Dear Reader:

This is a side project blog that I started with the purpose of posting my perspectives and experiences from Catalyst conference this past year. I say perspectives in place of "notes that I collected" because anything you read here will simply be my highly subjective responses to the revolutionary thinkers and leaders who shared from the Catalyst stage. In a place where pieces of gold lie all over the place, I tried to find the nuggets which to me seemed the most valuable, stuffing my pockets full of 30 pages worth of shining jewels.

I regret that I must leave many gold nuggets for others to acquire, because my pen can only write as fast as my hand can move, which is not as fast as some of these fine people can speak. As Reggie Joiner said, Catalyst is like trying to take a drink from a fire hydrant. Your mouth can only hold so much, and you're lucky to fill your mouth up to the full capacity anyways because you get so blown away with the volume and power of what you've just heard.

The other regret I have is that a blog is not the same as a notebook, and though this will be slightly more visually and sequentially organized, it will be more difficult to understand the full meaning and concept reading from this blog. I have placed my thoughts here in the most organized and understandable way that I can think of without the use of the stars, arrows, circles, and boxes which cover the pages of my notebook. Despite this disadvantage, I hope that you will hear something new nonetheless.

I have written for too long here. Read on below and enjoy the Catalyst experience, or as much of it as I could bring home to you. Enjoy. Together.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Moral Authority - Andy Stanley

  • influence rarely comes from authority
  • lead with influence
  • moral authority: a line met between actions and words; walking the talk
  • lead by earning respect
  • make your private life public so there is no doubt
  • everyone is a volunteer (even employees, who can quit at any time), thus there is no authority but moral authority
  • all the leadership tricks in the world won't bring you restore a loss of moral authority
  • leadership is passion and belief in your goal, it is decisiveness, it is respect
  • Nehemiah comes to build wall, pays back the Jews' debts to the gentiles, starts working on wall
  • People get back in debt, this time to other Jews.
  • Nehemiah 5:6-13. This may be slightly long . . .
  • When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, "You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!" So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said: "As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.

    So I continued, "What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil."

    "We will give it back," they said. "And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say."
    Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!"
    At this the whole assembly said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.


  • So he speaks with the lenders and immediately convinces them to give everything back with no interest. They say "Amen" and praise the Lord. What? Kind of fairytale-like.
  • His disclaimer: (Nehemiah 5:14-19)

  • Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

    Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.

    Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.

  • For twelve years he had walked his talk, he had built up his moral authority
  • He didn't even indulge in his rightful dues, just because he knew what was best for the people and he did it.
  • 3 main areas of displaying moral authority:
  • forgiveness
  • family
  • finance
Forgiveness is the message of the Gospel, the essence of God's message to earth.
  • it's what we preach . . . live it
Family
  • if your family feels neglected because of your ministry in the church, you are part of the problem you are trying to fix
  • Prioritize your family
  • Prioritize the role only you can play (in your family), over the role many could play (ministry).
  • There will always be another worship leader. No one else can take control of my life, my future, my family
  • Permanent role trumps temporary role. Always.
Finances
  • the best leadership decision Nehemiah ever made was to acquire moral authority in this area
  • you can't be bold in your fundraising if you have guilt concerning your own financial decisions
  • give to God
  • If you want to lead generous people, you have to be a generous person
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