Part Two: Responsibilities to Fulfill 

CHAPTER 10 Multiplying Yourself 

Have you ever received a boxed product that had a little slip of paper or sticker inside with a name or number on it? I have. The name or number represented the person responsible for the inspection of the item or product sent. In short, that name or number indicated that the item was indeed “send-able.” Someone had inspected the item and authorized that it be sent out.

In Philippians 2:19–24, the apostle Paul was informi...

Part Two: Responsibilities to Fulfill 

CHAPTER 9 Praying for Others 

I suppose it is possible to be a gifted leader, generally speaking, without a vital prayer life. But in the life of the Christian leader, the role of prayer cannot be overestimated. It is not possible to be a faithful Christian, much less a Christian leader, without prayer.

The Old Testament, of course, is full of examples of fervent and effectual prayer, especially voiced by chosen leaders, whether patriarchs, prophets, pri...

Part Two: Responsibilities to Fulfill 

CHAPTER 8 Persevering in the Will of God 

After the great and glorious years of David and Solomon, after the divided kingdom period, after the two exiles of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms due to sin and disloyalty, after the return of many of God’s people to Jerusalem and the surrounding country—when Israel was still under foreign control—something monumental happened in Sushan, Persia.

While serving as “cupbearer” for King Artaxerxes during the midd...

Part Two: Responsibilities to Fulfill 

CHAPTER 7 Pursuing Right Relationships 

It is the purpose of God to bring us into right relationship with Himself, and to form a community of believers who are in right relationship with one another. Relationships are not just necessary to accomplish certain mutual goals; right relationships are one of the primary goals of God in the life of the church. Therefore, right relationships must be a primary goal for the Christian leader.

You cannot read the Sc...

Dr. David Olford and Mrs. Ellen Olford will be featured presenters at the "Transforming Word Preaching Conference, March 24-25, 2023, at Grace First Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas.

Grace Institute, established with the goal of equipping and instructing Christians to grow through the word of God, will host this 10th annual preaching conference.  You are welcome to join us, along with other preachers and laypersons who are committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, to become more effective ...

Part Two: Responsibilities to Fulfill 

CHAPTER 6 Contending for the Faith 

Jude, who introduces himself in his letter as “Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James” (v. 1), was writing to Christians, calling them to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (v. 3). Jude clearly stated that although he wanted to write about “our common salvation” (v. 3), he gave his attention—out of necessity—to alerting, instructing, exhorting, and inspiri...

Part Two: Responsibilities to Fulfill 

CHAPTER 5 Guarding the Heart 

At the heart of the matter of faithfulness is the heart of God’s servant. And one of the primary ways the heart of God’s servant is revealed is by how the heart of God’s servant responds to God’s Word.

We need to take a serious look at this issue, since it is critical for Christian leaders and people of influence to have hearts “given” to the Lord.

One of the primary ways to assess the condition of our spiritual hearts is t...

Part Two: Responsibilities to Fulfill 

CHAPTER 4 Having a Reason 

Even though my father was a very gifted and brilliant man, he was easy to understand.

I am not talking about his use of language or vocabulary, although he was a master communicator. I’m talking about his life.

He was easy to understand because you knew his motivating reasons and driving passions. You knew he wanted to do God’s will with all his heart. You knew he wanted to live a holy life. You knew he wanted to be like Chris...

Part One: Legacies to Leave 

CHAPTER 3 The Legacy of a Prepared Leadership 

Before we focus on another legacy of Paul’s ministry, read Luke’s simple but powerful narrative of Paul’s departure:

And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship. (Acts 20:36–38)

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Part One: Legacies to Leave 

CHAPTER 2 The Legacy of a Preached Word 

A major subject that received attention in Paul’s address was his ministry of the Word. This was a priority in terms of Paul’s mission, goals, and activities while in Ephesus. This certainly should not be a surprise to us, since the apostle Paul identified the ministry he “received from the Lord Jesus” as being “to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Therefore, you would expect that Paul would say a lot ...