Probing Questions

As leaders we are supposed to have answers. Answers for our staff. Answers for our supporters. Answers for ourselves. But in order to have answers, we need to know the questions. And we need to be willing to ask probing questions about ourselves and our ministry.

Our friend Bob Teide specializes in such questions, and believes leaders need to ask question of themselves and their staff to move the organization forward toward God’s goals. He recently ran a list of questions for leaders to ask themselves gleaned from Paul Kearns, the head of an organization called Maturity Institute. I’ve picked a few for your consideration and added some of my own comments to them.

1. What is the purpose of my organization? Am I here to serve shareholders, customers, or society? Most of all, am I serving the purpose the Lord has for me and the organization?

2. Have I defined value in clear and simple terms? Does our staff clearly understand the value of our organization? The message we send out is our “product.” Have I shared with the staff so that they know the importance of what they do?

3. Am I trusted? How will I know and what will I do if I lose trust? What am I doing to maintain trust with the staff, listeners, donors, supporters?

4. What are my core values? What values underpin my own thinking, actions, and behavior?

5. Do I live by clear principles? Are my values translated into my guiding principles for myself and the whole of the organization? Do I practice what I preach? Do I act when I see those principles being ignored by others?

6. Do we have the right culture? What is the “personality” or culture of our organization. Is it built on biblical principles? Do I fully appreciate how important the culture of our organization is? Can I accurately articulate the sort of culture we need today and am I constantly aware of how my decisions might affect it? How will I monitor it, and will I know when we are deviating from it?

7. Am I passionate about never-ending improvement? What is my own management philosophy? How can it be anything else, other than the pursuit of continuous improvement, forever? How do I demonstrate that I follow this philosophy myself in everything I do?

8. Am I authentic? Does our publicly available company information and reporting truly reflect who I am and the underlying health of our organization, or is the presentation of our image more cosmetic than substantive?

By the way, our steps to make sure our ministries and organizations are pleasing to God are worth the effort. It falls in line with Timothy’s admonition to the believer of his day...and ours.

[blockquote author="II Timothy 2:15" link="" target="_blank"]Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.[/blockquote]

What do you think? Are there any other questions? And... how will you answer?

by Ron Harris

Standing at the Gate

Gatekeeper. We often hear the term without thinking much about it. In past centuries there were gatekeepers posted at the city gates who allowed only certain people in. The word now has broader application, as the term becomes a metaphor for any person, organization, or computer program that controls information flow.

Parents are gatekeepers. Leaders are gatekeepers.

Now the term is most often used in media, speaking of those who filter information to be sure their media audience receives the appropriate message. Those of us in Christian media play that role for our viewers and listeners. And it is a challenging role.

If you are involved in the decision process for programming, you have a great responsibility. What are you putting on the air or on line? Is the theology of the program, song, or message biblical? Is it edifying? Is it something that builds up the body of Christ... His Church... or does it have a tendency to bring division? Is it just flat wrong?

Nancy Leigh DeMoss Wolgemuth in her devotional The Quiet Place reminds us of the story of the Trojan Horse that caused the downfall of Troy. You remember the big wooden horse that was filled with Greek soldiers. What seemed like a positive... a gift... became something that brought destruction. And now we call many computer viruses by that name...a Trojan horse.

The Apostle Paul warned the believers in Colossae of such danger.

[blockquote author="Colossians 2:8 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual power of this world, rather than from Christ.[/blockquote]

Nancy Leigh brings that warning to us today.

[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]Spiritual ‘infection’ in a believer or in the church can come through traditions, through friends, through the continual drip of a secular world system that constantly presents to us ‘a different gospel’ (Galatians 1:6). Satan doesn’t care how he deceives you... appealing to your emotions, your intellect, your awe of the impressive... as long as in the end you don’t believe the truth, don’t act on the truth, and don’t spread the truth to others.[/blockquote]

You are a gatekeeper. You have great responsibility. As Nancy Leigh advises...

• Be alert.
• Stay discerning.
• Be teachable.
• Get grounded in God’s Word.
• Stay close to Christ.

