Larry Osborne
Focus and The Mindset of Potential
About The Episode
Covid was a black swan event. Something that only happens maybe every twenty years, but completely changes culture. You have the opportunity for a new direction, a new place, a new time. What will you do with it? Meet Larry Osborne from North Coast Church who challenges leaders to understand where they really are today, not where they were two years ago. “Vision is worthless when you only know where you need to go. The starting point is you need to know where you are.”
Welcome to Episode 055 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.
Insights From Larry
The Downward Cycle of a Culture
- Romans 1:18-32
- The absolute bottom of a culture is relational destruction. This is the epitome of depravity. And this is the definition of cancel culture.
- We need to be careful of putting this toxic poison into our own souls. We need to know the basics of something, but just the cliff notes. We don’t need the details. We’ve justified failure porn in the name of transparency.
- Also realize, it’s going to be harder to be liked by everybody than ever before.
A Different Road
- We aren’t on the same road that we were on pre-Covid.
- In order to figure out what’s next, we need to realize where we actually are. And it’s not on the same road where we were. We need to start thinking like a church plant.
- Let’s be done weeping and mourning what we were and see what God is creating new in us.
A Post-Covid Trend in Churches?
- Fact or fiction: The vast majority of giving is coming from live attendees. A church is reaching people live and online but the economic engine of how the church is funded is a much smaller group.Does this make the church more vulnerable?
- We have found that people engaged online are giving substantially. The sense of inflation is certainly a concern, but maybe not tied directly to live attendance.
- Look at your giving per capita and compare it over the last 3 years – how do your giving numbers look now?
Attendance vs. Giving
- In many churches, attendance is down but giving is up. Why? Because the tippers have left, but your consistent givers are still there.
- Also, for many churches they have big gifts coming from big givers.
- The Joseph Principle – do not presume the next year will grow because the previous year was dead.
- The idea of retained earnings – found in James and Proverbs
- The secret to financial sustainability is to live below your means.
Focus & Clarity
- Do you know what a win looks like as a leader? Do you know how to align your team in that direction?
- There’s a reason the quarterback wears a red jersey. We’re all equal before God. But organizationally, some people are more important than others. As a leader, you need to wear the red jersey. You need to protect yourself, that in some ways we feel guilty about doing.
- The “first in, last out” mentality doesn’t always apply for leaders. You don’t need to be the example for the entire team. You don’t need to work harder than everyone else. You need to be the quarterback.
- Rejuvenate on the front side, as a regular part of life, not on the backside when you have nothing left.
The Mindset of Potential
- Covid was a black swan event. It was one of those every 20 years, something that changes the culture. It’s an opportunity. New place, new time.
- You have the opportunity for a new direction. How exciting is that?
- The windshield in your car is 80-100x larger than your review mirror. Quit looking in the rearview mirror. It’s time to be more forward focused.
- Have a mindset of potential.
Episode Links
Get a copy of Larry’s latest book: Thriving in Babylon
If you’re a new lead pastor stepping into a transition, we want you in our Fall 2022 cohort. Visit https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ to learn more.
Who Is Larry Osborne?
Larry Osborne is a Teaching Pastor and Kingdom Ambassador at North Coast Church in Vista, CA, helping to oversee its growth from 128 to over 13,000 in weekend attendance with 7 local campuses. A leadership mentor and practitioner with a rare mix of both theological and leadership expertise, he’s been a mentor and major influencer to many of the largest and fastest-growing churches in the country.
Sponsors
Thanks to our sponsors: CDF Capital and Food For The Hungry.
Check out Xpsummit.org – for more information on the 2022 Executive Pastors event taking place May 24th and 25th in Manchester, NH. You won’t want to miss it!
Combine your church’s heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.
Quotes From Episode
“Vision is worthless when you only know where you need to go. The first starting point is you need to know where you are.”
“Do not presume the next year in your church will grow because the previous year was dead.”
“Covid was a black swan event. It was one of those every 20 years, something that changes the culture. It’s an opportunity. New place, new time.”
“Leaders, rejuvenate on the front side, as a regular part of life, not on the backside when you have nothing left.”
Listen to Recent Episodes
About the Host
Sean Morgan is a coach and speaker with a national reputation as a catalyst of fresh vision. His passion is to help ministries navigate obstacles and turn them into opportunities.
Throughout his career, Sean has pioneered initiatives impacting thousands of leaders across the country. He started out serving as Executive Pastor and CFO at New Life Church in northern California.
As host, Sean gives you access to amazing conversations, hard-won wisdom, and poignant insights from world-class leaders in intimate “living room” settings.
Your Host
Sean Morgan
Leaders in Living Rooms
Craft & Character
Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app
Take Your Leadership to New Heights
The Ascent equips you to lean into your God-given leadership potential.
Cohorts offer you the chance to go deeper with a small circle of peers and professional mentors so you can elevate your expertise and grow your confidence as a leader.
Learn more about upcoming cohorts by clicking below.