The Elevation Church

Tag: Matthew Mancha

  • Be Intentional

    Be Intentional

    John Maxwell, world renowned authority in the subject of leadership, once told a story of how, back in 1976, he received a gift from Eileen Beavers, his assistant at that time. As he unwrapped it, he saw it was a book with the intriguing title, The Greatest Story Ever Told. He couldn’t wait to read it! But when he opened the book, he was shocked: The pages were blank. Absolutely blank. Inside was a note from Eileen that said, “John, your life is before you. Fill these pages with kind acts, good thoughts and matters of your heart. Write a great story with your life.” This note made him, for the first time, think about how he was the author of his life, and that he could fill every “page” with whatever he wanted. It made him want to be significant; it inspired him to do whatever he could to make his life matter.

    At the core of intentional living is:

    • Having a pristine understanding of who you are in Christ and what God’s purpose for your life is.
    • Knowing why you do what you do and why you don’t do what you don’t do.
    • Being willing to take a step back and evaluate the things you are doing.
    • Doing the things that are important to you even when they are not easy.
    • Evaluating the advice and example of other people and taking from it what works for you.
    • A life of legacy, which stems from making impacts that transcend generations and geographical borders.

    Living intentionally is what clearly differentiates a person who is ‘living’ from another who is merely ‘existing’. It helps you chart a course for your life – and for the people you are responsible for – instead of just breezing aimlessly through life. It further gives you the liberty to make time for the things that are truly important and to discard the rest.

    Components of Intentional Living

    • Visioning. You need to develop the capacity of receiving and then running with God’s instructions for your life, especially as we approach the New Year. Every vision has a timeline, after which it loses its potency. All things may be lawful but not all things are helpful; therefore, strive to keep your focus, channel your energy and deploy your resources on only those things that matter.
    • Be strategic. Get your goal-setting gloves on! Break those seemingly colossal goals, targets and aspirations into smaller tasks that you can handle quite easily. Every complexity of life is just an aggregation of smaller parts. Find the smaller details in every challenge and tackle them one at a time.
    • Banana Island, Lagos, wasn’t sand-filled in a day. Small but consistent actions birth mastery over life and make the most significant impact. Stay disciplined in the course of life like an athlete does. Don’t worry if you fail at being the best version of you from time to time. Each time you come short, get right up and try again. When you don’t let your head down, you will in no distant time be the focal point in the story of your life.
    • If you will live your dream life and make any sustainable impact, you must feed your strengths and starve your weaknesses. Be bold, yet unassuming. Have the ‘I-can-do’ attitude always. You can do all [expedient] things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). “Every time you choose action over ease; you develop an increasing level of self-worth, self-respect, and self-confidence”, says John Maxwell.
    • Pray without ceasing. You also need to have an attitude of gratitude, both to God and to man. A heart of thankfulness impels you to focus on living the best life God has intended for you, instead of wallowing in jealousy and self-pity over the progress of others.
    • Leverage on God’s wisdom. Living intentionally requires knowing, like the Sons of Issachar, what to do, when to do it and how to do it. God says in Jeremiah 33:3, ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I will tell you marvellous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.’ Trust that God is able to direct your affairs and in turn, surrender the government of your life over to Him.
    • Define your values and stick with them. Your outlook to life must not be anything short of positive. Your life becomes more interesting and influential the moment you choose to become selfless and prioritize others above yourself.

    The key to a life that matters to God and humanity, is one that entails living your best story, and not someone else’s.  Don’t just be fixed on hearing or telling a good story; instead, be that good story – of love, selflessness, impact, courage, patience, faith, exploit, significance, and so on. There’s no limit to the positive change you can engineer when you begin to live each day with intense intentionality.

     

    Written by Matthew Mancha

  • What to Look Out For in Choosing a Church

    What to Look Out For in Choosing a Church

    Before you over-analyse it, let me start by saying that, there’s absolutely no perfect church anywhere. Don’t forget that! Perhaps you are moving to a new location or you are just considering changing your church (for whatever reason), it is expedient that you think through this decision carefully, thoroughly and prayerfully. Why? Because one of life’s key decisions is choosing a church; this is a decision that will not only impact upon your life here on earth, but also has ramifications deep into eternity.