Keep on your guard. Others depend on you for credible Truth from the Lord. Stand at the gate and be on the watch!

by Ron Harris

Just Do It!

Nike shoes built a long-standing media campaign on the phrase, “Just do it!” I’m not sure what that had to do with sports shoes (Just buy them now?) but it is hard to see the Nike “swoosh” without thinking of the phrase.

In reality, that’s not a bad thing to implement in your life. Procrastination is seldom a coveted virtue. It usually leads to a logjam of problems down the road when all those things you put off until later come due. Yikes! Since you can’t do everything at once, and since I recently wrote on prioritizing, let me zero in on one thing we should do right away, and you can make whatever further application for your life, leadership, and activities.

Have you ever told someone, “I’ll pray for you,” then got busy and forgot to do so? The next time we see them we sometimes hedge our words so we don’t have to admit we forgot to pray. Here is where that Nike phrase comes in to play. And Oswald Chambers would agree.

[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]Never say you will pray about a thing; pray about it.[/blockquote]

When you say you are going to pray for someone...just do it. Yep, right there where the two of you are. If it is on the phone, it’s pretty easy. But what if you are in an office, a busy lobby, in the parking lot, or at the mall? A bit more awkward for many.

I was in Genesis in my daily reading and came to the story of Joseph. Sold into slavery in Egypt, placed in Potiphar’s house where Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. His refusal landed him in prison. When the Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker also landed in prison, Joseph was able to correctly interpret their dreams. As they were being released, Joseph asked for one simple thing. “Mention me to Pharaoh so he might let me out of this place.” I’m sure the cupbearer had the best of intentions. But guess what happened.

[blockquote author="Gen 40:23 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.[/blockquote]

Joseph spent two more years in prison before the cupbearer remembered what Joseph had asked him to do.

Years ago, I realized I was telling folks I would pray, and then let my busyness override my good intentions. So, I decided to adopt the “just do it” strategy. I would ask the person if I could pray with them right then. To my memory, I have never had anyone turn me down. And yes, I have prayed in the busy lobby of a local TV station, in a hallway at work, in a parking lot, and in many hospital waiting rooms.

When a person has shared a deep need...a prayer request...you can be sure it is important to them. Even non-Christians have responded favorably to a time of prayer. And those who understand the power of prayer certainly appreciate that focused time.

There are some great benefits to just doing it...praying right then.

• First, it unleashes all God has for that person (and for you) through His Holy Spirit.

• Second, it relieves you of the guilt of saying you will pray and then not following through.

• Finally, though this isn’t why you do it, the act of prayer can be a wonderful witness to others.

By the way, if you email someone or chat with them online, and you say you will pray, just do it right then. It doesn’t have to be a long prayer but breathe a prayer for the person and their need. Don’t just put up the little praying hands emoji and go on. Pray.

Oswald Chambers, in his devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest, revealed the importance of praying for others.

[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]...prayer is the working of the miracle of redemption in me, which produces the miracle of redemption in others, through the power of God.[/blockquote]

Don’t miss out on that miracle of prayer. Just do it!

by Ron Harris

Activity Isn’t Accomplishment

Leaders prioritize. It is a given. Whether a person runs a Fortune 500 company or a small nonprofit, the leader must know what is most important...and what to do next. But a lot of leaders don’t prioritize on a regular basis.

In my experience, a leader must continually look at the big picture, determine what is the most critical next step, then order the other actions and activities to fall into line to accomplish the goals and objectives of the organization. But many don’t do this, or they do it once a year and then relax.

John Maxwell points out in his classic book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, several reasons why some leaders don’t make the effort to prioritize. In bullet form, here are Maxwell’s observations.

• When we are busy, we naturally believe we are achieving. But busyness doesn’t equal productivity.
• Prioritizing requires leader to continually think ahead, to know how everything relates to the overall vision. That’s hard work.
• Prioritizing causes us to do things that are at the least uncomfortable and sometimes painful.

Among some of the methods Maxwell uses to help leaders is teaching the three R’s. He identifies them as requirement, return, and reward. In brief, here’s what these are.

1. What is required? We are all accountable to someone for the work we do. Often as a leader it is the Board of Directors. One of the great questions to ask is, “What must I do that nobody can or should do for me?” It may mean you need to eliminate or delegate tasks that aren’t required specifically of you.

