Spiritual Leaders Work to Close the Back Door
In Matthew 18, we are introduced to a shepherd that has lost one sheep and leaves his flock to go find it.
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Leadership
5 Ways to Be All In
Ladies ministry is a very important part of the local church. It can make or break the spirit of the ladies in the church, depending on the leadership of the ministry.
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7 Responsibilities of the Pastor
The pastor is unique in the life of a church. He is the undershepherd who carries the burden of leadership. Some pastor’s will feel compelled to please people, but the sincere pastor is always trying to please the Lord.
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Reading Widely Will Benefit Your Life and Ministry
Over the course of my life, I have been a reader. I enjoy books and the learning process, and I have found that few things in life have benefited me as much as my time in good books and the truths I have extracted from them.
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Living in the Moment
Whatever the reason, we are so often focused on the next calendar item that we fail to appreciate the company of God or those with us at the present moment.
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I once received a note in the mail from one of our teenagers. I had written her, complimenting her on an important part she had played in a school play. The note was special for several reasons.
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Is There a Disconnect between Your Leadership and Your Relationships?
My generation tends to think of a strong spiritual leader as someone who is authoritative and able to administrate from a position of command. Indeed, we see leaders like this throughout the Bible—Joshua, Nehemiah, perhaps Paul.
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Over the years, I’ve made it a practice to read regularly and on a variety of subjects. Reading not only gives information, but it gives inspiration too. A well-written book can challenge you to think, inspire you to use your life for God, and (particularly with books on history or biographies) give you gratitude for how God has used others.
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At the start of a new year, we make goals, resolutions, or commitments. And we sincerely want to transform them into reality over the coming months.
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One of the key factors for a growing church is strong leadership in small groups ministry. Over the past eighteen months, we have placed a massive emphasis on small groups in our church and we have seen the blessings result.
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Don’t Forget to Replenish
It seems that there are busy seasons of life when we give ourselves to our calling in more intense and more protracted ways than normal. No matter your calling, your life is demanding, and you are busy running from one event to the next.
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Leadership Lessons from Jesus
There is no greater leader, than the Lord Jesus. Two thousand years after His brief earthly ministry, the impact of His leadership is still being felt, books are written about Him, universities named after Him, churches meet weekly to worship Him, He was a leader among all leaders because people today are still following him! Why did people follow Jesus?
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In the previous post, we discussed the need to intentionally evaluate our balance and to make adjustments for sustainability along the way. (If you have not yet read that post, I’d encourage you to read it before reading this post.)
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We often speak of balance as if it is something you write out on paper and then have attained for life. The truth is, maintaining life balance takes constant adjustment. Like a sailor who is constantly analyzing the wind and adjusting his sails to reach an intended destination, balance for a spiritual leader requires sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and a willingness to make changes.
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Avoid Slipping into the Trap of Complacency
You can’t miss the urgency and passion with which Jesus carried out His ministry. Throughout His ministry, He spoke of musts, such as, “I must work the works of Him that sent me” (John 9:4).
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We Must Lead Our Families in Righteousness
Just a little over nine years ago, I had the opportunity to attend the funeral service of Dr. Lee Roberson, a giant of the faith. Dr. Roberson was a preacher of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for 79 years and a pastor for 50 years.
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The Church Is to Submit to Christ
For some reason, writers and preachers who should know better have said for many years (in one way or another) that a New Testament church runs pretty much as a pure democracy
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Neglecting to Build Relationships Will Harm Those to Whom You Minister
Relationships are vital to ministry. Whether you are a pastor, a church staff member, or serve as a leader in any area of church ministry, cultivating strong relationships is a necessary investment.
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It Is Required in Stewards that a Man Be Found Faithful
None of us start out in leadership with the intention of failing. But we all know people who have disgraced the Lord and hurt the people they lead through unfaithfulness. We all want, when we come to the end of our race, to be able to say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
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You Don’t Have to Choose Between Ministry and Family
Two of the questions that I’m often asked is how a spiritual leader can keep his family a priority in the ministry and how we can encourage our children so they don’t feel resentful toward the ministry.
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