Seven Principles for Reaching One’s Potential

gray_picSEVEN PRINCIPLES FOR REACHING ONE’S POTENTIAL
by: Dr. Bob Gray Sr.

Philippians 3:13-16, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as man as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”

Every 58 minutes someone in America becomes a millionaire. 80% of them will have a blue-collar background. 80% of them will have average intelligence. 75% of them will have average grades in school. There is an intelligence trap and a spiritual trap that stops people from reaching their potential. People stop learning. People stop being teachable. People fail to develop a second effort mentality. There is a second effort barrier that stops people from reaching their potential. The issue is not how high one’s potential is, but rather are you reaching your potential?

A SENSE OF PURPOSE

Leaders need to decide now what God wants them to do. The people who reach their potential are intensely goal oriented in the short term, not the long term. There is a difference between a man who dreams and a man who has a vision. Those who reach their potential have a sense of mission. There is a vast difference between a position and a purpose. Those who live for a purpose will keep on going while those who live for a position may lose their position, but they can never lose a purpose.

Those who reach their potential have a clear picture of what they believe God wants for them. Billionaire H. L. Hunt said, “There are only two clear requirements. One is to decide what you want, and two is determine the price and pay the price in advance.”

Short-term goal oriented people have two thoughts in mind: quantified and qualified. The first is numerical and the second is staying within Biblical boundaries. 75% of these people who reach their potential have written short-term goals. They have their life on paper!

EXCELLENCE

Leaders must decide to be the best early in life and commit themselves to quality. Average commitment brings average market price. Work should be the play of a leader. There is no substitute for quality of work. Work ethics have been sliding in our society, and within a few generations we will have an undercutting of our moral values, and the slide of the work ethic always follow.

Leaders lead by example and exhortation; however, example gives the punch to the exhortation of the leader. Exhortation is necessary but not viable without the example of the leader. Excellence is the quality that will lead to quantity.


CONTRIBUTION

The leader must focus on what he or she can give and not what they can’t get. Consumer needs that go unmet is where failure lives. Spiritual needs that go unmet is where failure lives in God’s economy. The law of compensation of sowing and reaping brings with it good results if the proper seed is sown.

The Wal-Mart’s of the world exist because they meet the needs of the consumer. The McDonald’s of the world prosper because they meet the needs of the consumer. It is the common man they reach. May I suggest to you that real leadership is meeting the needs of the common man? Spiritually there has to be contributing centered on the need not the wants. When a ministry asks the unsaved sinner what he wants in a ministry, he will always end up with carnality. Only God knows the needs of the common man. We were made in the image of God, not the other way around. God is not made in the image of man.

RESPONSIBILITY

Until leaders are willing to accept 100% responsibility for their lives, they cannot grow. The followers then become the losers. It is imperative that we remember we are totally responsible from birth to death for our lives. When leaders convince themselves they are self-employed and quit being co-dependent, then they can tap the depths of wisdom. Some leaders recognize it and some do not recognize the principle of responsibility from birth to death.

Those who do reach their potential act as though they own the company. The timeserver is one who will never reach, let alone expand their potential. All high achievers see themselves as self-employed and indispensable.

SECOND EFFORT

There are second effort barriers that must be broken at will. Multi-millionaire, Dr. Russell Anderson, teaches that one makes a living from 8 to 5 and becomes a success from 5 to 8. One works for 8 hours a day to survive while everything over 8 hours is an investment in ones future.

Stress comes from working below our performance level. The second effort barriers being broken explains those in history who have given us the great inventions that we take for granted. The telephone, the computers, the satellites, the automobile, aircraft, etc., have become commonplace; yet, all began with second barriers being broken by the second milers of life.

TIME MANAGEMENT

In order to be efficient time managers, there is a necessity of developing a bias for action, speed, dependability, accuracy and heroes.

  • Set priorities.
  • Concentrate on one thing at a time.
  • Put your life on paper.
  • Keep your life in balance.

Time is an event not seconds, not minutes, not hours and not days. What we throw away may be more important than what we keep. The file 13 mentality will save more time than any other concept of time management you can think of.

STAY WITH IT

The ability to stick with it longer than the other man is foundational. When the president of IBM was asked his reason for his success he said, “I last one day longer than the other guy!” The doubling of a person’s failure rate was a common denominator to those who reach their potential.

Possessing a non-teachable spirit is deadly for a leader. Intellectual arrogance is a cancer to the spirit of a leader. A leader can be right so much of the time that he or she thinks they are right all of the time.

Courage in a willingness to take calculated risks exists in all who strive to reach their potential. Playing it too safe will always steal ones courage. Keeping ones heart in their throat will build ones courage. In order to develop courage, it is necessary to classify obstacles as opportunities and build resistance to quit.

Persistence builds character, and character helps one handle the success of reaching their potential. If the leader doesn’t jump ten feet then the follower will not jump five feet.

Dr. Bob Gray Sr.
Pastor Emeritus
Longview Baptist Temple
Longview, TX
www.solvechurchproblems.com

Good Success!

gray_picGOOD SUCCESS
by: Dr. Bob Gray, Sr.

Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Joshua 1:8 is the only time in the Scriptures where the word “success” is mentioned. Please take note of this! The Bible does not say if you do these things you will be successful. Read verse 8 again. It does not say that you will have success. It says that you will have “good success.” There is a difference between “success” and “good success.”

Good success is man doing what God made him to do.

Madonna has sold her soul to the Devil and some call her a success. Britney Spears has sold her body and soul to the Devil. Some call her a success. Clint Eastwood is called a success, but that is not “good success.” Some call Donald Trump a success, but that is not “good success.” People called Michael Jackson a success, but that was not “good success.” On and on I could go with Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Payton Manning, etc., but “good success” is the only success mentioned by God as acceptable to Him according to the Scriptures.

