Monday Morning Insights

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    Special MMI Guest, Craig Groeschel:  The Difference Between a “Good” Idea and a &#8

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    Here’s Craig’s response:

    Todd,

    I love what you’re doing. Thanks for your awesome blog . I read it every day!

    How can a church leader discern between a “good idea” and a “God idea”? That’s a great question. I’ll answer as truthfully as I can:

    Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. Some people seem to have a “direct line” to God. My line often seems to have interference. If a leader isn’t quite sure if they heard from God or just ate pizza too late at night, here are a few questions you can ask yourself:

    Where did the idea originate? Ask yourself, “Was this idea was born in my heart, out of prayer?” or “Am I just copying what someone else is doing?” Most of the ideas I’ve had that really seemed to be “God ideas” came out of time with God in prayer. Don’t misunderstand: borrowing someone else’s idea is fine. It’s occasionally wise, and it can certainly be from God. But I put a lot more confidence in those ideas that seem to come straight from The Source.

    Where’s the faith? Will the idea take faith to pull it off, or can you do it under your own power? God is honored by our faith. If the idea is too big to do without God, then He’ll get the credit when it comes to pass. Most God ideas seem to require faith on our part. (It’s impossible to please Him without it.) smile

    Can I live without it? Is the burden for the idea so big that you’d deeply regret not trying it? When my burden for an idea outweighs my fear of failure, that usually means God is leading me to try it.

    Does it get a mixed reaction? Do some people believe you’ve heard from God? Are just as many people nervous? If you answer “yes” to both, I’m excited for you. Usually, when I think I’ve heard from God, some people seem to confirm that I probably have. Others who are more cautious get nervous. For some reason, this mix gives me comfort. (There’s a lot of wisdom in having a variety of counselors.)

    If it doesn’t work, did you “miss” God?

    If someone believes they heard from God, tries the idea and it doesn’t work as expected, that doesn’t necessarily mean they missed Him. Maybe God was trying to change the person—something that could only come about through a perceived failure.

    I hope that whenever I do “miss God,” it’s because I’m being too aggressive trying to reach people, rather than because I’m being too passive.

    Thanks for your heart for pastors and ministry, Todd!

    Thank you, Craig!  I love that last line.  Take a moment to read it again:

    I hope that whenever I do “miss God,” it’s because I’m being too aggressive trying to reach people, rather than because I’m being too passive.

    That’s my prayer for all of us today!

    Todd


    I am very pleased to be a part of Craig Groeschel's online book tour today! Craig has a brand new book entitled "IT" that I'm really enjoying reading right now. Every once in a while, I read a book that really resonates with me; and "IT" really has. Craig has a way of putting in print some great thoughts and some helpful tools for church leaders that will help improve your ministry. I had the opportunity to ask Craig a question for today's post, and here's what I ask, along with his response:

    Hey Craig… You mention in your book that many churches do not really have a ‘vision,’ and that there’s a huge difference between a ‘good idea’ and a ‘God idea.’ How can the average church leader tell the difference? And what advice would you give to leaders as they determine their ministry’s vision?

    Comments

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    1. CS on Mon, September 22, 2008

      Todd:


      Thanks for asking these questions of Craig.  It was nice to read some back-and-forth conversation.  Hopefully Craig is perusing this board today; I have a question for him.


      Regarding getting an idea, using Scripture for demonstration or origin, could you please let me know how one can determine if an idea came from God or not?  I was able to get some general understanding from your conversation with Todd, but there was nothing concrete that locked down how to tell if it was truly God-inspired with the Bible as a reference.


      Thanks for taking the time to read this and posting on MMI.



      CS

    2. Eric Joppa on Mon, September 22, 2008

      CS,


      While I am not Craig, I think I may have an answer for you.


      You can’t. There is no way, short of an audible voice from God, that makes it clear the idea is “from Him.” Basically, that is where faith comes in. You have to believe that if you are in ernest prayer with God, not just asking Him to do something with your prayer list, but listening and actually conversing,  and the idea is born there, you have to at that point either trust that God is actually speaking to you.


      If you are looking for something more “concrete” I suspect that you will be hard pressed to find it. It really is a faith issue.


      Hope that helps.


      -E

    3. Craig Groeschel on Mon, September 22, 2008

      C.S. I’m not sure if I completely understand what you are asking. (Maybe I’m thinking too slowly on this Monday.) If the idea contradicts scripture, then my idea is not from God. If scripture (or scriptural principles) are consistent with the idea, that could bring some level of confirmation.


      I tend to agree with Eric. Short of the audible voice of God (or a direct command from Scripture), it takes a lot of faith. I wish I could give a more concrete answer. Maybe others can share how they hear from God.

    4. Peter Hamm on Mon, September 22, 2008

      Sometimes somebody else’s bullet really fits your gun. And sometimes your bullet is the one that fits best.


      So… how do you think you distinguish between the good ideas of others that you should use and the good ideas of others that you shouldn’t?


      At the risk of answering my own question… I think maybe it’s when you see somebody else has a great idea, and in your own regular personal devotional time (prayer/scripture reading), you get the idea from “the source” that might be similar enough…


      Anyway, I’d love to see some examples from people’s churches where they’ve positively identified an idea as “from the source”, whether original or borrowed, and how they knew it was a God-idea. Because I think sometimes you can definitely know.


