

19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own. 20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.

Did you notice the phrase at the end of verse 19 and the first part of verse 20?

“You are not your own. You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for; made His own].”

That means we don’t go around representing ourselves, but God. This actually makes us “Ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

An Ambassador is “any authorized messenger or representative.” In other words, you are representing someone else totally. A representative does not do or say anything of their own; only for whom they represent.

If an American ambassador will say and do only what the United States government tells them, then whom the Ambassador represents (USA) will meet all their needs according to their riches in the United States Treasury.

Even if the country where the Ambassador is residing is poverty stricken and lacking in modern technology, that Ambassador representing the United States doesn’t have to live according to that country’s standard of living. Why? Because that United States Ambassador might be in that country, but he or she is not of that country.

The same holds true for Christians. We are Ambassadors for God on this earth. Actually, this earth isn’t our real home. We represent heaven, and heaven is where our true home is.

Therefore, as long as we do and say what God’s Word and Spirit tell us, no matter where we live, we can count on God meeting our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

I like what one minister said, “People generally have too many opinions and not enough convictions.”

Did you know that if you are wanting to live a life of conviction, you don’t have a choice of where you want to attend church. You can spot the people who live a life of preference – they go from church to church, much like they go from restaurant to restaurant to see which one they like. I call them “Grasshopper Christians”, going from one church to the next, week after week and never becoming committed to one church.

Even if the Christians that are living a life of preference do find one church, they only stay committed if it falls under their guidelines. For example, if they don’t have to pay tithes, park in an unpaved part of the parking lot, if the color of the new carpet is agreeable to their liking and if they don’t have to volunteer in any area of the church.

You know, going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going the McDonalds makes you a hamburger!

Some Christians don’t show up for church because the Super Bowl is on TV that night or their favorite game show has been switched from Tuesday nights to Wednesday nights.

The apostle Paul addresses a similar problem with the Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (Amplified)

24 And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities. 25 Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.

There are specific areas where Jesus commands us to live a life of conviction.

Witnessing:

Mark 16:15

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Matthew 5:16 (Amplified)

“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.”

The bottom line is if we don’t tell the world the truth, then someone will tell them a lie.

Walking in Love:

Jude 1:21

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

How do you keep yourself in the love of God? Simply do 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.

1 Cor 13:4-8

4 Love suffereth long, (and) is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; 6 rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; 7 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Love never faileth…

The love of God is already in your heart (Romans 5:5). This should be a way of life with Christians. Not when it is convenient or when you feel like it.

Here is a clear distinction between preference and conviction.

Preference: Is based on what mood you’re in.

Conviction: Doesn’t matter what mood you’re in, nor what the conditions are. You have already made the decision to live the way God says to live.

The following are examples of people who lived a life of conviction and didn’t give thought to their own ideas and opinions of life.

John the Baptist: At the peak of his ministry he said in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Peter: After fishing all night, catching nothing and worn out, Jesus tells Him to launch out into the deep. And Peter’s response to Jesus was, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” (Luke 5:5)

Patrick Henry: Fighting against the British for American Independence stood up and proclaimed, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Wisconsin vs. Yoder: When this Amish man was told that his child had to attend public school, this man insisted he had no choice in the matter, but that it was required according to his beliefs that his child be taught in the Amish tradition and beliefs. His case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The highest court ruled that this Amish man expressed a conviction and not a preference. His son was allowed to be taken out of the public school system to be trained according to Amish convictions.

I would like to give you an explanation that was given to me of how the U.S. Supreme court explains conviction vs. preference.

“Difference between a conviction and a preference, according the U.S. Supreme Court: A preference is a very strong belief, held with great strength. You can give your entire life in a full-time way to the service of the preference, and can also give your entire material wealth in the name of the belief. You can also energetically proselytize others to your preference. You can also want to teach this belief to your children, and the Supreme Court may still rule that it is a preference. A preference is a strong belief, but a belief that you will change under the right circumstances. Circumstances such as 1) peer pressure; if your beliefs are such that other people stand with you before you will stand, your beliefs are preferences, not convictions, 2) family pressure, 3) lawsuits, 4) jail, 5) threat of death; would you die for your beliefs? A conviction is a belief that you will not change. Why? A man believes that his God requires it of him. Preferences aren’t protected by the constitution. Convictions are. A conviction is not something that you discover; it is something that you purpose in your heart. Convictions on the inside will always show up on the outside, in a person’s lifestyle. To violate a conviction would be a sin.”

What made these individuals different from others? They lived a life of conviction.

A statement a minister said sums it up. “A person without a conviction is like a ship without a rudder.”

Preference says, “Never mind.” Conviction says “Nevertheless.”

Preference brings survival. Conviction brings revival.

Preference brings compromise. Conviction brings victory.

With preference, “Some restrictions apply.” With conviction, “No restrictions apply.”

It would be easy to compromise what God’s word says about living a life of conviction. I heard a definition of compromise that really put it in perspective. Compromise is “accepting what you don’t believe, because you refuse to fight for what you do believe.”

It is so easy to stop living a life of conviction. The devil will give 1,000 alternatives (preferences) to keep you from doing what God requires you to do. Even people can sway you away from doing what your are supposed to be doing. Paul told Christians at the church at Corinth, “Ye are bought with a price, be not ye the servant of men.” (1 Corinthians 7:23).

Most Christians look for a “plan B” because “plan A” is too much work or a sacrifice. I have learned for myself and observed most Christians get confused by a trick of the devil to stop them from growing and living a life of conviction.

It is when a situation they are in is not convenient and the devil gives them a “plan B” option. They get confused because the deception of the devil is a “relief in the flesh” and not a “release in the Spirit.”

A life of conviction is a rewarding life and also a serious one. I am not saying you won’t have fun, but you can’t be half-hearted about it either!

In closing, remember these words Jesus spoke to us.

Luke 9:23-24 (Amplified)

23 And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also], 24 For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death].

Matthew 10:38-39 (Amplified)

38 And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of Me. 39 Whoever finds his [lower] life will lose it [the higher life], and whoever loses his [lower] life on My account will find it [the higher life].

What God is telling us to do in Luke 9 and Matthew 10 is not impossible, yet not a choice, rather a requirement if you are wanting to accept the life of conviction.

