Tag: strengths

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Spirit-Controlled Temperament

By Tim LaHaye (summary by Jeffrey Bush)

  • Temperaments are the inborn traits that affect all behavior. They are based on
    hereditary factors, and six people contribute to these: the two parents and four
    grandparents.
  • Character is the real you. This is the hidden person of the heart – 1 Peter 3:4.
    Sometimes referred to as the soul of a person.
  • Personality is the outward expression of a person, which may or may not be the
    expression of a person‘s character. The place to change someone’s behavior is on
    the inside, not the outside.
  • Temperament can be changed through the Holy Spirit – 2 Corinthians 5:17
  • You can use your background as an excuse for your behavior only until you accept
    Jesus Christ. At the point of salvation, you have the power to change your conduct.
  • There are four different types of temperaments: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and
    phlegmatic.
  • Each temperament has its strengths and its weaknesses. Not one is better than the
    other.
  • The sanguine is a people-person, and enjoys talking and being with others. Simon
    Peter from the Bible was a sanguine. Most salesman, preachers, and actors are
    sanguine. They are never moderate about anything.
  • The choleric is a hot, quickly-reactive temperament. The apostle Paul was a choleric.
  • The melancholic is analytical and perfectionist type. He is a faithful friend, but does
    not make friends easily. Most musicians, theologians, scientist, engineers, and artist
    are melancholy. Moses was a melancholic.
  • The phlegmatic has a high boiling point and rarely explodes in laughter or anger.
    They can easily make everyone laugh while keeping a straight face. They are masters
    of things that take patience and detail. Abraham is a good example of a phlegmatic.
  • Rarely is someone composed of only one temperament. Usually, they have a
    predominant and secondary temperament, and possibly more.
  • Abraham went from being timid to a man known for his trust in the Lord. In God,
    personalities and lives are changed.
  • Because temperament is based on the natural man, it’s easier to diagnose the
    temperament of a lost person or carnal Christian than that of a spiritual person.
  • The temperament with the greatest strengths and potential also have the greatest
    potential of weaknesses.
  • Faith in Christ lifts a person above their temperament.
  • Selfishness is a basic weakness of every one of the temperaments.
  • Our strengths and weaknesses prevail by our choice.
  • We maximize our strength and minimize our weaknesses through the indwelling of
    the Holy Spirit.
  • Any spirit-filled Cristian will have the strengths of Galatians 5:22–23, without
    weaknesses.
  • The greatest goal of a Christian is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
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Planting a Church Without Losing Your Soul: Book Review by Jeff Bush

By Tim Morey 

  • Spiritual competencies are as important, if not more, as other competencies.
  • You as the pastor are not meant to hold all of the church problems. If you try to do what only God can do, you will live anxious and exhausted. Be the Pastor and let God be God.
  • When Elijah was discouraged, God spoke to him about the physical: food, water, and sleep. The physical is connected to the spiritual.
  • Overeating and unhealthy eating is common for those in ministry, but it is not good.
  • Don’t wait until you break. Let God and others help you with your emotional needs.
  • Many church planters started a church, hoping for the story of someone else, but God might want to write your story differently.
  • God doesn’t always meet us in the way we want or expect, but He does always meet us how we need.
  • The number one problem of pastors is isolation.
  • The main thing you will give your congregation is the person you become – Dallas Willard 
  • Church planters become professionals at “winging it.” The problem is you cannot “wing” your spiritual life.
  • The church’s strengths and weaknesses mirror the pastors strengths and weaknesses.
  • Suffering contains the seeds for success.
  • Church planters often have a mixture of confidence and self-doubt. Humility is needed.
  • Suffering keeps me humble and aware of the things I do not know.
  • We fear suffering, but we should probably fear more the absence of suffering.
  • It seems in 2 Corinthians 12 that Paul’s greatest asset was his greatest weakness – and that very likely could be the case with each of us.
  • Are you able to embrace the difficulties as a gift from God? 
  • Without suffering, how could we develop empathy – helping people in an understanding way.
  • Power without love is reckless and abusive. Love without power is sentimental and anemic.
  • According to a survey at Duke University, 43% of US churches run less than 50 people. Another 24% are between 50-100 people. 21% are between 100–200 people. 10% are between 250-1000 people. And 2% are 1000 or more.
  • A study from Harvard Institute for religion says the median size of a church in the US is 80 people. Only half of 1% of churches in the US are mega churches (2,000 plus people). 
  • We should focus more on making big Christians instead of trying to make big churches.
  • We must move from being superheroes to equippers.
  • If you as the pastor are doing the bulk of ministry, you are doing it wrong. Ephesians 4 teaches that the pastor is to equip others, not just do all the work.
  • Teaching others to do what you do means you don’t get to be the hero. 
  • Before we deal with difficult people, we must face the issues with the man in the mirror.
  • If you lose your family, you lose your ministry as well.
  • Do you want your kids to grow up loving church or hating church? Do you want your spouse to be thankful they married someone in the ministry, or regret it?
  • To succeed in church and fail in your family is to fail.
  • As a church planter, you will likely not have as much money as the people in your church, but you do have more power over your schedule than others do. You can use this to your strength to make sure you have time for your family.
  • Most church planters feel like they can’t get away, but a healthy church needs their pastor to be absent so they can learn to take care of areas. Your family and your church need you to get away.