In this episode of the "Lead to Serve" podcast, host Pastor Ed Taylor and guest Bob Claycamp explore the intricacies of spiritual warfare and the unique challenges faced by leaders in ministry. Ed, the Senior Pastor at Calvary Church in Aurora, Colorado, shares personal insights on leadership struggles and the importance of recognizing spiritual attacks. Bob, with over 50 years of ministry experience, discusses the emotional and psychological hurdles that leaders encounter and emphasizes the importance of spiritual disciplines and community support. Together, they offer practical advice on maintaining perspective, adjusting expectations, and relying on God's strength to navigate leadership challenges.
Key Words:
spiritual warfare, leadership challenges, Ed Taylor, Bob Claycamp, ministry insights, spiritual attacks, emotional struggles, psychological challenges, Calvary Church Colorado, Calvary Chapel, Mission Assist Ministry, Christian life, personal experiences, Ephesians 6, armor of God, discouragement, feelings of inadequacy, burnout, loneliness, community support, prayer, reading scripture, Holy Spirit, adjusting expectations, contentment in God, spiritual disciplines, encouragement, accountability, navigating leadership, faith journey, support networks, personal growth, ministry experience, challenges of leadership, spiritual tools, God's presence, resilience in faith, overcoming discouragement, vulnerability in leadership, proactive leadership, fostering community, podcast insights.
00:00:05
Welcome to today's broadcast of Lead to Serve, a leadership
00:00:08
podcast with Ed Taylor. Hey, welcome again to another
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edition of the. Lead to Serve podcast.
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My name is Ed Taylor. I'm a pastor here.
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At Calvary Church in. Aurora, Co and the host of.
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Lead to serve started. It many years ago.
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This podcast to. Talk about ministry and life and
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leadership and I want to say thank you to the response that
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you've given the emails, the text messages, they come in very
00:00:38
regularly and we're. Very grateful.
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For them, we want you to connect with you.
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We want you to know you're part of the family here.
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We're all growing together. And if you wonder.
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The what? The heart of the podcast.
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Is it's not just to help you grow in your servant leadership,
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but it's to invite you into a conversation talking about
00:00:57
different topics you. Can suggest the topics.
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This season, our topics are mostly what has been suggested.
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All the texts I, I I take the. Texts and the emails and I.
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Keep a separate list. Of the topics and I just jot
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them down. By the time we come to a new
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season, we list them out and this is unscripted and we have
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the title, we have a few notes what we're going to be talking
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about, but it's not. Scripted, so it's a.
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Discussion like you were coming into the office with.
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US. On this season, again we have
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Pastor Bob Klaykamp. Bob, welcome.
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Great to be here. It's been good to.
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Add to have. You as an addition to add you to
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this podcast to bounce off. Ideas.
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You have 55 zero. Plus years of ministry and you
00:01:48
can look back on those. First few years.
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If you were looking back just on those.
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First few years, let's say the first five.
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Yeah, of ministry. You.
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See tremendous growth, you see incremental growth.
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What do you, if you look back on the first five years, compared?
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To the last five years of your life.
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Recently, what's the first thing that pops into your mind?
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I know this is a pop question, but what?
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Do you think immaturity? Those early days.
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Oh yeah, I was 18 when I got saved.
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Went right into Christian house. We got married at 18.
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And because I was married, they figured I knew what I was doing
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and they put me in charge. And so I ran two of those
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Christian houses that you see on the movie Jesus Revolution.
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And I was just trying to make it work it plus it's hard.
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I mean, you're, you're a brand new married couple and you're a
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house full of 20 single people and you're trying to work out
00:02:43
your marriage issues and they're always like eyes and ears and
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checking you out. And you got to argue while
00:02:50
you're going for a walk because you can't argue while
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everybody's there. And it was hard.
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It was hard on a marriage. Immaturity is a key that might
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be a topic going forward. Immaturity needs to be
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acknowledged in those early days, even though we have such a
00:03:07
zeal when I think of. Those first five years.
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I have 25I. Really have about 30.
00:03:13
Years of experience. You have 50 25 here pastoring
00:03:17
in. Colorado, but those early.
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Days the the The phrase that pops into my mind is zeal
00:03:24
without knowledge. Absolutely.
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Zeal. Without knowledge and I.
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Was so excited. About being.
