I read the follow post from the Blog of Cary Schmidt. I thought he had some good points for the 2nd man to consider.
1. To Be Like Jesus
2. To Function How God Designed You
3. To be a Part of a Great Team
4. To be Stretched to Your Potential
5. To Develop a Vision Bigger than Self
6. To Hear and Pursue the Truth
7. To See Your Own Weaknesses
8. To Enjoy a Great Adventure—no doubt
To read the entire entry click here.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Are you a 2nd man as an excuse to be lazy?
Some may be saying, "I don't want to study as much as the 1st man." "I don't want as many responsibilities as the 1st man." "I don't want to work the hours that the 1st man has to work"
Thinking on these statements, this individual definitely doesn't need to be the 1st man. Neither does he need to be the 2nd man.
The 2nd man should count his position just as important as the 1st man's, which means he should be working at the same level, if not higher.
One of the reason's I work as a 2nd man is because I believe it is more productive to be in my position than to start something on my own.
Don't be a 2nd man just because you think it will help you get out of work and responsibility.
Thinking on these statements, this individual definitely doesn't need to be the 1st man. Neither does he need to be the 2nd man.
The 2nd man should count his position just as important as the 1st man's, which means he should be working at the same level, if not higher.
One of the reason's I work as a 2nd man is because I believe it is more productive to be in my position than to start something on my own.
Don't be a 2nd man just because you think it will help you get out of work and responsibility.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Grey Areas
Jefe is putting out some great articles dealing with the "grey areas" of ministry. I think they are helpful and very thought provoking.
Click here to view the latest. There are links you can follow to find each post dealing with this subject.
Make sure to leave any questions or comments you may have.
Click here to view the latest. There are links you can follow to find each post dealing with this subject.
Make sure to leave any questions or comments you may have.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Absence of Encouragement
I have the opportunity to manage most of what goes on in the training center. Because of my position, I have quite a few people that are always assisting me in the ministry. We have several students that are always on hand to help and several graduates that are come in at any given time just to help in the ministry in whatever area we may need help in.
One of my hang ups, and believe me I have many more, is that I don't always encourage the workers that are around me. It's easy for me to deal out orders and expect jobs to be completed but it's another thing when it comes to encouraging or showing appreciation for the endless hours they have volunteered.
One of my greatest fears is that one day I will run off workers that are here to help in the ministry. As a 2nd man I want to assist Jefe in building our team for world evangelism, not destroy it. I know that to do that I have to be the encourager that God has called us all to be.
I wonder how many people in our churches and ministries have we run off. The pastor worked hard at winning them and getting them to be involved in the ministry, yet we ran them off. He did all the work to get them there, and we did all the work at getting them out of there.
Let us all be 2nd men that will aid the ministry of our 1st man. Let us be careful to care for people and to show them our appreciation. We always need to be thankful to God for them.
One of my hang ups, and believe me I have many more, is that I don't always encourage the workers that are around me. It's easy for me to deal out orders and expect jobs to be completed but it's another thing when it comes to encouraging or showing appreciation for the endless hours they have volunteered.
One of my greatest fears is that one day I will run off workers that are here to help in the ministry. As a 2nd man I want to assist Jefe in building our team for world evangelism, not destroy it. I know that to do that I have to be the encourager that God has called us all to be.
I wonder how many people in our churches and ministries have we run off. The pastor worked hard at winning them and getting them to be involved in the ministry, yet we ran them off. He did all the work to get them there, and we did all the work at getting them out of there.
Let us all be 2nd men that will aid the ministry of our 1st man. Let us be careful to care for people and to show them our appreciation. We always need to be thankful to God for them.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Exhort and Encourage
I received an email this morning from a good pastor friend of our church. He just wrote to say he appreciated our staff and ministry and prays this trimester at the Training Center will be the best yet. I can honestly say his email was a great encouragement. It was nice to know he was thinking about and praying for us.
His email this morning was a great reminder on how I should be all the time with everyone.
