5LQ Episode 276: Craig Groeschel –

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Craig Groeschel, author of Hope in the Dark: Believing God is Good When Life is Not. During their conversation, they discuss helping leaders when they go through hard places. How do I believe God is good when life is not good? What do you do when you can’t seem to find God? What’s the connection between faith and hope, and how are they different? Share about how walking through darkness and hard times can bring glory to God. What would you like to say to leaders in their throes of leadership in light of those book? BEST QUOTES “The key to me, both as a leader and just as a person as a follower of Christ is in the name of Habbakuk. It means both to wrestle and to embrace.” “It’s OK to have spiritual doubts, but at the same time hang on to God.” “God is a sovereign God. If I am still in this role, it’s because He wants me to be in this role.” “God does more spiritually in the valley than he does on the mountaintop.” “The words I’d written to someone else ministered to me.” “Instead of trying to create success or do something important, what I want to do is be faithful today.” “Those times when things aren’t going well, I try to do as a leader what I know is right.” “As we lead more complicated organizations, we have to be more sophisticated in our understanding that there are different teams, there are different stages.” “The longer we lead organizations, the more we default to reacting, because there is so much to react to.” “Our intimacy with God is not in what He gives us, or withholds from us, it’s just based on who He is.” “God does bless us, and we do suffer.” “I get better as a leader through the hard times, not the good times.” “Doubts can be a real part of faith.” “Leaders are always leading with a limp.” “If you’re not hurting, you’re not leading.” “We are always making decisions about things that people won’t understand.” “Sometimes the difference between where you are and where God wants you to be is the pain that you are unwilling to step into.” RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Start Up Podcast New Churches Podcast Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis  Hope in the Dark by Craig Groeschel