Doing What We Claim (a Team Evaluation)

Dwayne Moore goes through a list with NLWI staff members of what we say we value at NLW International. For each value Dwayne asks soul-searching questions about whether they are each living what they teach and preach. This is a great exercise for any team or church staff. Below the video is the transcript of the teaching. Click HERE to download the PowerPoint presentation that you can change to teach your own team.

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Transcript of Teaching

WHAT DO WE VALUE?
Dwayne Moore:
The questions that were coming to my mind, this has been… I’ve been thinking about this for a few days. In Matthew 23, Jesus calls out hypocrisy and religious showmanship of the Pharisees, urging true humility, sincerity, and righteousness from the heart. It’s a powerful call to align actions with faith and not just appearances.
The question is, how do we say… Who, rather, do we say that we are?
Now, this can apply to any ministry organization. Of course, in our case we’re talking about Next Level Worship. What do we say we value? And so I’ll take a moment and let you guys respond to that. What are some things that you think that we value, that we claim we value at Next Level Worship?
Donald Kutala:
Relationships.
Mike Sooy:
Worship.
James Damey:
Go ahead, Mike. Yeah, worship. I would say a spiritual relationship. Healthy spiritual relationship.
Dwayne Moore:
Okay, yeah.
Mike Sooy:
Continued growth in ourselves and in those, we’re I trying to help.
James Damey:
Serving. Serving God and others.
Dwayne Moore:
No, not the serving others part. Serving God’s fine. I’m sorry, that slipped out.
James Damey:
No, I get it. I get it.
Dwayne Moore:
Should keep some thoughts to myself.
Mike Sooy:
We’ll fix that in post.
Dwayne Moore:
Oh, man. What else?
James Damey:
Coffee.
Dwayne Moore:
We do value that.
Mike Sooy:
I don’t, I’m out.
Dwayne Moore:
I don’t know how you made into this group, but okay. What else?
Mike Sooy:
Laughter.
Dwayne Moore:
We do value that.
Mike Sooy:
But enjoyment. I mean like a joyful heart, yeah.
Dwayne Moore:
Yeah, yeah.
Mike Sooy:
I mean, really. Yeah.
Donald Kutala:
Scripture. Fun.
Dwayne Moore:
Fun, yeah. Think of our message. What’s our core message that we talk… I mean, think the tea kettle. What do we say is valuable? I mean, we could probably name a lot of things, but that’s some of the things that… So, good. Well, I just happen to have a little more time to think about it than y’all. So doing what we claim.

DISCIPLESHIP
Dwayne Moore:
We say we value discipleship. That’s a big deal for us, right? Okay. So going to the Atlanta airport, I’m sitting there thinking about all this. I’m thinking, “Well, so big boy, who are you actually discipling?” Who are we actually discipling long-term right now? I think this is a good time as any to share the story, Donald.
Donald Kutala:
There’s a young man who requested me last week to say that he needs to do a testimony. He has got a testimony. I said, “All right.” So he talked to our new pastor now and they gave him a chance. So when he came in front, all he was saying was mentioning me. He says, “I knew this church through a drunkard, a drunkard who had never even visited our church. He was just seeing a church from outside. And when that guy was saying that, ‘I think I need to go back to church.'”
So there was a church he was going to. Then that drunkard guy said, “I think the best church you need to go to is this church here, these guys who meet here because where we meet, there are some small apartments.” So the guy who is our member now asked to say, “Why should I go to this one?” He said, “Because the pastor. The pastor is a great guy. He’s so friendly and you just need to meet him.”
So when he came, he made a mistake to come to our church because I was on him. I never let him out. I could visit him. I remember going to his home, he was dead drunk. I was saying, “All right, God, this is difficult now.” But I kept on looking at him and said, “You are the guy.” Then in trying to avoid me, he had to leave Chingola and went to Ndola because there was a plan for him to go to the UK.
And he said, “So I am not coming back to Chingola, so I’m gone.” I said, “What I know is that you’re coming back, man. You’re not going to the UK yet until you just commit to the Lord fully.” And we walked with him many months. I was following him up. That’s what he was saying yesterday. He said, “This man never got tired on me. He could phone me, he could check on me. Even when times I look at him, I say… I’m showing him that I don’t want him near me. He is like a holy guy. I’m all over the place. My life is in a mess, is in a what. But this man kept on following me.” And when I came back, because he’s back now in Chingola and he’s very committed, he’s our projector guy, putting scriptures on the projector for us. And he taught the church that, “I would love us to have the heart of Donald because he never gives up. He never gives up. And where I am today is because we have worked with him and I am who I am in Christianity because this guy never gave up on me.”
Dwayne Moore:
Incredible story. And we all have stories like that. I mean, God’s blessed us all, and to have those moments.
The thing I have to be careful of is I’ve had a lot of those kind of moments in my past. What about my present? That’s where I’m at with it. But thanks, man, that was good.