It may take some time, maybe even our entire lifetime to accomplish, but we must continually keep ourselves committed to do our utmost for “the higher life” — the life of conviction.

Do’s and Don’ts of Praise and Worship – Part 2
by Philip Renner

Worship leader, award-winning recording artist, songwriter, and producer, Philip Renner became involved full time in worship ministry at the age of 15. Today, alongside his wife Ella, Philip serves as youth minister for the Moscow Good News Church, founded and pastored by his parents Rick and Denise Renner. Together Philip and Ella are passionate about seeing people connect with their purpose in Christ and developing a real relationship with God. The couple resides in Moscow, Russia, with their young daughter Emilia.

Click here to enjoy one of Phillip’s music videos.

Click here to read Phillip’s expanded bio.

In Part One of this article, I shared about the value as a worship leader of maintaining a steadfast walk with God personally, of understanding the role of praise and worship, and of valuing his or her unique assignment as a worship leader or music minister. Praise and worship is a supernatural experience; it’s not entertainment or even art. And to assist others in that experience — to create an atmosphere where the Spirit of God can move among the people and do a work in their hearts — requires diligence and commitment, not just “showing up” each week to minister! In other words, leading worship is something you do on purpose and with purpose.

This month, I’m sharing more “do’s and don’ts” principles of leadership in the area of music ministry that I pray will enrich you and the people you lead and minister to in worship.

1. In your prayer time, ask God what He wants to say during the worship.

When choosing songs, resist the temptation to select songs just based on their sound — whether they’re energetic or mellow. Instead, ask God to give you a vision for what He wants to do in the worship service. Write it down and prepare for it just as seriously as you would if you were preaching the sermon. Lead every worship service as if it’s the greatest opportunity of your life!

Similar to preaching or teaching a message, there’s so much more to leading worship than just standing on the platform leading the congregation and a team of musicians. One thing I continually remind myself of as a worship leader is that I’m first singing to Jesus Christ, not to people. So as I prepare and practice, I do that “behind-the-scenes” part of it unto the Lord as well (see Colossians 3:23).

2.  Use the Scriptures during worship.

The Bible is the foundation of our faith and should therefore not be neglected during worship. One great way to use the Scripture is at the beginning of the praise and worship segment to bring a word of encouragement to people. In doing this, you’re directing people’s attention to God and His Word. Their minds may be burdened and full of anxiety and care, but as they begin to look at Jesus, their focus is changed, and it’s easier to lead them into the presence of God in worship.

You can use the Bible to amplify the point or message of the song. Reading from God’s Word brings unity to the worship portion of the service. Even if people don’t know the particular song you’re singing, they can always relate to and connect with the Word of God.

3. Lead the people in worship.

When people come to church, they have a lot of things on their minds: paying bills, obtaining their basic needs, mending relationships, etc. For many, worshiping God is the furthest thing from their mind. The job of a worship leader is to exhort and encourage people to turn their attention toward God where it needs to be — to bring honor to Him to whom honor is due and to prepare the way for Him to move in and on the behalf of people as He desires.

It’s okay to give direct, simple suggestions, such as, “Let’s raise our hands,” or, “Let’s close our eyes and concentrate on Christ and His cross,” or, “Let’s sing in other tongues.” No matter how great the worship is, people will not always do all of these things automatically. They need to be led.

4. Choose songs that are easy to sing.

Loud music, guitar riffs, and creative arrangements can be great, but if the music is too loud or there’s been too much arrangement that you can no longer focus on the words, the song becomes distracting. You simply can’t lead people into the presence of God if they can’t sing the songs. Therefore, the melody should be easy to sing — easy enough for everyone to participate in, not just those with an ear for music.

Even secular songs that hit the top of the charts are usually those that have an easy melody and are easy to sing. One simple rule is that if it takes the worship team an entire week to learn the words and music to a new song, the people in the congregation probably won’t pick it up in three to five minutes! Simply put, praise and worship should be sweet and simple. In this sense, “less is more.” And think about it: Songs with few words that are easy to sing can live for generations. So having easy melodies with as few words as possible should be what we strive for as we choose and write our worship music.

One ingredient found in songs that are easy to sing is a key that’s appropriate for a majority of the congregation — not too high or too low. As a worship leader, I don’t choose the key for myself — instead, I choose it for the people I’ll be ministering to and leading into worship and also for the back-vocals section of the band or choir.

A worship leader obviously must possess vocal talent, yet as he or she leads worship, it’s not about impressing the congregation with that talent. In fact, if the worship leader is the only person who can sing the songs at the right tempo and key, what was intended as a ministry to lead others into God’s presence becomes nothing more than a concert!

5. Honor the Holy Spirit and the pastor.

The worship leader has a lot on his plate. He must follow what God wants to do, honor the leadership of the pastor, and lead the musicians as well as the congregation in worship. There have been times when I’ve concentrated so completely on God that I actually missed out fulfilling all of my responsibilities as a leader. I’m a creative person, so sometimes I’m in the clouds! I lead worship in the youth services in our church as well as in one of the adult services in which my dad ministers. Once, I was leading worship for my dad, and I had my eyes closed — just worshipping God — while Dad waited about ten minutes for me to “wake up” so he could take the pulpit and preach!

As I said in Part One [LINK]of this article,  a worship leader must have a well-developed personal life of worship. However, when he’s leading worship, he must constantly be aware of what’s happening around him. That means he should never close his eyes for long periods of time in public worship. It’s possible to get so caught up in worshiping God that you become unaware of your surroundings and miss your cues from the pastor and others who are involved in the service.

When my dad had to wait on me for such a long time before he could take the pulpit, it wasn’t that my heart wasn’t right. I was sincerely worshiping God, but I wasn’t thinking about the worship I had been called on to lead. I was in my own world, so to speak, until Dad finally walked over, put his arms around me and whispered, “I’ve been waiting about ten minutes. Are you going to let me preach today?” I knew I had made a mistake, but being the wonderful father he is, Dad smoothed it all out by thanking me for leading worship and for my heart of worship before God.

I have a great father, who taught me how to honor the Holy Spirit as well as the pastor. The Bible teaches that we are to honor those who are in authority over us (see Hebrews 13:17). So if Dad — or any pastor I’m leading worship for — tells me not to sing a specific song, I won’t sing it, even if I like the song and want to sing it. I choose to submit to the authority given to the man or woman of God in charge of the service.

