Tag: Son

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Jacob Blake – Sometimes Praising God Is Hard

Keeping Faith in God During Hard Times

When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing you do? Do you praise God for His goodness? Do you set the tone for praise because of success, favour and blessing? Looking at the events of this past week, months and year, it is so hard to praise God at all times like the Scripture says. To hear another mother crying, for her innocent black son, who was shot 7 times by the police is heartbreaking.  

We’re in the eighth month of the worst year on record, many commentators have said. Last year may have had some hardships and difficulties, but this year seems to be on another negative level. However, it’s time to set the tone for a season of praise. Despite all the negatives, Jacob’s family still managed to give God praise.  

Today, the Scripture reminds us that the darker it gets in the world, the brighter it’s going to be for God’s true believers. Things may be bad all around you. Murders, shootings and pandemics. People may be negative, complaining and discouraged, rightly so at times, but don’t let that spirit rub off on you, praise your way out of the negatives. The worse it gets the brighter God wants you to shine. Be determined to set a Godly tone of praise for the rest of the year, no matter how bad things get, by praising God and speaking words of faith over every situation! 

“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises.” (Psalm 34:1, NLT) 

Let’s Pray
Yahweh, today I have decided to bless You at all times. I will go against my feelings and focus on Your goodness and love. God, I praise You for the faith of Jacob Blake’s family, who lift You up in the face of their tragedy. Please grant him a full recovery. Father, I set a new tone of praise in my life, to replace all of my negative emotions, and I receive Your forgiveness, grace and mercy. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me at all times, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

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Let’s Get Excited About Our Faith

Speak Greatness Into Our Youth

Talking about your faith with others isn’t always the most popular topic amongst young people. Fashion, football and music are more popular. Most youth are not excited when talking about faith. Feeling that if they share their faith with others, people at school, uni or on social media will think they’re weird. So they do what many Christians do, they stay quiet. Not speaking up when someone challenges their beliefs. Praying with your friend who’s parents are going through a divorce would really help, but you’re afraid of what your friend might think. The list of excuses we make for not sharing our faith can be very long.  

Why is it that we talk about our sports team winning with everyone we know, but when it comes to sharing our faith, many times we tell no one? We have something way more exciting than a winning team, we have a winning God. We have a God who loved us, and gave his son so that we could experience a life changing relationship with Him. Why aren’t we filling our insta, snap and facebook feed with that news? It’s easy to get afraid to share our faith with others. It’s easier to not say anything so that we don’t look weird to others. We are called to be salt and light to our world. The message in the bible puts it this way. You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.  — Matthew 5:14. 

So choose to put your fears aside, step up and tell others about your God. 

Let’s Holla @ God 

God, please give me a Christlike excitement and remove my fear, so I can let others know that you have changed my life and to let them know that You can change theirs too. God make me a light for You. In Christ’ name Amen. 

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What Does The Bible Say About Fathers?

In many countries, Father’s Day is celebrated every third Sunday of June. There are many ideas about fatherhood. Fathers everywhere have endless words of advice to share with fathers-to-be. The Bible has some words to share about fathers. Here are some insights:

1. Fathers are not to exasperate their children.
Ephesians 6:4 (NIV) says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” In another version, it says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord”. (ESV)

From the verse, we gather that “exasperate” and “provoke” is the opposite of nurture and admonition. Fathers should not have the habit of infuriating or intensely irritating their children. Instead, they should be nurturing and admonishing towards them thru the guidance of God’s Word.

To nurture is to care. Fathers must show care and to show it in a way that their children understand. Hard love is sometimes necessary. But at all times, a father must ensure that there is indeed love in how he deals with his children.

To admonish is to advise and to warn. Fathers must not hesitate giving advice to their children. Guided by the Word, he must ever be ready to give insight when it is needed and to give rebuke when it is warranted.

2. Fathers are to discipline their children in love.

Proverbs 3:12 says, “For whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”

From the verse, we gather that love is the foundation and the reason for rebuke and discipline. Fathers and yes, mothers, are not to discipline out of anger. For those who believe (as the Bible does) in a physical form of discipline, it must never be done as a reactive response. A reactive response is” we hurt somebody because that somebody hurt us; we shout because somebody else shouted at us. Discipline is not like that. It is a proactive response. Fathers (parents) discipline their children in order to reinforce teaching and so that the error hopefully will not be repeated again.