MENTORING
Dwayne Moore:
Mentoring is a step above just taking some time to teach, but you’re actually doing life with somebody. I mean, you’re bringing them into even your weaker moments and letting them see the real you, which isn’t always great, honestly. And mentoring, okay, great, I’m glad we value it, but who are you mentoring and training one-on-one? And I say you only because it makes me feel better than saying me. But the reality is, I’m asking myself.
I can say, “Well, I’m working…” Not really, though. I’m not really working with them, just kind of talking about it.
There are seasons where you don’t, and I get that. So it’s not like we’re all going to walk out here going, “I’m a lousy good for nothing.”
No, no, it just means we need to be open to this and prayerful about these things. And just be realistic. Be real with yourself to say, “Am I really doing that? I’m not just talking about it.”

EMPOWERING
Dwayne Moore:
The third one is empowering. We talk about the importance of letting go of some things so we can grow and expand and my goodness, I think that’s exactly how we need to be.
But here’s the question. Who are you empowering to take your place, at least in some regard and something you’re doing?
And it’s one thing to say, “We’re going to empower you,” but we don’t really do it. We just throw them a job and we don’t walk with them to help them do it.
And so then when they burn out or they get frustrated. Who are we actually empowering?
I’m looking at these trips that I have coming up, but do I have anybody with me who’s going to… I can pour into them and they can learn behind the scenes what we do. That way if I can’t go for some reason, they can go. See what I mean? This is what’s going to allow us to grow.

WITNESSING
Dwayne Moore:
Fourth is witnessing. I’m going to skip this one, if you don’t mind.
It’s so hard, right? And we talk about it. It’s in our stinking message that we’re supposed to pour it out, witness, share. Okay, but who are you sharing your faith with? At least who are you praying for? Do you even have anyone you’re praying for? A specific person right now, Lord, I’m burdened for them. I’m praying for them. Give them an opportunity. I mean, at the very least, if we really are all we claim we are, are we doing this? I don’t want to go through this because this is very not fun, but it’s needed. Don’t you think? So you get a refresher course for us, right?

EXCELLENCE
Dwayne Moore:
And then excellence. Talk about excellence, want to be excellent in everything.
Well, I agree. That’s a value, but how are you sharpening your ministry skills, your NLW skills?

I broke down and read a book over the weekend and it’s good for me. I’m still reading it.
What do you do to sharpen yourself? I should be practicing. I was singing yesterday morning my lungs out at church because it was some of my favorite songs, but then I could tell I should have warmed up. It’s not where it used to be because I don’t sing all the time like I used to.
It slips if you’re not careful, they slip. “Well, I used to be this.” Well, you’re not that now unless you’re staying sharp. I mean, I used to be the sharpest knife in the drawer and now they’ve replaced me. I mean, that’s what happens. The reality is that’s how it works.

SCRIPTURE
Dwayne Moore:
Scripture. Oh, great, I’m glad we say we value it, but what are you reading? What are you memorizing? When? I said the word “when” because have you got to a set aside time, Dwayne, that you really do this? Are you just thinking about it? You just talking? Patting yourself on the back because you know a lot of verses? Good. What are you doing with that?

HEART OF WORSHIP
Dwayne Moore:
Okay. And then finally, the heart of worship.
Obviously, we claim that’s important. We are all about the heart of worship.
Then I would ask is, how are you guarding your heart and stoking your love for God? I mean, not yesterday or tomorrow. I’m talking today.
It’s a daily… I mean, the spiritual battles we’re seeing, y’all, in Scotland is unreal. I mean, they’ve had fist… I don’t know, fist fights may be an exaggeration, but they’ve had some serious issues in some of the churches where we’re trying to go and minister. What in the world? The enemy is strong, but God is stronger and we have to be on guard every day.
If we let our guard down, he would love to sneak in. I’ll tell you what, it’s usually something. It’s not some horrible overt sin. It’s usually something a little subtle, but it just slips, slips, slips, slips, slow fade.

