Pastor A

“Flirtation with sin can lead to a romance with Satan.”   Unknown

“Religion” will send you to hell. It takes “salvation” to get you into heaven.

D.L. Moody was once preaching to a great crowd. After the service a leader of one of the fashionable churches of the city went to the evangelist and said, “I noticed you made eleven mistakes in grammar tonight.” D.L. Moody replied, “I don’t doubt it, my early education was a bit faulty. I wish I had received more schooling. But I’m using all the grammar I know in service of Christ. How is it with you?”  The man had no answer!

Once there was a fellow who was in the habit of rotating from church to church. One day he was talking with his pastor and said that he was going to leave the church and check out a different one. He asked for the pastor’s opinion. The pastor said, “I think it’s all right in your case. You see, it never hurts to change the label on an empty bottle.”

by Unknown

Senior citizens are constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the modern world, real or imaginary. We know we take responsibility for all we have done and do not blame others.

HOWEVER, upon reflection, we would like to point out that it was NOT the senior citizens who took

The melody out of music,

The pride out of appearance,

The courtesy out of driving,

The romance out of love,

The commitment out of marriage,

The responsibility out of parenthood,

The togetherness out of the family,

The learning out of education,

The service out of patriotism,

The Golden Rule from rulers,

The nativity scene out of cities,

The civility out of behavior,

The refinement out of language,

The dedication out of employment,

The prudence out of spending,

The ambition out of achievement;

And, we certainly are NOT the ones who eliminated patience and tolerance from personal relationships and interactions with others!!

And, we do understand the meaning of patriotism, and remember those who have fought and died for our country.

Just look at the Seniors with tears in their eyes and pride in their hearts as they stand at attention with their hand over their hearts!

YES, I’M A SENIOR CITIZEN!

I’m the life of the party….. Even if it lasts until 8 p.m.

I’m very good at opening childproof caps….. With a hammer.

I’m awake many hours before my body allows me to get up.

I’m smiling all the time because I can’t hear a thing you’re saying.

I’m sure everything I can’t find is in a safe secure place, somewhere.

I’m wrinkled, saggy, lumpy, and that’s just my left leg.

I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

Yes, I’m a SENIOR CITIZEN and I think I am having the time of my life!

Now if I could only remember who sent this to me, I wouldn’t send it back to them, but I would send it to many more too!

“Honesty is the best policy, but the man who is honest because it is the best policy is really not honest. He is selfish.”  Dr. Bob Jones Sr

by Pete Wilson

Probably the most asked question I get in interviews and by pastors I’m mentoring is, “If you could go back and change anything in your ministry, what would you change?”

Usually I’m thinking, You don’t have enough time for me to actually answer that question. I’d change tons of things.

However, at the very top of the list would be my driving desire to be “loved” at all costs.

I have a lot of friends in ministry that are addicted to this pride-swelling choice as well.

For most of my life and certainly all of my ministry, I’ve been addicted to pleasing everyone. It didn’t matter if it cost me my personality, my family, or even at times, my vow to speak truth. I just wanted to be “loved.”

• I would ignore the sincere compliments of others to be obsessed with the few critics.

• I would abandon my boundaries and go above and beyond to “help” someone while ignoring my family.

• I would put off the tough leadership decisions trying to keep all sides content.

Why? Simple. I wanted to be “loved.”

But let me tell you something. Leading with a desire to be loved is dangerous. Parenting with a desire to be loved can be destructive. And if you spend your life trying to be loved instead of being loving, it’s going to lead you to all kinds of unhealthy extremes.

Part of learning humility for me is to understand I simply can’t please everyone. Not everyone is going to like me, love me, or think I’m great. They’re just not.

I feel like I’m growing in this area. I’m learning the freedom that comes along with seeking to love, instead of always desiring to be loved. The first leads to meaning and significance while the latter is an emotional black hole that can never be filled.

I pray you will learn to live in the Kingdom and be freed from the sheer stupidity and vanity of going through life trying to make sure other people think the right things about you. If you depend on other people loving everything you say or do, you will end up doing and saying nothing. I pray you’ll receive the fact that you are loved in the eyes of God in such a way that you can then go out to lead and live, seeking to truly love the people around you.

“It is a sin to do less than your best.”   Dr. Bob Jones Sr

Here are 12 killers of good leadership:

by Ron Edmondson

Defensiveness – Good leaders don’t wear their feelings on their shoulders. They know other’s opinions matter and aren’t afraid to be challenged.

Jealousy – A good leader enjoys watching others on the team excel.

Revenge – The leader that succeeds for the long term must be forgiving and knows that “getting even” only comes back to harm them and the organization.

Fearfulness – The good leader remains committed when no one else is and must take risks no one else will. Others will follow. That’s what leaders do.

Favoritism - Good leaders don’t have favorites on the team. They reward for results not partiality.

Ungratefulness - Good leaders value people, knowing they cannot attain success without others.

Small-mindedness – Good leaders think bigger than today. They are dreamers and idea people.

Pridefulness - Pride comes before the fall. Good leaders remain humbled by the position of authority entrusted to them.

Rigidity - There are some things to be rigid about, such as values and vision, but for most issues, the leader must be open to change. Good leaders welcome new ideas, realizing that most everything can be improved.

Laziness – One can’t be a good leader and not be willing to work hard. In fact, the leader should be willing to be the hardest worker on the team.

Unresponsiveness – Good leaders don’t lead from behind closed doors. They are responsive to the needs and desires of those they attempt to lead. They respond to concerns and questions. They collaborate more than control. Leaders who close themselves off from those they lead will limit the places where others will follow.

Dishonesty – Since character counts highest, a good leader must be above reproach. When a leader fails, he or she must admit their mistake and work towards restoration.

A leader may struggle with one or more of these, but the goal should be to lead “killer-free.” Leader, be honest, which of these wrecking balls do you struggle with most?

What would you add to my list?

“Don’t sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.”  Dr. Bob Jones Sr

“The right road always leads out of the right place.”  Dr. Bob Jones Sr

“No man is born until he is born from on high.”  Dr. Bob Jones Sr

“When in doubt, play safe.”  Dr. Bob Jones Sr

“The wise man always prepares for the inevitable.”  Dr. Bob Jones Sr

“No doubt the trouble is with you.”   Dr. Bob Jones Sr