3. Fathers are to show compassion on their children.

Psalm 103:13 says, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”

From the verse, we gather that fatherhood should be marked by compassion. This means that there is no need to instill great fear in one’s children. This means that a father may be bare and open before his child and not be perceived as weak but rather, honest and compassionate.
The compassionate father will learn not to overly or unreasonably expect beyond what his children are capable of at the moment. The compassionate father will learn to extend patience while his children learn the basics and equip themselves for independence later on. The compassionate father will rebuke but not reject a wayward child. The compassionate father will not be happy with a child’s failures but will always be encouraging his child towards betterment.

The Bible has more to say. In many points, the seeking father will learn that he should pattern his fatherhood after the Great Father- the Loving One, the Forgiving One, and the Strengthening One; from whom he will get strength and guidance in order to be better at fatherhood, one day at a time.

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Mental Illness: Are they falling into darkness?

Let’s face it, mental illness is part of a lot of people’s everyday lives. They do their best to cope with it, either at work or at home. But one thing is for sure, it is far from being easy. I’ve been there! It’s not a question of lacking faith, or laziness or whether you come from a poor or rich family. Mental illness touches everyone. And it can come when you least expect it.

It doesn’t mean you did something to deserve it, or that you are weak. It simply means, you are human and in today’s world, having to deal with all the negative that surrounds us, all the bills to pay, all the pressure, the lack of money, not knowing if you’ll ever get out of debt or finally become healthy. It can become very hard for anyone to deal with all of that and sometimes, you just fall into that hole. You know the dark place that no one really wants to talk about!

For some it’s a question of weakness and talking about it is out of the question.

For others, it is a very taboo subject. They feel incredibly ashamed of themselves and they surely do not want to be judge or even worse, for someone to preach to them in a condescending way.

You know when you are having a hard time, you battle the enemy as hard as you possibly can, you pray, you kneel down and just beg Him to take everything because you just can’t anymore, and then that “friend” who has it easier than you, tells you that you need to be patient and all will be fine…

Right then and there, there’s an explosion in your head and you want to scream!!!

That dear friend doesn’t really know what else to tell you, understandably!   It’s not easy for them either.   But you know it’s making things worse, not better.

Those little tiny things can make you go down even more. You then hear more and more voices in your head, telling you to do this or that. You have difficulty hearing God’s voice, and it sadly seems to be getting a lot more difficult to hear Him. And the enemy is there, always, waiting for the right moment to attack!

That story is about your friend. It’s about mine too. It can also be my story or yours. But this story is repeated millions of times by people just like me and you, all around the world.

It’s not easy trying to confront human misery. It’s even harder when that misery is close to you or part of you. Holding on and asking others to pray for you when you don’t have the energy or the will to do so, will allow God to intervene. Do not throw the towel! Rather, hold on to it as if it were a lifeboat on its way to calmer waters.

You can overcome the darkness. It’s not easy. In fact, it’s extremely hard. And sadly, not all people will overcome it, but many will and they will come out stronger and victorious on the other side. In the meantime, I suggest we should stop with the smart remarks, the judgmental smirk or that “eye rolling” when we see our friend is still struggling even if it’s been a while and even if we were able to get through our hard times really fast! The worst thing we can do when somebody is struggling, is to tell them how our life is just so great by saying that we got our new boat, we sold our car in less than a day, we got a buyer for our house, we are going on our fifth vacation this year and we won the lottery…while our friend is struggling in all aspects of her or his life! Come on….we’ve all done it! We have all at one point or another, been careless and damage was done!

We need to be careful and just watch our tongue. Not all things are worth saying. Jesus tells us we need to think twice before we speak. Instead, we just might give our friend a hug, a gentle touch, a smile and tell them we can pray with them. If they want to talk, listen or respect if they do not.

Pray, pray and pray for them. Pray for that person to beat the enemy’s schemes. Pray for God to intervene and fast. Pray they get clarity of mind. Pray for the hope of a better life. Pray for joy. They sure need it.

Mental health is not always about the others. It involves you and me. It can be about you and me. The struggles are part of the story and if we take time to listen to the nonspoken words, if we listen with our heart and not always our brain, we can be inspired by those beautiful people, by their pain, by their struggles and wonderful victories, big or small. We have a lot to gain by loving people with the same love, God loves us with!

-Smile.  

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What If Your Child Doesn’t Like the Gender GOD Gave Them?