When you, as a child of God, run to Satan’s world to find success, you will fail at finding “good success” while finding “success.” God wants for his people not to be a success, rather God wants his people to have “good success.”

I do not want to be a success! I want to have “good success.” What is “good success?” Good success is one doing what God made him or her to do. Good success is not in having but being. If you are born, live, die, and do not the thing or things that God put you here on Earth to do, you are a miserable flop.

You may flop with millions of dollars in the bank, but you are still a flop. You may flop as a king of a nation, as a movie star, as an NFL hall of famer, or as an inductee into Cooperstown Hall of Fame for baseball players.

God had a reason for your birth, life, and even death. You, my friend, are no uh oh with God. God made you, my friend, on purpose. He has a reason for your existence. God had a job for you to do and God made you for that job.

Good success is doing it where God made man to do it.

Hold it! Please do not misunderstand me. The “what” takes precedence over the “where” of the will of God, but no one should negate the “where.” I would rather a person be doing the “what” in the wrong “where” than doing the wrong “what” in the right “where.” If I am to be a “good success,” I must do “what” God made me to do “where” God made me to do it.


Good success is doing it how God made me to do it.

If a pastor were to take a poll of what people would like in a church in the town where he pastors, and then made a church like what they wanted, he may be doing what God made him to do, doing it where God made him to do it, but not “how” God made him to do it. That would not be “good success.”

Those who are giving to the people what they want in a church in order to build a big church may find success, but they will not find “good success.” They may have success without being a success.

Marriages that are built on doing the wrong “how” will not find “good success.” Child rearing that is built on the wrong “how” will not find “good success.” Finances built on the wrong “how” will not find “good success.” Businesses, families, and education built on the wrong “how” will not find “good success.”

I may do “what” God wants me to do “where” he wants me to do it, but if it is not “how” God wanted me to do it then I cannot have “good success.” A well-known pastor who spoke many times at Sword of the Lord Conferences stood before his people one Sunday and said he was wrong about standards and dropped all standards at his church. His offerings went up. His drive-in attendance went up. Some called him a success, but my friend that may be success, but it is not “good success.”

There are two twin doctrines. Soul winning and standards are those twins. I meet Liberty University graduates all over America who know nothing of aggressive, personal soul winning who beg me for help. This is the same university founded by a soul winner in Dr. Jerry Falwell. He was an aggressive soul winner and produced personally on a regular basis. However, when the standards started to drop at the University so did the aggressive soul winning.

Standards are the vehicle that will carry aggressive personal soul winning to the next generation. If you cannot say “No” to Hollywood and have enough character and discipline to guard your eye gate, then you will not stay out on a bus route for 8 hours on a Saturday.

So, to have success without being a success is in essence failure. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. would call it destroying the orchard! We are to keep the orchard healthy and it will continue to produce fruit for years to come. If a big church can be built on no standards and no convictions, then it may be a success, but it will not be “good success.”

Good success is doing “what” God put me here to do, “where” God put me to do it, and “how” God meant for me to do it. The question begs to be answered, how may then someone have “good success?”

THE BOOK OF THE LAW SHALL NOT DEPART OUT OF THY MOUTH.

The Word of God is to be on our lips all the time. The Word of God is to determine our daily lifestyles, not Hollywood, Paris or France. The spreading of the Gospel, teaching the Words of God, preaching the Words of God, and defending not only Its preservation but also Its inspiration for the next generation leads to “good success.”

THOU SHALT MEDITATE THEREIN DAY AND NIGHT.

It simply means imagine, mutter, picture the good, picture the bad, mourn, ponder, study, and talk of it. All of us have a lot of things on our minds, but the number one thing that must be on our minds, dominating our minds, and filling our minds is the very Words of God.


Try this everyday; relate everything to the Scriptures. Humanism is everything revolving around mankind. Christianity is everything revolving around God. You may have success with your life revolving around making money, seeking fame, and fortune, but “good success” will be found only in everything in life revolving around God’s Word.

God does not want you living a monastic life. You and I are “in” this world, but we are not to be “of” this world. Let your job and its demands end up being Bible related. Let your marriage, parenting, education, and finances end up being Bible related. God is not calling on his people to be isolated from the world, but rather insulated from the world.

I love sports. I love competition, but that is “phileo” not “agape” love. Phileo is a “like” type of love. Nothing wrong with money for it is the “love” or “agape” of money that will destroy. Nothing wrong with marital intimacy, cars, houses, and things, but if your life revolves around you and things while ignoring God, then you may be a “success” without having “good success.”

Your definition of “success” may be found in promotion, career, stock market, making money, making a name for yourself, accumulating real estate, or becoming popular, but just in case there is someone reading this chapter who would like to have what God calls “good success,” you will have to have the Words of God in your mouth and in your thoughts.

OBSERVE TO DO ACCORDING TO ALL THAT IS WRITTEN THEREIN.

From the word “according” we derive the word “accordion” or “squeeze box” as my grandmother called them. Your life can make beautiful music if the left hand and the right hand are playing the same tune.

The Prodigal son came to himself, the Scripture says, while he was in the hog pen. There were two prodigal sons in one son. James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 4:1, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?”

Having a lot of money may be success, but having a lot of Scriptures on your lips, in your thoughts, and in your actions is according to God “good success.” Donald Trump can make millions and keep it, but he cannot make a wife happy and keep her. He has success, but not “good success.” Kobe Bryant can discipline himself to make baskets as a pro, but he cannot discipline himself enough to make his flesh behave. He has success, but he does not have “good success.” Professional athletes make a name for themselves on Earth, which is success, but do not make a name for themselves in Heaven, which is “good success.”

