January 14, 2020

Fight Your Fears

reshared with kind permission from Author and Pastor Joshua Reich. All of us have fears. It might be the dark, failure, snakes (that’s one of mine!), heights, being alone, or being in a crowd. How do you know if you fear the right things? If we aren’t careful, we can be afraid of things that aren’t worth being afraid or we can let fear dictate what we do and don’t do. One pastor said, “What you fear establishes the boundaries of your freedom.” What you fear establishes the boundaries of your freedom. -Erwin McManus CLICK TO TWEET One way to know […]
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December 17, 2019
finances

Ministry and Finances: Managing Money

Virtually all ministries require some level of finances to operate.  Typically, they rely on the donations and gifts that they receive from their members or followers.  As a church leader, you have the responsibility to make sure that all donations are recorded accurately and that all church expenses are legitimate and accounted for properly.  This is typically a legal mandate, but, more importantly, it is a Biblical expectation as well (Luke 16:11-12)!  Managing your church or ministry finances well demonstrates to God, and your membership or followers, that you are trustworthy.  The Bible warns us that failure to maintain the […]
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December 4, 2019

A Leaders Defection: The Goodby Kiss Part II

Dr. Richard’s article on Christian leaders defection and our response reshared and cont’d from PART I. The clincher for me on the issue of eternal life is the very meaning of eternal in that life. If eternal life can be lost for any reason at all, it is not eternal by any definition. In addition is the question of proportionate contribution. To the extent to which one contributes to salvation, to that extent it can be undone. Contribute much to it, undo it easily. Contribute a little bit, undo it eventually, with one too many sins. Contribute nothing, and simply […]
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December 3, 2019
Baby monkey clinging to his mother, showing the monkey example of grace.

When Christian Leaders Defect: “The Goodbye Kiss”

Dr. Ramesh Richard shares his wisdom and insight on how to reflect and understand as well as react when high-profile leaders defect from the faith.  God has patiently put up with a history of leaders who defect—of whom I am one. I defect often. Although I am more aware of my sins of commission than omission, my every sin denies and defies allegiance to the Lord I love. I must return to the One I belong by confession, quickly and regularly, about attitudes and actions not aligned to His standards. Short History Two higher-profile defections in 2019—a mega-church pastor and […]
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December 2, 2019
multiply

Pastoral Training efforts multiply in Latin America

Gloria and her husband Hosman have trained pastors for nine years. They currently aim to train at least 100 per year. But their training emphasis has shifted. Now they not only train pastors to lead local congregations, they train them to replicate their training. By doing so, they exponentially accelerate the training of pastors. Gloria and Hosman face the same challenges that many around the world face: pastors who lack time (many are bi-vocational), money (the church can’t pay them), resources (e.g. transportation), education (even basic) and experience (they don’t know enough to know what they don’t know). So they […]
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November 13, 2019
leader

So You Want to be a Leader?

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48 It seems like everyone wants to be the boss these days.  Whether you are running for President of the United States, want your boss’s job, want to start your own company, or want to lead a church, leadership comes with a price. Many people often do not count the cost of leadership and what being the boss really means. They simply see leadership as an opportunity to “call the shots” and tell other people […]
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October 29, 2019
teach church to pray

Teach the Church to Pray

Reshared with permission from the author Learning to Pray With Scriptures Praying with Scripture is not a new concept. The use of Scripture for prayer has been around since the early church fathers and it gained momentum during the Monastic period. Some Christian traditions kept this practice in their liturgical worship and Lectio Divina.  However, this practice is generally lost to most of us evangelical Christians due to our disproportionate emphasis on spontaneous prayer, thinking that this approach to prayer is much more sincere than prayers that are being read out. The Four Movements in Prayer This book combines methods […]
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October 27, 2019
oasis

Resource highlight: Oasis Africa Study Bible & App

Imagine preparing for a sermon without a Bible. Yet, sadly, many pastors don’t have access to the Scriptures, much less understand how to study it! This month we want to highlight an amazing resource, the Africa Study Bible (ASB), that helps African pastors overcome those challenges specifically in Africa—the fastest-growing region for the Christian Faith. Watch our video interview with Dr. Matthew Elliott, president of Oasis International, to learn more about the ASB. Then learn how you can receive a digital version of the ASB via the ASB App for FREE!**  Be encouraged, and learn how you can get your […]
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October 24, 2019
designer

Designer Shoes

This article “Designer Shoes” is reshared from RREACH. Searching for worship music and sneakers on the internet, a young man started noticing a strange occurrence. Several Christian pastors wore rather expensive sneakers in the pictures on their church websites. The shoes ranged from $600 to $3,000. This trend alarmed him, and he asked a question, “What is OK as far as optics … as far as pastors wearing hype or designer clothing?”. His Instagram post started a blaze of comment from the Wall Street Journal to the New York Times and several other media outlets. Public criticism is an occupational hazard of Christian leadership. […]
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