Unfortunately, churches often split because the pastor and the worship leader see things so differently. For example, a worship leader might think a particular song is anointed, but the pastor doesn’t like the song. Maybe the song is too hard to sing or it doesn’t follow the direction for the service — or for the church — that the pastor desires. Yes, the song may be anointed, but if the worship leader goes against the wishes of the pastor and sings it anyway, it will no longer be anointed because it is sung in an act of rebellion.

One of the issues that all musicians must deal with is pride. Satan, a God-gifted musician himself, was kicked out of Heaven because he thought he could be greater than God. The root of sin is pride. And the attitude that says, I know better than you is rebellion. The Bible is crystal clear when it comes to this subject. We are to humble ourselves before God, and in due to time, He will lift us up (see James 4:10). If we stick with the way God has set up the principle of submission and authority, we will always end up on the top. We must honor God, and we must honor our pastor and the authority figures in our lives. This kind of attitude positions us for favor and promotion. As we humble ourselves under God — and under the authority figures in our lives — He will lift us up.

6. Don’t allow obstacles to remain.

There are many obstacles that can hinder our progress, but the biggest one we must deal with is sin.

Sin is a blockade Satan uses to try to get you off-track and keep you from reaching your God-given destiny. As a worship leader, if you’re practicing wrongdoing, your praise and worship will not be as anointed as it should be, you will not be able to hear God’s voice clearly, and you simply won’t be able to lead others in worship in the best way possible.

Sin can bring feelings of condemnation and can prevent you from experiencing the love God has for you. Don’t allow the enemy to condemn you! Receive correction from the Holy Spirit, have a penitent heart, and push forward. Guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23). Give it completely to Jesus. Read your Bible, pray continually, and make God your top priority — you will never go wrong if you do these things! God will protect you and guide you through every obstacle and difficulty, including the temptation to sin or the guilt and condemnation that comes from sin.

7. Don’t stop developing.

Practice makes perfect. As praise-and-worship leaders, we must thoroughly know every song we’re going to sing in a service. We must know the order of each service and even practice leading at home. Also, we must continually develop ourselves vocally and musically.

I encourage music leaders to always continue learning. The moment we think we know it all is the moment someone else will pass us by and walk through the door of opportunity that we were waiting for. Because we refused or simply failed to grow, someone else took that position (see 1 Corinthians 10:12).

No one is irreplaceable. It doesn’t matter how good we think we are at something, if our hearts are wrong and we’re not willing to develop our gifts and callings, God can find someone else to take our place.

I encourage you to continually develop yourself as a worship leader by reading books and studying other types of materials about worship and leadership. Attend as many conferences as you can. If you’re not already proficient at playing a musical instrument, consider learning to play one so that you’re not entirely dependent on other musicians.

Also, stay in the Word of God and maintain your personal passion for God. Remember, if you invest in your gift, it will grow, and God will able to use you and promote you to experience all He has called you to do.

8. Don’t shun advice or criticism from your team.

Team-building is extremely important in praise and worship. As leaders, we need to value the opinion of every person on the team. Members of the worship team need to know that their opinion means something to the leader. The Bible says that where there are many advisors, victory is sure (see Proverbs 11:14).

I challenge leaders to view every team member as an advisor in some way. Everyone can contribute something. Big decisions are still up to the leader, but a little extra advice never hurts. A leader who makes every decision on his own, never asking for a second opinion, is a weak leader.

By asking the team’s opinion in a matter, you build trust and devotion among your team. You can also see who has potential to lead when you’re away or when God moves you to another position.

A majority vote never rules: In the end, God will hold the leader, not the whole team, responsible for a job well done or poorly done. It’s a great privilege to be a leader, but there are also many responsibilities, and a leader needs a team to help him faithfully carry out those responsibilities. So how a leader fulfills his leadership role is important — but equally important is how well that leader builds and utilizes the team that surrounds him.

9. Don’t forget the ministry of the Holy Spirit in praise and worship.

God has assigned you as a worship leader to be His instrument to bring Heaven’s music to the people and to bring the people before His presence in worship. And in that role, it’s important to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit so that He can flow freely during praise and worship.

In fact, the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) should be able to freely operate during praise and worship as God sees fit. People should get saved, healed, delivered from addictions and oppression, strengthened, and encouraged in their faith. I encourage you to pray for these gifts to operate as you lead worship.

God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), and since God’s glory can fall during the teaching and preaching of His Word, that same glory can fall  — and God can saturate the people with His presence — as you exalt and proclaim His Word during worship. So pray and seek to be yielded as an instrument to usher in His presence in your worship. God’s glory can and will be manifested if we keep our hearts pure and our spiritual ears open to hear what He wants to do in every service.

This is true in the present as it was in the Old Testament. When Solomon dedicated the temple, as the musicians played, the glory of God filled the temple (2 Chronicles 5:13,14). The worship was so strong when the temple was dedicated that the priests (in our day, we might say pastors and elders) fell down under God’s power. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8). What He did then, under the Old Covenant, He can do today in your church as well as in your life, your family, your city or community, and even in a nation.

This is the message we must all get hold of as worship leaders: If we depend solely on our music, it won’t be enough. If we’re looking to the music, we’ll barely go “ankle deep” in our worship of God and our experiencing His glory. But if we’ll look to God, we’ll go in over our heads! (See Ezekiel 47:3-5.) Our very lives are dependent on the Lord, and enough of Him is never enough! We were created to fellowship with Him, and one of the ways we do that is through our worship. Our assignment as worship leaders is to assist others in this experience and to fulfill that assignment and calling with excellence.

Do’s and Don’ts of Praise and Worship – Part 1
by Philip Renner

Worship leader, award-winning recording artist, songwriter, and producer, Philip Renner became involved full time in worship ministry at the age of 15. Today, alongside his wife Ella, Philip serves as youth minister for the Moscow Good News Church, founded and pastored by his parents Rick and Denise Renner. Together Philip and Ella are passionate about seeing people connect with their purpose in Christ and developing a real relationship with God. The couple resides in Moscow, Russia, with their young daughter Emilia.

Click here to enjoy one of Phillip’s music videos.

