Part Three: Encouragements to Embrace  

CHAPTER 13 Trust His Sovereignty and Sufficiency 

One of the popular metaphors for life these days is “the journey.” When people speak of being on a journey, the emphasis is often on the experiences and the process they are going through rather than their final destination.

The Christian journey certainly includes experience, process, development, and growth. But the final destination is clear and certain. Furthermore, the...

Part Three: Encouragements to Embrace  

CHAPTER 12 Do Not Lose Heart 

Over the last twenty years or so, I have met many people in ministry who are discouraged. On numerous occasions people have come to one of our seminars or training events really needing to be encouraged and strengthened to persevere through hard times.

I remember specifically one couple sharing their pain. The wife shared verbally, while the husband just shook with emotion, speechless. The pain in...

Part Three: Encouragements to Embrace  

CHAPTER 11 Live by Faith 

Certainly one of the critical moments in our Lord’s earthly life was the time in Gethsemane before His arrest and all the events of His passion.

Despite the presence of the disciples, the Son of God (in a very real sense) was alone with His Father in moments of agony and surrender. The Lord was “troubled and deeply distressed,” and He said that His “soul [was] exceedingly sorrowful,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...