Church Builders International - Spiritcorp Specialists

08/03/2017

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"Living for Christ is hard."

07/19/2017

Signs of Victory

" . . .that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?' Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever." (Joshua 4:6-7)

Effective leaders look for ways to use the successes of today to empower their people for the challenges of tomorrow. Joshua did exactly that. Although God worked a miracle to allow the people to cross the Jordan on dry ground, Joshua wanted to communicate God's greatness to the children of Israel yet to be born.

To accomplish his goal, Joshua devised a plan called "Stones of Remembrance." He directed that twelve stones be taken from the middle of the dry riverbed - one for each of the Twelve Tribes who crossed the river - and be piled into a monument on the shore. The stones served as "handles" to communicate what God had done.

Good leaders always provide "handles" to enable their people to grab hold of the vision. Effective leaders find a way to communicate future vision and past victories, because their people need to be constantly reminded of both.

Excerpt from The Maxwell Leadership Bible
Church Builders International

06/28/2017

The Power of Empowerment

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Matthew 28:18

The ability to empower others is one of the keys to personal and professional success. John Craig said, "No matter how much work you can do, no matter how engaging your personality may be, you will not advance far in business if you cannot work through others."

When you become an empowerer, you certainly work with and through people, but you also do much more. Simply defined, empowering is giving your influence to others for the purpose of personal and organizational growth. It's seeing others' potential, then sharing yourself-your influence, position, power, and opportunities-with others with the purpose of investing in the lives of others so that they can function at their best.

The act of empowering others changes lives, and one of the greatest things about it is that it's a win-win for you and the people you empower. If you empower others by giving them your authority, it has the same effect as sharing information. You haven't lost anything. You've increased the ability of others without decreasing yourself.

Excerpt from Becoming a Person of Influence

01/30/2017

Buying Into the Leader

So he said to Him, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manaseh, and I am the least in my father's house." And the Lord said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man." Judges 6:15-16

Who would have picked Gideon as a leader? Certainly not Gideon. But despite Gideon's doubts, God used him. And he grew as a leader through several stages:

He started at home with his servants by destroying an altar to Baal and building a new altar to God.
He won over his father, who was a key influencer, and Gideon's life was spared when the men of Ophrah came after him.
He broadened his circle by winning the influence of Joash, the Abiezrites, and tribes beyond his borders.

He moved at the right time, with the right number of people, and won a great victory.

People don't automatically buy into a good cause, as we see with Gideon. People buy into the leader first, then the leader's vision.

Excerpt form The Maxwell Leadership Bible

01/28/2017

What A Leader Must See

“And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it." Nehemiah 2:5

Leaders who navigate do more than control the direction in which they and their people travel. They see the whole trip in their minds before they leave the dock. It seems remarkable, but Nehemiah could see both the problem and the solution even though he had never visited Jerusalem.

All great leaders have uncommon vision. A leader sees . . .

Farther than others see. Nehemiah was able to see the problem, and he could picture the solution in his head.
More than others see. Nehemiah knew that the wall could and should be rebuilt, and he knew what it would take to do it.
Before others see. None of Jerusalem's neighbors wanted to see the Jews rebuild their wall, and several enemy leaders conspired against Nehemiah and the people. But Nehemiah saw the danger and planned accordingly; he refused to give in to enemy plots.

Excerpt from The Maxwell Leadership Bible

01/27/2017

A Friend Indeed

"So Jonathan told David, saying, 'My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell you'." 1 Samuel 19:2-3

No leader succeeds on his own. Even David needed his Jonathan. In the dark days when he fled to escape the threats of King Saul, David turned to his friend for strength and encouragement. At great risk to himself, Jonathan, hoping to pacify his father and reconcile the king to his friend, spoke well of David. And for a short while Saul relented, promising that David would not die by his hand.

Soon Saul's old animosities reasserted themselves, and Jonathan once again risked his life to help his dear friend. Jonathan remained faithful to his comrade until the very end of his life.

Do you have someone who "strengthens your hand in God?" All leaders need loyal friends who can help them to persevere through the tough times.

Excerpt from The Maxwell Leadership Bible

01/25/2017

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I'm often asked, “Is there any single common denominator that you can find in every growing church?” I have studied churches for many years, read about th

01/19/2017

Not Without My Family!

"But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." ~1 Timothy 5:8

Every day parents and spouses leave their families in the pursuit of success. It's almost as though they're driving down the road, and they get pretty far along before they realize they've left members of their family behind. The tragedy is that many value their careers, success, or personal happiness more than they do their families. They decide that it's too much work to go back, so they just keep driving.

But what many are now realizing is that the hope of happiness at the expense of breaking up a family is an illusion. You can't give up your marriage or neglect your children and gain true success. As Nick Stinnet asserted more than a decade ago, "When you have a strong family life, you receive the message that you are loved, cared for and important. The positive intake of love, affection, and respect . . . gives you inner resources to deal with life more successfully."

Excerpt from Your Road Map for Success
John Maxwell Leadership Bible

01/09/2017

The Power of Purpose

"But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear." Philippians 1:12-14

Paul might have been forgiven had he chosen to take a little sabbatical as he sat in prison, awaiting his trial. Yet he used even this opportunity to advance the gospel. Paul was a leader who never drifted from his mission. He determined to leave his mark wherever he went.

How did Paul's sense of purpose keep him in the battle as he sat in prison? What did he learn behind bars? Consider the following:

A purpose will motivate you.
A purpose will keep your priorities straight.
A purpose will develop your potential.
A purpose will give you power to live in the present.
A purpose will help you evaluate your progress.

Excerpt from The Maxwell Leadership Bible

12/20/2016

First Achieve Victory Over Self

"Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statues with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book."
~2 Chronicles 34:31

How does a leader seek victory over self? Consider how Josiah conquered himself.

He remained open and teachable - Instead of trying to convince everyone that he knew it all, Josiah humbled himself. He departed from the ways of his arrogant father and sought God.

He removed obstacles carried forward from the past - A leader has to win battles involving past problems. Josiah swept the country clean of idols.

He realized what he needed to give and gave it - Victory always carries a personal cost. For Josiah, that meant repairing the temple and reinstating the Passover.

He recognized the key to victory - For Josiah, the key to victory was repentance.

He retained a personal commitment to succeed - People never become more committed than their leader. Josiah's personal commitment inspired the people to be faithful despite their evil desires and history.

Excerpt from The Maxwell Leadership Bible

10/25/2016

Reform Begins Within

"Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes."
~2 Kings 22:11

Throughout his thirty-one years of godly leadership, King Josiah wholeheartedly followed the Lord and devoted himself to leading the people well. His own spiritual passion soon began to influence Judah and eventually brought about public reform.

Even today Josiah remains a vivid example of a key biblical principle: Outward reform begins with inward renewal. The leader must experience personal change before he or she can implement public change. Leaders make an impact the same way an atomic bomb does: They implode before they explode.

How did the young king "implode" before he "exploded"? After ten years on the throne, while he was still a teenager, Josiah sent several men to the high priest to re-energize the process of repairing the temple. While cleaning up the rubble, the high priest found "the Book of the Law." Shaphan the scribe read it, then reported its contents to the young king. And how did Josiah respond? He imploded. He ripped his clothes. His tender heart and humility prompted him to embark on a national program of spiritual reform. The cycle worked this way for King Josiah:

Personal Renewal >>> Personal Change >>> Public Change Implemented >>> Public Reform

Excerpt from The Maxwell Leadership Bible