Click here to read Phillip’s expanded bio.

There is no greater sound than when the people of God come together in unison and worship Jesus. Praise and worship is a supernatural experience. Miracles happen, issues of the heart are dealt with, and sinners come to repentance in an atmosphere of godly worship. The Bible says God inhabits the praises of His people (see Psalm 22:3) — and there’s nothing quite like having God “invade” your praise and worship!

This is the goal of praise and worship in every service. How to reach that goal requires commitment — including multiple rehearsals each week — and maturity in your own spiritual walk. The following are some “do’s and don’ts” of praise and worship that can help ministers and their worship leaders lead others into heartfelt, undistracted, and meaningful worship of God.

#1: DO Spend Time in God’s Presence for Yourself

The saying is true that you cannot give what you do not have. If I haven’t spent time in God’s presence throughout the week, my praise and worship as a worship leader won’t be anointed during the Sunday morning service. Spending time in God’s presence helps me know what He wants to say to the people through the praise and worship. But I can’t impart His heart if I don’t know His heart!

Our relationship with God is critical as worship leaders and as any Christian leader. The saying is true that “as the head goes, so goes the whole body.” What the leaders of an organization do or don’t do in their spiritual walk affects the entire organization on some level.

God promised us as believers that out of our “bellies,” or spirits, would flow rivers of Living Water from God (see John 4:14; 7:38). No matter how skilled or talented we are as worship leaders, ultimately, God’s presence is the only thing that will truly satisfy our hearts and the hearts of those we lead in worship. As praise and worship leaders, we must picture ourselves as a sponge that becomes saturated throughout the week by the Living Water of God. Then as we lead worship on Sunday, we release those waters to the people. Every day we must drench ourselves with His presence so that we can impart that same presence to others. This kind of commitment is required of everyone who is part of a praise-and-worship team, but it is especially necessary for the leader. If a leader possesses this kind of dedication and commitment, it will have a positive effect on the congregation as well as the musicians who work with him or her.

The commitment to develop and maintain a consistent life of personal worship requires determination and persistence. Our attitude toward our worship of God should be that of Jacob’s when He wrestled with the Lord. Scripture tells us that Jacob wouldn’t let God go until he received from Him. (See Genesis 32:24-26.) Through that experience, Jacob’s name was changed from Jacob to Israel — and changing his name eventually changed his life. Similarly, we should have the attitude, I’m not leaving until You bless me. I won’t leave this place of worship until you change my heart and take me to another place in my walk withYou.

#2: DON’T Confuse Praise and Worship With Entertainment

I’m all for lighting, special effects, and excellence in performance, as these are things that can enhance praise and worship. But it’s important to understand that praise and worship is not a show. In other words, the goal of praise and worship is not to entertain but to usher in God’s presence. Therefore, as worship leaders, we must be more focused on bringing glory to God than on the entertainment value of what we’re doing for Him.

We’ve heard arguments over which has the best music — the Church or the world. God created music, and no music can surpass His genius and creativity. So certainly, the best music should be coming from the Church. But my honest opinion is that the world has the best entertainment, and I’ll tell you why I believe that. Entertainment appeals to the flesh, or the natural part of man. And simply put, the best entertainment — from movies, music recordings, concerts, nightclubs, etc. — comes from the world.

As worship leaders, we can’t get people to come back again and again to a church or meeting on the sole basis of our entertainment quality. The world is simply superior in this respect. We must focus on something the world does not and cannot have: the anointing, God’s power and presence that changes people’s lives. And one way the anointing is released into people’s lives is through praise and worship.

Worship leaders should remember that the service is not theirs but God’s. And the church is not ours but God’s. We live under His rules, and His rules are to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and to esteem His power and presence as absolutely vital and necessary when we meet together as a local body of believers.

Submission to the authority of the Holy Spirit in worship is something we must constantly strive for as worship leaders. For example, if the Holy Spirit wants me to sing a certain chorus longer than I’d planned for, rather than be concerned about my agenda or schedule, I must be concerned about following Him. I don’t want to grieve the Spirit of God or give Him only limited access to the service and the people in attendance. Instead, I want Him to fill the place with His glory, because when that happens, God touches people, and they’re set free from sin, sickness, addictions, etc.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t just deal with people during the message. During praise and worship, He can deal with people and prepare their hearts for the message. Praise and worship is a crucial part of God’s work during a service, so it’s important to stay focused on Him, allowing Him to lead you and your team into God’s presence in worship and to take the congregation into His presence with you.

#3: DO Realize the Importance of Your Role So You Can Do Your Part Well

Imagine yourself going to church for the first time. You’re not saved, and you go to church only because you made a promise to your friend that you would. You leave your home, careful not to be late, but when you arrive at the church early and find a seat, you have to sit and wait because the service doesn’t start on time. And thoughts begin to flash across your mind, These people don’t respect me or my time.

Finally, the worship starts. The music is loud, and the people look sloppy and unprofessional. The worship leader says nothing to encourage the people to enter into praise and worship, and there’s no explanation as to the purpose of worship or why others are raising their hands as they praise God. You’re thinking, These people are weird or maybe even crazy!

Then the songs are hard to sing because the key is too high. The melody is also difficult, and there are too many words — so many that even the worship leader mixes them up. Afterward, the minister begins the message, but you as a guest are so bewildered that you’re more attuned to your “strange” environment than to the words of the message. At that point, the chances that you’ll ever return to that church are slim.

Unfortunately, what I just described is a reality in many churches and to many who are unsaved and unchurched. Yes, there are a lot of great praise-and-worship leaders in the Body of Christ. But there are also things churches could perhaps improve on regarding their praise and worship.

For example, imagine a similar scenario at a different church. You arrive at that church, and the service starts exactly on time. Whether consciously or subconsciously, you think, This organization is professional, and I feel respected. The worship leader greets the people and leads them into a song that is easy to sing. Then he or she uses Scripture in between songs to briefly explain the importance of worshipping God. Your mind feels at ease instead of distracted by questions and confusion.

Perhaps the leader exhorts the people in a specific way as he or she is led by God, such as to pray for their city, a friend or relative, or even the person in the seat beside them. The worship leader might also have a word of knowledge that he or she speaks out. It “hits home” to you, and the Holy Spirit begins ministering to your heart.