2. What gives you the greatest return? You should spend most of your time working in your area of greatest strength. Just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it.

3. What brings the greatest reward? This relates to personal satisfaction. Does something catch your eye...or catch your heart? Make a list of the four or five things you really love to do...including things in your personal life...and make them the priority for you personally.

John Maxwell says it is a good idea to make a list of the things you are doing that don’t fit solidly into one of the three R’s. Maxwell’s advice is to delegate or eliminate those things.

By the way...you should make this prioritization...a priority!

by Ron Harris

Chapters of Your Life

Have you ever tried to pick up a novel and start reading in the middle? It doesn’t make sense. You don’t know the characters. You don’t know what has happened before. And you can’t figure out much of the plot. Those earlier chapters were important to know the full story.

That is true of our lives and our ministries. My friend Dr. Jim Denison (denisonforum.org) talked about this in a recent blog. He referenced philosopher Elton Trueblood who said the present chapter is made possible by the previous one and leads to the next.

His point for us today? Be present where you are, remembering that all of God there is, is in this moment. But also look for ways God is redeeming the present for the eternal.

In our Old Testament Bible readings, Judy and I often comment about those Israelites who obvious suffered from short-term memory loss. God had miraculously saved them from the Egyptian oppression, delivered them safely through the Red Sea, and met their every need. But that wasn’t enough. They forgot the previous chapters of their lives. It is as if they hadn't even read them. They whined about the food. They complained about water. They lost faith in Moses’ ability to lead them through the wilderness. It seems the Israelites wasted the present moments with God by forgetting His power, His provision, and His protection in the past.

[blockquote author="Hebrews 13:8 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]The writer of Hebrews penned one of the most powerful and encouraging verses in the New Testament. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.[/blockquote]

What we know of Christ’s love in the past is also present with us today. What we have seen of His faithful guidance is as true today as then. What has been written in the past chapters of your life, where Christ showed up and delivered you, can happen in the present chapter, also.

And... all of these things build toward what the Lord wants to do in the days to come. Think of the price that was paid by the Israelites for forgetting God and how He had cared for them in the past. They wandered for 40 years in the wilderness. Those who left Egypt didn’t make it to the land the Lord had promised. They missed the big blessings the Lord had for His people.

You are in the middle of the “book” that is being written. Your life. Don’t forget the early chapters of God’s faithfulness, sometimes through great hardships or storms. And don’t miss the wonder of His presence now in these present days. For then, the future chapters of your life will be filled with amazing things that point people to Jesus.

And we will find our faithful Lord at every turn of the page, right up to the final chapter... the final page of the story of our life.

by Ron Harris

Powerful media!

My role as a part-time professor at Dallas Baptist University allows me to stay fresh with our media tools...radio, television, the internet...as I share with young adults. I get to draw on my 50 plus years of broadcasting experience, and on the good insight of some of today’s best communicators.

Valerie Geller is one of the foremost coaches for those in talk radio and news. She travels all over the world teaching how to use these tools in a way that makes a difference in the lives of the audience. And the principles go beyond radio to many of our other types of communication. Some of her ideas are quite simple, yet profound. From her list...

• Tell the truth.
• Make it matter.
• Never be boring.
• Start with your best material.
• Address the individual, use “You.” Talk to ONE person at a time.
• Execute engaging transitions.
• Be who you are.
• Take risks.
• Dare to be great.

In fact, the first three items above can make a radical difference in your presentation day after day. It may take extra effort, but it will be worth it. Tell the truth. Make it matter. Never be boring.

When it comes to talk formats, Valerie has some points that can take your discussion from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Always ask:

• What’s in it for me...your listener (or viewer)?
• Is it relevant?
• Does it matter?
• Do you care?
• Can you make the audience care?

Those last two points are critical. If you don’t care about what you are discussing, the audience won’t care. If you are passionate, they will pick up on that and listen more intently.

