It Starts With Me

With the addition of our new staff member and tons of strategic conversations & reading, we're really ramping up to follow God to the next level.
We've talked about what we have to do to get there with our ministries, facilities, staffing, etc. ... but before all that it begins with me as the pastor.
Here's some areas for me:
1) Prayer. I've got to 'just do it'. I'm not getting it done in this area.
2) Leadership growth. I've got to read more and get around other leaders. From conferences, to contacts, to calls ... I've got to take my leadership to a new level.
3) Personal integrity & purity. I've got to make sure I safeguard these critical areas (money, marriage, morality). The enemy would like nothing more than for me to stumble.
4) Personal accountability. Having someone to ask me the tough questions.
5) Boundaries. Setting healthy and protective boundaries around my time, my health, my marriage, etc.

The funny thing is that to one extent or another I have addressed these areas before in my life but as the church has grown things have changed, Satan has gotten more upset ... and as a result I have to keep growing, stretching, and allowing God to change me to be a better communicator, pastor, leader, and husband.