As the music continues, you notice that the team is sharp and plays well together. The sound is pleasant to your ears, and you’re eager to hear the pastor’s message. You end up yielding to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit — and when the man or woman of God gives the altar call, you give your heart to Jesus. You feel at home in that church and look forward to returning and learning about your new life in Christ. The praise and worship played a role in your getting saved because it opened the door for God to move in your live without distraction.

Music and worship play a valuable role in any service. In Second Chronicles 20:20-22, we can read that King Jehosaphat sent his worshipers out ahead of even his soldiers. In other words, the worshipers were in the frontlines of battle! And worship still has its place on the “frontlines” today. Biblically, praise and worship is a spiritual weapon God has given to His Church. But the praise-and-worship portion of a service also provides one of the first impressions for a guest in your church or meeting — and it can prepare the way for a move of God’s Spirit to radically change people’s hearts and lives.

Serving as a worship leader or on a worship team is an honor, but it’s also a calling that carries a great deal of responsibility and commitment. It’s important that we as worship leaders give careful attention to this area of ministry so that we don’t fall short in fulfilling our role to make each service — as well as the church overall — what God desires it to be.

The Power of Choice
Shane Philpott

Pastor and Preacher, Shane Philpott has dedicated his life to helping people put into action the tools, strategies, and attitudes to produce results in their Christian walk. He is the pastor of Christian Fellowship Church in Mason City, Iowa, which he and his wife pioneered in 1993.

Shane is a passionate preacher whose drive, energy and enthusiasm serve to encourage others, and his heart is to help believers, ministers, and churches alike. Shane believes in the power of vision, the rewards of faith, and that both traits are contagious. He is a vigorous, “message-to-the-streets” communicator whose desire is that truth and balance would thrive in the body of Christ.

Shane has been happily married to his wife, Lisa, for over twenty-two years. They have three sons and three daughters, four of which they adopted from China.

Visit www.shanephilpott.org or find Shane Philpott on Facebook.

The dynamics of choice and decision have always fascinated me. The realization that an individual can literally make or break their life as the result of their decisions is quite sobering. When one considers the fact that the choices they will make today will determine the quality and standing of their life in ten, twenty, or thirty years, the power and effects of those decisions becomes crystal clear. Author Richard Bach said, “Some choices we live not only once but a thousand times over, remembering them for the rest of our lives.”

While it would be nice to have the opportunity to make each and every decision in perfect conditions, that isn’t always the case. Truthfully, that is rarely the case. Many times, decisions are made in the spur of the moment and with little forethought. Coupled together with the fact that every decision brings with it a vast array of influencing factors such as emotions, pressure from other people, as well as unknown information, you can quickly end up with a recipe for potential disaster. This frequently is the situation today, which is precisely why so many people are making so many “bad decisions” on a regular basis. When a person makes one bad decision after another, the quality of their life will always suffer in direct proportion to the choices they are making. This is why Wayne Dyer said, “Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made.”

We should not be ignorant of the fact that God has set before us a great number of important decisions. He knows the importance and the value of each choice that people make. He also knows that our decisions will either aid us or block us in accessing the fullness of our destiny.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NASB)
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days …

It has become apparent today that many have lost the ability to make wise, Bible-based decisions without large amounts of influence and pressure from others. There was a day when a person would take pride in the fact that the decision they made was prudent, sensible, and intelligently thought out. However, while traveling on today’s fast-paced, social and media driven information highway, the ability for other people to influence a person’s choices has increased exponentially. Frequently, we find our decisions being subjected to and influenced by a host of people we don’t even know. If bad company will corrupt good character, then bad advice will corrupt good decisions.

Because so much of our lives are spent in the company of others, it is imperative that we understand the mechanics of how other people can negatively influence our choices. Many times we do not recognize what is happening, just as those around us may not recognize what they are doing. Decisions made in haste and influenced with undue pressure will always come back to haunt people. Benjamin Franklin said, “Take time for all things. Great haste makes great waste.” It is for these very reasons that extensive research has been done over the past fifty years on the dynamics of bad decisions and why people continue to make those types of choices.

One study revealed a phenomenon known as “The Spiral of Silence.” The spiral of silence is a communication theory set forth by the German political scientist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann that describes the process by which one opinion becomes dominant because those who perceive their opinion to be in the minority do not speak up for fear of isolation. Peer pressure does not end with High School. Many adults find themselves pressured and swayed by those whom they associate with on a continual basis. The vast amount of people today are fearful to speak up for themselves and find that their decisions are being made for them by others. It is vitally important for Christians to not “go with the flow,” especially in today’s ever-changing and fickle culture.

Another occurrence of decisions being negatively influenced is found in the book of Acts. As a result of Paul’s preaching against idolatry in Ephesus, a silversmith and men of similar occupations felt that their income and prosperity was being threatened. Eventually, the people were stirred up into a rage and a riot broke out.

Acts 19:32 (NASB)
So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.

This is a classic example of what is called the “Bandwagon Effect.” The bandwagon effect is a well-documented form of behavioral conduct in which beliefs spread quickly among people with “the probability of any individual adopting it increasing with the proportion whom have already done so.” As more people decide to believe in something, increasingly more people “hop on the bandwagon,” regardless of the underlying evidence or consequences of their choices.

When the bandwagon effect happens in the lives of Christians, the results can be devastating. It can be so easy to get carried away with the majority, where important decisions are made by the group, rather than by an individual. By letting others who are undoubtedly less qualified than ourselves make decisions for us, we ultimately forfeit the fullness and the best of what God has planned for us. The great detriment of this behavior is people override and often ignore their own beliefs and then make certain bad decisions because other people are making them as well.

Author Steve Maraboli wrote, “At any given point you can release your greatest self. Don’t let anyone hold you back. Don’t let anyone dilute you. Don’t be peer pressured into being less than you are. People willing to dilute themselves for the sake of others is one of the great tragedies of our time. Stop letting others define and set the pace for your life. Get out there and be your best. Do your best. Live your best. Make every day count and you’ll see how exponentially more exciting, thrilling, successful, happy and full your life will be.”