Psalm 1:1-3, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither: and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

  • Have the Word of God on my lips
  • Have the Word of God in my thoughts
  • Have the Word of God in action in my life
  • Do not listen to ungodly counsel.
  • Do not walk with the ungodly.
  • Do not sit in the seat of the scornful.
  • Delight in the Words of God.

If any of God’s children will do these things God promises “good success” or “…whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Dr. Bob Gray, Sr.
Pastor Emeritus
Longview Baptist Temple
Longview, TX
www.solvechurchproblems.com

Don’t Count God Out!

missions_minutesDON’T COUNT GOD OUT!
by: Dr. Steve Heidenreich

Jeremiah 33:3
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

A few years ago I wanted to have a big day in the Philippines. One of the reasons to have a big day is to let people see God work and do great and mighty things. It’s good to remind to people that God is an great Almighty God.

I began to pray and ask God what He would have us do. In the first year of our ministry, God did some mighty things. One of them was that He helped us have 1,109 people on our first anniversary. We had people everywhere standing all around and looking into the building. We also had many people in classes underneath trees. You have to understand, we started the church in an old pig-pen building.  We were able to give away over 500 Bibles that day. I can remember 2 ladies who brought 160 first-time visitors for one Bible.

After praying for a few weeks, I was challenged to double that attendance which meant that our goal was 2,218. I met with the members of the church and we began to plan on how to reach that goal. Remember, the church I started was way back in the mountains and we had to work at finding people. We searched for as many out-of-the-way villages that we could find. To our surprise there were many villages tucked away underneath many trees that we hadn’t seen before.

We started to prepare to put a plan together. I asked many church people to rent a jeep and to bring as many people as they could. When we took the count, we needed to rent over 30 jeeps. You must understand that the only transportation back in the mountains are these public jeeps. That day would be very difficult for the people of the area to go anywhere if we were renting all the jeeps. It would also be a great day of advertisement for our church because everyone would wonder where the jeeps were at.

Our people worked very hard and sacrificed so much for this big day. We heard it was supposed to rain.  Once it rains back in the mountains it makes it very difficult for people to go anywhere. Saturday, the day before the big day, it began to rain. Not only did it rain, but it rained very hard. We continued to prepare for a great day. I can tell you as the day wore on that I was very concerned about the big day. I knew that many of the rivers in the area would swell up and make it very difficult for people to cross. I also knew that many people would be traveling for many hours in big trucks with no covering for them. I began to think that it would be impossible for thousands of people to come in the morning. I spent most of the night listening to the rain hit the tin roof of our house. There were times I would ask God, why would you let it rain, don’t you know we have a big day in the morning?

I woke up early that Sunday morning and it was still pouring rain, but I decided that we would run the jeepneys and do everything according to plan. A couple hours before the services the rain stopped. We already had people on the way from over 2 hours away riding in a big open rice truck. It was amazing to me when they showed up and there were over a hundred fifty people on the truck. People started coming in from all over. All of the Sunday school rooms were full and overflowing, and the church building was packed to capacity. We had people standing all around the building looking into the windows. It was so exciting to preach to so many people. When I gave the invitation there were over 700 people who came forward to trust Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. It was so exciting to see so many of our church people with their Bibles opened and showing others the plan of salvation. An hour after the services were over it began to rain very hard again. I thought it would be impossible to have 2,218 on that Sunday. When the final count came in we had over 4,000 people on that Sunday. To God be the glory for the great mighty things that He can do.

Let me show you some lessons I learned that day.

1. We have to want to see some great and mighty things that God has for us. There are so many mighty things that He has for us that we don’t even know about. The only way we’re going to find out those things is to call upon Him and ask. What great and mighty things does God have for you?

2. One of the great promises of God is that He will answer prayer. So many times on deputation I would call churches and pastors and get either a secretary or an answering machine. When you and I call upon God, He personally answers us.

3. Once you find out that God has some great and mighty things for you, you need to have a plan. Someone once said, “Plan your work and work your plan.”

4. Remember that when you plan to do something for God there will always be some obstacles. Don’t get sidetracked, but remember what God has asked you to do.

5. Always remember that God is not limited. I learned that God can do it in the rain or on a sunny day. God really likes to do what we think is impossible.

I challenge you to call upon God and let Him answer you and show you “great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

When You See the Grace of God… Are You Glad?

missions_minutesWHEN YOU SEE THE GRACE OF GOD…ARE YOU GLAD?
by: Dr. Steve Heidenreich

And they sent for Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad.” Acts 11:22-23

Those who were traveling preached the Word and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. When the church of Jerusalem heard, they sent Barnabas to see what was happening. When he got there he saw that the grace of God was at work and he was glad.

One thing we need in Fundamentalism is when the grace of God is working in another place other than ours we need to be glad. Many times we have become jealous or envious of someone else when the grace of God is at work in their ministry. I have the opportunity to travel to many places around the world and see the grace of God at work, and I am glad!

I just had the opportunity to go to the Philippines and preach the 25th anniversary of Gospel Baptist Church in Calinog. When I saw that the grace of God was still at work after twenty-five years, I was glad. I can remember when the Lord allowed my wife and I to go there as missionaries and start Gospel Baptist Church what an exciting time that was. Now after 25 years, it was a joy to see many of those who were saved and baptized still there serving the Lord.

Brother Ronnie Howell and I arrived late at night in the Philippines. Early the next morning we caught a flight down to the islands. We then took a jeep back into the mountains. After watching the grace of God at work while we were there, we were glad to be able see all that God was doing.

When should we be glad when the grace of God is at work?

