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- To The Man With A Hammer
I don’t know about you but I tend to overthink everything.
That's some thing I'm working hard to change! We were joking about this exact thing at staff meeting earlier this week. How we often add steps to simple processes that we don't need to…
One of the areas that I have historically overthought and overcomplicated is the process of discipleship. Probably because I over emphasize the education piece above the apprenticeship piece.
This leads to always looking for content and curriculum rather than a simple, repeatable model with HIGH ACTIVITY.
I think activity is our problem when it comes to disciple making, not information.
We’ve got access to mountains of books, videos, and ideas about making disciples. And most of them work…when you actually do them.
But in the western church we often fail to bridge information about making disciples with the work of making disciples.
Here’s how I’m trying to overcome that at our church.
Abraham Maslow said (paraphrased), “To the man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” I love that quote. And I use it frequently.
“This quote refers to a concept commonly known as the ‘law of instrument’ or Maslow’s Hammer. It refers to an over-reliance on a familiar or favorite tool. While such tools can be very useful at times, over-reliance can result in approaching problems in ways that are not always helpful or even destructive. In psychological terms, this might involve relying on the same coping mechanisms when faced with certain problems, rather than using new solutions. This over-reliance can often maintain psychological difficulties and inhibit processes of change.” - The Fitzrovia Clinic
That’s the original context and meaning.
But I have a positive spin on this quote for you today…
“If the only problem you have is a nail…the only tool you need is a hammer!”
OK Jake, what in tarnation are you talking about?
Stick with me on this.
As pastors we only have one mission/assignment. We only have ONE problem to solve: how to make disciples.
Even more specifically and holistically: how to make disciple making disciples.
That’s ALL we have to figure out.
As Mike Breen says, “When you build the church you rarely get disciples but when you make disciples you always get the church.”
So, back to the hammer.
You only need one tool in your tool belt.
If we master the skill of making disciples we solve the ONE problem and we WIN.
I like that level of simplicity.
It cuts out all the nonsense and noise and goes right to the heart of the issue.
It reminds me of a scene from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indy faces off with a swordsman who twists and twirls his sword violently through the air with violent intent.
Indy shrugs, pulls out his pistol, and ends the fight with one shot.
The swordsman reminds me of me…doing everything with extra motions and energy when a simple, proven, unbeatable model already exists.
Making disciples.
If you don’t have a simple, repeatable model for making disciples I’d love to help you build one!
Talk soon,
Pastor Jake
Help Me Encourage Pastors!
If you’re reading this you probably know I send a newsletter almost every day (at least 350 per year. And if you didn’t know…I write them myself! It’s the equivalent of writing 10-15 books per year. I get dozens of replies and responses from pastors that share how this daily email encourages them. Right now it goes out to over 33,000 pastors/church-leaders!
But, it’s definitely a time-consuming and challenging task! I spend at least an hour a day on average studying, writing, and managing this newsletter. Over the past few months I’ve considered doing less or stopping the newsletter altogether. Then I get a response from someone and it encourages me to keep going. Here’s where you come in.
I want to focus on writing great content, sharing it with more pastors, and LESS time on creating paid offers and selling. To do that I need your help.
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Right now I’m helping churches get connected with a firm that assists them determine their eligibility for the ERC tax credit. The average check to the church we’ve seen is $18,000 per employee. Incredible right? It’s already been a HUGE blessing to hundreds of churches across the US. But there is a TON of misinformation, misunderstanding, and even scams out there so getting the right help is important. If you’d like more information please reply to this email with the phrase: ERC HELP and this info:
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Free Resources
Here’s a couple of cool FREE resources I’ve come across that I wanted to share with you!
Want to write, publish, and profit with your own book? This will show you the process.
Wave goodbye to poor money mindsets! Here’s how to think like a millionaire. Click here to get “Millionaire Habits” free.
What’s this Bloom guy up to? Find out how to lead a healthy, wealthy, and high performing life right here.
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