Additionally, one of the most treacherous decision-making traps is known as an “Information Cascade.” This conduct occurs when, “a person observes the actions and decisions of others and then, despite possible contradictions in his or her own private information signals, engages in the same acts or decisions. A cascade develops, then, when people abandon their own information in favor of inferences based on earlier people’s actions or decisions.” Oftentimes this type of conduct leads to group conformity or herd behavior. Once again, decisions are not just influenced but are also being made by others who have no direct interest in the health or well-being of the individual.

The best way to overcome the downward spiral of bad decision-making is to take the time necessary to train our spirits to hear clearly from God. With the busyness of the times and the hectic pace of life, many people are finding it more and more difficult to find the needed time to meditate on God’s Word, pray with diligence, and learn how to listen to the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 20:27 (NASB)
The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.

God will always lead His people with peace, even though there may be storms on all sides. The Lord loves His people, and thankfully there is ample grace and mercy for the many times we have undoubtedly made unwise decisions. Fortunately, God will utilize our spirit to shine His light on every part of our lives, including our decisions. When we take the time and make the effort to get wise counsel, pray about it, and be led by the Holy Spirit, we can be assured that our choices will be sound and precise.

Finally, it would do us good to ask ourselves, “Will the results of this decision serve to define me or serve to destroy me?” There is nothing wrong with being honest with ourselves. Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.” The person who makes every effort to make good choices and protect their decision-making process will be the one who is neither saddened nor ashamed when they give an account of their life.

Personality Disorders in the Church
by Dr. Dale Doty

I was recently asked to do a series of interviews explaining what personalities are and how they manifest themselves in the context of the church.

The classification of personality disorders is often misunderstood. We have all come in contact with people who have such disorders, whether we have recognized them or not. The people with these conditions can be some of the most difficult people we will ever encounter. Some of these people seem strange, others can be very hurtful toward others, and even others are dangerous. It helps to recognize these conditions.

Diagnosis is the science of describing and classifying re-occurring patterns and disorders which have common characteristics and have predictable futures. The category of disorders called personality disorder have several characteristics in common. All ten of these separate disorders include behaviors that significantly interfere with a persons’ ability to function in relationship with others and in every area of their life. These disorders tend to be lifelong and the symptoms may become evident by adolescence or early adulthood.

People with personality disorders are often at odds with others’ expectations. They think, feel, and act in very different ways than others around them. People with these conditions often have difficulty at work, school, and in interpersonal relationships. It is difficult for a person with these issues to adapt or change in order to meet other’s expectations.

You have probably heard terms like borderline, antisocial, narcissistic, dependent, and paranoid. These terms are sometimes used to describe a group of behaviors, or they may describe a fixed set of “enduring” symptoms we call a “personality disorder.” Though making such a diagnosis should be left to professionals, recognizing possible warning signs may help.

There are many theories about why people end up with a personality disorder. Some children who experienced severe and re-occurring trauma or abuse develop personality disorders. Other children who had normal childhoods become increasingly out of sync with society over time. Some speculate that brain abnormalities, chemical imbalances, and genetic conditions may also play a role.

I will briefly describe a few of the most common personality disorders that may be encountered. Remember these are brief descriptions and volumes are written about each of these disorders. Only highly trained professionals can make a definitive diagnosis:

• Borderline Personality Disorder – characterized by intense relationships with a high level of volatility. A person with this disorder can be quite charming, become highly dependent, and go into angry rages when their needs are not met.
• Paranoid Personality Disorder – characterized by suspiciousness, fearfulness, mistrust, and an inability to forgive even simple disappointments. A person with this condition often reads sinister motivations into the actions of others.
• Antisocial Personality Disorder – characterized by repeated violations of the law or established rules of right and wrong. People with this disorder are often dishonest, impulsive, aggressive, and insensitive.
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder – characterized by an exaggerated sense of self importance, beauty, or accomplishment. People with this disorder expect to be admired, constantly appreciated and treated as special. They can also be envious of others, take advantage of others, and is often insensitive toward the feelings of others.
• Histrionic Personality Disorder – characterized by a flare for the dramatic, constant attention seeking, dressing in attention seeking ways, acting out in sexually provocative ways, and often responds with insincerity and superficiality toward others.
• Dependent Personality Disorder – characterized by a persistent expectation that others must take care of them and help them in unrealistic ways. People with this condition are often indecisive, helpless, clingy, and fearful of abandonment.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder – characterized by preoccupation with order, perfectionism, details, lists, and rigid expectations. Persons with this condition may also hoard and collect to great excess.

When we build relationships with others, we generally tend to expect that others will operate by socially acceptable rules. We often do not recognize that we encountered people with personality disorder until we have been repeatedly surprised and disappointed by the behavior of others who do not know or feel any responsibility to conform to socially acceptable norms. Some people with personality disorders will claim that the fault is yours for not accepting them as they are. We often stop and pause to reflect on what is happening in these relationships. Usually it doesn’t dawn on us initially that we are dealing with people with mental illness. Once we recognize what we are dealing with, we can adjust our expectations, and take appropriate action to set limits and confront inappropriate behavior, or refer others to appropriate mental health counseling.

 

This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is shared with the understanding that neither the author nor Tony Cooke Ministries is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, psychological, medical or other professional services. Laws and regulations are continually changing, and can vary according to location and time. No representation is made that the information herein is applicable for all locations and times. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

© Tony Cooke Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

Fixing the #1 Reason Why People Leave Churches
Rev. David Huskey

David Huskey is a Rhema Graduate and has pastored 10 years in Taos, New Mexico and has ministered through radio, television, news publications, and served as an instructor of Bible School in Pensacola, Florida for 5 years.  He has traveled for over 16 years and continues to travel the United States and abroad, teaching the Body of Christ how to “Overcome Offenses” and how to “fulfill their destiny in Christ”.

To learn more visit our web site at www.davidhuskeyministries.com or to have Rev. David Huskey come and minister to your church on Overcoming Offenses call 423.836.0463 or email at [email protected].

 

Story of ministry leader leaving and why:

While pastoring in New Mexico, I had a ministry leader leave my church.  I called and tried to find out what was wrong, went to her home to reconcile whatever the issue was.  However, she ended leaving and a few with her family left as well.  I had never gone through anything like that up to that point as a pastor. 