First, we should be glad when the Word of God is preached. When we had our Anniversary Sunday at Gospel Baptist Church, there were almost 1500 people in attendance. After the preaching of the Gospel there were 332 people saved. I have been saved over 40 years and I’ve never gotten over the excitement of seeing people saved. I was personally able to help with the baptism and I was able to baptize 26 people myself. The grace of God is at work through the preaching of the Gospel all around the world and we should be glad. We were able to give away 100 Bibles for those desiring to have their own copy of the Word of God.

Second, we need to be glad when we see a great number of people believe in the Lord. There always has been a great opportunity to go to the public schools and preach the Gospel and see many people are saved. We had the opportunity to go to open assemblies, and then were able to go room to room. Many times I will ask for permission to be able to speak to the superintendent and all the teachers in a room by myself. This is one of the highlights of my trip when I see teachers bow their heads and accept Christ as their Saviour! On this trip we were able to see 2,737 people saved through the public school ministry. We were able to go soul winning many days on this trip. With the help of many other soul winners, we were able to see 1,107 people saved. We then rented many extra jeeps on the Anniversary Sunday and many of these people were able to come to church for the first time.

Third, we need to be glad when we hear that people are being saved somewhere else in the world. Barnabas went as far as Antioch. We need to be willing to go as far as we can with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God has allowed me to take the Gospel to many countries of the world. Watching many of those people in those countries respond to the Gospel will make you glad to be a part of sending it to them. I pray that more of us will be glad that the grace of God is at work in more than just our place of service.

Dr. Steven Heidenreich
3G Ministries

Holding the Rope

missions_minutesHOLDING THE ROPE
by: Dr. Steve Heidenreich

Acts 9:20-25

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus was a turning point in the church’s history, and God used several people to touch his life. We remember Paul and forget the people who helped him get started and kept him going forward.

Mr. Fuller remarked: “There is a gold-mine in India, but it seems as deep as the center of the Earth. Who will venture to explore it?” An answer and a man were in waiting. “I will venture to go down,” replied William Carey; “but remember that you, must hold the ropes. This,” said Mr. Fuller afterward, “we solemnly engaged to do, pledging ourselves never to desert him as long as we should live.”

William Carey spent 41 years in India, and translated the Scripture into 40 languages.

Who are the people on the end of the rope?

First of all, they are converts! (Verse 5) Praise the Lord for people who go soul winning and win people to Christ! We see here that Paul became a convert. The greatest need today is for more people to get involved in producing more converts. We all need to pray and ask God to give us more converts. What a tragedy that many Christians will stand before the Lord one day and not have one convert in their lifetime. I keep preaching that America is a Christian nation, but to be a Christian nation we must have Christians. If every Christian would have a convert who would have a convert, who had a convert we could reach the world for Christ. We need to remember that converts belong to the Lord. This would help us value them more. We see so many people come to Christ and forget them. The people on the end of the rope for missions are real converts who have given their life for the Gospel.

Secondly, we see that these people are chosen vessels. (Verses 15-16) We see Paul was chosen of the Lord to bear His name before the Gentiles. We need to show our converts that the Lord has something for them to do. The people on the end of the rope will be used to do great things for the Lord.

Thirdly, we see the people on the end of the rope have had their lives changed. (Verse 20) Paul here is preaching the very Christ Whom he had persecuted. When we get saved, our life begins to change. I can remember when I first got saved and went to work the next week. We would go to a bad bookstore during our lunch break. I was with some of my coworkers and had gone there many times before. But, this time when I went to open the door of the bookstore I couldn’t open it and go in. The Holy Spirit would not allow me to go in because it wasn’t right to be in there with that kind of material and atmosphere.

Fourthly, we see that the people on the end of the rope are our missionaries; those who are taking the Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ in all the world. The Gospel is to be preached to every creature.

Who are the people holding the rope?

This is a great example of people helping others do what they themselves cannot do! Paul was the greatest teacher, preacher and missionary the world has ever known outside of Jesus Christ! Yet, he would not have done it all if someone hadn’t held the rope! Let me share with you some of the people who can be rope holders!

We need people like Ananias who the Lord asked to help guide the young missionary. Ananias was asked to help guide Paul. Ananias was asked to do something that he thought was difficult. Our young missionaries need someone to help them when they first start out in their life as a missionary. Many pastors and churches are asked to help missionaries get started. Many churches are asked to do some things that seem difficult for them when the missionary first starts. Thank the Lord for those churches that are not afraid to do the difficult.

We need people like Barnabas who will take them in and encourage the missionaries. Paul was willing to do what the Lord chose him to do, but not everyone believed in him. Many young missionaries have been questioned about their call to be a missionary. They need people to believe in them and encourage them along the way.

We need people like the disciples who would hold the rope when needed. There are times when things can get dangerous for the missionaries; when their life is on the line, facing health issues, financial stress and persecution from others.


You don’t have to be well known to hold the rope. We don’t know the names of these disciples. God can use widows, teenagers, children, single parents and well-to-do people. As a missionary myself, I have had many different types of people hold the rope for my family. Holding the rope can be dangerous and time consuming, but we must be faithful to the end!

The results of people holding the rope.

This is where it gets exciting. They held the rope not knowing the future! We never know what God will do with our missionaries. Look at Paul! He was a great soul winner, preacher of the Gospel and church planter. He went on three great missionary journeys. He was credited as the author of 13 books of the New Testament! All of these things could not have been done without those who held the rope for Paul that night.

Others like Adoniram Judson, who translated the Bible into Burmese, planted 63 churches and had 7,000 converts. Some of our missionaries are doing the same thing by starting churches around the world! We need to pray for more Bible preaching, soul-winning missionaries! We don’t know all that the future holds for our missionaries! What will be accomplished because you are part of those that are holding the rope for your missionaries? Please let me use this story I heard on this topic.