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Saved. I was so excited about.
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My life being changed. That I.
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Really didn't wait for anyone to tell me anything.
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If I read something in the Bible, I just.
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Did it? But I did it wrong, or I did it
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incorrectly or I like a bull in a China China cabinet just
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breaking everything I. Had the I, I.
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Really wanted to love God I I wanted to I was almost like
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trying to make up for all the. Years I threw away.
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And and God matures you. So again, that could be a topic
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somewhere else. I want to build though now that
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we have. Bob Bob, by the way, is.
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Leading a new ministry called Mission Assist Ministries.
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God's using him and him and his wife Jeannie in wonderful.
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Ways they help churches. Around the world you can contact
00:04:18
him at his. Website Bob Clay.
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Camp.com, bobclaycamp.com, I and you can always contact me.
00:04:26
Here at the church, Ed Taylor dot.
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Org I know he's got a.com, ivegota.org and you have to have
00:04:33
it right because the Ed taylor.com is a professional
00:04:37
Santa Claus and he doesn't forward emails anymore he.
00:04:40
Used to forward. Emails.
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He doesn't forward them to me anymore.
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We're going to put that guy in the naughty list.
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So today's topic. Here we go.
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Today's topic, let's not get. Too off track here.
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We talked in our. First episode about God.
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Being our defense and he is and accusations and rumors and the
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pain, today we're going to broaden the topic and talk about
00:05:03
the enemy's. Attacks spiritual warfare.
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The importance of understanding how how the enemy like seems to
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attack at the opportune time. He goes for our places of
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strength. He.
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You he. Gets us at the.
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Times where we least. Expected that.
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That sort of thing. But let's.
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Start with this. Statement The statement is it is
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normal to experience spiritual. Attacks.
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In your Christian life, what do you think about that, Bob?
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Absolutely. It's biblical, but you can't
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spiritualize everything that goes wrong.
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There are times where the Ephesians 6 talks about the evil
00:05:51
day and in the evil day. And so let me just read that
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here in Ephesians chapter 6 and going here to Ephesians 6 in my
00:06:04
Bible, and we see here it says finally, my brethren, this is
00:06:12
Ephesians 6 verse 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong
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in the Lord and in the power of His might.
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Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
00:06:24
against the Wiles of the devil. But we do not wrestle against
00:06:29
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
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against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
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spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
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Therefore big therefore take up the whole armor of God that you
00:06:46
may able to may be able to withstand in the evil day and
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having done all to stand. And personally, I see the evil
00:06:57
day as a time when it seems to be a perfect storm where it's
00:07:06
it's not just a thought that comes in or it's not just I had
00:07:10
a flat tire or, you know, maybe I'm going to lose my job.
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No, it's a combination of things that just come in at once where
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it's the enemy coming on all fronts.
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Maybe you're tired, maybe you're getting I'll, maybe you've been
00:07:28
accused. Maybe all this comes at once and
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you can know that it's it's really the enemy's effort to
00:07:36
tear you down and to divide and conquer in your life.
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The the context of. The Believer.
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This is a. Podcast that.
00:07:46
Comes from a Christian perspective, from a follower.
00:07:48
Of Jesus perspective. I'm thinking as you're talking,
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Bob, that the moment you wake up into consciousness every morning
00:07:57
with the motive of pleasing God, you are met with resistance.
00:08:02
Just that simple motive. You're not even doing anything
00:08:05
yet. You haven't even brushed your
00:08:07
teeth, taking a shower, gotten ready for the day, but on your
00:08:09
mind. Is the worship of God.
00:08:13
And stepping into not only do you are you desiring to worship
00:08:16
God and honor God And again, this this doesn't mean these are
00:08:19
formal, all completely formed thoughts where you're sitting.
00:08:22
At the side of your bed. I am ready.
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To please God today. This is the atmosphere of our
00:08:27
life. Where we.
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We may have a long day today. We may not have gotten very good
00:08:32
sleep. We may, We may.
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Walk. Wake up.
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You know, in a, in a, in a fog, or just wondering what the day's
00:08:40
going to bring. But the reality?
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Is is that in our heart of hearts?
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We're ready to serve. We're ready to help.
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We're ready to love. We're ready to be used of God.
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We are. Open.
