Project Gideon 2014: Notes from the First Session with Bishop Jake

What follows is a typewritten transcript of our morning session at PROJECT GIDEON this year.   I know they need a little work, but I wanted to get them posted so others have access to these powerful notes.

The first session began on the morning of February 13th.

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PROJECT GIDEON

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General Session 1:  Bishop Jakes

Last year, I gave you an assignment:  Bring me a Giant's Head

What have you mastered in this past year?  What have you overcome?

There's something about First Blood conquering

NOTHING is impossible to him who believes

Time to CHK your homework.  Groups of 10

This statue?  Reminds me that giants come

I have killed a lot of giants to be where I am

Nobody's gonna GIVE you Goliath's head, you've got to work for it, go for it

Groups of 10--nominate one

Draw 5 names, tell what happened

Bishop Jakes

--every generation has to start at Level Zero

--no true success unless there is a successor

--imp. to share with the next generation; so everyone doesn't have to start at zero

--mentor;  but when we get into unchartered areas

--when you pioneer scrape bruised, try to figure your way out

--I want to pass on the tools you need; I assume you are going to do great things.

--I assume you are not here to be mediocre

--If you are going to be mediocre, quit

--If you're not going to do it in the spirit of excellence, then you shouldn't be doing this

--"I wanted to discover what was in me"

--ppl as me "why"--because it was within my reach to do it

--Are you just going to do what you've seen done?

An encore of what you've already seen

--are you serving leftovers again

--Are you going to be unique

--First of your kind will be criticized

--You have to be silling to have backbone

according to power that worketh in you

--CUTTING TO THE CORE, GETTING TO THE ESSENCE

cut through influence, culture 

our family, our community, our education

peel past, get beyond cultural limitations

get past your ideas of faith defined by dead men

still living in what the dead ppl have told you

if we only do what our fathers did

somebody has to get out of the box

MAximize who you are

--scrape past cultural; gender, sector of faith, environment 

--how VAST the body of Christ is

--get past the groups

--body of Christ BIGGER than the churches you have spoken in

--emerging churches: 

--look around this room

--your circle is not the world

--decide:  are you called to your circle?  are you equipped to go into all the world when all you see is through your circle?

--your circle is too small for your God

--you do yourself an injustice to limit yourself with narrow perspective

--God wants to do something amazing in you

--shatter circles

--how foolish to think that your idea of fashion governs the whole world

--through the eyes of Americans

--alot of things you hold to be truth

--ignorance of poor exposure; laugh at wrong time; point at wrong ppl; make --rules out of tradition and worship at shinrene of your own opinion

--who says God is not going to anoint you you to go where all your eggs get scrambled

--who says God spks to you and 

--does he say all the world or all the hood

--IF we could ever wash culture out of your Christ...

--what you're used to...

--Most of church culture is learned behavior

--God didn't follow the rules I was taught; he used ppl I didn't expect

--God is bigger than what I was taught; he colors outside of the line

--release my territorial boundaries and be ready to recognize another form

--disciples always got in trouble when he came in another form  (ghost)

--are you broad enough to embrace him

--peel past all the things that have influenced you.

--if your generation is not the generation to cut to the core

increasingly irrelevant church

a church in over its own self

--when you walk away from the stage, is anybody pregnant or did you just have a good time

--your goal:  must impart

--critical mass:  impart some LIFE in them

--not about who shouts, dances, who bought the tapes

--when you sit down, is anybody pregnant?

--Less than 20% of Am regularly attend church

Half of early posters

--tired of being stimulated and not having anything meaningful imparted

--examine ourselves; what has happened to us

--so hungry ppl look to TV personalities to do what we were called to do

--we'd rather scream at the darkness than light  candle

--bankruptcies in churches; churches using chapter 11

--Church has business component; have equity in building; big deficit was the death of creativity from the leader

--death of creativity of leadership

the church is going bankrupt from lack of creativity

--concluded:  churches greatest asset is not the building.  It's you.

--they don't come to see your light show or dancers

--secular professor:  greatest asset of church?  YOU.

