Three weeks ago I attended the All Access Conference in Baton Rouge, LA. The final speaker I heard before we made our way back to Katy was Craig Groeschel (the Sr. pastor of LifeChurch.tv in OK)

He talked about one of the things that ALL LEADERS have in common…..PAIN. I’m not a cry baby (ok, sometimes) but when Criag’s session ended I teared up and knew that God wanted to do great things through me, my family and the church and it would be directly connected to how much pain I could endure…..this message, simply put …rocked my world!

Here’s are the Cliff notes from it – Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv

I believe some of the future leaders of the church are in this room.

I’ve been overwhelmed by the success of the church plants in ARC, the integrity of the leaders, and the mix of Spirit-empowered and strategic leadership.

We joined because I didn’t see anyone planting better churches than ARC.

Now I want to talk about something not really fun but true: A Leader’s Constant Companion.

It’s pain. Most of us don’t want to hurt. In pastoral leadership, you are going to get stung, and if you’re not careful you’ll start leading out of a defensive posture. But the Gospels say we should step into the pain our Savior experienced for us.

If you plant a church, a great church, a prevailing church–you will hurt.

The difference between where you are and where God wants you to be is the pain you’re unwilling to endure.

2 Corinthians 11: 23-28

As if all this physical pain wasn’t enough, he carries a daily burden for all the churches.

Our potential in life is often equal to the pain we’re willing to endure.

Ask God to increase your pain threshhold……

…..for unjustified rejection and criticism

The more you do, the more you’ll be criticized. The media will attack you, the non-Christians will, and the Christians will attack you the most. You have to learn to endure it with integrity. Jesus said if they persecuted him they will persecute us.

If you’re not being criticized, you’re not preaching the Gospel!

If you’re not hurting, you’re not leading.

You have to know who you are in Christ so when they shoot at you you can deflect it with the shield of faith.

The quickest way to forget about what God thinks about you is to focus on what people think about you. Take it, smile, and keep preaching Christ.

…….for making painful decisions

Church planters will make their most significant painful decisions in the first twelve months. It’s like God is asking if he can trust us with more.

We had one-third of our church in a small group that was led by someone with faulty theology. I confronted it and they left the church. You have to have the courage to press through the pain in these issues.

So think about what volunteer or staff person needs to be removed. Do you love the work of God enough to make the hard decision? Some of you will have to shut down a ministry or program.

It’s going to hurt. Do it.

…….for God’s pruning

John 15: God prunes so we’ll be even more fruitful. This is the wintertime before the spring, and allows you to do what God’s calling you to.

If you blame yourself for the decline, you’ll take the credit for the increase.

My mentor once said, “I have one promise for you. God is going to break you.”

When you look at other people and say “I want what they have,” remember–you don’t know the pain they have endured, the pain of their families. It’s the stuff no one wants that results in what everyone wants.

I don’t hurt much…..not like Paul. But I count it an honor to suffer a little for the one who suffered so much for me. So church planters, church leaders–step into the pain.

Tom