Disclaimer: I acknowledge the fact that this article may be incredibly offensive to some, even those that I call friends. However, this article is in NO way saying that I hate transgender/homosexual people. I love and respect them as humans (and friends!), I just simply don’t support their decision. I want to freely express my views and this article happens to hold a view that has recently been quite controversial in American culture.

You are a parent who loves the LORD and seeks to obey Him in all things, and you raise your children to do the same (Deut 6:6-7). What happens though, when your child tells you that they do not like the gender that GOD gave them? Do you accept them as they are to avoid possibly ostracizing yourself from your child’s life, or do you call the fires of heaven upon them because their dislike of their gender will lead them away from GOD’S truth?

You’re going to have to just pause and really listen to your child. Ask them questions. Hear what they have to say about what they are feeling and believing. You need to remember that you remain an example for your child- if you, a Believer, chooses to speak rashly and say the first things that come to mind (which will most likely be negative) to your child, then you stand a greater chance of losing them. James 1:19 says: So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of GOD. You need to readily listen to your child, you must choose your words carefully and you cannot afford to get angry. After all, you are an ambassador of Christ (2 Cor 5:20), you cannot misrepresent Him.

If anything, be angry at Satan- he is the one influencing your child. Am I saying that your child is possessed and needs an exorcism? No, but you do need to be sensitive to the situation. Satan wants to lead your child away- he seeks to pollute every creation of GOD. Think about it for a moment: why on earth would GOD have your child be born male/female, and then, a few years later when they are able to give voice to their feelings, they believe that they should have been something other than what they are? Do you not know that Satan is a deceiver? Do you understand that all he wants is your destruction? What better way to cause destruction than to separate you from GOD? The Scriptures say this about our adversary: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Our Heavenly Father will continue to love your child- His love is not dependent on who you are, but who He is- but if they do not realize that being transgender goes against GOD, then they will be lost (it doesn’t have to be permanent).

Our feelings are not reliable, in fact, they can often lead us astray. You may find your child saying: “I don’t feel female, I should have been a male” and vice versa. Once their feelings and thoughts are strong enough and most likely justified by society, then they start to believe that they should be female/male. What makes them feel this way? Let me create a scenario for you: one day you wake up, and a sudden thought just pops into your head. The thought is that you find your neighbor annoying. You didn’t find him annoying yesterday, but you do today. You start to think of all the things that annoy you about your neighbor: he doesn’t close his car door properly, he sometimes talks while chewing gum etc. Now you’re working yourself up with all of these thoughts and feelings, but you have not even stopped to question them. You walk out of your house with these feelings swirling about in you and lo and behold, you see him doing the very things that you find annoying. Now you feel angry at him- why can’t he just shut his car door properly? Why doesn’t he just spit that gum out before talking to people? Doesn’t he know that it’s rude? You’re quite worked up now. The neighbor sees you and waves at you with a smile on his face. Oh, but you’re angry, so you glare at him and storm back into the house, banging the door closed behind you. The neighbor is naturally taken aback by your reaction to his friendly greeting- you were not like this yesterday! One day GOD tells you to speak to your neighbor about Christ, but guess what? Your neighbor does not want to hear anything that you have to say about Jesus because of the way that you once acted towards him. Now you’re questioning yourself- why were you so annoyed with him? Why did you get so angry with him when you really don’t have a problem with him? Do you want to know what happened? You didn’t filter your thoughts! You didn’t stop to think: is this thought mine? Or is it coming from somewhere else? You just accepted that you felt annoyed with your neighbor and then like a wildfire, it got out of control. You took it to another level. Do you know that Satan can put thoughts into your head? He cannot read your thoughts, but he can plant a thought in your mind. Why do you think we were given this Scripture: …casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Jesus said to love your neighbor right? How were you showing love when you chose to accept that negative thought and so treat your neighbor poorly? Do you understand how your thoughts exalted themselves against the knowledge of GOD? By accepting those thoughts and acting out your feelings, you disobeyed GOD and you gave Satan a stronghold in your mind (see 2 Cor 10:4). He planted a thought in your head and sat back to watch you run with it- you did all the work of disobeying GOD.

Let’s use this knowledge to now figure out what is going on with your child.

A thought gets put into your child’s mind- they do not feel male/female. Obviously, they do not think that there is an outside spirit force trying to influence them, therefore they accept the thought as their own: ‘I thought it, therefore it must be mine’. Guess what happens now? Since your child accepted the thought, the devil now has a stronghold in your child’s mind. You see, there are spiritual laws that all spirits must abide by. When GOD tells us not to do something, it’s for a reason! It’s not just about controlling us! When we go against GOD, we give the devil legal ground to afflict us.

