Andy Stanley, as usual, is the opening speaker for the Catalyst Conference. His messages have typically been timely and impactful. I’m expecting nothing less from him today.
Our topic for the Catalyst Conference this year is Change. It’s an exciting topic and Andy Stanley is stoked to introduce us to the leadership topic.
Nehemiah 1 is the base of Andy’s speech. It’s always nice to see Biblical references for leadership topics.
Question #1: Who are you?
Question #2: What breaks your heart?
Andy’s answers:
There are people who aren’t excited to go to church on Saturday or Sunday
There are hundreds of thousands of students who will never grace the doors of a church
Andy’s wife, Sandra Stanley, takes the stage to share her answers.
The amount of young people who are in the foster system and the abuse and neglect they go through. There’s also the fact the church can change this fact.
John Maxwell’s heart was broken because there was a time when church leaders weren’t being taught leadership.
Craig Groeschel’s heart was broken by the fact churches weren’t planting new churches.
So, what breaks your heart leaders? You’ve got to discover what breaks your heart.
When our hearts are broken, change begins to happen. Our hearts yearn for something difference.
1. Great leaders make things better.
2. Great leaders love progress
3. Great leaders love to fix things that are broken
4. Great leaders don’t blame
Blame is the most effective change avoidance strategy
Sometimes our hearts will be broken even when we’re not an official leader. Nehemiah was in that position. Not only did he not know what was happening in his home city, he had to get the report about the broken down city from outsiders.
Once he found out the problem though, he took action to fix the city. He went to the proper channels and became a leader who fixed what’s broken.
We can’t let fear and doubt and thoughts of worthless prevent us from doing what breaks our hearts. If we do, so much more is at stake.
Broken cities won’t be rebuilt. Strained relationships won’t be healed. Social issues won’t be addressed.
Our broken hearts are the push of God to fix the ills of this world.
God is the God of how
An amazing thing happened at the Roman Colosseum in the 1800’s. A pope placed a cross above the Roman emperor’s entrance to the Colosseum. A Christian symbol above the entrance. This is something no one would have thought possible at one point in history.
If this is possible, anything you do in God’s will will be possible for you.
God told us again and again to fear not. This is a great reminder as we face the things that break our hearts. These things will scare us but we can’t allow the fear to stop us.
Question: What’s your answer to the 2 questions Andy Stanley asked during the first Catalyst Atlanta session? I want to hear who you are and what breaks your heart, so let’s hear your answers in the comment section below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.