“BOY OVERBOARD”

“Through the quiet streets of a fishing village a cry rang out, ‘Boy Overboard!’ Quickly a crowd gathered and anxious eyes looked out over the rushing water to see the figure of the drowning boy.  Every anxious mother’s heart cried, ‘Is it my boy?’

A rope was brought, and the strongest swimmer in the village volunteered to rescue the drowning lad. Tying one end of the rope around his waist, he threw the other end into the crowd and plunged into the raging waters. Eagerly everyone watched the swimmer break the tide with strong, sure, strokes and a cheer went up when he reached the boy and grasped him safely in his powerful arms. ‘Pull in the rope!’ ‘Pull in the rope!’ He shouted over the furious waters.

The villagers looked from one to another, ‘Who is holding the rope?’ they asked? No one was holding the rope! In the excitement of watching the rescue, the end of the rope had slipped into the water and disappeared. Powerless to help, they watched not one, but two precious lives go down because no one had made it their business to hold the short end of the rope!”

If we are not careful, we will not only lose the lost, but also some of our missionaries! We need more people in the basket, and we need more rope holders. Has the rope slipped through our churches and left the lost without a Gospel preaching missionary? Better yet, has the roped slipped through your hands leaving people drowning in the gulf of sin that will send them to Hell? Be sure that you hold the rope!

Dr. Steve Heidenreich
3G Ministries

A Passionate Prayer Life

passionate_prayer_lifeA PASSIONATE PRAYER LIFE
by: Sandy Domelle

1 Samuel 1:1 – 2:11

I have always loved studying the women of the Bible. Recently the Sunday school lessons at our church have been on several different women in the Bible. I love digging into the lives of these women because by their actions they set the example of what I need to be. In some cases, I learn from their great characteristics, and in others I learn by seeing the mess they made of their life and how careful I need to be in doing right. Time after time you see how their actions and decisions affected their family’s lives for generations.

One of my favorite women of the Bible is Hannah. When you look at many of the great men in the Bible and of today, many of them have come from homes where they had a godly mother who influenced them for right. I think that’s why it’s so very important that we

as women are in our Bibles and praying like we should. We are the Holy Spirit of the home, and we influence our families strongly in every area. I want to be very careful to be influencing for the right and not for what is easy or what I prefer over what God’s will is for us. Hannah was a godly mother.

When we read about Hannah’s life, we see that she could not have a child and desperately wanted one. This was something that she wanted so much that her heart was grieved to the point that she wept and went without eating. This was something that obviously consumed her. Her husband, Elkanah, had a second wife whose name was Peninnah, and we see in verse 2 that she had children. As we read verses 6-7, we see that Hannah lived with an adversary who provoked her because she couldn’t have a child. “And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.” The word “adversary” is single, and many believe her adversary to be Peninnah. I can’t imagine how hard it was for Hannah to live in the same household, day after day, and seeing Peninnah’s children about, seeing how she dealt with her children, seeing her loving on her children. This had to be part of what grieved Hannah. Deep inside of her, she felt the need to have a child of her own.

You can’t help but think that Hannah might have had that woman’s intuition that we seem to have that she was to have a child, so her desire is what pushed her to keep begging God for a child. I love that she put action to her desire. She was so intent on having this child that the Bible says she wept sore at the temple. She knew if she wanted a child, the only One Who could give it to her was God. She was so intent in her prayer, so consumed and wrapped up in her prayer, that Eli the priest thought she was drunk. Hannah vowed to God that if He gave her a man child, she would give him back to the Lord. In verse 11 it says, “And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”

God heard her and gave her a son, Samuel, and she kept her promise to give him back to the Lord. There are so many truths that can be learned through this story, but the one thing that stands out the most to me is Hannah’s passionate prayer life. Do you have something you need answered today? We all know we have a great God Who can answer any prayer we have, but sometimes He wants to see how badly we want it.


Here’s a few things I learned from Hannah’s passionate prayer life.

1. Pray specifically! She knew exactly what she wanted, and she prayed exactly for that. She didn’t get sidetracked, she was consumed by it. When you read 1 Samuel 1:11, we see that even though God knew everything about her, she still was specific in asking Him, “if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid,” She wanted to tell Him about her closed womb, and was specific in telling Him her affliction. Yes, God knew about it, but she was reminding Him. She then asked the Lord, “and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid,” She knew that there were many people with needs and sorrows, but this prayer request was so important to her she wanted God to remember her and not forget her. She was also very specific in asking for a son, “but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child,” She didn’t ask for a daughter, but a son whom she could give back to Him, “then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” How specific are you in your prayer life?

One thing I’ve learned in the past few years is to be more specific with my prayers. As a parent, we can have a child come and ask us for something they think they need. Sometimes that need may seem very frivolous to us and they may ask flippantly at first. But, the more specific they are in telling us why they need it, the more important we see it is to them, and even see more of the need of why it will benefit them, the more apt we are to help meet this need. I want to go to God and be so detailed and specific with Him that as I pour my heart out to Him, He understands and sees my need. I’m presenting a detailed case before Him.

2. Pray Persistently! Hannah was persistent in her prayer life. I can say that most of my prayers I don’t feel are answered immediately. Many of them take time. I’m like most women, we aren’t very patient, and we are always trying to speed things along in our day. The benefit of praying persistently about something is that it grows us. With our daughter, I don’t always give in to something she may want. But, when she persistently comes to me about it, I am more apt to give in because she is persistent, and I see how much it means to her.

When I am tempted to give up on something I am praying about, I always tell myself the answer is around the corner. I love that saying, God’s answers are rarely early, never late, but ALWAYS on time.  In our family we’ve prayed for other family members for years to get saved. I think often of how many of them may not be in Heaven had we all quit praying and not been persistent with the Saviour. How sad it will be when we get to Heaven and find out that there were many answers to prayer we could’ve had if we had just been persistent.

