In John 5:19, Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” Organic apprenticeship is the best way to raise leaders in your church. You don’t need heavy training or extensive leadership-development programs. You can raise leaders by … Read More
The 7 Keys to Setting Effective Deadlines
Deadlines are an important tool. Try to attach one to every task you add to your to-do list. Keep the following seven keys in mind to help you start setting deadlines like a pro: Decide whether the proposed task is worth doing. As mentioned previously, don’t waste your time on activities that either don’t need to be done or could … Read More
The Bottom Line for Good Health
Healthy living is something easy to overlook, especially when you are young. The sooner you decide to live a healthy life, the better off you will be and the more effective your ministry will be. All the books you can read about healthy living boil down to two essential keys: exercise and a healthy diet. If you decide that you will … Read More
Leaders Put Others First
“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” —Philippians 2:3 (NLT)
Bill Bright On What Kept Him Going
“I am driven to keep going for Christ by the filling of the Holy Spirit and the knowledge that the harvest is not forever. It will soon be past.” — William R. “Bill” Bright (October 19, 1921 – July 19, 2003) was an American evangelist and Christian leader. His influence spanned the last half of the 20th century and extended … Read More
A Sudden Second Arrival, by Bible Gateway
Even though it’s likely one of the earliest Christian documents, 1 Thessalonians makes it clear that Paul considers the suddenness of Christ’s return to be apparent to believers. “…for you know very well,” he writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” But he goes on, in verse 4, … Read More
Renewing Your Mind: How to Pray Boldly, Humbly, and Faithfully
If you tend to pray selfish prayers, you are not alone. We all like to talk about ourselves to God–what we want, what we need, what we think he can do to help us. See if you can relate to this scenario: It’s five minutes before a big presentation, an important conversation, or a major event, and you find yourself praying, … Read More
Expanding God’s Kingdom: How to Raise Up New Leaders
What are you doing to identify and encourage people in your church who may feel God calling them to ministry? How would you help someone who is being led to be a pastor move forward? This is one area where the church has dropped the ball in recent decades. Think about it. When was the last time you heard someone … Read More
Great Over Good: Filling Your Groups During Promotion Month
The most basic element of filling your small groups is the promotion month–the period when you are recruiting, inspiring, encouraging, teaching, preaching and using positive peer pressure to motivate your people to sign up for a group. Make sure that your entire promotion month is dedicated exclusively to getting sign-ups. If anything is competing with group sign-ups, you will see … Read More
Charting a New Course: What to Do When You Don’t Respond Well to Stress
Let’s face it: none of us are always going to respond correctly, especially when a challenging situation first hits. So let’s talk briefly about what to do when we’ve had time to reflect and realize that we could have done things better. Here are three ideas about what to do if you find you’ve started handling a difficulty in an … Read More