      We did a song this weekend as the response to our sermon on the Radical Power of Love, “Rise” by Robbie Seay. Every time I sang it I just knew it was communicating something these people needed to hear, and it just filled me up with the thought of our people being mobilized to love the least. I just knew… Next week we’re debuting a new song (home-grown) to really cap off a weekend of serving we’re doing. And I gotta tell you… I just know… And others have confirmed…

    5. Harold on Mon, September 22, 2008

      I just finished Craig’s “IT”  and it is one of those “must read again” books.  Having participated in and attempted to lead toward a vision in both secular and Christian environments, I becomes obvious that we frequently do not have IT.  I awakened at about 4 am this morning needing time with God and one of us was not listening….  guess which one!  Craig’s book spoke to me that when I felt I did not have IT and if I was going to get the correct IT , it wouldn’t be my IT but HIS IT!.  I’m almost out of its.  


      Thanks for “IT” , Craig

    6. CS on Mon, September 22, 2008

      Craig:


      “I tend to agree with Eric. Short of the audible voice of God (or a direct command from Scripture), it takes a lot of faith. I wish I could give a more concrete answer.”


      Thanks to both you and Eric for your replies.  I often hear many people say, “It’s a God idea,” but then there is not much more given about the determination of the origin of the thought. 



      CS

    7. music director on Mon, September 22, 2008

      Craig,


      I hope you’re still reading.  I have to say thanks - in a huge way.   I attended the Leadership Summit recently.  God used you and your message to break thru into my life in a way I have not experienced before.  As I began reading your book “It” - my days became very “heavy” and emotional - not like the normal me.  I didn’t understand what was happening until I read the final chapter of the book.  I then realized that God had already begun to “Stretch me, Ruin me, and Heal Me.”  I am praying that I (and those I serve with) will get “It” - thanks for your message!

    8. Ronn on Mon, September 22, 2008

      How do we “know” whether it is ‘the will of God” (short of “the voice of God Himself”?…


      - The Word of God - does this “idea” in any way contradict the written Word of God? If so, it did not come from Him, no matter how “good” it might be/sound.


      - Multitude of counselors - I liked Craig’s insight into the fact that some may think you’re way off base, and that may actually be a good thing! But you’d better throw the idea at your key advisors before signing the deed!


      - The open door - and not one that you have to ‘force’ open. IE, the ‘God idea’ is usually precipitated by a crying need.


      - Circumstances - things just seem to fall into place, only you recognize these ‘circumstances’ go way beyond circumstantial - and you can see God’s hand behind them.


      - Finally, the peace that passes understanding. You might be scared to death regarding the ‘how’ of the God idea, but you have absolute peace about the ‘what’ of it, if it came from God.

    9. Rev.K on Mon, September 22, 2008

      where can I find a copy of Craig Groeschel’s online book “It”?

    10. Craig Groeschel on Mon, September 22, 2008

      Harold, I am so glad the book ministered to you!


      Music Director, Thanks so much for the encouraging words. I am still praying those prayers almost daily. It is painful as God answers them—but I am grateful for His goodness and breaking in our lives.

    11. Camey on Mon, September 22, 2008

      This is the best interview on “IT” I’ve read thus far.


      Thank you, Todd & Craig..


      Praying dangerous prayers!

    12. Michael on Mon, September 22, 2008

      Posted by Rev.K


      Monday, September 22, 2008 at 11:41 AM


      where can I find a copy of Craig Groeschel’s online book “It”?


      You might go to our website at http://www.lifechurch.tv. It should be offered somewhere there in the bookstore section. All proceeds go to campus development.


      Michael

    13. Boe Parrish on Mon, September 22, 2008

      Craig,


      I haven’t read your book yet, but I plan to very soon.  As for hearing God, I used to teach my children in children’s church, that God’s voice sounds almost identical to my voice.  I have three grown daughters who all sound almost exactly the same as their mother on the phone.  When I call my own home it is virtually impossible for me to identify the right voice, much less, the other poor souls trying to reach one of them.  You see they are all Parrish girls created in their mother’s image, and sound very similar.  We are all spirits created in His image and all spirits can sound very similar since we were all created in His image.  The more time I spend talking with Him, the easier it is for me to distinguish His voice from mine, or the enemy’s voice.  There is truely no substitute for quite, still, meditation and talking with the father.  I have his assurance in John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”  We really do get better at listening the more we do it.


      Boe Parrish

    14. Bill Hayes on Mon, September 22, 2008

      Great stuff!


      Thanks!

    15. Allen Jessee on Mon, September 22, 2008

      Craig,


        I also attended the leadership summit and found your session exactly what I needed. I have pastored the same church for 23 years and have honestly struggled to have “IT” show up in our services. Sometimes we have “IT” and sometimes we don’t. Early on I felt like the closer I was to God the more we might experience “IT”, but I have found that my spirituality has little to do with “IT”.  I’ve written down your four insights from the Summit, and noticed that “IT” has been more frequent in the heart of our services. Thank you so much for your insight on this.


      Allen

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