pastordan: The Blessing of Godly Council/Advice

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Blessing of Godly Council/Advice

My life is indebted immeasurably to the wisdom and mentoring of dozens of people in my life. My father and mother being first. I have always strongly depended upon multiple councilors to give me general wisdom and to make larger decisions. Reflecting on it now, I don't think I have ever made a significant decision in opposition to the council of these people in my life. Of course, having the right councillors is important too (asking someone whose finances are in the ditch for financial advice is probably not a great idea). One of the greatest leaders I have known and wisest men I have had a chance to work with is Dr. George Hill. He founded and leads an organization with well over 1000 churches and continues to fire me up. I lived with him, was his youth leader and have asked his advice on dozens of occasions. Here is a devotional he recently sent out.

Dare to be a Daniel

Text Dan.1:1-21

We are at the beginning of a New Year, so we have an opportunity to put some things in place in our lives. We don’t want to carry the defeating patterns of last year into this New Year. You form the habits and then the habits form you, good or bad.

In Daniel 1 we see key tests of Daniels character and the development of his prophetic and interpretive skills during a 3year-training period, before he became great.

1. Daniel dealt with his past and refused a spirit of bitterness.

Daniel had to overcome a bad past. He never let his bad past separate him from his belief in a living all-powerful God, nor from his love and concern for Gods people and Gods work. You think you had a bad past; they were children of the King of Israel. They saw Israel and Jerusalem destroyed, their families and friends brutally killed and they are taken away and made into eunuchs. You talk about cause for bitterness, hopelessness and despair. No hope of living a normal life, having children or a family. This was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy to King Hezekiah in Isa 39:7. We all have a past; the question is does the past have you. What you won’t let go of won’t let go of you. Gen 41:51-52 Joseph had two children and he gave them names that spoke of God’s mercy and grace in his life.

Notice the order:

a. Manasseh means “God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.”

b. Ephraim means “For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

Joseph and Daniel both started out in a pit and ended up in a palace because they refused to be a prisoner of their past or let bitterness rule their present and ruin their future. Both men found a purpose bigger than them-selves and poured their lives into it. When you find a God given purpose and pour your life into, you will also find healing from the past and grace to forgive and go on. Nothing brings healing to a bad past quicker than a Holy Spirit filled future.

2. Daniel was completely devoted to God. “Sold out”

Dan.11: 32 “The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”

James 4:8 Put God first in everything. Math 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom”, First in priority. Rom 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ.” It is time to connect with the Lord in a greater way than ever before. Revelation comes from relationship

3. Daniel had a disciplined lifestyle and developed good habit patterns

a. Daniel was a student of the word. Dan 9:2-3 He found Gods prophetic plan in the word and this is what enabled Daniel to start praying and keep praying and fasting for three weeks. Read the word daily until something comes alive in your spirit. The word makes dead things come alive. That’s what put new life in Sarah’s womb. It is what kept Caleb strong at 85years of age.

b. Daniel had a regular disciplined prayer life.

Dan 6:10” He knelt down on his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God….as was his custom since early days.” Pray daily no matter how busy you are! If you do, God promises to “direct you”(Prov. 3:6) The difference between “drifting” and being “directed” is in “acknowledging Him.”

c. Daniel had healthy eating habits.

Dan 1:8, 12-16. How much do you want to win? Daniels flesh was under the control of his spirit and the word of God. He lived a fasted life and when necessary had no problem with an extended fast. Daniel fast 21 days. (Daniel10)

4. Daniel was decisive and daring.

He knew what he believed; what his standards and his values were, and refused to compromise on his beliefs. (Dan 1:8-10) Daniels friends took the same stand. When your objectives and values are clear it makes decision making easier. Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den because he refused to stop praying to His God. (Dan 6:22) This year instead of making an excuse make a commitment.

5. The reward of obedience is the development of an excellent spirit.

“Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him.” (Daniel 6:3) Today’s obedience helps develop an excellent spirit within us and positions us for breakthrough, blessing and promotion tomorrow. Without obedience we stay in the realm of potential. “God had brought Daniel into favor” (Dan 1:9) “God gave them Knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom.” (Dan 1:17) Daniel was a God made man not a self-made man. If you are self-made, then you must be self sustained and if self-sustained it isn’t too long before you self-destruct. God specializes in taking nobodies and making somebody’s out of them. God likes to start with nothing, then there is no doubt about who gets the glory (1Cor 1:26-30) Great hope for us all!

This month we are going to put our flesh under, get our heart and mind still so we can hear what the spirit of God is saying to us.