Now your child’s mind is the devil’s playground. He is going to continue to inject thoughts contrary to GOD’S Word into your child’s mind. When under such an onslaught, your child has no way of fighting it, not on their own. Eventually, your child will not only be influenced by thoughts alone, but the devil will purposefully put certain people in your child’s life that will convince them that it is okay to feel and believe that lie.

Transgender people say they were assigned a sex that isn’t true to who they are. They will even tell you that it’s not about sexual orientation, how they dress or even surgery. It’s about how they feel inside. Did you know that suicide attempts are significantly quite high for transgender people? In particular for those who went as far as to have a sex change op? Go and research it for yourself. Even such actions as cutting oneself and other activities aimed at bodily harm are reported among transgenders. Now, if they were so certain about what they feel they should be, then why would they want to harm themselves or commit suicide? Professionals will chime in and say that it is a psychological problem, which is partially right- it did start in the mind after all. So they will either seek to align their patient’s thoughts and feelings with their ‘true gender identity’ or prescribe the medication to deal with their troubling thoughts. Do you see how everything revolves around thoughts and feelings? The devil is a master manipulator- we can never know where his blows are going to come from. What is worrying is that his lies have become mainstream truths. This means that GOD’S Word becomes the lie (in their eyes), and all who go against these mainstream truths are hypocritical, judgemental, unloving and dangerous people to society. What a mess.

So what can you, the parent, do? If you cannot reason with your child by using Scripture, then they need to know that you love them unconditionally, but you do not accept them seeking to change their gender in any way. Now it’s time for you to kneel down before the LORD in earnest prayer. You are going to have to pray and use the Word of GOD as a weapon against the forces of evil. Didn’t Paul the Apostle say that we ‘…do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places’ (Eph 6:12)? You’re not fighting against your child or even against the people that are trying to influence him/her. No, your fight is against Satan and his demons. They are the ones that are taking your child away, not just from you but from GOD as well. They want your child’s soul, and the only way to get it is to be separated from GOD through sin. When you pray, make sure to fast as well (look to Isaiah 58 to find out what a fast should be like). Prayer, fasting and using GOD’S Word are our weapons against evil principalities- ‘…for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…’ (2 Cor 10:4).

Some people might say that your child being transgender does not mean that they will be taken away from you, but those are just lies. Your child changes, not only physically (with the help of hormones, the sex op or clothes), but also in personality, beliefs, etc.

If you do not know where to start when using Scripture, read 2 Peter 3:9 and 1Timothy 2:4. These Scriptures tell us that God wants everyone to be saved- that’s the basis of your petition. In 1 John 5:14-15, it tells us that when we ask according to GOD’S will, then He will hear us and that we will have the petitions that we have asked of Him. That’s a promise!

Do not expect your child to change their minds overnight. Continue to pray and believe in GOD. It could take years, but your job is to continue to have faith in GOD and in His promises to us. Do not give up.

Ending Thoughts: The devil will most certainly try to deter you in any way that he can. His most powerful weapons against us are fear and doubt. Jesus has the victory (Col 2:15), so all he can do is try to get us to think contrary to GOD’S Word.

When in doubt, look to Luke 10:19 and Acts 16:31, and for fear, look to 2 Timothy 1:7. There are many other Scriptures that you can use, these are just the main ones that I use when I go into open warfare against the devil. Get deep into the Scriptures and study them. If you do not understand something, then ask GOD for wisdom according to James 1:5, but do not doubt, for if you doubt, do not expect to receive anything from GOD (James 1:6-8).

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14 Bible Verses About Love

11 Bible Verses About Love

They say love is what makes the world go round, but what does the Bible have to say about it?

  1. The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.  (John 15:13)
  2. ‘Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs.'(1 Corinthians 13.5)
  3. Above everything, love one another earnestly, because love covers over many sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
  4. ‘This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for our brothers and sisters!'(1 John 3.16)
  5. ‘Hate stirs up trouble, but love overlooks all offenses.'(Proverbs 10.12)
  6. ‘If you  love  only the people who  love  you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners  love  those who  love  them!'(Luke 6.32)
  7. ‘The steadfast love of the  Lord  never ceases;  his mercies never come to an end'(Lamentations 3.22)
  8. ‘Meanwhile, these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.'(1 Corinthians 13.13)
  9. ‘Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.'(Romans 12.19)
  10. ‘Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.'(John 15.13)
  11. ‘Love the  LORD  your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.'(Deuteronomy 6.5)
  12. Be under obligation to no one—the only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law. (Romans 13:8)
  13. ‘Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned.'(Song of Songs 8.7)
  14. I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. (John 15:9)

If you had to choose one, which is the most important love verse in the Bible?   Why would you choose one over the other?