3. Pray Believing! I believe there is power in prayer! I know I personally cannot see answers to prayer unless I believe God can and will do it. The verse I choose to use as my life verse is Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” As humans, we often look at the things we are praying for and can’t figure out how in the world they can be answered. It’s not up to what we think, but up to the One Who can do far more than we can ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” There are days when I have to claim every verse I can think of, there are days I feel that I just don’t understand. But, when I lean on different Scriptures like, Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” I realize I have to keep believing God will come through even when I don’t understand. Hannah prayed until she got an answer from God. She believed God could and would answer her. I’m sure there were times when she looked at Peninnah’s children and wondered if God was going to answer her prayer. She just had to keep believing that God was going to hear her. Do you believe God can and will answer your prayers?

Here are some additional things that I learned from Hannah’s life.

Praise God for answers to prayer! Once she received the answer to her prayer, she didn’t forget about God until the next time she needed something. Hannah praised Him in chapter 2:1-10. Be sure that when you see answers to prayer you praise God and thank Him for what He’s done. Don’t be afraid to share with others what God has done for you! There’s no greater way to encourage others to keep praying than to share your answers to prayer. I love hearing how God answered someone else’s prayer. There’s an excitement in hearing what God has done that motivates me to keep praying and waiting to see what God will do with what I am praying about.

Don’t be selfish! Hannah wasn’t selfish with what God gave her. She made a vow to God that she would give Samuel back to Him and she followed through. Because she did this and followed God’s will for her life, God used her to produce the greatest prophet in the Bible, Samuel, who was known as the “king maker.” Samuel anointed both kings, Saul & David, and from David’s lineage came Jesus. You can’t help but see the blessings that came to Hannah for following through. Not only did God bless her with Samuel, but if you look in 1 Samuel 2:21, “And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.” God did bless her with more than what she could’ve asked.

Do you have some prayers you need answered? Do you desire to see God work through your prayers? I encourage you, read through the life of Hannah, claim the things above and get passionate with your prayer life!

Oh No, Not Another Proverbs 31 Article!

proverbs_31OH NO, NOT ANOTHER PROVERBS 31 ARTICLE!
By: Bette Owens

How many times have we tried to be the “SUPER MOM?” Yet, end up frustrated, yelling and snapping at everyone. The world of being a good wife and mother is no different from any other area of our Christian life. The reason we feel frustrated is because we are frustrated. There is not one area in our lives that we don’t need God’s Word to change us and His strength to help us live our lives.

I have read many articles on the Proverbs 31 woman, and to tell you the truth, I get tired of them. It seems as I read them, I always fail to do everything perfectly right. God’s Word is not just a repair manual. Fix this part, do this activity a little differently, add this ingredient; is that really what Proverbs 31 is all about? God’s Word has a 100% guarantee; if we follow the instructions, we will get the results. The instructions I understand from His Word are to seek Him daily and let Him work through me and change or repair me.

When I read Proverbs 31, I see a woman who fears the Lord. A woman who has a lot of wisdom from spending time in the Bible. She is a woman with a strong work ethic, and a lot of character. A woman with this kind of character has to have a close walk with God. A woman with this kind of character will have a husband who sees his wife as a woman who fears the Lord. She will look beautiful to him because of her commitment to the Lord. We have a very bad tendency to get this all backwards.

We make a list of all the things that the Proverbs 31 woman did and we try to do them. Then, we add other requirements that sound good to us. After all, the Proverbs 31 woman is a “SUPER MOM.” She works so hard, her house is always spotless and her family is “perfect.” Let’s not add to God’s Word.

Does this list sound familiar?

Her house is never dusty.
You can eat off her floors.
She does all the housework herself while her children play on the Wii.
Her children never fight.
Her children are never rude.
Her children are all straight “A” students.
Her hair is always fixed perfectly and she never has a hair out of place.
She never makes a bad decision.
She is a Sunday school teacher, nursery worker, helps at school and volunteers for everything.
She stays up late and gets up early.
She does everything and never even needs help (she doesn’t really need her husband).

No wonder we snap and feel frustrated! Do you remember reading about Mary and Martha? I wonder if one of them had a list like this? We need to tear up this list and grab our Bibles. If we are spending time in His Word and in prayer, sitting at His feet and letting Him work through us, our lives will reflect what we read in Proverbs 31. It is not doing these things that make us a Proverbs 31 woman. It is a right heart, it is a walk with God. There are many unsaved and ungodly women who accomplish many things on this list, and some even strive to do this list and more, but they are not Proverbs 31 women.

In Proverbs 31:30 it says, “…but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” We become a Proverbs 31 woman by loving the Lord and serving Him. It’s not a list of things we do, but it is Him that puts these qualities in our lives. Can’t you see it is Him working through us? We just need to get to know Him. Without Him these things don’t mean anything. When we get this in the right order, God first, then all these things we are supposed to be and do, He makes possible. He gives us the wisdom and strength to be the wife and mother He wants us to be.

Did God tell us about this amazing woman in Proverbs 31 so that we would strive to be like her? No! Perhaps, if we walk with God, have godly wisdom and love Him, the result will be a Proverbs 31 woman. Proverbs 31 doesn’t say who can build, make or accomplish a virtuous woman. It says, “Who can find…” You can find yourself being one if you walk with Him, love Him and seek His wisdom.

Proverbs 31:30-31 says, “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”

Bette Owens
Pastor’s wife
Westside Baptist Church
Pacifica, CA

Surviving in a Split Home

surviving_split_homeSURVIVING IN A SPLIT HOME
by: Tim Forgy

Living in a split home often creates situations that defy anyone to survive, much less thrive and flourish. Step moms, step dads, step siblings, new personalities, separate houses, different rules, divided loyalties – these are some of the unique challenges that many children face today as a result of desertion, divorce, death, or even the incarceration of a parent. How is it possible to successfully navigate the minefield of a home that seems, just as you figure out how to get through the field without setting off any explosives, the pattern of the mines gets shifted around on you and BOOM! you’re lying on your back wondering what happened this time?