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We're going to read our Bible. We're going to pray even if we
00:08:50
do it on the way in, we have the Bible audio on our car or we're
00:08:55
praying while we're driving. Just that.
00:08:58
Draws the attention of. Spiritual warfare.
00:09:01
And as we've learned. The Bible teaches us that we
00:09:03
have a. Threefold enemy.
00:09:05
So the while the topic is like spiritual.
00:09:07
Warfare, and especially against leaders, and there is a we'll
00:09:11
get to this in a little. Bit, but there's a.
00:09:13
A special unique warfare, I think that goes to leaders to
00:09:17
tear them down, right? I strike the shepherd.
00:09:20
And the sheep will. Scatter but the the.
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Sense of. How the devil gets.
00:09:25
Blamed for a lot of things that he actually has nothing to do
00:09:29
with directly. Maybe indirectly, but not.
00:09:32
Directly like the spiritual battle is your.
00:09:34
Flesh. I mean, most of the time it's
00:09:36
your flesh. It's my response.
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Or the. World system drawing us into the
00:09:40
flesh but ultimately we are responsible for every simple
00:09:46
decision that comes from our lives and that is where the
00:09:50
enemy's wanting to take he in particular because.
00:09:54
This is a very. Broad topic, but in.
00:09:55
Particular for this episode. For our time right now, I want
00:09:59
everyone listening to me. I want you to know this is that
00:10:02
there is a uniqueness about the battle and warfare.
00:10:06
That spiritual warfare, that. You're in as a.
00:10:08
Leader, because of the people that you are.
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Connected with and the difference that you will make
00:10:15
for the Kingdom and there is. You you have to realize.
00:10:19
This and remember it and and even praying, putting on the
00:10:22
spiritual armor in the morning asking God to protect you
00:10:26
because you don't. Just have the desire you are
00:10:29
also. In you're in the thick of
00:10:32
serving the Lord and giving your.
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Life as a place of service. So let's go through, Bob, Let's
00:10:39
go through. You'll say one, I'll say one.
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We'll see if we can go back and forth here.
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What are areas specific areas of attack?
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That the enemy goes after in a leader's.
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Life What do you. A sense of oppression.
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Oppression. So what?
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That like go to the that's the that that's.
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The broader one go to. The target what?
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What? In oppression, what do you think
00:11:01
of when you? Discouragement.
00:11:02
Discouragement. So tell us, talk about
00:11:04
discouragement. Oh, OK, You have usually it, it
00:11:11
comes when you had a preconceived idea that you
00:11:14
thought was pretty good and the Lord should honor it and you
00:11:18
went to carry it out and it completely fell apart or someone
00:11:23
came against you and said, that's the dumbest thing I ever
00:11:26
heard. And then all of a sudden you're
00:11:28
going, what is it? Why can't I, Why can't I impart?
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I mean, all of a sudden you start beating yourself down or
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people leave and they don't communicate when they left.
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They don't. It's just random ghosting and
00:11:43
you're thinking, how come? How can I be so clueless?
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And you start beating yourself up, and then the discouragement
00:11:49
comes as a result. Here's another attack.
00:11:51
I'll go 1. You go one Inadequacy.
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The enemy wants to make you feel like you are inadequate.
00:11:59
For the task, which actually has a little bit of truth to it.
00:12:02
Because we are inadequate. To the task.
00:12:04
But God is our adequacy so. You're sitting back, I think of.
00:12:08
I was also going to follow up. I'm thinking that when I'm
00:12:10
discouraged sitting in my office.
00:12:12
Discouraged. I am beating myself up.
00:12:14
I'm living in my own head. I am.
00:12:18
Little by little. In that discouragement 'cause.
00:12:21
There it it. Discouragement's real.
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It's a real emotion I you can feel.
00:12:25
Bad. You can feel bad about a
00:12:27
situation about, you know, I I think of the enemy's attack and
00:12:32
then discouragement when you teach a Bible study and you're
00:12:34
like, that was the. Worst Bible study I've ever
00:12:36
heard I've ever taught. But then the that, that's one
00:12:39
feeling. But then when somebody e-mail
00:12:41
emails you and says. That's the worst Bible study
00:12:43
you've ever taught You're. Like, Oh my goodness, I I just
00:12:47
remember early on. This was a big.
00:12:50
Place in my life where I remember early on driving home
00:12:54
from church once because there was some criticism on my Bible
00:12:56
study and and and I could have definitely done better in that.
