John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” One of the things that I find so interesting when reading about Jesus’ ministry in the New Testament is that He did not try to lure people into following Him by promising them prosperity or comfort. In fact, He often discouraged people from following Him by emphasizing the fact that the path to which He called them was difficult. The spiritually curious were challenged to take up their crosses, […]

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever….. In John 14, Jesus is preparing His disciples for the fact that He will soon be leaving them. The next several chapters contain many different promises that Jesus makes to the disciples (and, by extension, to us). One of the most important of those promises is in this verse. Jesus, the Son, asks God the Father to send the Holy Spirit to permanently indwell believers. Walking with Jesus must have been amazing! Who can fathom what that was like? Yet, […]

” Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” John 12:24 NKJV Robert Quinn, a leadership professor for the University of Michigan, says in his book Change the World that the origin of the word “leader” means “Go forth and die”. Think about this from the church perspective. Our leader, Christ, came to die so all could have eternal life. He (Christ) asks the same from us, to die to self that we might offer life-giving hope to those around us. […]

John 15:16 NKJV ” You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” Remember, you did not set out on this leadership journey on your own.  You have been sent by the one who created you. He has sent you with a goal in mind.  All the resources you need He is willing to provide, but He would like you to ask for them. Will you? -Pastor Tim