perspective – John Markum

The older I get, the longer I’m married, the more I know Christ, and the greater experience I have in life and ministry, the more my life has been impacted by a few decisions I have made along the way. These are not all necessarily from the Bible, but the principles are all there. I’m taking for granted a few things that should be obvious: give my life to Christ, etc… These are more specific. And the benefits – and burdens – of these decisions continue to guide my life. These are not general guidelines. These are personal declarations that I intend to follow through at the cost of everything else if necessary. These are decisions that have radically altered and determined the direction of my life:

I choose to love 1 woman, my whole life, with all of my heart, soul, and mind – and earn her honor and love in return.
I will raise my kids not to simply survive their world, but to change their world.
I choose to enjoy every season of my life. I will embrace my youth while I have it, my seniority when I’ve earned it, and every day in between.
I will retire in Heaven. When it is time for me to step off the scene of “full-time ministry” I will invest the rest of my days into the next generation to take the mantle of leadership.
Aside from my wife and children – I will not sacrifice the vision that God has given me for the demands of anyone.
I will commit my life and ministry to reaching those who are not yet reached.
I will trust God enough to boldly attempt to do the impossible. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.
No matter the cost, no matter my comfort zone, no matter others’ opinion, I will 1) listen to God, and 2) do what He says.
I would rather be known by what I am for, rather than what I am against. I will speak life and call people into their potential.

What principles do you live by? What are the things that define the direction you are going? I suggest that you think through some things that you will stand by as well. This was NOT an over-night list, and depending on which aspect of my life we’re talking about, the list gets longer and more specific. The point is, I intend to get somewhere on purpose. Of course I am open to how God wants to lead me, but I find these things to be consistent with God’s Word and His character. So it’s safe to bank my life on them. What are you banking your life on?

Blessings,

John

Have you ever seen one of those “Magic Eye” pictures? They look like a bunch of textures and colors but seem to otherwise have no rhymn or reason to them. It looks kind of like a big mess on the surface. Once you’ve learned to see “into” the picture you figure out how it works and you can see that there is a design to the mess all along. Here, try this one. Different people have different ways of adjusting their eyes to see it, but it all boils down to depth perseption. Try to look about 3 feet past the screen:

If you can see a shark, then you figured it out! Now right now some of you are mad, cause you’ve tried but you can never make these things work for you. You can’t seem to find the trick to seeing what everyone else is seeing.

God’s word brings my life into focus. On the surface, my life is full of textures and colors and looks like some kind of big abstract mess. But through God’s Word I can see that “All thing work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” God’s Word gives me the advantage to see things from a different perspective, God’s perspective. And only then can I truly embrace the circumstances that God brings my way that look like a big mess on the surface level. Hidden inside all of my pain, failures, disappointments, hopes, dreams, and ambitions, is a masterpiece that is breath-taking, but only from the proper vantage point.

Are you getting frustrated because you haven’t seen anything of “masterpiece” quality in your life? Are your current predicaments making you think that your life is a big mess? Then spend some regular time in God’s Word and learn to see things from a better perspective.

The masterpiece that God is putting together in your life, has been there all along. You just have to learn to see it from His perspective.

Blessings,

John

Leadership Podcast

6 Decisions BEFORE becoming a Lead Pastor

00:00 / 27:10

6 Decisions BEFORE becoming a Lead Pastor

Jan 13, 2017 • 27:10

Most of being a first-time lead pastor is learning as you go. While this was (and is) definitely true of me, there were six decisions I had made prior to stepping into this role, that I think other pastors and leaders could benefit from.
Creating Church Culture

Jan 19, 2017 • 25:36

In this podcast, John talks about branding, values, language, and celebrating as pieces to creating a healthy church culture.
Separation of Church and State

Feb 10, 2017 • 29:52

In this podcast, I talk about the Immigration Ban, and how the church should be approaching such issues regarding our response to government, and proclamation of the gospel.
Advice to those in Bible College

Feb 24, 2017 • 22:45

Here I give advice on what students preparing for vocational ministry should be doing now to get the most of what is waiting for them after graduation.
Christian Boycotts???

Mar 3, 2017 • 26:45

There’s always something to be upset about. Should Christians exert the energy and outrage in protesting the world and it’s values? Or rather in living differently, and loving the world creatively and compassionately towards Jesus? Hear me out… this isn’t talked about enough!
Live the Word

Mar 8, 2017 • 15:48

Not going to lie. I smell fake from a mile away. My guess is, you probably do to. And people who know the Bible, but don’t actually want to live it cuts me the deepest. In this podcast, I talk about the difference between knowing God’s Word and actually living…
Preaching, episode 1: What is Preaching

Aug 28, 2017 • 31:33

In this podcast, Pastor John unpacks the first of a handful of episodes intended to coach you in your growth as a preacher. Download the Handout for this episode.
Preaching, episode 2: Writing a sermon

Sep 2, 2017 • 17:50

How does one go about writing a sermon? In this podcast episode, Pastor John gets into the cadence of a good sermon, and how to lead people toward a compelling application. Click here for the outline
Preaching, episode 3: Sermon Delivery

Nov 29, 2017 • 41:45

In episode three, we look at HOW we preach and deliver our sermons. A “must listen” for the new preacher, and a great fresh perspective for the seasoned preaching veterans.
Bivocational Ministry

Jun 3, 2019 • 26:49

Bivocational Ministry is becoming more valuable than ever. Enjoy this episode as we been to discuss the needs, challenges, and advantages of being in bivocational ministry. To support this podcast and other resources from Pastor John, visit www.patreon.com/johnmarkum – thank you for your support.