00:13:00
Bible study but. Just thinking, I don't think I
00:13:02
can do this. I don't think I can teach.
00:13:04
A good Bible study. Every week and and that's if
00:13:07
that's what's needed, I don't think.
00:13:09
I think I moved to Colorado and I never should have come here
00:13:11
because I can't teach a good Bible.
00:13:13
Study every week. And and you just now you're just
00:13:16
bummed out all the way home until the Lord says, Ed, I
00:13:19
choose the foolish things of the world that confound the wise and
00:13:23
this inadequacy. Also, is a, is a.
00:13:26
Similar attack and discouragement.
00:13:28
Like you loser. You'll never amount to anything.
00:13:31
You didn't amount to anything in the world and here even people
00:13:34
are telling you and now you know you.
00:13:36
You feel you. You.
00:13:37
Have somebody you know the enemies or your mind, your
00:13:39
flush, it's just an. Attack where it's like.
00:13:43
Yeah, this guy came up and said I'm a loser and I guess I am a
00:13:45
loser and and so I want to quit. So we've got discouragement,
00:13:50
inadequacy. What's the next one?
00:13:51
What do you think? It would be tiredness.
00:13:55
Tiredness. So let's talk about it.
00:13:56
What do you think? You have, you're not taking
00:13:59
breaks. You're not, you're burning the
00:14:02
candle at both ends. You're thinking that I am going
00:14:05
to work, work, work, work. And I know it's all going to
00:14:08
come out right and all this effort is worth it.
00:14:12
And you don't realize that you're not your, your knife is
00:14:17
dull because you haven't taken time to to rehone it.
00:14:23
And how do you rehone the sharpness?
00:14:25
You come before the Lord and get His perspective.
00:14:29
Read His word, be honest and open.
00:14:32
That's how you sharpen the knife.
00:14:34
And if you don't take times to rest, because Sabbath's are of
00:14:40
the whole Sabbath idea of rest coming to Me, all you that labor
00:14:44
not have been laden, and I will give you rest.
00:14:48
But you've got to take the yoke. You've got to learn of Him.
00:14:53
His yoke is fitting, but just think of it as honing that knife
00:15:01
because the Lord wants you sharp, but he also knows that in
00:15:06
the use, sometimes you're not the sharpest knife in the in the
00:15:11
drawer and you got to take time to to sharpen it.
00:15:16
I, no, so as I'm listening to this, I don't think tiredness is
00:15:20
an attack of the enemy at all. He uses it as a platform.
00:15:25
I think tiredness is our own or working ourselves to the end of
00:15:29
the ground is our own mistake. And that becomes a vulnerability
00:15:33
for the enemy to attack. Because the, the, the sense of I
00:15:40
think I'm the only one that can do this.
00:15:41
I'm the only one that can do it right.
00:15:43
Perfectionism. If I don't do it, nobody will do
00:15:46
it. It's a real big.
00:15:48
Problem with pastors, this, this is a huge one with pastors, but
00:15:52
it's not exclusive to pastors. But guys just think they're the
00:15:56
only ones. And then, and then, before you
00:15:58
know it, in tiredness, the home. Gets affected the kids, get
00:16:02
affected the people. That are serving alongside a
00:16:04
brother like. That also get affected.
00:16:07
Because now you know that you're, you're starting to emote
00:16:12
all of your emotions and project them on other people.
00:16:15
And why aren't you doing enough? You're not doing enough.
00:16:18
You know they're resting and you're working and you're
00:16:21
measuring their their rest. By your work.
00:16:24
And it just breaks relationship with the the pattern is 6 and
00:16:28
one. We live in a culture.
00:16:30
That actually gives you. Five and two, and again, this
00:16:34
may be another. Episode altogether as we talked
00:16:37
through this thought, but the the.
00:16:42
Role of a leader is challenging because it's hard to turn things
00:16:46
off when you're resting. You have to, really.
00:16:49
Discipline yourself to rest and in the era of a phone in your
00:16:55
pocket and always on and always answering and always looking
00:16:59
and. Always you.
00:17:01
You. You even should.
00:17:03
Add to your life that you would. Fast not just food, but social
00:17:08
media and phone and everything so you can so you can truly have
00:17:12
a real physical, mental, emotional time of rest.
