Leadership 101 – Part 2 – Example
Love [ see March 5 entry ] Example Charles Barkely once proclaimed, “I’m not a role model. Hey parents, you should be raising your own kids. Don’t rely on me to do it.” Sorry Charles, you are a role model. And you are a leader whether you accept the responsibility or not… because you’ve been given a position of tremendous influence. Hey men, we’re leaders too… as husbands and dads we’re in a position of great influence. So what should we be doing? Warren Wiersbe says that “[Shepherds and leaders] must imitate the great Example, the Lord Jesus, and, by …
No shortage of sinners
Eugene Debs, who ran for president of the United States as a third party candidate in 1912, had this to say while campaigning: “As long as there is a lower class, I am in it. As long as there is a criminal element, I’m of it. As long as there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” Obviously he didn’t get elected since none of us has ever heard of him, but I believe there is a lot of truth in thinking this way about our place in the world. The Apostle Paul had something …
Leadership 101 – Part 1 – Love
Webster defines leadership as “the office or position of a leader,” “the capacity to lead,” or “the act or an instance of leading.” Based on these definitions, leadership can be viewed as a position, an ability, and an activity. But what characteristics do godly leaders possess? What exactly is a leader? And what does a leader do? Over the next several days I’ll post a simple acrostic, one letter at a time, that will hopefully help to describe what biblical leadership is all about. Here we go! Love – Leaders love people… it’s that simple. Says Richard Swenson, “We were …
Because of you
Your mission is to live your life. In 1 Corinthians 7, the Apostle Paul addresses believers who are married to unbelievers, and outlines a general rule that if the unbelieving spouse chooses to stay in the marriage, it would be good for the believer to stay, too. He gives two reasons for this: First, the children will have a godly influence through the believing parent, and second, the unbeliever may be converted “because of you.” (1 Corinthians 7:16) (Exceptions to this rule would of course be situations of abuse and endangerment of a spouse or child.) Just what …
What is God's purpose for your life son?
I was driving home the other day with my almost 16 year old son, Matt. He’s a sophomore now and probably starting to give a lot of thought to what to do with his life. So I decided to probe. “Matt. So you think you have any idea what God’s purpose is for your life?” “Sure,” He responded. As if I had just asked the dumbest question in the world. “Okay,” I said. “Enlighten me oh enlightened-one.” “I want to be a Bible translator and preach the Word of God.” Wow! “That’ll do pig, that’ll do!”
too much Jesus causes insanity ?
The apostle Paul was a man determined to know as much about Jesus Christ as he possibly could. He studied and prayed and engulfed himself in the knowledge of his Savior. One day Paul stood before a governor and king to defend his belief in Jesus. As he was boldly presenting his conviction the governor suddenly interupted him and shouted: “You are out of your mind … your great learning is driving you insane.” Acts 26: 24 Things have not changed much since Paul’s days. In today’s world you can be a sports fanatic, a movie fanatic, a political fanatic, …
The power of a changed life
“I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35 NIV) It would appear that Christ’s first convert, other than the disciples he called, was the Samaritan woman he met at the well of Jacob. Up until this time, Jesus had performed some miracles and healed a few people, but this is the story of a woman who was not sick or demon-possessed; she was just an ordinary sinner like any one of us. This is our story as much as it is anyone’s. The essence of this encounter is …
The 3 Jars
I promote the idea of attaining financial literacy and wealth, now please understand that I believe God gives us everything and can take it away. We also cannot take it with us but does that mean we are not good stewards of what God has blessed us with in the interim? “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” Luke 16:11 I build wealth for the sole purpose of having control over money in my life and using it for good causes and to eventually retire young and have the …
It’s not about being a good Christian
Here’s one of the greatest things about being a Christian: You can accept yourself for who you are. Here’s one of the most tragic things about being a Christian: You can be one for a long time without knowing this. I was. I was what you might call a model Christian. I filled the bill. Any church or Christian school would have seen me as a poster child Christian. There was only one problem: I thought I was, too – when all the while I knew I wasn’t. I knew it was all pretty much a game. …
