This post is an excerpt from a previous post titled Mentoring: The Top Ten Things I Learned From Bill Ferrell. Each day this week i will repost two of the top ten mentoring lessons I learned. Enjoy!

Mentoring doesn’t generally happen within the context of official programmed ministries, but rather through relationships. An example of this is the 10+ years that I spent loitering around the office (and family room) of Pastor Bill Ferrell. At the time neither of us realized it, but as I look back there is no one person more responsible for my Christian maturity, real life experience in the local church, and where I am as a leader, husband, and dad than this man Bill in all his perfectly tanned golf obsessed glory. So without further ado, I give you:

The Top 10 Things I learned From Bill Ferrell: 3-4

3. “What do you care what that guy thinks” There is always someone who will oppose, condemn, debate, complain, and try to derail everything we do as leaders. Listening to every complaint and demand is a futile exercise. Listening to the voices that matter is most important. I used to really get worked up when someone took a petty dig at me or my church. The lesson learned: Who cares? Just because someone is running off at the mouth, it doesn’t mean we need to stop down every day and give them our time. Let them waste someone else’s time, give someone else a headache, and sidetrack good plans with unexpected whining.

 4. “So What?” We fear God, not the opinions of a bunch of other people. So and so is mad we didn’t thank them in front of the group for bringing donuts to Sunday School… So What? This guy is mad that we didn’t convince some girl to date him instead of another guy? Heartbreaking. So what? Really… Sometimes a good old fashioned “So What!?” is exactly what a young guy needs to hear when he’s venting his struggles and strife to you.

Tomorrow: #5 & #6