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Where Have All the Fathers Gone?

As soon as Rhys heard the front door open, he jumped up and began shouting for joy, “Mom Daddy’s home, Daddy’s home!”. His heartbeat racing and his brown eyes shining excitedly, anticipating playtime with Daddy. A wide grin spread across Rhys’s face as Daddy acted like a big bear. Daddy quickly dropping down onto one knee so that he’d be at his son’s height to horse around the living room. Sadly this scene is becoming a rear sight to see.

Today let’s talk about the invisible dads, the ones who don’t marry Mummy, don’t support their kids and don’t hang around for the hugs, kisses and nappy changes. There are millions of them around the world, and their numbers are growing.

“Today, more than one in four births is to an unmarried mother, and more than one in 10 births is to a teenager. These numbers portend a future of fragile families. Once considered primarily a racial problem, fatherless homes have increased across a wide range of demographics over the last ten years.”

How have we come to the point where a child with two parents is the exception rather than the norm? It is time that we put the issue of fatherless families front and center on our national agenda.

So who’s the real problem here? And why should we care?

It is time to shift our attention to the issue of male responsibility, and to the indispensable role that fathers play in our society.

Firstly, it would be an oversimplification to assume that two parents are always better than one as there are many courageous and loving single moms and daddy’s who are able to balance the competing demands on their time and attention, to care and provide for their children alone.

However, contrary to the sentiments of our culture and though our society is only beginning to recognize it, the presence of fathers within the home is vital to the moral integrity of a society. The short-term effects are already far too evident as statistics  reveal that the loss of fathers is reverberating throughout the world in the form of social pathologies ranging from teen pregnancy to drug abuse.

Fatherless children are  five times more likely to be poor and twice as likely to drop out of school as children who live with both parents.

Boys, without proper male role models, look to other sources for the male bonding they need. In the inner cities that often entails gangs while in the suburbs it tends to be online.

“According to the latest statistics, the increase in the proportion of single-parent families accounted for about half of the overall increase in child poverty from 1979 through to 1987.”

The Scriptures warn us about the power of fatherhood, as well as the long-lasting impact that fatherhood has on us all. Exodus 20:4-6.” Fatherlessness is the most harmful demographic trend of this generation

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” could be both about habits/behavior and also looks. Have you ever thought about that? Do you often find yourself reacting to a situation the way your father did? or scarier yet…do you ever see your mannerisms in your son? The footprint of a father leaves a permanent mark on the soul of a child.

Fatherhood is under assault

We hear a lot about the war on women…but it is the war on Dads that is causing the greatest damage in the world today. It’s not hard to find. If you watch any popular sitcom on television today, you’ll likely notice that fathers are typically portrayed as childish, irresponsible, lazy, incompetent and stupid.

The doofus dad stereotype isn’t new. There’s Fred Flinstone, and even Charlie Brown’s monotone parents. But according to Tierny, the consistency of these new portrayals has slowly created a new norm opposed to what being a father used to mean.

Dads make a difference. Dads can be heroes – if only we give them the chance. We remain optimistic that family still has more influence than media.

We all need another hero

Fathers are representatives of God on earth; as our heavenly father is the giver of life so also are the earthly father’s givers of life.  Malachi 4:6 says “And he will turn, the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

God understands the importance of a father’s love and cares towards their children and He has set the standard by being the first example of a loving father.

“The SARRI report quotes research which  found that “the presence of a father can  contribute to cognitive development,  intellectual functioning, and school  achievement. Children growing up  without fathers are more likely to experience emotional disturbances and  depression.”

“Girls who grow up with  their fathers are more likely to have  higher self-esteem, lower levels of risky  sexual behaviour, and fewer difficulties  in forming and maintaining romantic  relationships later in life. They have less  likelihood of having an early pregnancy,  bearing children outside marriage,  marrying early, or getting divorced.”