Although Valerie Geller doesn’t approach her ideas from a spiritual standpoint, she still sees the power of the media to make a difference in people’s lives. That sounds a lot like our goal in Christian media. We desire to see the Word of God impact the lives of those in our audience in a way that brings change. We hope to see the Christ-follower go deeper in their understanding of the Truth. And we definitely want non-believers to be impacted by the hope that only Jesus can bring in our increasingly troubled world.

by Ron Harris

In the world? Or of it?

Our morning breakfast table devotions this year are from a book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss Wolgemuth, called The Quiet Place. And the other day she hit a chord with some of my thinking about our Christian witness. Nancy Leigh's thoughts are based on the verse, Romans 9:33, where Jesus talks of laying a stone in Zion...a stumbling block, a stone of offense. Nancy says:

“In many of our churches, it seems we’re knocking ourselves out trying to be ‘relevant’ so we can attract more attention and bigger crowds. We don’t want to appear too different or extreme, for fear of turning off unbelievers or being perceived as out of step with the culture.”

Then comes the zinger.

[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]We’ve accommodated to the world rather than calling the world to accommodate to Christ.[/blockquote]

I often wonder about our role in Christian media. Are we to blend in to the culture or stand out? Are we to be similar to the secular or be willing to be distinctive for the Lord? Where do we draw the line in our music, our programming, our presentation?

Recently on local television I saw a story about a church for millennials. They ran a clip of the pastor speaking in the pulpit...and the TV station had to “bleep” out many of his word in his sermon. Is that what it takes to present Christ and the hope of the Gospel to our culture today?

In Wolgemuth’s devotional, after talking of all the many ways we have of reaching people with our message...all the way from Christian concerts, conferences, media events, radio, TV, blogs and podcasts...Nancy Leigh asks a penetrating question.

“Could it be that the absence of true revival and of deep, lasting impact on outsiders is not from a shortage of creativity or cutting-edge methodologies, but from the lack of irrefutable evidence of His presence among us?”

I think of those who may click “like” on Facebook on a scripture, or forward a picture of Jesus, but don’t show a real change in their lifestyle to reflect the nature of Christ in our world. Are they fooling themselves about the Christian life? Nancy Leigh concludes by reminding us:

[blockquote author="Nancy Leigh" link="" target="_blank"]Our distinctiveness is our message. Our changed lives are our testimony. What makes Christ irresistible to others is His uniqueness, not how compatible we can make Him to the culture.[/blockquote]

Can we examine our lives...our ministries? Are we trying to make Christ compatible? How close to this corrupt culture do we want to live to be “relevant?”

I’m think about this today, and I’m praying for God’s guidance. Will you join me?

by Ron Harris

Excellence...for God's glory!

In our international media training conferences, we often talk about leadership and excellence. For today, the topic deals with excellence and with life, taken from a little book by Derric Johnson. My hope is that something here will help you as you lead others and strive for excellence.

The late Dr. D. James Kennedy used to say, “Excellence in all things, and all things to God’s glory.” It is a great philosophy.

No matter what accomplishments you make…somebody helps you. –Althea Gibson

Man’s mind once stretched by a new idea…never regains its original dimension. –Oliver Wendell Holmes

To see things in a seed…that is vision.

High expectations are the key to everything. –Sam Walton

The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there.

One of the greatest enemies that we can ever face in life...is the illusion that there will be more time tomorrow than there is today.

To understand the mind of a person, look at what he has already achieved. To understand the heart of a person, look at what he aspires yet to do.

I don’t know what your destiny will be…but one thing I know...the only ones among you who will be really happy…are those who will have sought and found how to serve. –Dr. Albert Schweitzer

Success can be another form of failure…if we forget what our priorities are.

Excellence can be attained if you…risk more than others think is safe, care more than others think is wise, dream more than others think is practical, expect more than others think is possible.

People often ask me if I know the secret of success and if I could tell others how to make their dreams come true. My answer is…you do it by working. –Walt Disney

Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated…you can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.

Never confuse motion with action…and never confuse action with accomplishment.

There is a big difference between nearly right and exactly right.

Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing right things. Excellence is doing right things right.

And from God’s Word:

[blockquote author="Philippians 4:8" link="" target="_blank"]And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. [/blockquote]

by Ron Harris