A leading voice on the subject of spiritual formation, John Ortberg brings the heart of a pastor and the insight of a trained psychologist to address issues of character and motivation in the life of a leader.
John Ortberg is a highly-acclaimed writer and speaker and is the senior pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California. He is the best-selling author of many books including God is Closer Than You Think, Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them, and the August 2007 release, When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box. Ortberg served as the teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church from 1994 to 2003 and earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fuller Seminary.
Notes from John Ortberg’s talk continue below.
- Fear of failure. When a leader fails everyone knows.
- Fear of disappointment (?)
- Fear of criticism. The more boldly I try to lead the harder it makes my life.
- We all have a shadow vision, something that is very selfish and dark. How easy life can drift to this shadow vision. It can happen to people, companies, countries, to anyone.
- Everybody has a choice between their God-given mission and their selfish shadow mission
- Story of Xerxes as recorded in the book of Esther. Xerxes shadow mission is threatened when his wife, Vashti, refuses to be paraded in front of a party. Xerxes has surrounded himself with advisors who are more concerned with placating the leader rather than giving him truth.
- Do I want engagement or do I want compliance?
- “Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” Esther 4:14
- What’s your shadow mission?
- Usually your shadow mission is not 180 away from your authentic mission but perhaps 10 degrees off, but it leads to destruction.
- (missed an excellent quote about shadow mission)
- What is your church’s shadow mission?
- Who is Mordecai in your life? Who is willing to challenge your shadow mission?
- Do the elders have open conversation about our church’s shadow mission?
- Many people have the shadow mission of “more”
- A telltale sign you’re on your shadow mission is a chronic sense of soul dissatisfaction
- Jesus faced a challenge mission. It may have been to become the leader without the cross. To find some less costly way without the suffering and pain.
- “Not my will by thine be done.”
- Lead without fear because God is at work.
- Don’t be that person who was afraid to speak up.
Ortberg rocks… love his stuff.
Ortberg is truly an amazing communicator.
The thought for me was Mordecai’s comment to Esther, “Perhaps you are here for this purpose.”
God has strategically placed me and you. He does know what He is doing. Now we have the responsibility to step up and do what He has placed us to do.
Over and over again you see ordinary people used by God to change the world. Let’s get it done!