So many spiritual leaders are competing these days. Visibility, getting noticed, and ranking is huge. Being the biggest, fastest growing and having the largest audience seems to be all that matters. Where did all this come from and where will it end?

I remember when my Dad found out about a small Nazarene church in our town whose building program was struggling. He volunteered our large maintenance staff to go over and take the project from the sheetrock phase on. We invested heavily with money and manpower.

After a couple of months, their pride and joy auditorium was complete. The 72 year old pastor welcomed us to their small dedication and openly described his amazement at one local church helping another. Why? “The kingdom.”

Guess what? It’s not YOUR kingdom, it’s HIS.

On time is what every airline strives for.  I’m told the Swiss run a news story if a train is a few minutes late!  What difference does it makes to be “on time” and how can you hit that elusive mark?  I can help you with that.

Every Wednesday morning at 7:30 for six years I met our Governor and his staff for a Bible study.  One morning, I WOKE UP at 6:50!  In eight minutes I was up, showered, dressed and out the door!  I walked in breathing hard with five minutes to spare…and learned a valuable few lessons. 

Here they are:

Growth is first internal, then external.

Whatever your job, your business, your ministry, or your finances, you can grow beyond it this year. Change is inevitable, growth is optional. Wouldn’t it feel good to CRUSH that invisible barrier you haven’t been able to penetrate?

Shoelaces are important.

They hold everything together.  When they are tight, they keep you from falling.  No one tries to walk in loose, floppy tennis shoes without good, snug laces.

YOUR FINANCES HAVE “LACES.”  If they are untended, your entire life could come crashing down. 

What are the 5 financial issues you need to keep “tight?”

All of us face hurt.

Some of us choose to forgive.

The rest of us live in bitterness.

How do you “forgive and forget?” We have a pretty good Example.

Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

You will hopelessly hold on to hurt until you realize what He knew:

Forgiveness becomes easier when we realize our hurt is really Satan vs. God. People are just caught in the middle.”

How do you “forgive and forget?” We have a pretty good Example.

Here are 4 perspectives that will help you to forgive:

A great deal of your success as a leader is in the ability to spot and recruit talented leaders. King David seemed to be a master at attracting and enlisting top talent (see 1 Chronicles 11-12). Your ultimate legacy will be the leaders you attracted, trained, and released as great warriors. At one time, we had 28 pastors on staff. As I travel around the nation speaking for many of them in their own churches, I am amazed to see their innovation, talent, and ability to multiply.

Integrity is the currency of influence. Power and success are like paper money but integrity is the GOLD.
“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1). Job, in the Old Testament, "had integrity."

Life, family, health, finances, and relationships can all be “broken.” How can you repair them? By putting them back into order.

Therefore, I can help you learn how a disorganized person can become…mainly organized!

How do we get off the merry go round? What can we do to get back control of our lives?

You grieve over missed opportunities, mistakes, and failures. Regret paralyzes you from the next step.

Why is it that when it is time to give to others we usually think, “Oh, brother…” instead of “Oh, boy!”?

TRUST is affecting everything in your life: your leadership, marriage, business, parenting, and legacy.

Why are people making more, owning more, and interacting more…and enjoying it less?

People are quitting too easily. They quit a difficult marriage. They quit a job. They quit a hard task. Anyone can start and have a “honeymoon” but it takes a certain mentality to stay and finish the job.

Here are some ways to confront a friend without becoming confrontational.

“Order brings stability.” Confusion, shortage, stress, disappointment, and broken relationships make your life feel unstable.

Ephesians 4 and 5 give us 10 indicators that you are finally starting to “grow up.”

Here are some things that restore my sense of sanity, balance, and predictability.

Everybody knows we need faith to please God. We need faith to get answers to prayer. How do we get it? How do we use it?