00:17:18
Regularly. Yeah.
00:17:21
And there are some rationalizations we come up
00:17:24
with. Well, I just want to provide for
00:17:25
my family. And so you work all the
00:17:27
overtime, you work, you work, you work, you work.
00:17:30
And I'm just in your mind, you're doing what's right.
00:17:32
Because after all, the family is going to get the money that they
00:17:35
need and you're missing the component of witness being with
00:17:41
them. And I, I've talked to so many
00:17:44
over the years that have used that rationalization and all of
00:17:48
a sudden they find out that the wife has gone off with somebody
00:17:52
or, you know, the kids are going off the rails and they're going,
00:17:55
what's wrong with my family? I'm taking care of them.
00:17:58
No, you're not. You're not wholly taking care of
00:18:01
them. You're OK, You're providing.
00:18:04
But it's more than just money. And the enemy uses that
00:18:07
rationalization and wears you down and then accuses you.
00:18:13
And actually, some of it's true. As we were talking earlier, it
00:18:17
doesn't even have to be someone else accusing you the whole
00:18:19
situation of. Let let's just.
00:18:21
Stop before everything explodes and blows up and reassess your
00:18:26
life in the moment. It's so important.
00:18:28
I I did this happened to me in the corporate world when I was
00:18:32
working in the corporate world, very demanding job better and
00:18:34
also in ministry when I started serving at the church.
00:18:38
Where I I had a high value. Of being there for my kids and
00:18:42
my family, I. That was a high value.
00:18:45
I didn't grow up that way. In my home, my home, my parents
00:18:49
were always working in a way, and I was.
00:18:51
What they called a. Latchkey kid.
00:18:53
I wasn't. My parents weren't very present
00:18:55
in that sense. They worked a.
00:18:57
Lot and I was alone a lot when I had my own family and as a
00:19:02
believer, presence was very important.
00:19:04
However. I interpreted as physical
00:19:09
presence, so I was around a lot, but I wasn't always around
00:19:14
emotionally or paying attention or especially when they invented
00:19:18
the phone. But I also.
00:19:20
Before the phone I. Always had a latest.
00:19:22
Computer, I was always working on things, I was always doing
00:19:25
something, but I have this image.
00:19:27
There's one image in particular, but it.
00:19:28
Covers a. Lot of different times where I
00:19:31
took my daughter out to play in the park, push her on the swing
00:19:36
and I was pushing her on the swing, but I was also on the
00:19:39
phone at the same time. And so she's done with the swing
00:19:42
and then she runs over and she runs over and, and I, I really
00:19:46
wasn't. If it was only 15 minutes, she
00:19:49
was done and we went back into the house.
00:19:50
It wasn't even that much time. But it.
00:19:53
My I interpreted. That as I was with her, but was
00:19:57
I? Really.
00:19:58
I was talking. Who knows?
00:19:59
I don't even know what. I was put it.
00:20:00
This way. Here's the context.
00:20:02
I have no idea. Right now I have an image in my
00:20:05
mind. I remember it photographing
00:20:08
memory. I remember pushing her.
00:20:10
I remember her having fun. I remember her enjoying her time
00:20:12
at the park. I remember her.
00:20:15
I have no idea who I was on the phone with.
00:20:16
I don't even know what I was talking about.
00:20:18
I don't know what I thought was so.
00:20:20
Important that I could. Do both, and we talked about
00:20:23
this in an earlier. Episode last.
00:20:24
Season this doing multitasking and being no, no, no, no, I
00:20:29
don't know what I would. I don't have any clue the person
00:20:32
that was on the phone or how important that was or I thought,
00:20:35
but I remember my daughter and now you guys listening,
00:20:38
listening in. At this stage in your life, it
00:20:42
is important. This is an.
00:20:43
Area of attack. Where if you don't rest and
00:20:48
you're not present, then the enemy's going to use it against
00:20:51
you and you'll have regrets later on.
00:20:54
You don't want that. You don't want let me give me
00:20:55
another one. So we'll go a couple more
00:20:57
because we're almost out of time.
00:20:59
Here's an area of attack the enemy wants to make you.
00:21:01
Feel like you're. Alone.
00:21:04
Alone I, I think immediately of Elijah when he was running away
00:21:11
from the accusation of Jezebel. It's only me.
