You Can’t Lead Others Further Than You Yourself Have Come
“You can’t lead others further than you yourself have come.” TRUE OR FALSE?Can you lead others further than you yourself have come? Can you? Are “the people” always limited by their leader’s vision, growth, intensity? We’ve all said this little phrase to prod leaders–especially pastors — to get their act together. The saying is a
The Problem of Morale
ACCORDING TO A RECENT ARTICLE written by the Associated Press, one third of U.S. troops are suffering low morale in the war in Iraq. At least half said they would probably get out of the service rather than re-enlist. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, the fear is that long deployments bring low morale. The problem seems
Maturity
(taken from Building Christian Unity, pg. 27-30) A fourth essential for unity in the Church is maturity. Someone has defined maturity as “the ability to live in somebody else’s world and not complain.” The mature believer is not afraid of diversity or change, nor is he or she threatened by the gifts and ministries of
Thou Art…Thou Shalt Be
One of the most watched movies of all-time is the children’s favorite, “The Wizard of Oz.” I doubt if there is a child out of the last 4 generations that has missed seeing it. Isn’t it amazing how the characters have maintained their youth? Their story is still as relevant today as it was when
Dads
Father’s Day is this Sunday. When God established the home, He intended for fathers to be the Spiritual leaders. That does not mean the father is a dictator or perfect. It means he leads his family by example. I am grateful for my dad. Although he is a quiet man, he has taught me much
Diversity (Continued)
(taken from Building Christian Unity, pg. 22-26) Diversity releases the grace of God. In Ephesians 4:7-10 Paul gave a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ’s having won the victory, ascending back to heaven and giving gifts to those who believe in Him. This is based on Psalm 68:18. Psalm 68 is a victory psalm. As
Taking By Storm
In the spring of 1970, my parents took me to my first ever drive-in movie experience. There, we watched the John Wayne classic “True Grit.” In the movie, John Wayne played the rugged, cantankerous Rooster Cogburn. Although he was aging, ole Rooster was not afraid of a challenge. To this very day, I can still
How Do People Change?
How do people change? By changing their mind first and then their behavior follows? Or by changing their behavior first, and their mind follows? I’ve noticed both approaches in the church today. 1. “People think their way into a new way of acting.” The first approach aims an argument at a person’s mind believing once
Plagarism
I read an article a number of years ago by Jamie Buckingham and I do not know where it came from, but right off the top, I’m giving him credit for the inspiration and much of the content of this article. There is a disturbing trend among preachers today. With the growth of the internet,
Diversity
(taken from Building Christian Unity, pg. 19-22) One of the best ways to promote unity in the Church is to allow freedom for diversity. That may sound like a paradox, but it is true. You cannot have true unity without diversity, for unity without diversity is uniformity; and uniformity can destroy the life of the
David and Jonathan
The other day, I sat paused in my study when I read a passage of scripture that took my mind back in time. I Samuel 18:1 says, “…the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” It was the fall of 1971 when I met
Climb Up Sunshine Mountain
Climb climb up Sunshine Mountain, faces all aglow. Why does the writer of this passage choose the term climb? Most likely it is the author’s view of the Christian life that has influenced the choice. This writer’s view of the Christian life is progressive — that it is moving upward and is best represented by