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Serving in the Power of an Almighty God

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 4 Comments ↓

Just as God’s power came upon Moses (Isa. 63:12), David (1 Sam. 16:3), Elijah (1 Kings 18:46), and others to do His bidding, so He will empower us to serve in ways that make a difference for eternity. Jesus, in promising the Holy Spirit, said that the disciples would be “clothed with power from on high” (Lk. 24:49).

Ministry Empowerment Comes by Serving in the Power of an Almighty God

Nothing is too hard for God (Jer. 32:17; Lk. 1:37; 18:27). His power is not just great but incomparably great (Eph. 1:19).

The power with which God created the heavens and the earth, parted the Red Sea, and raised Jesus from the dead is available for the everyday moments of our lives, enabling us to serve (Eph. 3:7), to fight spiritual battles (Eph. 6:10), and to witness (Acts 1:8). This power will embolden us (2 Tim. 1:7) and be a source of hope (Rom. 15:13).

Let’s look to God as God He is … the Almighty One!

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We will serve in the power of our almighty God when we do ministry His way — pulling on Him for empowerment but also aligning with Him, looking for the kind of effectiveness He wants, focusing on what’s most important to Him, having His perspective about our methodology, aiming toward objectives that matter to God, looking to Him as our Source and Sustainer in order to persevere, having heart qualities pleasing to Him, and being a team player willing to serve in unity according to God’s design. — Check out the Ministry God’s Way Discipleship Tool for this broad view of ministry.

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Learn more about God’s power and the responsibility of church leaders to encourage people to serve in the power of an Almighty God, not to strive to do it in their own wisdom and strength, in the Steering the Church Toward God’s Power Leadership Guide

Your View of Truth Matters in Ministry

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

Truth is Part of the Armor of God

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. (Eph. 6:14)

Truth is indispensable to the ministry worker because truth holds everything else together. It’s part of the armor of God wherein we stand our ground.

Defining the Truth of God

We will better appreciate the role of Truth in ministry when we view it as more than a concept, more than a standard, more than a system of belief, and more than something we teach. We will hold on to it tighter when we understand that Truth is a Person.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6).

Consequently, Truth is not merely a standard to live up to but a Person with whom we relate. Because Truth is a Person, any system of belief, any standards or concepts we call truth, can never contradict who He is. If it does, it is not Truth.

What Truth Does for Us in Ministry

Truth guides us. (Ps. 43:3)
In ministry we often find ourselves at crossroads, needing to know which direction to turn. If decisions were always about choosing between that which is good or bad, it would be much easier to know what to do. Often, however, we must decide between that which is good and that which is better for our ministries, requiring a different discernment. Because Truth is a Person, not just a Precept, we have Someone to turn to for help in situations that are not spelled out in the Written Word.
Truth delivers us. (Jn. 8:32)
Initially comes our salvation but we need daily deliverance from the sin that would so easily beset us, from Satan who would like to overtake us, and from the world that tries to entangle us. Ministry workers are not above these entrapments. Truth, the Person, delivers because He is all-powerful, greater than any one or any thing. Yet, we must not lay aside the Truth of God’s Word for even Jesus found the Precepts vital to the deliverance process when tempted.
Truth sanctifies us. (Jn. 17:17; Titus 1:1)
Sanctification means to be set apart … the separation of the believer from the world to God which requires that we be made holy. It is getting the worldliness out of us and replacing it with godliness. How easy it can be for ministry workers to be tempted to adapt worldly methodology. We need to measure what we do against Truth and let Truth set us apart from that which is not of God.
Truth is a source of peace. (Phil. 4:8-9)
Even in the church we sometimes find deceit and unfaithfulness which can lead to anxiety. If you concentrate on what is true instead of looking at all the negatives in ministry, you will know that in the end, you will be okay and thereby do not have to worry and fear but rather be at peace. In the end, truth prevails.

1 Timothy 3:15 refers to the church as “the pillar and foundation of truth.” Now that Jesus has ascended back to heaven, the responsibility to uphold and communicate truth is passed on to us. We must not only speak the truth as Jesus did but also live in accordance with truth as we relate with the One who is true. We must seek out the truth in all situations.

Your View of the Goodness of God Matters in Ministry

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 4 Comments ↓

Taste and See the Goodness of God

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. (Ps. 34:8)

Our View of the Goodness of God is Critical to Thriving in Ministry

When we consider what we have as a result of God’s goodness, we begin to realize how critical it is.

Perspective comes from His goodness.