00:21:14
It's only me. That's a.
00:21:16
Horrible feeling to have. I think again of those in
00:21:19
leadership serving as a pastor. Or a leader and.
00:21:23
And you're like, I've got so much to do and nobody wants to
00:21:26
help me. And nobody showed up and nobody.
00:21:29
And you feel alone. Nobody understands you.
00:21:32
Nobody gets it. Nobody wants to help.
00:21:35
You Where did everybody go? On and on that list goes.
00:21:39
That that attack. Of being alone.
00:21:42
Is is real? Because it is.
00:21:46
These attacks are. They're they're not contrived.
00:21:50
There's a little bit of reality. Involved in them, you know, if
00:21:54
you think about discouragement, that's a real feeling when you
00:21:58
are sensing inadequacy. That's not entirely untrue.
00:22:02
Tiredness of I mean, for goodness sake, all it takes.
00:22:06
You don't even have to think about work, ministry or anything
00:22:08
if you just don't get a good night's sleep.
00:22:10
You're tired. That's a.
00:22:11
Real issue, but it opens up the door for so many other things
00:22:16
and being alone can also. Because there's this, this, this
00:22:20
area. Of of connection point here in
00:22:23
our church is I emphasize what. The Bible teaches of.
00:22:27
Like mindedness, but there. Is.
00:22:31
Seasons. There are seasons in our life.
00:22:33
Where, like Paul, you say. I have no one like minded except
00:22:37
for Timothy and I'm sending him away which is going to leave me
00:22:40
alone. So it's not entirely inaccurate,
00:22:44
however learning. How to live?
00:22:47
In The Times. Where either you are.
00:22:51
Alone, I think of the church planter.
00:22:54
I mean, if you're married, you're you're not technically
00:22:56
not alone, but your wife might be serving the kids like she may
00:23:00
not be your. Absolute.
00:23:01
Partner in ministry because she's partnering in a different
00:23:04
way. I mean she is your absolute
00:23:05
partner but like you're not arm in arm setting up chairs or.
00:23:09
Like you're at the. School, setting up chairs and
00:23:11
she's changing diapers. You're partnering, but you're
00:23:14
not necessarily. Together.
00:23:15
Physically. Doing the same work.
00:23:17
But this isn't of aloneness. I've seen a lot of guys spiral
00:23:21
into discouragement because they feel so.
00:23:24
Alone. Yeah, and not just a
00:23:26
discouragement, but all of a sudden the whole thing of
00:23:29
desires or pride, lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, pride of
00:23:33
life, those three things come in.
00:23:36
The enemy wants to use that. And we see the temptation that
00:23:41
the devil tried to give to Jesus on the mount of temptation hit
00:23:45
all three of those. And so there are times when
00:23:50
maybe you're, you're coming down with something and you're,
00:23:53
you're starting to get affected where it's a real bad cold or
00:23:58
respiratory thing and it's hanging on and you're just
00:24:01
going, why can't I? And then you know, you're,
00:24:05
you're weakened, but in your physically weakened state,
00:24:09
that's when the Holy Spirit, the power of God, that's what it
00:24:13
says and, and the power of his might.
00:24:16
He, he's the has the ability to help you keep perspective
00:24:22
because you lose perspective when it's all about you, because
00:24:26
it's not all about you. It's about him.
00:24:29
And he is with you. The Holy Spirit has been given
00:24:32
to you to abide with you forever.
00:24:35
And so he doesn't timeshare you with the devil.
00:24:38
He's there to help you, but you got to call upon him and you
00:24:42
have to resist the pity party. You have to resist the, the, the
00:24:48
reality that you're, you're coming into a weakened state
00:24:52
physically because maybe you're coming down with something or or
00:24:56
you're hanging on to a, an illness because of an accident
00:25:01
and the repercussion is lasting for years.
00:25:05
And how do you how do you deal with that?
00:25:08
You have to first of all, go to the Lord in and say, listen, I
00:25:13
live in this armor. It's not that I've lost.
00:25:17
Where's my shield? No, no, you have it.
00:25:20
The sword is, is the word of God, which is the Rhema, the
00:25:26
word of God. What what's the appropriate
00:25:29
scripture that applies to my situation right now?
