God calls us to forgive others, but how do we do that? Here are four choices that will help you let go of your pain, hurt, or bitterness. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” God may give your church a dream in a day, but he won’t complete it in 24 hours. God won’t fulfill his dream for your church instantly. They are the same four giants that your church must defeat before God’s dream for you becomes a reality. Before he would ever lead Israel, before he even endured Saul’s harassment, David had to face one of the fiercest warriors of his time.īut before David faced Goliath, he had already battled giants that tried to derail what God wanted to do in his life. Right after Samuel anointed him, David faced a major roadblock-a literal giant. Nothing happens in a church until someone dreams.īut just because God gives your church a dream doesn’t mean you won’t hit roadblocks along the way. I’ve noticed through the years that the common denominator in every growing church, regardless of denomination or cultural context, is leadership that is not afraid to believe God. When everyone else said David stood no chance, David said, “I have killed lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them because he has… Continue Reading

God helped you in the past he’ll do it in the future. They remember the tough times and can offer perspective!) (This is the time to call on people who have a long history in the church. It will encourage you toward how he wants to work in the future. Remembering how God has worked in your church in the past will boost your confidence.

Remember what God has done in the past.

But the story of David and Goliath teaches four ways to overcome these giants so you can embrace the future God has planned. Last week, I shared with you the giants you’ll battle as you pursue God’s vision-delay, discouragement, disapproval, and doubt. But you can’t imagine what God has in store for your church in the years ahead of you. What if the best days for your church are still ahead? No matter what you’ve done,… Continue Reading “Dear friends, God the Father chose you long ago and knew you would become his children” (1 Peter 1:2 NLT).

God has chosen you to be a part of his family.

So, in the first few verses of the letter, he urges believers to focus on three things as they face discouragement. Christians at the time were being fed to lions. Rome had burned, and Nero was blaming Christians. Peter wrote his first letter in the New Testament to a discouraged community of believers. Your discouragement will spread to those you lead.ĭiscouragement is also curable. It shouldn’t be surprising.īut for leaders, it can be destructive. Maybe you’re having a tough time seeing where God is at work in your ministry.ĭiscouragement happens. Maybe you’re going through a relationship struggle. Everyone gets it from time to time, even those of us in ministry. The person you lie to the most… Continue Readingĭiscouragement is universal. Each time, Jesus responded with Scripture. Jesus was tempted by Satan with three different lies. Here’s the truth: You can’t stand up to Satan on your own.

Satan is constantly working to plant destructive thoughts in your mind. Once he gets one person to believe his lies, he’ll work through that person to influence others, creating a domino effect.

Satan has set the trap, and he knows what bait to use. He knows exactly what we want to hear, which makes his suggestions extremely powerful. Satan can’t force you to do anything, but he tells great lies. He sold it to Adam and Eve by wrapping it up in false promises, and he’s been telling lies ever since. At the root of every one of these thoughts is a lie. You need a game plan to overcome destructive thoughts. When tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him because he is a liar and the father of all lies.

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