It’s not possible to guide you step-by-step around each mine, but maybe we can look at a principle or two and a few practical tips that will help you figure out where the explosives are buried and help you avoid setting them off. Wouldn’t it be great if you were a SURVIVOR of a split home, and not just another wounded casualty who couldn’t make it through?!

Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.

“Hey! Wait a minute! Don’t put pressure on ME to succeed! I didn’t create the minefield. It’s not my fault this happened.” I hear you…and you’re right. You didn’t wish for the home situation you are in, but you ARE in it. There’s no sense in denying your reality or fantasizing to escape your reality. The only rational approach to survival is to face your situation and deal with it as it is, not as you wish it would be. You’ve got to get over the self-pity attitude that will trap you in the prison of failure and unhappiness. (And by the way, anger is just an aggressive form of self-pity, so don’t think you’ve risen above feeling sorry for yourself if you are angry at your situation.)

The facts are what they are. If you are in a split home, then you must make the most of it if you want to survive. Stop wishing things could be like they were or like you want them to be. God will walk you through your situation, and bring you through with grace and joy if you will (A) acknowledge your reality, and (B) acknowledge Him. (Proverbs 3:5-6) What a fantastic promise from God that “He will direct your paths…” even through the minefield of a split home.

Dealing with divided parents:

Ok, if you’re still reading, I’m assuming you are mature enough, or at least curious enough, to want to know how to survive in a split home. Let’s look at how we should relate to the authority in the home first. Depending on your situation, you may be dealing with a single parent, divided parents, or step-parents. Whatever your specific situation, don’t forget the very first principle we discussed: “Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.” Working to make the best of your situation always brings a better result and smoother relationships than whining and complaining and pouting about it.

Single Parent

If life has left you in a single-parent home, you face some challenges that, if overcome, will cause you to grow and mature quickly in many areas. Parenting can be a stressful job in the best of situations, but one parent trying to fill both roles could stress even the wisest and most patient human who ever lived. Try to understand that they are carrying a load that you cannot even begin to understand. I understand that you also are carrying a heavy burden, but you are going to have to grow up, get over yourself, and cut your mom or dad some slack!


A single parent faces financial uncertainty, emotional stress, peer pressure, and the constant feelings of being inadequate to fill two roles. It would be in your best interest NOT to be another source of stress for your parent. They are carrying a double load. It’s time for you to grow up and step up and start helping to carry some of that load instead of complaining that they are not doing it well enough! Help remove some of the stress by repeating these words as often as you are asked to do something – “Yes, Ma’am” or “Yes Sir.” Look for ways to ease the burden instead of adding to the burden. Sacrifice some of your own rights and pick up some more of the responsibility that has to be carried. If you will defuse the stress of any one person carrying too much of the load, you can avoid the destruction that could come from a “pressure” explosion.

Divided Parents

Whether you live with one parent and occasionally see your other parent, or you have some form of split living arrangement, interacting with both parents separately provides some unique challenges. Divided loyalty is a very common pitfall you will need to avoid. Choosing a favorite parent and measuring the other parent against that standard is unfair and ungodly. Most often, the favorite parent is the one who lets the children do as they please without setting any boundaries. Keep in mind that good pet owners don’t let their dogs roam free, and good parents don’t let their children walk through life without any restraint. Regardless of the reason, don’t play one parent off the other, and don’t mistreat one parent to punish them. Obey Bible principles in both houses, and you will strengthen your relationship with God and your ability to stand for right.

It is not necessary to have a favorite parent in this situation. You may feel that one of your parents is the reason for the split – don’t fall into the trap of judging what you are not wise enough to discern. Love both of your parents equally and treat them with equal respect. The beauty of love is that you can give all the love you have to one parent, then still have more than enough love to give to the other parent. Follow these steps and you will avoid the explosion of hurt feelings and resentment.

Step Parents

A step parent brings another set of unique challenges to face. It is very easy to take out your anger, your hurt, your sadness, your bitterness, or even your guilt on a step parent. They are an easy target simply because they are going to make enough mistakes trying to find their place in the home and in your life, that you will have no end to the list of reasons you can use to justify using them as a target for your negative feelings. Let me give you several quick helps for dealing with a step parent:

  • Give them time to get to know you.
  • Move toward them — show some interest in getting to know them and letting them get to know you. Don’t make them work to love you, make it easy.
  • Don’t be easily hurt or offended by them. Step parents are in a tough spot—trying to be your friend while having to be your boss, while you often want them to be neither. Understand that they are doing the best they can, and are probably not intentionally trying to ruin your life or make you hate them.
  • Be happy that your other parent is happy. Don’t resent that they have filled an empty spot in their life, while your emptiness remains unfilled. Be happy for them. Hey, go ahead and live unselfishly for a change – it’ll do you good!
  • Submit to both of the authorities in the home as if they have been placed in your life by God – they were! Submitting to a step parent that you don’t feel you should have to obey is just like submitting to God. Refusing to submit to a step parent is the same as refusing to submit to God. (Tough, but true.)
  • Be a peacemaker in the home. There will be plenty of natural conflict in a step-parent situation. Look for ways to sow peace.

Dealing with step parents requires you to look past your own feelings and behave in a mature, selfless manner – much like Jesus must have done. If you learn to do that well, you will avoid the constant explosions that selfish living brings about.

