In Mark 10, the Pharisees ask Jesus about marriage and divorce. They were not asking a theological question, but a political question. Jesus didn’t run away from that political question. He answered it with Scripture and got to the root of the matter.

God doesn’t chastise you for having spiritual ambition. He wants those ambitions to be sanctified so that they are not about you, but about Him. God is looking for some self-starting, self-governing people who are teachable and will respond to the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus walked the earth, He considered everything going on. Even Him using spit to heal a blind man was intentional. Everything Jesus did was not just for the moment, healing a blind man or feeding the five thousand; it was also a bigger picture of WHO He was.

If we aren’t careful, we can hold traditions in our hearts as equal as the Word of God. You can only hold one thing as your authority. Don’t fall prey to holding people in religious bondage by traditions, as the Pharisees did.

An offense doesn’t stay with just the person who was offended. It puts a stumbling block in front of other people and diminishes the ministry and calling of someone else. As leaders, we need to walk free of offense and help deliver people from their offenses.

If you want to get the Lord’s attention, latch onto the promise of God. Get a specific promise and fight through the obstacles and disappointments. Hold on and don’t let go.

For every godly person who is going to make a difference, there comes a time when God invades, disrupts, upsets, and causes them to be so passionate about what God is calling them to do that to those around them who are mere spectators (and not seeking to follow), it appears unreasonable. That same Spirit draws many of us in, for we are seeking the Spirit of God that is moving that person and we want to follow Jesus. We follow them out to the ledge where we jump into the arms of God, casting all our cares upon Him.

Righteous anger has a grieving with it, not just an offense in your flesh. We don’t have a license to be angry. But God has given us an emotional container to use the right kind of anger as a tool for righteousness.

We need to learn how to have biblical conversations. There are times when we have one-way communication and  preach with authority. And there are times, in the discipleship and growth process, when there are around-the-table conversations with the Bible open. Jesus modeled both.

Mark 1:38 tells us that Jesus came to preach the Good News. All that we do needs to have the name of Jesus on it and include the preaching of the Good News. It is what Jesus did. It should be what we do.

Servant leadership is first and foremost about serving God, not about serving people. We should be submitted to God and a servant of God. We then invite people, not just to serve us, but invite them to serve the Lord WITH us.

Farmers are hard-working. They sow and expect to reap, they understand processes and seasons, they are patient and consistent. Farmers harvest and then release, because they love to feed people.

Athletes have an incredible desire that drives them. They are disciplined, work towards progress, do things with excellence, and enjoy what they do. Athletes inspire people and help them translate that to discipline.

Soldiers defend and expand, are risk takers, train and trust others, use the best tools, and they follow orders. Soldiers believe that the value of the objective is greater than the inconvenience on their life.

God promises to give us dreams and visions and is the initiator of them. When He gives them, they aren’t about the person who receives them, but about the One who gives them. Dreams give a picture, not just information, and they require a response. When God gives us a dream, it brings clarity and not confusion.

When God gives a dream to an ungodly person, it’s so they seek out a godly person and God’s name can be exalted. Think of dreams as spiritual gifts, and spiritual gifts are to make things more clear–not less clear. Dreams should make things clear to those who are walking with Him.

When we try to hold onto things, it turns to worms. When we sow things, it turns into treasure. You will never give what God has graced you to give if you only give what is left over because the core culture of giving is not giving what’s left over; it’s giving off the top.You can order Pastor Keith’s latest book, CORE CULTURE–the tremendous strategy of generosity that launched the church by visiting NRPastors.com/CoreCulture

Sometimes God wants your honey, not your money. He wants your heart. God adjusts your heart by adjusting your treasure. Your money doesn’t belong to you. Everything that passes through your hands belongs to God.You can order Pastor Keith’s latest book, CORE CULTURE–the tremendous strategy of generosity that launched the church by visiting NRPastors.com/CoreCulture

Managers do the best with what they have to maintain what is happening. Leaders define a place and create a process to help people move ahead. When you see a group of people that have gifts but aren’t giving all, check if the clarity of the destination is burning in their hearts. It’s clear vision that propels us forward.

We each have the ability to be equally committed, even though our gifts are different. It’s not about equal gifts; it’s about equal commitment.You can order Pastor Keith’s latest book, CORE CULTURE–the tremendous strategy of generosity that launched the church by visiting NRPastors.com/CoreCulture