HOW CAN WE APPLY THIS?
Dwayne Moore:
Any comments on that?
Mike Sooy:
Yeah.
James Damey:
That is all so good and it’s so convicting at the same time because it’s easy to just get sucked into the tasks and get sucked into the calendar and the schedule of things you got to be completing. This is so good to keep out in front of us just to say, “Well, yeah, I’ll talk to me.” This is so good for me to keep out in front of me to say, “I need to make sure that I’m following and doing what I’m telling other people they should be doing.” I really appreciate this.
Mike Sooy:
And yeah, I mean, I would wholeheartedly say share this out in public. Like you said, I mean, obviously it pertains to us and that’s what we’re talking about. But as a full-time church staff, I’m thinking in my worship ministry, I mean, the pastor could get something out of this, the youth leader or the children’s director. Everybody could get something out of this. This is applicable across the board.
Dwayne Moore:
I think these are values that most churches would say they have.
Mike Sooy:
Right.
Dwayne Moore:
So I think it does apply there too.
Mike Sooy:
Right. Yeah, it’s a good reminder of the things that… Like you said, the things that we say we are but are we? So it’s one thing to say it, but are we doing it?
James Damey:
And there’s a disconnect. I don’t know if this is the time to talk about this, but one of the things, I had a lady come up, I guess led at a church yesterday that I had led at several times before. And this lady came up and I just happened to sing at her husband’s funeral two years ago. And so she came up to say hi, and talking… They got a new pastor.
And so as they’re talking, she’s talking about all the new things and all the old people are leaving. And I said, “I wish they wouldn’t.”
So she was talking about these specific things going on in the church and their whole staff, pastoral staff has switched over now. The last two pastors are leaving next month to different churches. And so she’s saying, “We’ve got no one to do this.”
And I said, “Whoa.” I said, “Do you think it’s the pastor’s job to do these things, the discipleship, the mentoring, the empowering?” I said, “It’s not his job. His job is to pray and to preach. That’s what Acts says.” I said, “It’s the people’s job to do this. It’s yours and my job to do this.”
And she kind of was a little bit shocked that, “Oh, really? That’s our job? That’s not the pastor’s job?” And I said, “No, ma’am.” I said, “We need the older people in the congregation to be teaching this to the young people. Why do they not know this now? Because the pastor’s not doing his job, but because we’re not doing it as their mentors, as their grandfathers and fathers in the faith.”
So it was a really neat conversation, but at the same time it was kind of eye-opening for me to see how many people don’t know this is their responsibility.
Dwayne Moore:
I don’t think this is a walk away from this going, “Well, no hope for me.” I mean, we’re all doing these things in some capacity. I simply need to keep sharp, just sharp. And I need accountability, and so do the rest of us. There’s no one above it. No one has arrived.

PRAYER
Dwayne Moore:
Anyway, I’ve said enough. Who would pray? Just feels led to pray?
James Damey:
I will.
Dwayne Moore:
All right.
James Damey:
I will be happy to. Let’s pray together.
Father, I do, I feel the weight of this as we read them, as we look at them, and not in a negative way, but just in an exciting way that God, even the whole sermon yesterday in Ephesians was about us being living in our new identity in You. And God, this is it. This is what it’s about, telling other people that there’s hope. There’s a better way. They can have a new life and one filled with joy and peace.
So God, I just first of all, I thank You for Next Level Worship. I thank You that we get to do this for work as well as to build up our relationship with You and others. And God, You keep opening doors just like Donald talked about, his mentorship and so many different ways.
I know we could go for a long time at all the different doors and hearts that You’ve opened up for us to connect with and to be able to disciple and mentor.
So God, I just pray that You would help us to honor that role and help us to feel that weight of that responsibility in a positive way. God, we just trust in You. We can’t do this on our own and we know that. So we just trust in You to help us as we move in this vision, move in these items that we teach and that we exhort the church to do. God, thank You for the partners that You’ve brought in our way and that we get to do this together, not alone.
Just like You sent everybody out in twos, we don’t have to be alone either. So we just pray for Your continued support and provision with people that have like goals and values and also with the amazingly skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced people that we just get to work with every day.
We thank You for that and thank You for what You’re doing all over the world. And we just pray that You would cancel the plans of the enemy against Next Level Worship. Cancel the plans of the enemy in Scotland. And God, that we would see victory happen because we’re simply obedient.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.