Hope and Clarity: Why They Came to Hear Jesus

Jesus intentionally spoke in common language so no one would be confused. After all, what good was God's once-for-all offer if no one could understand the point? Grace needed a spokesman because grace should not be difficult to understand.

Big-Time Leaders Have Small-Sized Egos

Great leaders are gratified by the achievements of others. All good leaders realize that they themselves never can accomplish all they dream about; others must help carry out their vision. So they invest, encourage, train and enable them to succeed. The best leaders realize there's plenty of success to go around, and they help those around them reach for the stars.

Modeling the Master: Choosing Jesus’ Priorities for Effective Leadership

To the casual observer, it might appear that Jesus was nomadic, wandering dusty roads from village to village, dispensing His humanitarian miracles and pithy sayings-a first century philanthropist who scattered goodness and golden rules like confetti. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus was the world's most strategic planner.

Leading with a Joyful Heart

I've always loved a good laugh. In fact, I look for those who can make me laugh or whom I can make laugh. Laughter is a cure-all. It's a jog through a rainstorm on a hot day. Suddenly you feel different, refreshed, energized. I think Jesus loved to laugh, too; and being the great communicator He was, I'm convinced His preaching style was filled with every successful technique, including making people laugh. "A Philistine, a rabbi, and a duck walked into a deli"

The Greatest Legacy

If worldly integrity is learned by the example of careless character, we are called to a higher standard. The integrity of a Christian leader speaks louder than a sharp résumé, a handful of brochures or a stack of business cards. Integrity is something that can't be handed to you as you walk across the graduation platform. Integrity comes from within. It's the result of a focused faith, godly choices, right associations and a tenacious commitment to truth.

Back Page Pulpit: Keep Calm and Carry On

Recently I came across a little book with that title Keep Calm and Carry On (Andrews McMeel Publishing). The title is based on a poster produced by the British government in 1939, during the dark days of World War II. More than two million copies were printed to be used in the event that Germany invaded the island nation as an encouragement to keep that famous British stiff upper lip in place if the worst-case scenario came to fruition.

Preaching’s 2009 Guide to Missions and Fundraising

There's a wide cast of characters in your youth group-the sports aficionado, the class clown, the techy geek, the music lover and a myriad of others. They have plenty in common, too, such as their willingness to use their unique differences in the world around them. They, as do we all, have a profound need to do something with the person God is calling them to be. They just need experience in order to find out what it is they are being called to do.