--if you understand who you are, you can do it in a tent.  They will come from all over the world 

--we put more effort in to stuff than we do into us

--put your efforts in the right place

--you guys saw the summer of my career; you didn't see my spring

--we were confused; you have more titles than members

--cart before the horse; not about bling;  clothes; CORE MUST BE RIGHT

--get the core right; all these things will be added to you

--if you are the greatest asset your church has, are you bankrupt

--banks understand that the building doen't make the loan; it's the pastor

--the bank understands your significance, do you?

--do you understand you beyond your package?  do you have any content?

--Q: what's in your box?

--invest in that perspective of who you are

--world drawn to you and walk away

They shake the box and nothing in it

backslidden: in orignial content; mule sits back on haunches, crouch down and back slidden;

--if you crouch down and get comfortable

--waiting for someone to hand you something instead of plowing

--obstinte; is your bitterness coming from the fact that no one is bringing your corn that you haven't sown

--God wants you to eat in relation to what you plow

--you shouldn't eat any better than you plow

--I look for work ethic; you can fix an outfit

--lazy spirit, entitlement, that's got to go; that's bankruptcy

--you cannot mak ppl slaves to your vision while you're drinking tea

This is not your season to rest; this is your season to plow

--Bishop:  you see me now?  You're seeing the last season!  You missed me me on a ladder painting, putting rent money in the church; fry chicken and cater to get money to get pulpit chairs; you missed when we slept on the pew between sunday morning and evening

--if you don't put anything in, you have no right to get something out

--core and motives must be right

--calling you into introspective, a time of

--evaluate what you have.  If you are greatest asset, catalyst of change, point of reference, how much do you know about you?

--Study you, help find your core

--"I was clear about my purpose.  I knew what I was called to do."

--ambiguity of "I was called to preach"--"preach" is transportation to what DESTINATION

--what is your purpose?  what is at your core?

--you're a preacher:  so what?!

--1,000 ppl that can wear clergy shirts in any given Sunday

--why?  special seat, you get water

--what did God get when he got you?

--When you walk in a room, what do we get when we get you?

--if you join my church, what asset did we get

"I got your back"--in what way?  what does that mean?

who are you?  do you know?

--you will mimic others, copy, assumed so many characters you never met yourself

--you become whoever comes to town preaching; sound just like them

--if future of church rests on you, what happens to church

WHAT DRIVES YOU?

WHAT TURNS YOU ON? (ppl don't know)

never stopped to learn their own equipment

what drives you

what stimulates your creativity

spiritual:  where does your energy come from

what drives you?

working with homeless?  teaching? training?  

What drives you:  trying to get to the core

Make it your business to watch your reactions so you can understand what you are best at?

WHAT DISTURBS YOU?

you've appointed ppl who aren't disturbed by what you're disturbed by

if you don't have a passion for it, what distubs you to give you power to fix it?

WHAT DO YOU DISTURB?

what moves? runs?  in your anointing and presence?

Leadership is determined by impact

Q:  are you the rock thrown in the pond, with no ripples

what are your core values?

what do you value?  Me?  Loyalty. Betray me, you're done.

SHIRLEY:  POSITIVITY

You don't know your core values, you surround yourself with ppl who frustrate you

Bishop:  I am creative 24/7.  I need ppl near me who are available 24/7

You work til the job is done, until it is finished

You can never build a team around you until you know.  

Great morals but LAZY as all get out

--deep need for ppl to be spiritual and holy--anointed but not equipped for jobs

--core of what is you

--David/Goliath:  your presence too important to be 

you are the light of israel.

if you are the mouthpiece, then we must make sure you are authentic.  Does the body look like the head?

--If you know God's ways, you know Him

Are the ways God put in you, are they flowing through those around you?

--you cannot have authentic organization if you are not authentic

--If you keep changing, how can ppl follow you

--Vast diff between great preaching and great leadership

--How can someone that can preach that good--50 members

Preaching and leadership are two diff things

You have to be both; if not, you have to hire a leader

Plan, Structure, Goals

--being a great preacher isn't enough.  YOu have to be a great leader.

--How effective is your leadership?  Does your staff reflect you?