Now as a 2nd Man, I should also do all that I can to exhort and encourage the 1st man. What only took a few seconds for my pastor friend to write made an impact on my day. I have to constantly be thinking what I can say or do to make a big impact on the 1st man's day. With as many problems and challenges he faces on any given day, I should constantly be on the look out of how to lift him up by my actions and words.
Also as a 2nd man you need to help the 1st man be a better encourager. You can easily remind him to call people or even give him notes to thank people from the pulpit. There are hundreds of things you can do on a daily basis to help the 1st man encourage and exhort those he has the opportunity to influence and help. It's your job to make him more effective so make sure you're not wasting time.
We as Christians really have to start placing more value on what we say and do. We at times are so self centered and never think about others. Christ has done so much for us that it's about time we did things for others so He will be honored and glorified.
His email this morning was a great reminder on how I should be all the time with everyone.
Now as a 2nd Man, I should also do all that I can to exhort and encourage the 1st man. What only took a few seconds for my pastor friend to write made an impact on my day. I have to constantly be thinking what I can say or do to make a big impact on the 1st man's day. With as many problems and challenges he faces on any given day, I should constantly be on the look out of how to lift him up by my actions and words.
Also as a 2nd man you need to help the 1st man be a better encourager. You can easily remind him to call people or even give him notes to thank people from the pulpit. There are hundreds of things you can do on a daily basis to help the 1st man encourage and exhort those he has the opportunity to influence and help. It's your job to make him more effective so make sure you're not wasting time.
We as Christians really have to start placing more value on what we say and do. We at times are so self centered and never think about others. Christ has done so much for us that it's about time we did things for others so He will be honored and glorified.
Monday, June 23, 2008
My 2nd Man
I want to just take a while and go over why I am able to do what God has called me to do. I say a lot of things about what a 2nd man should be like but I usually put it in the context of what I do as a 2nd man. Well I couldn't do anything I am able to do if it wasn't for my 2nd man. This 2nd man is who really teaches me what hard work, sacrifice, determination, loyalty, character, and true love is all about. This 2nd man is who helps me to be what I am today.
My 2nd man isn't a man at all. She's a woman, a lady to be more specific. She's my wife, my best friend, my confidant. Her name is Amy Coffey and she is the greatest woman I have ever known. It really hit me today, as it does on several days, what a great wife, help meet, I really have.
We were dealing with some problems in the church this weekend and as always she was there to step in and help. She comforted the people involved and sacrificed herself, her family, and her time to be where she needed to be in the time of great distress. She has done things like this at any given time since I have known her. She is definitely known at the gates for her good works.
I am glad that I have a wife that always supports me in the decisions I make in the ministry or encourages me when I do things that I am not very comfortable in doing, like preaching.
She always lays her head on my shoulder not realizing that she is really the one holding me up.
When I was 24 years old I stole my pastor's daughter and married her before her dad could change his mind. What I got 8 years ago tmrw, is so much more than I ever could have imagined. She was a treasure waiting to be spent, and all these years that is al she has done, be spent for others.
I wondered if she would be a good missionary wife and love the people and be willing to spend time with the people. Most people would laugh at that thought now knowing that she is so much better in the ministry than I could ever be. She is a strength to people at all times.
I know I don't deserve what I have. I know I take advantage of the great gift God has given me. I know that I am the luckiest man in the world. I know that without her I would be a failure. She's the greatest and most beautiful person I know from the inside out. I pray to God that I never take for granted again what He has given me these past 8 years.
I am privileged to know my children have the greatest mom in the world watching out for them. I am honored to know that my children will learn what the right example is from a mom that follows after God. I am excited to know that I still have the greatest partner in the world working with me in the ministry.
I love You Amy and I want you to know that I love You with all my heart. I am glad you are my 2nd man.
My 2nd man isn't a man at all. She's a woman, a lady to be more specific. She's my wife, my best friend, my confidant. Her name is Amy Coffey and she is the greatest woman I have ever known. It really hit me today, as it does on several days, what a great wife, help meet, I really have.
