Andy Stanley, Senior Pastor of North Point Ministries

• Theology is what you believe. Ministry is what you do as a result of what you believe.
  • Ministry should change all the time, but not theology.
  • If you have bad theology, it will narrow what you minister to.
  • Jesus had perfect theology, and yet there is no one He wouldn’t minister to.
• Churches who get this, and Christians will always be attractive to people.
• To awaken the wonder of the world to the wonder of the church, we should take our cues from: Something Jesus said, something said about Jesus, something Jesus said without saying it, and something Jesus didn’t say.
• Something said about Jesus: He embodied grace and truth. (John 1:14, 17)
  • Jesus never dumbed down the truth and never turned down the grace.
  • The grace/truth tension requires that we present the ideal while embracing what’s real.
• Something Jesus said without saying it: Distinguish theology from ministry. (Matthew 9: 9-13)
  • Distinguishing between theology and ministry liberates ministry without compromising theology.
  • When churches fail to distinguish between theology and ministry, ministry becomes rigid and idealistic.
• Something Jesus didn’t say: Never give up influence unnecessarily. (Luke 20:1-8)
  • Never make a point at the expense of making a difference.
  • Think twice before answering a question that has the potential to burn a bridge or close a door.
• Something Jesus actually said: Love your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-45)
  • Objection: But didn’t Jesus say we should be concerned about people speaking well of us? No, of Jesus.
  • Think about the groups that would usually push back against your local church. How can you love them?
• Conclusion:
  • Teach the ideal and embrace what’s real.
  • Teach your teams to distinguish between theology and ministry.
  • Never give up influence unnecessarily.
  • Identify your potential enemies and love them.

Dr. Brene Brown, Best-Selling Author

• Leaders, know that you will fall a some point.
• 3 ways to manage shame: move away, move toward and move against
• When something hard happens to us, emotion gets the first crack at handling it and making sense of it.
  • As much as we think we are thinking beings, we are emotional beings.
• The brain is hard-wired for survival.
  • The brain wants a story to make sense.
• Both brains and hearts respond to stories – logically and emotionally.
  • The brain rewards us even if the truth is ambiguous. It just needs the logic of a narrative. Vulnerability and uncertainty are the enemy.
• Getting through hard emotions well:
  • Try to recognize when they’re triggered by emotion.
    • You can’t create an innovative, loving landscape without understanding emotion.
    • You must have a high capacity for discomfort.
    • You need an understanding of your own emotional landscape, as well as the landscape of your people.
  • Good leaders are mindful and breathing.
    • Mindfullness =  paying attention, pray
    • We are better at inflicting pain than dealing with our own.
  • Rumble with the story we’re making up.
    • SFD (Shitty First Draft) – We don’t need shame about being human.
    • Consider writing immediate thoughts to help you deal. it’s telling what comes to mind first. It helps you deal.
    • In the absence of data, we make up a story, but we need to get the facts straight!
    • When you own your story, you get to write the ending. If you don’t, it owns you.
    • “The story I’m telling myself right now…” is the conversation you have with a person you have a conflict with. Let them clarify.
  • If you’re not falling, you’re not being brave enough.

Trip Lee, Award-winning Hip Hop Recording Artist and Author

• Use music to celebrate God. (Exodus 18)
  • We are always standing on the other side of the Red Sea.
• Use music to express pain and frustration.
  • We do not have a cold, dead Bible that doesn’t understand human experience.
  • We do not have a God that can’t handle our pain and suffering.
• Use music to teach and encourage.
• Use music for joy.

Margaret Feinberg, Author

• Religious familiarity breeds unholy cynicism.
• Isaiah 29: 13-14
• Joy is the weapon we use to fight life’s battles. How will you respond to bad situations?
• Rejoice when it makes no sense.
  • Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice.
  • Do it one square inch at a time.
  • Proclaim to the darkness that it will not win!
• Remain suspicious that God is up to something good.
  • Joseph’s story.
  • Good things still came from Margaret’s cancer.
  • When we search for the goodness of God, we will find it.