Together we can become world changers and History Makers!!

Sincerely,

Dr. George Hill

President and Founder

Victory Churches International

CURRICULUM VITAE

DAN GODARD

Introduction:
I am a man who sincerely attempts to live in a passionate, authentic and growing relationship with Jesus Christ and to help others do the same. I am radically committed to my wife and children, to personal learning and development, to developing leaders, to mentoring and to the local church. I am outgoing and assertive in personality and am gifted in communication, leadership, mentoring and networking.

My Journey and Dream:
My journey to faith in Christ as a teenager has been very formative in the vision and mission for my life. I embraced Jesus as my all when I discovered that enjoying all this world had to offer left me empty and broken. My life exists to help others find out that this world cannot satisfy and that Christ alone can truly fill us. I feel a special calling and have had the most success in my ministry in serving those who think they “have it all” according to this world but are empty without Christ.

Current Contextual Dream and Learning:
I am currently serving as Lead Pastor at Victory Church in Moose Jaw. My current challenge is in helping our church discover its unique identity and culture and pursue the next phase of the vision that God has for it. My dream for our church is to be a team of people working together to reach our friends, neighbours, co-workers and family for Christ. I am currently learning about the importance of and formation of organizational culture.

Key Insights / Self-Perception :
- My family will always be my first ministry and life priority. I am deeply in love with my wife.
- I am an avid reader and learner. I have read, on average, over 10 books per month for the last four years and I engage in dozens of learning experiences such as conferences, seminars, courses every year.
- My top three life values in order are; sincerity, passion, learning.
- My top passions are; family, generational ministry, leadership development, evangelism, business leaders, mentoring.

My Life Vision, Mission and Strategy: established in 1996-1998 and has been a guiding beacon for my life since.

My Life Vision: Living for Significance
In the most fundamental part of my motivations for my life; every decision is motivated by one of these three things. I try to evaluate myself in every choice by the following grid.
Survival - living to get by, to meet my basic needs - live to get
Success - living for power, pleasure, popularity, possessions - live to get
Significance - living for God and others - live to give
God promises that if I live for significance He will take care of my survival and my success (Matt 6:33).

My Life Mission: To invest my life in others.

My Life Strategy: How can I maximize my significance and be a good steward of the life God has given me?
1. Grow (Luke 2:52) - I must grow myself if I am to have anything to offer to others. I evaluate my growth in the
following four categories; mentally, relationally, spiritually, physically.
2. Grow others (Matt 28:18-20) - The best thing I can do with my life is invest it in others; my wife and children first and then those whom God brings around me in my life.
3. Grow others who grow others (2 Timothy 2:2) - To maximize this investment I must intentionally invest in others who will invest themselves in people as well thus multiplying the effort.

Spiritual Gifts: Wisdom, teaching, leadership and evangelism.

Strengthsfinder Profile: Woo, Learner, Maximizer, Positivity, and Strategic

Education and Experience:
Victory Bible College - Certificate in Biblical Studies 1993-1995: Learning included Biblical knowledge, ministry teaching from seasoned pastoral leaders, and lots of ‘hands on’ practical ministry experience and learning.

Kenya Mission - Summer 1994: I led and preached at dozens of crusades in Kenya, thousands of people responded to invitations to receive Christ, taught at Victory Bible College Kenya and served in Kenyan orphanages.

England Mission - Summer 1995; Mexico Mission - Summer 1996: Developed and led teams of teenagers to do drama, street preaching, and personal ministry around England, Scotland and Wales. Developed and led a team of teenagers to Mexico to serve in an orphanage.

Youth Pastor - Royal Oak Victory Church 1995-1999: Developed a thriving and highly relational youth ministry. Learned to relate to and mentor young people and to work with a great church staff team.

Associate Pastor - Royal Oak Victory Church 1999-2008: Leadership development and coaching, small group ministry, strategic planning, teaching and preaching, discipleship and creative service production.

Lead Pastor - Victory Church Moose Jaw 2008 - Present: Strategic planning and vision casting, board development, staff development and coaching and more.

Briercrest Seminary - Masters in Leadership and Management - 2010- present: Currently engaged in studies.

Other: Guest speaker at camps, conferences, schools and churches. Teaching at Victory Bible College one course per semester for 12 years (1996-2008). Served on several boards of ministries and churches. Initiated and led several leadership development initiatives, mentoring groups and other ministry
endeavours.