We were dealing with some problems in the church this weekend and as always she was there to step in and help. She comforted the people involved and sacrificed herself, her family, and her time to be where she needed to be in the time of great distress. She has done things like this at any given time since I have known her. She is definitely known at the gates for her good works.
I am glad that I have a wife that always supports me in the decisions I make in the ministry or encourages me when I do things that I am not very comfortable in doing, like preaching.
She always lays her head on my shoulder not realizing that she is really the one holding me up.
When I was 24 years old I stole my pastor's daughter and married her before her dad could change his mind. What I got 8 years ago tmrw, is so much more than I ever could have imagined. She was a treasure waiting to be spent, and all these years that is al she has done, be spent for others.
I wondered if she would be a good missionary wife and love the people and be willing to spend time with the people. Most people would laugh at that thought now knowing that she is so much better in the ministry than I could ever be. She is a strength to people at all times.
I know I don't deserve what I have. I know I take advantage of the great gift God has given me. I know that I am the luckiest man in the world. I know that without her I would be a failure. She's the greatest and most beautiful person I know from the inside out. I pray to God that I never take for granted again what He has given me these past 8 years.
I am privileged to know my children have the greatest mom in the world watching out for them. I am honored to know that my children will learn what the right example is from a mom that follows after God. I am excited to know that I still have the greatest partner in the world working with me in the ministry.
I love You Amy and I want you to know that I love You with all my heart. I am glad you are my 2nd man.
Friday, April 11, 2008
John Mark
In Acts 12:25 we see a young man that decided to leave Jerusalem to become the 2nd man for Barnabas and Paul. His name was John Mark. He left his home town to travel first to Antioch where a good church had been established and then to the unknown world to take the gospel message to the world.
In Acts 13:4 the missionary team departed from Antioch to begin their missionary journey and by verse 13 John Mark couldn't take it anymore. He left on an emotional high from Jerusalem but when things started heating up he took off. Here we can see what not to do at a 2nd man.
Being a 2nd man means staying no matter how difficult the trials become. In the ministry there are going to be times when everything seems to be going perfect and then the other 75% of the ministry comes along. Remember that we have to take up our cross and follow Jesus. We have to die daily to ourselves.
Mark had a tremendous opportunity to help two of the greatest church leaders in history, and he threw it all away.
What will it take for you to turn your back on the 1st man? When he starts being criticized by others are you going look for the back door? When the money goes away are you going to run in the opposite direction? When the ministry just isn't fun anymore are you going to find the easy way out?
Determine in your heart today that no matter what situation comes along you will stand your ground. Jefe has made this statement hundreds of times since I have known him, "Never leave when everything is going wrong. Stick it out until everything is fixed. Not until then can you even consider leaving."
Make sure that you stick by the 1st man no matter what, and if God is moving you away, make sure it's not just because the job is too hard and not fun anymore. I am pretty sure when Jesus said to take up your cross he didn't mean for it to be easy.
In Acts 13:4 the missionary team departed from Antioch to begin their missionary journey and by verse 13 John Mark couldn't take it anymore. He left on an emotional high from Jerusalem but when things started heating up he took off. Here we can see what not to do at a 2nd man.
Being a 2nd man means staying no matter how difficult the trials become. In the ministry there are going to be times when everything seems to be going perfect and then the other 75% of the ministry comes along. Remember that we have to take up our cross and follow Jesus. We have to die daily to ourselves.
Mark had a tremendous opportunity to help two of the greatest church leaders in history, and he threw it all away.
What will it take for you to turn your back on the 1st man? When he starts being criticized by others are you going look for the back door? When the money goes away are you going to run in the opposite direction? When the ministry just isn't fun anymore are you going to find the easy way out?
Determine in your heart today that no matter what situation comes along you will stand your ground. Jefe has made this statement hundreds of times since I have known him, "Never leave when everything is going wrong. Stick it out until everything is fixed. Not until then can you even consider leaving."
Make sure that you stick by the 1st man no matter what, and if God is moving you away, make sure it's not just because the job is too hard and not fun anymore. I am pretty sure when Jesus said to take up your cross he didn't mean for it to be easy.
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