--preachers who fuss are out of control; not emotional

--leaders beating on the pulpit, working out stuff in the pulpit--you're nto a man:  don't whip 100 ppl

--dont hide it in the sermon; have testicular fortitude

--taking up feeding time to do what you need to do in the office

--buck up and say what needs to be said and feed the flock of God

--distractions are hindering you from your destiny

--putting it off not getting any better

--ignoring it will not make it go away; confront it

--if you don't deal with it, it reproduces and spreads

--desired:  uniformity with the core

--churches have personalities

--uniformity to the core, get streamlined, distractions out of way; certain amt of pride to be a part, from top to bottom

--anytime you've got a well oiled machine, ppl are proud to be a part of it

--machine:  who you put around you

--imp:  how you pick your team

--Moses did all of his miracles with his staff

--stretch forth your staff; your miracles are in your staff; and if your staff can't do it, they're not the right pl

--your armor bearer is administrator, 

get a consistent brand, managing your brand; this is who we are, what we do; cannot be jumping from assignment to assignment

Road flourish while church suffers or the other way around

Your kids can't be like there if you're never there

Stop being 10 ppl

--some of you have not invested and your returns reflect your investment

--Little in, little out

--you cannot build your team with text

--the sheep will never know the voice or smell through Twitter

--you cannot do this on the run

--you are losing your ability to comm without it

--you cannot text into ppl what I'm talking about

--learn how to communicate when hurt, frustrated

--dangerous to have leader who cannot communicate

--Bait and switch; you promise love but you're not loving; we came because we thought we were getting one thing;babysitters did something else

--takes a decade to do something major; make a working machine

--it takes time

--be deliberate about the turns you take

--takes time to get it right

--you give up too easy; if it doesn't work out, you're ready to throw it away

--you're leading ppl

--bigger the thing you lead, the longer it takes to move it.

we want to see your authentic self is identified in you, reaching through your team, then reaching out to group and then world

--every component of church should be on same page, same brand

--mixed messages to public?  won't follow you.  Give ppl whiplash when you keep changing

Matt 16:13-18:  Jesus:  who do ppl say that I am?  (test question)

I'm going to build the church on revelation knowledge

Elias, Jeremiah

Don't run from controversy; you will be controversial; rumors about you; let the rumors ride; waste of time chasing down rumors

God didn't call you to convince ppl you're nice

--juvenile thinking

--ex:  man who wanted to know why bishop wouldn't place his book in the church bookstore

--now you like me?  what does that mean to me

--let me save you trouble:  STOP MAKING THEIR OPINION YOUR TROPHY/SUCCESS.

--you're not a politician.  BE WHO YOU ARE. NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY.

--PETER'S ANSWER.  The silence of the 11.

--the silence glares more loudly.  How dare they be silent?

--watch out for the silent of the 11; when you are under attack, nothing said in your defense

--Look into the text   Look at the inobvious

--That indecision is problem of leadership

--indictment--how many ppl around you are silent about who you are?

--always watch for those who say nothing; their silence is more damaging than affirmation of your friends

--1/12 spoke up:  thou art the Christ, son of true and living God.  I can build with that one

--if you can find one person, you can build house

--don't worry about 11 who don't get you

--Gates of hell won't previl!

--Don't worry about 11; tend to the one

ALL YOU NEED IS ONE

--BUILD ON SOLID, STABLE, IMMOVABLE, UNBREAKABLE

--anchor those ppl around you who get you; don't spend energy managing attitudes and expectations of ppl who are supposed to be on your side

--My father has revealed this to you--before the cross

--God show them who I am: This should be our prayer; REVEAL MY HEART TO THEM; HELP THEM SEE WHO I AM CALLED TO BE AT MY CORE, LEST I SPEND ALL MY TIME STRUGGLING IN A URSERY BABYSITTING IMMATURITY, SETTLING FOR MEDIOCRITY BECAUSE THEY NEVER UNDERSTOOD ME AT MY CORE

Ex:  green apple; I think it's an orchard; you think its an apple because you look on outside; if you can ever get down to the core, you will never see the potential of the apple til its cut to the core; somewhere in the cutting proces; eventually i will get to core; when i see seed/potentil , life-giving part of you.  I want to get you down to the core.  This is what gives life.  Outside does not give life.  

--God has been cutting you down to the core; and everythng you lost, you didn't need; everything you cut away will not mater; at end of the day, you have at your core all you need to rise again

--though he slay me, yet will I trust him