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One of the worst ‘ministry killers’ is someone who at some level is a “pretender.” Leaders in ministry who think they are making a good impression by wearing a mask are undermining God’s purpose for leaders and the Church. Paul never did this and pointed out those who pretended because he knew how dangerous it is.’
Take time to think and evaluate the way you care for others in the body of Christ. If you are pretending in any degree, STOP! Come before the Lord and ask Him to remove everything that is fake and replace it by the Spirit with the image of Christ – authentic leadership!
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As I continue to look at the elements of leadership that are essential for any growing, maturing church, it is equally important to point out positive characteristics that mark good leaders. You may have seen these modeled in a leader or you may have tried to model these yourself. As Paul says in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Be sure to read Acts 20:17-35. You will sense in Paul’s words the depth of love he had for the Ephesian elders. He served them night and day (31) “with tears” knowing that he would never see them again. This kind of love is born out of prayer and deep yearning for spiritual growth and maturity. DO THESE CHARACTERISTICS MARK YOUR MINISTRY? When we read some of Paul’s exhortations, it seems that he was getting very personal and invasive. We must realize that any leadership role requires holiness through sanctification. That means we are alwaysallowing the Spirit to draw our attention to adjustments that need to be made in practical areas of our lives. Are you ready for another self-examination?
The beauty of accepting and pursuing these qualities is that as they are implemented in our lives, we will see a visible change in ourselves and in those we serve. Those we serve will receive a greater blessing through the way they are served and loved. In the next few blogs, I am going to pull from Charles R. Swindoll’s book, A Man of Grace and Grit, (page 220-221) eight principles of leadership that were modeled by the Apostle Paul. These principles are very applicable for pastors and church leaders today.
On this same subject, Solomon warned that “the fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Proverbs 29:25). It is healthy to examine our own hearts and ask how we really approach personal integrity in all areas of ministry.  As I continue to receive news from the four corners of our globe, I am amazed at some trends taking place. One of these trends is a movement with young adults, teens, and children. This picture shows young men and women taking time to dig into Scripture, so their spiritual foundation is stronger and solid. They realize that in our world where hatred for the name of Jesus is rising and truth is being undermined by human philosophy and deceit, their minds must be deeply anchored in truth. Knowing God’s Word will help them unmask the lies of Satan and “be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
“Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13). Challenge: What young people and children do you know outside your own family? Have you prayed for them by name? Take a pen and paper right now and write down their names. Will you make a commitment to pray for them every day this week? Then, keep that list and pray for them once a week through the end of this year. WATCH WHAT GOD WILL DO!!  After receiving this picture from a Timothy in S.E. Asia, along with several other pictures of his work, I felt compelled to send him a note with the verses below. Over the last eleven (11) years, there has been a steady growth in the number of places he has taught our training material, which means that the number people he has discipled has also multiplied.
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,” (Colossians 1:3–6). This story could be told of many in other parts of the world. It is a proof that Paul’s pattern of disciple making cannot be improved on (2 Timothy 2:1-2). Even with our small, dedicated team, there is no possibility we could have seen growth, as mentioned above, without training “Timothy’s” and trusting the Spirit in them to carry on the work. Please join me in thanking the Lord for providing “faithful” servants (1 Corinthians 4:2). In my reading of Mark 1:35-45, verses 35 to 39 hold particular interest to me as they relate to ministry. Without saying a word to anyone, Jesus rose “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed” (35). Here are some points that should speak to anyone who loves and follows Jesus as a disciple, but even more to those involved in any kind of ministry.
This is not so much about a habit as it is about knowing what will best glorify the Lord and serve His people. Spiritual power comes from one source – GOD! Being alone with Him in a relationship as “Father” means that I am dependent on Him for everything, but most of all how I serve others.  As part of our team travel to Nepal on Monday, October 27th, there are many burdens on our hearts and in our prayers. As you can see from the chart and map in this blog provided by Joshua Project, one of highest concerns is reaching the people groups who have never heard the gospel. There is a unique aspect to getting the gospel to most parts of Nepal and that is how difficult access is to regions in the higher elevations. The rugged terrain and lack of reliable transportation increase the difficulty. The next burden on our hearts is a training conference in one week with around 80 pastors. Most of them come from areas described above. Their training over three days will be based on Scripture using God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC) as a tool. These pastors completed God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD). This training will equip them so they can return to their churches and equip every believer to share the gospel of grace with people who have never heard of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Though the numbers in this chart are changing as the gospel is being shared, they still make us realize how much work is still to be done. What can you do to help? First, give yourself to prayer for effective training. Second, pray that God will take away barriers to the gospel reaching those who have never heard. Third, pray for our team. Our concern is that we be used and empowered by the Holy Spirit. (The map below shows the concentration of unreached people groups).   I want to bring you back to a subject I have often mentioned – the Hmong People Group. For some time, our Timothy in the east, has made it his goal to train these believers using God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) and God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC). They are eager learners, and several are being equipped to becocme trainers. This picture is evidence of how this process is succeeding. Their smiles are a witness to their growing joy in the Lord.
Many of these displaced people were scattered to other countries through oppression, and some have come here to the USA. Another exciting part of this development is that a dear brother from S. E. Asia has a deep burden for this people group and has taken the responsibility of improving their translation of the Hmong GPHD. In a conversation with him today, I learned that many of the Hmong people in the United States want to have a copy of both the English and Hmong GPHD. Many hours and hard work go into making sure that any translation is accurate and understandable. Special attention is given to meaning of words and how a culture, like the Hmong, relates a biblical idea to their own lives. Please join us in prayer for this translator and this people group. There is much that hinges on an accurate translation and good timing. Words are hard to find that describe what our “Timothy” is doing in S. E. Asia. Over the last ten years he has translated all our training resources and found places and churches where he could introduce and form groups that he has trained. The report below is a short summary of what he is doing now.
“Training on Zoom: (1) The course that opened on September 7, 2025, is still studying well, even those in the US who Pastor Sherman provided with God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) books are also studying. (2) The course opens on October 18, 2025, to let Hmong brothers manage and divide the class. He invited 60/87 people to attend the Opening Ceremony. Graduation: From December 2025 and March 2026 (85 new people, 25 older people), we will offer 85 students to complete GPHD. Also, there are 25 students who studied in 2017-2022 and some of them recently met again and showed me their finished books. They also completed the questions in God’s Plan for His Church(GPHC) and GPHD. This is the joy of my coaching work. They did not give up, even though there many reasons for their delay in finishing. You continue to pray for us.” This is a very small sample of what God is doing. As new groups are formed, please keep them in prayer. It is easy for discouragement to set in when they are left alone for a time. |
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