This article about the Old Testament judge, Gideon, is one of a series of articles built around the theme, “What would they say to us now?” From the perspective of eternity and a completed life, what would they say is really important to us today? There are generally two kinds of people in the church.… Continue reading GIDEON: God can use anybody!
Tag: Leadership
INTEGRITY, THE ESSENTIAL QUALITY
Whenever we compromise our integrity, we lose the trust, respect and confidence of both our ministry partners and the very people we seek to reach. When our integrity is damaged, it takes years to regain it. When integrity is destroyed, effectiveness in ministry is impossible. When integrity is bargained away, our standing before God is… Continue reading INTEGRITY, THE ESSENTIAL QUALITY
MAINTAINING YOUR INTEGRITY
Whenever we compromise our integrity, we lose the trust, respect and confidence of both our ministry partners and the very people we seek to reach. When our integrity is damaged, it takes years to regain it. When integrity is destroyed, effectiveness in ministry is impossible. When integrity is bargained away, our standing before God is… Continue reading MAINTAINING YOUR INTEGRITY
THE LONELIEST CHOICE OF ALL
The relocation saga begins for most pastors with a bedeviling question: “Is it time to resign my present church?” The future of one’s ministry, the trust of a congregation, the needs of spouse and children, and the opinion of peers all seem to heighten the emotional stakes and blur objectivity. In this first chapter, Calvin… Continue reading THE LONELIEST CHOICE OF ALL
BUILDING TRUST
Recently, I made an appointment with a friend to meet at 2 o’clock the next afternoon to review some important activities we were doing. It was an important meeting for me. I rescheduled my entire day so I could be at the appointment. However, when 2 o’clock came, I was left alone, waiting for… Continue reading BUILDING TRUST
SHIFTING BLAME
We live in a world where people love to blame others for their problems. We like to find scapegoats for things that go wrong. We make excuses. We have become good at avoiding responsibility for what happens in our lives. Frequently, we just blame the devil. The story is told of a person sitting outside… Continue reading SHIFTING BLAME
WORKING AS A TEAM
Let me tell you a parable. An old man was walking down the road when a strange thing happened, his nose started talking with his eyes. The nose was very angry because the old man had poor eyesight and needed to wear glasses in order to see. The nose said, “You eyes are no good.… Continue reading WORKING AS A TEAM
PATIENCE
A ministry leader told me recently, “I am losing patience with a person to whom I gave an assignment and who said he would do it right away. But he hasn’t done a thing.” Another national director said, “I wish the people in our international office had more patience with us. They don’t seem to… Continue reading PATIENCE