A father’s touch

The first thing, therefore, that a father can do for his children is to love their mother. Another part of a father’s task is that of a protector for his family. But, Daddy also has another task in the home, which is to combine tenderness with strength, and to model the combination so consistently that the children regard the combination as natural.

Our kids must come to know naturally both that dad’s standards protect them, and that his love makes them strong.

Where have all the fathers gone?

Our courts do not value fatherhood as much as motherhood. In 2015 it is still the case that mothers and fathers do not have equal rights

And herein lies the problem. Our expectation of the role a separated father should play in his children’s lives is so low, that when half of dads who win “access” to their kids can’t even sleep under the same roof as their offspring, academics declare this to be an overwhelming success. One of the fruits of the feminist movement many claim is the idea that a woman is more responsible as a parent than the father is.

“He is not my Dad…he is just someone you sleep with!” How many mothers have felt the sting of those words? That is why God hates divorce. We should too.

Our culture has put asunder things which God has joined together—things such as tenderness and strength. It is the job of the father to put them back together again.

Fatherhood, like Motherhood has is its own rewards – as most dads have found. Sadly, for the others, the invisible ones, it is a gift foolishly squandered.

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43 Great Quotes To Inspire You To Be a Better Christian Leader

Anyone who has responsibility for the work of others understands the unique challenges that come with managing people.

Over the years, various thought leaders have come up with pearls of wisdom in the form of quotations that when given some thought, have a lot to teach us.  Sometimes a simple quote is just the thing to lift our spirits, to make us smile or to give us the energy to keep going when we’re feeling low.

Here are 43 such quotes to make us better Christian leaders.

  1. “The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self.” –  Unknown
  2. “In most cases being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way.” –  Unknown
  3. “The good news is, God has provided us with a LifeBook to help us – the Bible.” –  Unknown
  4. “Encouragement is the oxygen of the soul.” –  John Maxwell
  5. “There’s only two things you can start without a plan: a riot and a family, for everything else you need a plan.” –  Unknown
  6. “Rejection is an opportunity for your selection.” –  Unknown
  7. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” –  John Maxwell
  8. “Leadership is getting people to work for you when they are not obligated.” –  Fred Price
  9. “Running a project without a work breakdown structure is like going to a strange land without a roadmap” – J Phillips
  10. “You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader.” –  Henry Ford”
  11. “Have a good plan, Execute it violently, Do it today” – General Douglas McArthur
  12. “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that is has taken place.” –  Unknown
  13. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”  –  Winston Churchill
  14. “A project without a critical path is like a ship without a rudder.” – D. Meyer
  15. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
  16. “What’s measured improves.” –  Unknown
  17. “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” –  Antoine de Saint Exupry 1900-1944, French writer and aviator
  18. “If it is not documented, it doesn’t exist. As long as information is retained in someone’s head, it is vulnerable to loss.” –  Unknown
  19. “It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things.”  –  Machiavelli 1446-1507, Italian statesman and philosopher
  20.  “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra.” –  Unknown
  21. “Luck is for the ill-prepared.” –  Unknown
  22. “Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand.”  –  Chinese Proverb
  23. “Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is  coordinating the talents  of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal.” –Unknown
  24. “PMs are the most creative pros in the world; we have to figure out everything that could go wrong before it does.” – Fredrik Haren
  25. “Why do so many professionals say they are project managing when what they are actually doing is firefighting?” –Unknown
  26. “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.”  –Unknown
  27. “Ensure your documentation is short and sharp and make much more use of people-to-people communication.” –Unknown
  28. “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” –  Henry Ford
  29. “Leadership offers an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, no matter what the project.” –  Bill Owens
  30. “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” –  John C. Maxwell
  31. “Leaders have two characteristics: first they are going somewhere, and second they are able to persuade other people to go with them.” –  John Maxwell
  32. “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” – Kenneth Blanchard
  33. “The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.” – Warren Bennis
  34. “The best example of leadership is leadership by example.” –  Jerry McClain
  35. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” –  John Quincy Adams
  36. “The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.” –  John Stott
  37. “We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength.” –  Charles F. Stanley
  38. “Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” –  Mark 10:45
  39. “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” –Unknown
  40. “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” –  Mother Teresa
  41. “The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm.” –  Matt Chandler
  42. “Continuous effort  – not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential” –  Winston Churchill
  43. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” –  John Piper

If you know a great quote or scripture that will inspire others to lead their churches better, please feel free to share it in the comments below.

 

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