Blogs
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Leadership Styles: Lateral or Vertical?
Through the years, I have observed various leadership styles and methods. Some are effective in certain contexts but significantly limit their reach because of their limited perspective. This article aims to explore the differences between what I call “lateral” and “vertical” leadership. By lateral leadership, I refer to a person who is horizontal in scope …
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The Agony Jesus Felt on the Cross Was Real
When the movie “The Passion of the Christ” was released 20 years ago, Hollywood insiders mocked it because it offered an extremely bloody depiction of Jesus’ torture and death. Regardless of what you think of director Mel Gibson, he did a masterful job of capturing the brutality of a first-century Roman execution. I know some …
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Breaking Up With Worry
Worrying is a natural response in many situations, and I’ve wasted many days getting caught up in it. I thought that was a normal way to live. But through the years, God has helped me end my relationship with worry. And He did it with the help of my husband, Dave. Every time I have …
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Avoiding 12 Hazards of Executive Leadership
As somebody who has served in executive leadership and with senior-level leaders for many decades, I have observed the following 12 hazards of executive leadership: 1. Constant stress. Stress is unavoidable. Every time a person has a responsibility to fulfill, some stress comes with it. Not all stress is bad. However, there is often a …
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There’s a Big Difference Between Prophecy and Manipulation
I love the gift of prophecy, and the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:1 that we should desire to use it. I love to see people strengthened and encouraged by a personal word from God. But spiritual gifts, much like guns, can be misused—and when prophecy is misfired it always hurts people. That’s why …
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The Fruitful Versus the Frustrated Life
In John 15:16 (NIV) Jesus says, “I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” In fact, the Bible has a lot to say about how Christians bear fruit—and there are two ways that we can do it. One is by displaying the fruit of the Spirit—love, …
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7 Powerful Traits of the Joshua Generation
As our congregation has been praying for the past few months, we sense that the next several years are a time for the true church to regain the ground it has lost in culture and blessings. Now, more than in the past decade, the Spirit seems to be saying that it is a time of …
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Why Every Christian Should Pray for Strong Discernment
The recent scandal involving Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer in Kansas City has triggered serious soul-searching—and the reaction is understandable. People feel angry, betrayed and bewildered. They trusted leaders who seemed incredibly spiritual, but those leaders violated that trust. I’ve watched this happen more times than I can count. When I was …
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Top 10 Traits of Narcissistic Leaders
By definition, a narcissist is a person who believes the world revolves around them to such an extent their desires blind them to relational reality, which makes them insensitive to the needs and perspectives of others. One of the sad realities in our consumer-driven, hedonistic culture is that we are producing millions of narcissistic people, …
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Bearing Fruit When Hard Times Come
The Bible talks about bearing good fruit and how that is God’s purpose for our lives. For example, in John 15:5 (AMP), Jesus says, “I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from …
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This Is How I’ve Stayed Married for 40 Years
Next month my wife and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. My parents were married for 67 years, so four decades doesn’t seem like much of a milestone to me. But I’m aware that in today’s culture—when couples consider divorce the easy escape from any conflict—we are blessed to still be together after tying …
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The Ruthless Rise of the Demigod Leader
The church has seen the rise of celebrity cult-status leaders who act like spiritual divas. In this article, I define “demigods” as those who act as little gods and believe they are above everyone else. There are some social and psychological reasons for this aberrant behavior, both from the vantage point of these leaders and …
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Joyce Meyer: 8 Ways to Avoid Wasting Your Time
Imagine we’re at a graveyard. You look at a tombstone and see the person’s name, the date they were born and when they died. In between the dates, there is a dash. I think it’s interesting that a person’s whole life—from the time they are born until they die—is represented by that dash. The question …
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How a Forgotten Moment in Black History Changed the World
Last week I was speaking at a men’s conference in western Uganda near the city of Rwentobo. After one afternoon session about marriage, men stood to repent of how they had physically or verbally abused their wives. Some of them later texted me to say they had confessed their sins to their wives. The next …
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How You Can Avoid the Top 5 Regrets of an 80-Year-Old Minister
After many decades of serving in ecclesiastical circles, I have often been around many older ministers. I have noticed that only very few seem satisfied with the way they prioritize their time in regard to their lives and ministries. I have made the following observations for myself, looking ahead so that I will not live …
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