00:25:34
That's true between God and me and, and, and you have to just,
00:25:39
and it's so easy to talk about it when you're not going through
00:25:42
it. And if you have like a chronic
00:25:45
illness and it just wears you down, you've got to it.
00:25:50
Just it's a lot of warfare to keep the perspective just today,
00:25:55
just today. And as a practical sense, as we
00:25:58
wind down today's episode, when I think of perspective and you
00:26:01
might be listening and wondering, I don't know how to
00:26:04
change my perspective, one of the ways you can change your
00:26:08
perspective. Is by.
00:26:10
Adjusting your expectations and being able to adjust to the
00:26:15
situation as it is asking God to encourage you and strengthen
00:26:20
you. For example, again, the context
00:26:23
of church planting or starting a ministry, you expect it.
00:26:26
To grow. But it's not growing if you
00:26:29
don't. You don't change your
00:26:31
expectations in the moment. You will live in perpetual
00:26:34
discouragement. It's like where is.
00:26:36
Everybody out what's going on? I I thought people were going to
00:26:38
come and help. I started this and where.
00:26:40
Are all the people? And the people are.
00:26:43
There. But what God is doing, He's
00:26:45
working in you. 1st. And we, we are seeing many
00:26:50
people like open themselves. Up to the attacks.
00:26:53
Of the enemy through discouragement, because the
00:26:55
perspective is wrong, because their expectations are wrong,
00:26:59
and. It it's easier said.
00:27:01
Than done I I do appreciate Bob you sharing like it's hard.
00:27:05
It's hard to talk about it when you're not in it and people are
00:27:08
listening that are in it or have friends that are in a perpetual
00:27:12
long term illness. Difficulty or the reality of
00:27:17
this is the. Station of.
00:27:18
Their life or. I think of contentment and I
00:27:21
think of satisfying, satisfied, my safest place, my safest place
00:27:27
in my life because I'm a I'm a visionary.
00:27:29
I'm thinking about what God wants to do.
00:27:31
I'm thinking about how how we can do more for the Lord.
00:27:34
But I have to also remember that that my safest place is not to
00:27:38
expect anything from the Lord that he doesn't say in his word
00:27:41
right and and to be happy with him, not not the outward to be
00:27:45
content with him and to enjoy him and and he loves me and I
00:27:49
love him and he rescued my life. Anything else I'm living on I I
00:27:56
want to say. I guess the world.
00:27:57
Says I'm living on borrowed time, but I'm living on grace
00:28:00
time. All this time of my.
00:28:02
Life is just Grace I. Really should not be.
00:28:06
Physically alive today because of the.
00:28:08
Consequences of my sin when I wasn't saved, Absolutely, and
00:28:12
I'm living on grace, time and when I forget.
00:28:15
That. Then I have all these
00:28:17
expectations, my perspective is wrong, and then the
00:28:19
circumstances of life come in and then I'm attacked.
00:28:22
Discouragement, inadequacy, tiredness, aloneness, and the
00:28:25
list could go on and on. You may want.
00:28:28
To text us or. E-mail us things that you've
00:28:30
been attacked on or things that you want to talk about and we
00:28:33
could do in a. Future we could talk.
00:28:35
About them in a. Future episode, but today this
00:28:38
episode is. Over, we've come to the end.
00:28:41
I want to thank you for joining us.
00:28:43
Please give us your. Feedback please, on wherever
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more people can see it. I really do appreciate.
00:29:00
We were talking about Bob and I before we started recording
00:29:04
today, that we were looking at the numbers of the podcast and
00:29:09
where it ranks and it ranks. Very, very high.
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In the top 1 1/2% of podcasts. So thank you for helping us be
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00:29:21
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00:29:24
And we don't have all the answers that that's certainly
00:29:26
not how we're launching this. We don't, we don't, we don't
00:29:30
speak with absolute. We've got it made, but we can't
00:29:33
talk things out. And we have learned a few things
00:29:35
over the years and we are learning a few things over the
00:29:39
years. So contact us.
00:29:40
Lead to Serve podcast here at Calvary.
00:29:42
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00:29:46
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00:29:49
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00:29:55
And Bob's personal website, bobklaycamp.com give us your
00:30:00
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00:30:02
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00:30:09
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00:30:14
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00:30:16
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our next. Episode of the Lead to Serve
00:30:22
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00:30:24
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00:30:27
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00:30:31
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