Written References:
“It has been an absolute delight to become more intimately acquainted with Pastor Dan, as I affectionately refer to him. Indeed that is somewhat descriptive of how I see him. Dan is one of the most insightful, wise, and hungry strategic life learners I have ever met and had the opportunity to teach and connect with. He is gentle, kind, wise, thoughtful, reflective, and above all a strategic learner and adaptive servant of Jesus. He not only loves learning but he also seeks to draw others forward and into learning opportunities and circles. His pastoral heart and high influence capacity makes him so effective at inspiring others to learn. It has been a life treat to cross his path and to be in his circle of learning and influence over the past several years.”
- Paul Magnus, President Emeritus,
Distinguished Professor of Leadership/management, Briercrest Briercrest College and Seminary

“Dan is the kind of leader that can make a memorable impact in a short period of time. I find that men of character, discipline, and wisdom, tend to have this innate ability. Dan is one of these rare men. It is more than that though. Dan has an ability to make personal connections and it is evident that he is a man of great care who wants to make a big difference in the lives of his family, his friends, his church, and his community. Dan is also a great translator and communicator, which are hallmarks of great leaders. Dan knows that active listening is perhaps the most important part of communicating. He compliments this skill with his warm personality, kind heart, and calming influence. Perhaps most importantly Dan is truly a “Man after God's heart” who is able to take complex concepts and passages and bring them to life through heartfelt storytelling, analogies, and passionate explanation, in ways that are meaningful to his audience. Dan has made an impact in my life like few have and it is my honour to know him and call him a friend.”
- Steve Fedorchuk, Regional Vice-President, ATB Financial

“Dan Godard is one of the wisest men I have ever met. He knows God deeply and His relationship with God is balanced and healthy. Dan has a heart for God like David. He inspires people to die to themselves and pursue God with all their heart. He is a man of character and His teaching of the Word is backed by a lifestyle that models it. Dan’s guidance has inspired me to live for what is eternally significant rather than wasting my life pursuing earthly success. I am forever grateful.”
- Richard Mann; Juris Doctor of Law; Bachelor of Theology

“When I think of someone who is passionate about the the Gospel and the Great Commission, Dan Godard is one of the first people who come to mind. His dedication to excellence in everything he does, along with a servant heart and willingness to do what God calls him to do, make him a formidable soldier in God's army. Whenever I hear him speak or have a conversation with him, I come away with a greater desire to serve God and grow the Kingdom of God. Take all this and add his enthusiasm and leadership abilities, and you have the making of a great man of God who is being used greatly to change the world in the name of Jesus Christ. Looking at all the talent, skill and passion wrapped up in one package,
I'm glad he's on our side!”
- Rev. Jeffrey Schneider, B.Ed M. Div D.Ad, Teacher, Bearspaw
Christian School

“Dan Godard has shown a level of wisdom from a very early age that is rare in young men. His wisdom combined with very good communication and interpersonal skills are a dearly needed commodity in today’s complex society. I have known Dan for almost 20 years and am always inspired by his faith and his commitment to a Christian principled life.”
- Dr. Brian Rushfeldt, past Dean of VBCI and founding President of Canada Family Action

“Here is how I would describe Dan Godard. He is a man with good character. i.e. does what he says, has integrity, and does his job with spirit of excellence. He puts God first, spouse and family as his priorities. His communication skills are a gift and strength. He is passionate to see the Kingdom advance in the church, the community and in individuals. He puts the development of himself and others as a leader as a high priority and he loves to read.”
- Greg Simpson, President/CEO Simpson Seeds.

“My name is Warren Michelson. I live with my family in Moose Jaw and am an elected member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly. It's my pleasure to comment on the personality of Pastor Dan Godard. Pastor Dan portrays an extraordinary welcoming disposition as a leader of faith and a builder of the faith community. He possesses a warm passionate nature with guidance and encouragement people around him. His personality is of knowledge and kindness, one who has a caring attitude of understanding, and is able to communicate the teachings of the Bible as well as being versed on daily topics of interest as one might hear on the radio or read in the local newspaper. As a believer in my own faith, I do not frequent his services on a regular basis, however the number of occasions that I have been involved with his congregation, one comes to realize the passion he has and the gift of leadership he possesses as a director of faith. Pastor Dan’s receptive manor makes it easy to discuss many topics of interest or personal concern. Under his leadership, his community of faith has grown and strengthened. People look to Pastor Dan for spiritual guidance and direction of daily living challenges in regards to family or social issues. I have come to appreciate the conversations we have had together in a social setting, or listening to his messages of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Pastor Dan could be considered a friend to all. I am thankful that we have become friends here in Moose Jaw.”
- Warren Michelson, MLA Moose Jaw North