While seeking God, I started to find answers about this leader who abruptly left my church.  God began to show me that walking in love was very important and that she was not responding in love and that I was to be sure I did.  Then my eyes were open to the reason she left….she became offended.  Her offense, kept her out of the love of God and her offense made her leave and get out of her call to children’s ministry.

I began to experience what made a dedicated believer leave their call and place in my local church.   I began to study about offense and learned that Satan uses it as a design against believers to get them out of the local church or not attend church at all. 

During this time, one set of statistics was brought to my attention: 

REASONS PEOPLE LEAVE CHURCHES

10%      leave to go be with the Lord

12%      Job relocation

12%      prefer another church

66%      offended – bent out of shape

I was amazed that 66% of people will leave a church because of an offense.   When I pastored, I would be further amazed at why some people would leave the church.  People would leave for silly reasons; misperceive what someone would say or an action that was taken.  When you asked them, they would not tell you the truth, or they dumped on you everything they think you did wrong and most of them said it with an attitude. 

I believe, we can help change the percentages of people that leave because they are offended.

What is an offense?

Webster definition:

The act of creating resentment, hurt feelings, displeasure;  The condition of being offended, especially of feeling hurt, resentful or angry. 

Biblical definition:

Greek word – skandalon; originally was "the name of the part of a trap to which the bait is attached, hence, the trap or snare itself.”  "In New Testament skandalon is always used metaphorically, and ordinarily of anything that arouses prejudice, or becomes a hindrance to others, or causes them to fall by the way.  Some uses in the bible are: "(a rock) of offense"; "things that cause stumbling" (KJV, "things that offend"), "all stumbling blocks"; "occasions of stumbling" "an occasion of falling" (KJV, "an occasion to fall").

(from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

What does being offended do?

1. It distracts believers from their destiny.  It will destroy their vision & dream.  It takes believers away from God’s plan for their lives.
2. It causes them to surround themselves with people who agree with them.  Men’s opinions become the basis on how they direct their lives more than God.  Hurts & wounds will cause people to isolate themselves from the rest of believers.
3. When one is offended, they lose their joy, their strength, their peace, their excitement for the things of God.  One can become depressed, worn out, critical and open to betrayal.

How do we fix this number one problem?

1. Know what an offense is – it is a trap or snare

Believers need to be aware of what an offense is.  According to the Greek word for offense, it literally becomes a snare and or a trap to those who are offended.  Realizing that it is a trap can show how detrimental an offense can be.  No one knowingly would take bait, if they knew it was a trap.

2. Realize who is really behind an offense – Satan using people as bait

Using a trap as an example, we know that a trap works because of the bait.  The bait draws the victim to the trap.  By taking the bait, a believer will be ensnared or trapped. 

Ephesians 6:10-13 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God,  that you may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” 

In other words, Satan uses people (flesh & blood) as bait to draw believers into an offense or his trap.” 

Look closely at Matt 16:21-23 to see this truth.

“From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"   But He (Jesus) turned and said to Peter (flesh & blood), "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

Jesus discerned that his real battle was not flesh & blood Peter, but Satan himself using Peter.  From this example we can see Satan is the one setting up the trap, using people as bait, to get us caught in the trap of offense.  When believers realize what an offense is, they will be more resistant against its design. 

Know that Satan is behind the offense to bring hurt, resentment, offense and woe.  He is swaying and influencing the wills of people to offend us or we may be perceiving something wrongly and becoming offended. 

How should someone respond when they realize they are in an offensive situation – respond by the love of God?

 The Amplified Bible in 1 Corinthians 13:5, says,

“It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

1 John 2:10, reveals the absence of an "occasion of stumbling," this works for the one who loves his brother and thereby abides in the light. Love, then, is the best safeguard against the woes pronounced by the Lord upon those who cause others to stumble.

Believers should be taught about the love of God and know how to yield to it.

Ephesians 4:31-5:2

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.  Therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Walk in Love or respond in the God kind of Love – To be led by love, not by the offense. 

Walk in a forgiving spirit toward others – forgive others as Christ forgave me

Helping believers not hold a grudge or even have resentment toward someone, but choose to forgive as God in Christ forgave us.

Colossians 3:12-15

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

What should be our attitude toward offense?  We should live life without any offense

Paul  said in Acts Acts 24:16 “This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”

Sometimes we can forgive and release others quickly.  However, there are occasions where people could be hurt so badly, it will take striving or laboring at having a conscience free of offense.  By experience, I know that the Spirit of God will help each individual believer overcome. 

Presently you and members can pray over your church – like the apostle Paul prayed over the Philippian Church.   

Philippians 1:9-11

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,  being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.   NKJV

Learn from past problems – turn them into a success

Learn from the difficulty that came through offense.  If we learn from it, we turn a bad event or events (what we may consider to be a failure) and turn it into a success.  Forgive by releasing people and giving it to God to judge.  A pastor friend of mine said this to me, “I just don’t take it personally anymore when people leave”.

The best antidote is to be preventive

A pastor should do his best to develop his leadership about this subject and then to his congregation and hopefully, believers will not get offended or be slow to take an offense.  Mature believers can look out over one another and keep others free of offensive that becomes a root of bitterness and can create havoc.

Hebrews 12:15

Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.  TLB

A tool for pastors and believers to use – “Overcoming Offenses” mini – book

I have a mini-book entitled “Overcoming Offenses” that pastors are handing out in counseling, to their congregations, offering in bookstores, giving and/or teaching in membership class.   This has proved to be a valuable tool in helping people become aware of an offense and how to respond to it.  Many, many times I have had people tell me that when they felt hurt or in an offense, they would read the mini-book and it brought freedom.

You can obtain the mini-book, DVD, or 4 CD teaching on this important message to “Overcome Offense” by calling 423.836.0463 or visit our web site www.davidhuskeyministries.com

 

The Pastor’s Salary – An Investment
By Richard D. Locke Richard D. Locke is a certified public accountant with over forty years of experience. His firm, Locke & Associates, P.C., is a full service accounting firm which specializes in taxation and nonprofit services. The firm has six certified public accountants servicing approximately one thousand clients in the United States and thirty countries. You can reach Richard D. Locke, CPA at 918-488-0880.

