Unlocking Passion

Ep.6 | Interview with Mike Romberger

Hosted by Craig Smith

IN THIS EPISODE

• Passing the torch from one man to another | 1:47
• When did Mike really start to sense his call to preaching? | 3:06
• The steps we take to hone our gifts and talents into something useful to others | 7:05
• Is there anything you’ve tried to incorporate into your preaching style over the years that hasn’t stuck? | 12:41
• Topical vs. Conceptual vs. Expository | 15:01
• From Mission Hills in Colorado to Mount Hermon in California | 16:51
• Commonalities of leadership application across a broad spectrum | 19:28
• The ups and downs and ins and outs of being a guest speaker vs. an itinerant speaker | 21:51
• If you had the chance to speak to every new preacher, what would you say? | 37:40

INSTANT TAKEAWAYS

1 | PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR GIFTS

We are woven into existence by an extremely creative God. A God that intimately and purposefully instils us with gifts. And it’s honoring to Him when we embrace those! We each have a different purpose, a different path to take, a different race to run. And He has equipped each one of us, individually, with gifts to honor Him along the way and we shouldn’t ignore that. Hold tightly and lean into what you’ve been handed by your heavenly Father. Feel that fire within as you embrace those gifts. Unlock your passions, lean into that unction.

2 | ACCEPTING CRITICISM

This is something none of us are initially very good at. It’s especially something that we don’t like to deal with. Face it, as helpful as (constructive) criticism can be, we’re all wired with a need to hear praise when we present something that is an extension of ourselves. But it’s necessary! By developing a sense to take constructive criticism, from those that love us, and take it to heart because all they want is for us to improve. We’re all developing, and pursuing growth, in one area or another at all times. Make sure that you take the pieces that will make you better, and apply them to your life.

3 | SPEND THE TIME

The greatest thing that you can do for your church, for your congregation is to preach great sermons. That doesn’t mean that you have to be an incredible communicator, there are plenty of amazing communicators that do not deliver great sermons. They’re just great communicators and that’s because they’re not using God’s Word for their foundation, they’re not putting in the time in the Word and studying the Scriptures. When you put in the work, the time and efforts, that’s what’s going to translate to the pulpit and help disciple those in your congregation and feed growth. Focus on your influence!

SHOW NOTES

Glad to have you back on the Clarify podcast for our sixth episode. We try and get these out on the second Monday of the month, but sometimes ministry happens. Today, we have an old friend on the podcast that we’ve been looking forward to since the genesis of this podcast, Mike Romberger.

Mike is an old friend of Mission Hills, the staff and the congregation as he was the senior pastor before Craig came on to staff. Mike has some amazing insight on what it looks like to lead a small church through exponential growth, laying out a foundation to build growing ministries upon, and delivered a fun, sweater-vest filled perspective on life from the pulpit. Listen in as Craig and Mike talk about everything from filling big shoes to establishing solid vision for a hungry congregation.