Dear Visionary Leader: We read in Psalm 37:1-4: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers. Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good, and so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in Him and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest…

Dear Visionary Leader: The world of our Lord Jesus, and of Paul, was a world just like our world and our ages that makes much of athletics. In the Bible there are a lot of comments about competition and athletic endeavors. In New Testament times, there were three great games. These were the Olympian games. These Olympian games took place in Athens. Additionally, there were the Pythian Games at Delphi. Finally, there were the Isthmian Games took place in Corinth. These three games were scheduled staggered so that the wealthy could go to all of them. They had boxing, wrestling, javelin, discus, and chariot races. The chariot races faded away…

Dear Visionary Leader: I am going to bring a message on how to stand alone for the Lord Jesus Christ. Not a greater lesson needs to be learned today than this one: standing alone; because we’re twice-born men in a world of once-born men; and, we’re going to be going against the tide, most of the time. Now, the noose is tightening; the war is getting hotter. My friend, you’re going to have to learn to stand alone; and, above all things, you’re going to have to be able to teach your children to stand alone, because, if our Lord tarries, they’re going to face a world even more difficult than the one you’re living in. Let me…

Dear Visionary Leader: We can’t live the Christian life apart from faith, for the Bible says clearly and plainly that we live by faith. The just shall live by faith. Lord Jesus said, “According to your faith be it unto you.” The writer of Hebrews says, “Apart from faith it is impossible to please God.” So, we need not only to possess faith; we need a faith that possesses us. But what happens sometimes when faith seems to fail? Sometimes we pray. Maybe we’re going to have an outdoor event and we say, “Lord, give us beautiful weather,” and the bottom of the sky falls out. Has that ever happened…

FIND – Ask that God will draw the unreached to himself by the work of the Spirit, and simultaneously to connect them with a Christian witness (John 6:44). Pray for a connection. INTERCEDE – Ask that the Holy Spirit will show them the hope only in Christ, and convict them of their sinfulness and guide them into all truth (John 16:8-11). Pray for illumination and conviction. NETWORK – Ask that God will place others around them who are also searching for truth, and connect them with agents of the good news. Pray for hunger in their kinship groups for spiritual meaning. INVEST – Pray that different mission efforts will be…

Dear Visionary Leader: Last week, we were discussing the design of faith, and reading about Gideon in Judges. We looked at the People of Courage and the Priority of Commitment. This week we continue in the story of Gideon with: The Process of Confidence In Judges 7:9, we read, “And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him,” -that is, unto Gideon, “Arise, get thee down unto the host. For I have delivered it the army into thine hand. But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the host: and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward…

ANNOUNCING A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CHURCH OF GOD INTERNATIONAL OFFICES AND THE GLOBAL CHURCH NETWORK   Appointment of Larry G. Hess as Executive Director of the Global HUBS of Christianity Dr. James O. Davis is thrilled to announce that Dr. Larry G. Hess will be joining the Global Church Network team as the Executive Director of the Global Hubs of Christianity. Dr. Hess will provide strategic leadership in the formation and deployment of all future Hubs of the Global Church Network. He will oversee and organize all of the planned Hubs and Finish 2030 Summits that are scheduled worldwide in 2021 and beyond. He will interface and interconnect with key Christian…

Dear Visionary Leader: In Hebrews 11:32-33, we read, “And what shall I more say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel, and the prophets: who through faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” At this point, we are going to study the first one mentioned in this series, Gideon. Gideon was one of the judges that ruled over Israel in a certain period in time in the history of…

Dear Visionary Leader: In Hebrews 11:1 we read, “Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.” What is your report card like today, so far as faith is concerned? A? A+? C-? One young man came to his professor and said, “Professor, I don’t believe I deserve this F.” The professor said, “Neither do I, but it was the lowest grade I had.” Is that the kind of faith you have? What kind of a report card would God give you today if God today had to measure you? By faith, the elders obtained…

Dear Visionary Leader: We read in Hebrews 11:31, “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she had received the spies with peace.” Here we have the story of the transformation of a harlot whose name was Rahab. Here’s what the Gospel did for this woman. The transforming power of the life of faith! Nature forms us, sin deforms us, the world conforms us, education informs us, but faith transforms us. I want you to notice the situation Rahab found herself in. She was a pagan living in spiritual darkness. She was a harlot living in spiritual degradation. She was a Canaanite destined for sure…