    A church can make or mar you; it can serve as the nerve centre (or otherwise) from which the entirety of your life derives its coordinated rhythm for optimal productivity and sustained impact. The right church family is the very catalyst that will propel you into your God-ordained destiny and it is the solid base from which your life will be established firmly in grace.

     

    The honest answers to the following questions and an in-depth consideration of the checklist below will help streamline your options, until you find the right church:

    • Who/what is at the core of their worship?

    Is Jesus at the centre of their devotion? Who’s the major subject of reference in any of their meetings? Whose word is the final authority, God’s Word or that of the pastor? To whom do the church members owe their allegiance? A church where the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) is not at the ‘centre of it all’ is a no-no. If the Word of God is not central in the operation of the church, please run!

     

    • What is their doctrinal base?

    Does the church believe and teach that Jesus is the Son of God and the only way to God? Do they believe that every scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit and that salvation is a gift and not earned by our good works? Does the church’s doctrine highlight the reality of heaven and hell?

     

    • Are there discipleship programs in place and a rock-solid foundation for growth?

    Is the church very intentional about its leaders’ and members’ spiritual development? You should be able to see some evidence that supports the presence of these three-dimensional growth: qualitative (spiritual growth in Christ and training of people for ministry), quantitative (outreach with new people coming into the church, especially via evangelism and good works of charity) and organic (this is the development of gifts and people plugged into ministry).

     

    • What is the church’s core practical value and culture?

    Does the day-to-day outlook of the church reflect their documented values? Are these values in any way contradictory to the tenets of the Holy Scriptures? What constitutes their culture? How do they welcome and treat visitors irrespective of their societal status?

     

    • Exemplary leadership and active mentoring opportunities

    Are the conduct and general lifestyle of the pastors worthy of emulation? Do they have good reports within and outside the church they are overseeing? Are they (the pastors and leaders) accountable to other senior pastors and church leaders elsewhere? Can you respect and submit to their authority? It is wisdom to join a church that has ample avenues for mentoring its members in the things of God and on how to excel in other spheres of life.

     

    • Is it a church where your gifts, talents and/or experience can be deployed?

    A child, from whatever dimension you look at it, is someone that needs to be catered for all or most of the time. As you grow healthily in the things of God, you will realise that greater fulfilment comes by being at the giving end of things. You need to be sure that the church you are moving to can provide the platform for you to live out your calling and also serve as an enabling environment for you to be a blessing to humanity.

     

    • What are your family needs?

    If you are a family person, you may want to factor the needs of your spouse and children too when deciding which church to join. You need to be sure that church has a well-structured children and/or youth church, with programs carefully designed to help raise them up in the ways of the Lord.

     

    • Proximity

    It is not advisable to join a church just for the numbers; you must be fully planted there. Is the church you have in mind within reaching proximity to you? As much as possible (except when you are out of town), don’t join a church that you can only attend services online because the distance is not ‘kind’ to you.

     

    • Church size

    You also need to determine what is best for you in terms of church size. The intimacy of a smaller church often translates to a greater opportunity for individual care and a chance to develop strong relationships. Larger churches possess the capacity, financing, talents, numbers and other resources to undertake bigger projects. However, you must note that a large church with an effective small groups system can yield the typical advantages that a smaller church has over a larger one.

    The thoughts outlined here are in no way an absolute template, but a guide to narrow down the vast options at your disposal. As you partner with God through the direction of the Holy Spirit, I believe you will find a place where you can call home. The church God will lead you to may not be your personal preference, but allow Him to use you to bridge the gap in areas that are lacking.

    Whatever your needs/preferences, be sure to join a church that will help you to live purposefully here on earth and to make heaven in the end. The peace of God will overwhelm you once you find the right church for your planting.

     

    Written by: Mancha Matthew

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