During one of my recent onsite church reviews, the Lord spoke the following word through me to the pastor regarding his salaries, "If my people who work at the altar aren’t fed at the altar, then I won’t bless the minister." Remember, as long as the earth remains there is seed time and harvest. If the ministry is not paying the pastor properly, we are sowing a bad seed. Today, "fed at the altar" primarily deals with adequate compensation for being a pastor. In Isaiah 58, the Lord’s reply why God had not taken notice of their fasting is that on that day of their fast, they did as they pleased and exploited all their workers. To exploit in this case means to under pay or under compensate a worker.

The salary review by an independent third party is the answer for the spiritual adequacy of your pay and to protect you from unreasonable compensation questions from the IRS. A salary review every other year, referencing it in your minutes, and setting adequate compensation is all that need to be done. The salary review will cover not only a reasonable salary range but will also include comparisons to related churches and include housing allowance, retirement plans, health insurance, automobiles, and reimbursement of out of pocket pastoral expenses.

Our firm has done a number of salary reviews for pastors and staff and we have reached four conclusions:

1. Most pastors are under paid.
2. There is a fear among the pastors that the IRS might consider their compensation unreasonable and this is keeping salaries lower.
3. Family members working for the church are not being paid.
4. The pastor is not receiving all of the tax free fringe benefits.

Seldom do we do a review and tell the pastor that he is over paid according to his peers. Only one pastor was at the top of the normal range for a comparable size church. This means that 95 percent of all pastors are underpaid. Regardless of why the salary is low, whether it is ignorance or fear, it still results in the pastor with low pay. The majority of the pastors are not even receiving the average pay to similar churches. Most pastors should be in the upper 1⁄4, not just the middle range.

The IRS has put out lots of information about unreasonable compensation. They have instigated a number of penalties for any compensation over what they think to be reasonable. There is a 25 percent penalty against the employee, a 10 percent penalty for any of the board members or trustees that participated in the decision and a damaging 200 percent penalty if the transaction is not corrected within a period of time. These penalties have caused people to be cautious in setting pastoral salaries or giving them raises. This is a lot of talk about nothing because we have not seen an issue of unreasonable compensation pursued by the IRS. These penalties, however, have caused the body of Christ to spend untold thousands of hours setting up independent committees and reviews. The IRS is not chasing church salaries.

After the salary review and proper approval of the pastor’s salary, there are a number of additional steps or fringe benefits that can maximize the pastor compensation from a tax point of view.

After the salary has been determined, there needs to be a proper allocation to the housing allowance. The housing allowance, called the pastor’s tax shelter was improved recently when the courts overruled the IRS allowing 100% of a salary to be classified as housing allowance. The IRS has not acquiesced with this. However, we can aggressively claim 75 or 80 percent of your salary as housing allowance. To the extent you spend your housing allowance, it is not subject to income tax. The biggest error in this is that the majority of the pastors do not have enough housing allowance to offset all of the allowable costs. This is the equivalent of losing tax free income. For example if your housing allowance was $20,000 for the year and you spent $24,000, your W-2 would show $4,000 higher and be subject to tax.

The housing allowance allows pastors to have a larger residence because you get to deduct the housing allowance and the interest and taxes a second time on your schedule A, itemized deductions. This lets you reduce your taxes and lets you make major improvements to a personal residence. This combined with most gains on the sale of a residence are tax free.

A number of spouses should be licensed and ordained in addition to receiving the salary. This would let them consider electing out of the Social Security system. If her spouse has been in the Social Security system more than 40 quarters, then she is entitled to retirement based on his earnings and his full retirement in the event of his death. For this reason, it is difficult for spouses to build a retirement beyond the benefit they are entitled to from their spouse. This means that their paid salary will not necessarily increase their retirement plan. Any licensed or ordained person can elect out of the social security system for future ministry income by filing form 4361 in a timely manner.

If the spouse elects out of social security, then this becomes an excellent source of money to funnel into a retirement plan. The tax laws just passed by congress is increasing the IRA contributions from $2,000 to $5,000 per year and increasing the 403B and 401K deductions by approximately 50 percent. They have even added an additional $5,000 increase if you are over age 50. Even the IRS now recognizes the need for retirement and that folks nearing retirement need to get caught up.

All pastors should have an adequate health insurance policy. The payment of the health insurance by the church is a tax free benefit to the employees. This plan should cover not only the pastor but all the family members. Since this is a tax free benefit, we recommend a good plan with very good coverage and a low deductible. Health insurance can be provided for the pastor without covering all employees. In addition, smaller churches and ministries should take advantage of a medical reimbursement plan. This is a written plan that the church should adopt and cover the out of pocket costs of the employees. This plan cannot be discriminatory and must include all full time employees. The church can set a dollar amount or preferably, a percentage of everyone’s salary as the maximum annual amount.

The pastor’s automobile should be owned by the church. This will require the pastor keeping a log or estimate of his personal usage. This personal usage of the automobile will be included in the pastor’s W-2. This is a cheap way to own an automobile because the pastor’s cost is the personal use included in his W-2 at his income tax rate. It is important to address any insurance related issues in order to assure there is proper coverage for the pastor’s use of the church owned vehicle.

Perhaps you are confident that your salary is reasonable. Let me ask you some questions: Is your spouse working in the church? How many hours is she working and what is her pay? The second thing we see is that most of the spouses are underpaid if they are paid at all. If the spouse isn’t getting paid and she is working at the altar, I think you have a problem of a bad seed again. I suggest you keep track of how much the spouse works and in what area, and determine a reasonable compensation.

A review of your salary also includes a review of the financial condition of your church or ministry. If your salary is way below even the average compensation, the church may not be able to raise the wages immediately, however, it will let you devise a three or five year plan for moving the compensation forward. This salary review is also a great benefit to the board members. This will assist them in approving the proper salary. If you know you are under paid and the salary is set by board members, the independent review is an easy way to approach the subject with the board members.

To summarize, the salary of the pastor is spiritually important and naturally important to the growth of the pastor and the church. The three main observations in our salary reviews are:

1. Most of the pastors are under paid.
2. There is a fear among the pastors to make sure their compensation is not unreasonable compensation. The IRS is not assessing any penalties in this area and this is certainly not an easy victory for them.
3. The spouses working in the ministry are not being adequately paid and in a number of cases not receiving any compensation.

It is time for the independent salary review and assessment to ensure that the "altar pay" is reasonable and adequate.