Leadership

If there was ever a man who knew the hand of God’s power on his life and ministry, it was Elijah. And if there was ever a time in which he saw God’s power mightily displayed, it was when he called down fire from Heaven on Mount Carmel.

It is inherent in human nature to blame other people for our problems. All too often, we as pastors wish to blame the maintenance man, the staff member, the deacon, the Sunday school teachers, or others for the failures and difficulties in our church. This human tendency should be avoided.

I use a template document for typing my sermon notes. But I guard against a template philosophy in preparing my sermons. My church deserves fresh sermons that are prayed over and thoroughly studied for—not cycled through.

One of the side effects of growth is discomfort. I’m challenging our church this year to be “Rooted in Christ” to experience growth in Him. But I’m also challenging myself. I want 2012 to be a year of growth in every area of my life.

Have you ever read letters written back and forth between great Christian leaders who disagree? In those letters you’ll find well-articulated arguments, interesting theological positions and fascinating insights. You will also almost invariably find something else—you will find the flesh.

One of the defining moments in my life occurred at a restaurant table nearly thirty years ago. Across the table was a man who had been one of my childhood heroes. Years earlier, he had preached in our church and signed my Bible.

Summer is one of the best times for making memories and becoming more productive. The longer evening hours make for great family and ministry time, and the changes in our routines that happen around this time of year, are the perfect opportunity to take a fresh look at our goals and plan our priorities.

If you are an adult Bible class leader, you are probably good at serving people. You are willing and able to help people grow in their Christian walk. You have already accepted this as your responsibility and privilege. But is your class also serving?

I remember when people began to call me pastor for the very first time. It was a title that I had to adjust to; I wasn’t accustomed to being called anything other than my name. It didn’t, however, take me long to realize that there was a great difference between the mere title of pastor and the fulfillment of the position.

Harvey Firestone once said, “It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed.” This is true in every area, but it is especially true in the church.

A good relationship with a wise mentor is like having personal access to a goldmine. It’s an opportunity anyone would be foolish to not take advantage of!

I recently shared these 15 nuggets of wisdom from D.L. Moody with our church staff. They were obviously mined from a consistent walk with the Lord and great experience in ministry.

There is a vast difference between knowing what you are and knowing what you are supposed to do. When I first got married I knew that I was a husband. However, I had no idea what I was supposed to do!

We once had what we called “general cleaning” at our Bible college. Everything on the property was thoroughly cleaned. Some of the students did “general cleaning” on what little grass, plants, and flowers we had.

Acts chapter twenty-seven is the account of Paul’s voyage to Rome. The ship and the passengers Paul was with were severely endangered due to bad weather on this voyage. Although the ship was damaged beyond repair, thankfully, no one on board lost his life.

Many of us have or will face major challenges, obstacles, and opportunities in ministry. It is during these times we will feel a sense of inadequacy and uncertainty about what to do and how we will get it done. The eyes of those we have been called to lead are on us during those times.

Leadership is more than just going somewhere in life. Leadership is taking others along. Maxwell is fond of sharing that leadership is influence, and as we influence others with our lives we are providing direction. It is important that we don’t think of ministry in terms of things we need to get done.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome about their relationships with others. He assured them they could have godly, Christ-honoring relationships...

The devil loves church planting. Mormon churches, Kingdom Halls, mosques, and doctrinally-weak Christian churches are all fruit of Satan’s plan to twist the true, biblical church-planting model. He inspires false teachers to spread a false gospel and a false church.

It's no secret that within the walls of American public education, biblical values and principles are no longer welcomed. I have accurately heard the public high school system referred to a mission field, but what are we doing to reach these teens?