Erwin McManus, Founder of Mosaic Church and Author

• What makes us uniquely human? Hebrews 11
• Faith restores our humanity.
• We are only species that can live beneath our intention.
• we seem to have more confidence is what we have, than what we hope for.
• Hope only exists in the future. We are created for the future.
• we need to move beyond enlightenment to living in the Light.
• The question is not if you will create, but what kind of future you will create.
• You are living in a future someone else dreamed of.
• You can only create outside of you what is reflected inside of you.
• The imagination is the playground of God.
• What fear is God trying to eat away in your soul?
• Dream. Risk. Create.

Louie Giglio, Pastor of Passion City Church and Lead Visionary of Passion Movement

• God doesn’t call people to job descriptions. He calls them to Himself and His purpose in the world.
• “Here am I, send me.” (main scripture reference)

John Maxwell, Leadership Expert

• Success is about us, significance is about others.
• To live a significant life, you must be intentional.
• value people, believe in people and unconditionally love people.
• You’re going to either read or write your own story. Be intentional, or something will write yours for you.
• Move from good intentions to good actions.
• Once you’ve listed significance, success will never satisfy.
• Everyday:
  • Value people
    • Are we going to connect with people, or correct them?
  • Think of ways to add value to people.
    • Think on the front end, not on the back end.
    • Prepare or repair.
  • Look for ways to add value to people
    • Then evaluate your day, every day.
  • Do things that add value to people
    • You must act on your good intentions.
  • Encourage others to add value to people
    • Start a movement.

Christine Caine, Founder of The A21 Campaign, Propel and Author

• It’s easy to ignore suffering when its nameless and faceless. (Genesis 50:20)
• Numbers 13:1 (Sending spies to Canaan)
• How you seem in your own eyes can also be how you look to others. (grasshoppers)
• You can miss the miracles of God because of your perspective, even when you’re in the midst of it.
  • 10 people delayed a generation’s destiny.
  • Your perspective can shape the destiny of others.
• God’s not obligated to finish what you start.
• God wants to do amazing things. If you don’t want to be a part of it, get out of the way.
• Joshua and Caleb weren’t any more gifted than the others, they just had more perspective and faith.
• We need a world of hope and purpose, and that only comes through Christ.
• The question is “how” we’ll take the land, not “if.”
• Impossible is where God starts.
• Do not limit God’s power by the size of your giant. They were holding the fruit, but focused on the giant.
• If you are good enough, smart enough, or talented enough, you don’t need God anyway.
• Some of you are praying for miracles, but refuse to put yourself in a situation where God will perform one.
  • We ask God for signs, wonders and miracles, but refuse to go into circumstances where we need them.
• God’s promises are bigger than the problems.

Chris Brown, Nationally Syndicated Radio Host

• Wonder often gets chucked out by familiarity, and distraction.
• Gratitude is the key that unlocks wonder. We keep it with generosity.
• As leaders, we should proactively create wonder in others.
• “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

Guy Kawasaki, Author, Chief Evangelist of Canva

• Great innovation occurs when people decide to make meaning.
• Make a mantra.
• Jump the next curve.
• Most orgs define themselves by what they currently do, it’s forward thinking we need.
• Roll the dice.
  • Anticipate.
  • The best products are deep (multi-faceted) and intelligent and complete and empowering and elegant.
• Don’t worry, be crappy.
  • It doesn’t have to be perfect. You’ll never finish.
• Let 100 flowers blossom.
  • In the beginning, you can’t predict everything, including your audience.
• Polarize people.
  • Great causes, churches, people, etc, polarize people. Not everyone’s going t like it. The worst case is that people don’t care.
• Church, baby, churn.
  • There has to be a next version.
  • Then listen to the feedback.
• Niche thyself (the key to marketing)
  • Be unique and add value
• Perfect your pitch.
  • You have to sell it.
  • Customize your intro.
    • 10 slides is enough, 20 minutes, 30 point font with a black background
• Don’t let the bozos grind you down.

Neil Blumenthal, Co-Founder and CEO of Warby Parker

• Innovation often comes out of constraint.
• Fail first.
• De-risk the process in small steps.
• Details are important.
• Incremental progress.
• Help others find their passion.
• Help others identify their strengths.
• Spur their creativity by setting expectations and constraints.
• Innovation requires a deep examination of the problem
• A million small steps lead to a big solution.

For my notes on Labs, click here.