A good God works good in all things (Rom. 8:28) so you don’t have to fear, doubt, or worry even if you don’t understand what is happening. No matter how hard ministry may get, even if others wrongly come against you or obstacles stand in your way, you don’t have to despair. You can know His goodness lies ahead. “I am still confident of this,” the psalmist said, “that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Ps. 27:13). Because of His goodness, you can have hope which leads to perspective.

Provision comes from His goodness.

“The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Ps. 34:10). “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matt. 7:11). God knows what you most need and when you need it. He looks at the big picture and will bring about what is best in the best timing and way. You can “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” truly believing that all you need “will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33).

Pardon for sin comes from His goodness.

Be honest. You do not always control your words, reactions, use of time, etc. in ways that honor God in ministry. You sometimes sin. You make wrong choices. If you didn’t have a good God, you may as well give up. Wrapped up in His goodness is mercy and forgiveness. He may not remove the consequences of your sin because He is also just but He will forgive you and give you grace to cope with the consequences.

Protection comes from His goodness.

God gave you His Word to instruct and direct you. His commandments are good (Rom. 7:12) and they are for your good (Deut. 10:13) because they come from a good God. A good God isn’t going to lead you down the wrong path. When you understand this your prayer will be as the psalmist’s in Psalm 143:10 — “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Out of His goodness come the perspective, provision, pardon, and protection you need to not only continue on but to thrive in ministry.

Your view of God’s goodness matters in ministry but so do His other attributes. Get alphabetical listings of His attributes in the Our Great God from A to Z Discipleship Tool Download.

Your View of the Greatness of God Matters in Ministry

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 3 Comments ↓

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom. (Ps. 145:3)

Your view of the greatness of God is critical to ministry effectiveness. Here is why:

It will affect your confidence level in ministry.

It will affect your enthusiasm or passion in ministry.

These points are included in the Steering the Church Toward God’s Power Leadership Guide along with some brief input about them. This resource also looks at the means through which God imparts His power and the practical outworking of that power in 25 different leadership tasks or responsibilities. (Click on the above link to learn more about this resource.)

Reflect on the Greatness of God

Need a little refresher course on the greatness of God? Perhaps this video of Louie Giglio speaking on “How Great is Our God” will give you some perspective. (If the video doesn’t show in your browser, you can watch it on YouTube.)

For more, check out Our Great God from A to Z Discipleship Tool Download which looks at many of the different attributes of God. Putting all these traits together certainly should lead us to conclude that we have a Great, Great God who works on our behalf and wants to work through us.

3 Reasons Prayer is Critical in Ministry

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 6 Comments ↓

Because of what prayer does, we should view it as essential for any ministry we might engage in. We should always pray, continually (1 Thess. 5:17).

Reasons Prayer is Critical in Ministry:

Prayer allows us to have intimate communion with the Lover of our souls as He delights in spending time with us.

Ministry is empty without this connection. John 15 draws the parallel to Jesus being a vine and us the branches. In verse five Jesus emphasized the importance of such a connection when He said, “apart from me you can do nothing.”

Prayer enables us to work in cooperation with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as we get involved in the lives of people in our communities, across the nation, and around the world without even having to leave home.

Ephesians 6 pulls back the curtain to the spirit world to help us understand the battle going on around us. Verse sixteen concludes, “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Prayer gives us a means of showing compassion toward other believers and the world around us as we take them and their needs to a God who cares and can help them far more than we could ever hope to do ourselves.

Read through the Apostle Paul’s letters for the many prayers he offered on behalf of those He served and you will sense not only his desire for them to walk close to God but also a heart of love.

Of course, the list could continue. I just wanted to share a few reasons we don’t always think about in conjunction with ministry. These three reasons alone are enough for me to ask, “How Can We Not Pray?“

Saving Money in Today’s Economy

Posted on May 30, 2009 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 1 Comment ↓

I don’t know about you but in today’s economy I look for ways to save money both for the ministry and personally.

Save Money Buying Used Books

One of the things I do is to buy used books when it is not for a gift. Getting used books can also be a good way to build your church library. Pastors and teachers might need books for research purposes. Often you can find books in new, like new, or very good conditions that can well suit your purpose. Here’s a place I look:

Generally you will find that more recently published used books will be a higher cost. In that case, if the price seems close to the retail cost, I might buy a new book at ChristianBook, ChurchSource,or Amazon.com. I do some comparison shopping, remembering to figure in shipping costs from the different sites. (The ministry even makes money as an affiliate of the above sites as a commission is received for all sales that come through the links on this site.)

If we stop and think about what we do personally, in our churches and ministries, there are undoubtedly many other ways to save in today’s economy.