jerrygillis.com is a great site. BTW, he's the pas...

2008-05-24T21:11:00.000-04:00

jerrygillis.com is a great site. BTW, he's the pastor of Buffalo church that John is referencing. : ) They have an off the hook women's ministry page. Loved it.

Here's a great quote from Jerry:

If You Only Drink from Other People's Wells, You Eventually Forget the Taste of Living Water - Jesus flipped a lady's understanding on its ear when he was getting water from a well one day (see John 4:7-14). She could not believe that there could be better water than was from Jacob's well, yet Jesus told her that she could keep drinking it but she would still be thirsty. Jesus wanted to do something fresh in her life, but if she kept relying on Jacob (so to speak) she would not be able to experience it. I think the same is true in the ministry culture of today. There are so many resources available today for other churches/ministries (other wells) that many in ministry don't even remember what it is like for God to speak freshly to them anymore (and help them drink from living water). So as not to be misunderstood, I am a fan of learning from others - in fact, I think it is arrogant for any of us to think we should not keep learning (note point 2 above). But the danger is that we drink so much and so long from other people's wells, that we miss the living water that Jesus wants to provide for us in our ministry context. God didn't design us to be a copy of someone else - He wants us to be who we are, yielded to Him, drinking from His living water. Usually when we try to copy or rely on everyone else's resources, we end up being a parody of that which we are trying to emulate.

Well, I have many more lessons to learn for sure. But, for now, here's a few that I have learned/am learning. Hope some of them may be of help/challenge/encouragement to you in your leadership journey as well.

Comments on thinking outside the bunn: blogging from buffalo

jerrygillis.com is a great site. BTW, he's the pas...