Step siblings

Many of the tips for dealing with step parents also apply to dealing with step siblings. Here are a few others that may help you:

  • Do not be jealous of them.
  • Have an open mind when they join your family (or you join theirs).
  • Be friendly. If you want a good relationship, a little friendliness and good manners go a long way.
  • Be kind.
  • Don’t make it a competition in any way. Find your place in the home, accept it, and make the most of it. You are an important part of the family. Don’t feel either inferior or superior.

Your feelings

If you are in a split home, then you are probably struggling with several emotions that you cannot seem to control sometimes or simply cannot make sense of. Anger, resentment, guilt, depression, uncertainty, abandonment, jealousy, and any number of other emotions may burden you down. Let me encourage you to do two things to help you with your emotions.

First, talk to God about them. No one can comfort and strengthen like God can.

Next, talk to a wise, godly counselor about them. Your mom or dad would be a great person to go to for advice. If for some reason, you don’t feel you can go to them, go to a wise, godly counselor who can help you navigate your feelings.

One principle to help you in this area is “never let your feelings control you; YOU control your feelings.” I understand that your feelings may be overwhelming you right now, but your goal should be to get to the point where your feelings do not have power over you. That is not only possible, but it is necessary in order for you to not just survive, but to thrive, in a split home.  What an opportunity you have for God to prove that He can help you through any situation! Other people have flourished and succeeded in the same situation you are in…will YOU?

Tim Forgy
Youth Pastor
Longview Baptist Temple
Longview, TX

Inspire a Generation

inspiring_generationINSPIRE A GENERATION
by: Timothy Cron

I love watching the Olympics every two years. This year the venue was London. This is the one time every couple of years when our nation, the United States of America, rallies together to yell and cheer at their television for the great Red, White and Blue.

There is much time, money, practice and planning that goes into each Olympics. The estimated cost of the London Olympics was around $45 billion. Over 10,000 athletes trained their whole life for a gold medal in London. Over 200 countries are represented by these athletes. These athletes competed in over 20 different sports and close to 300 events.

I remember watching the Olympics when I was I child. The dream to excel in some sport and to receive a gold medal was something I coveted. Some of the greatest memories that I remember revolve around “The Dream Team.” In my opinion, there was never a better USA basketball team than they. They are the best of the best. One of my childish goals was to be on “The Dream Team.” You have never really heard of me because I never went to the Olympics.

If you think about what the Olympics does to an individual and a country, it really does “Inspire a Generation.” In the Christian life, each Christian has the opportunity to influence and inspire others. You will inspire those around you. Each Christian has a race to run. Paul referred to the Christian life as a race. People are watching you. How can you “Inspire a Generation?”

1. Run Well

Paul says in Galatians 5:7, “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” Paul says the church in Galatia started running the Christian race well. They had standards, they believed the Word of God and they served God. However, Paul tells us that there came a time where error crept into their church and they began believing and doubting some of the things they were taught. They dropped their standards from their strong convictions. They didn’t care. They had liberty.

Run well, Christian. People are watching you. Don’t listen to the “new” stuff from the “preachers” on TV, radio or Internet. Listen to the Word of God. The way we run our race could hinder or help someone who is struggling in theirs. Run Well!

2. Run with Purpose.

Galatians 2:2 reads, “And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.” Paul says again in Philippians 2:16, “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” Christians should be running the Christian life with a purpose, but not because they are made to or because of what someone would say about them. We don’t run in vain because all we do is done to glorify God. Other people older and younger than you are watching to see why you do what you do. The younger children in the church are wanting to be like you. The older Christians desire for you to be a faithful solid Christian.

If we run in vain, we have wasted our run. It is empty. It is of no value to run. We should not be running empty. We should not be running in and of ourselves. We should be running in the Spirit. If I do not run with a purpose, I will not be able to rejoice in the day of Christ with Paul and many other faithful Christians. Run with a Purpose!


3. Run in a different direction.

Peter states in 1 Peter 4:4, “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.” As a Christian, do you realize that we have a different purpose and we go a different direction than our unsaved family, friends, and the world? When we trusted Christ as our personal Saviour, we became a new creature; we got new life; we received a new desire. All that we received at salvation points us in a new direction.

A Christian doesn’t smoke, drink alcohol, do drugs, or party; at least we are not supposed to. These things are not found in the new direction. The new direction is one that is like Christ. We are named a Christian. God has written His name on us. Our direction is the total opposite of the direction of the world. Run Well. Run with a Purpose. Run in a Different Direction.

4. Run with patience.

The writer of Hebrews wrote in chapter twelve, verse one, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” The race ends when Christ comes back, or when death comes knocking on our door. Christ never says the race is easy. Actually it gets quite tiresome at times. We get weary and sometimes discouraged, but the Author says to be patient. Just keep running on. Why? Well, there are others who are watching, in Heaven, but also here on this Earth. God will be there every step of the way. Christ is our biggest cheerleader. He knows we can do it. He knows we can finish strong. Just keep on running. Don’t Quit! Run with Patience.

5. Run with your eye on the prize.

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1 Cor. 9:24-27)  “Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14) When the end of our race nears, there will be a prize that we will obtain. This prize is not earthly, but spiritual. We will receive crowns for what we did on this Earth. Several crowns are mentioned in the Word of God.

We should run well, run with a purpose, run in a different direction than the world, run with patience and run with our eye on the prize so that we will not be counted as a castaway, one who did not finish strong, or one who did not get the prize. Every Christian can be a winner for God. We are so wrapped up in our self that God and the things of God are put on a different shelf. Paul said that in the race he was running he was fighting himself to stay in the race. There are many people who are injured, sidelined, and spectating. They got selfish, they got discouraged, they got bitter or whatever it might be, they are now out of the race. They won’t receive the prize.

I think the greatest accolade to receive from Almighty God will be to hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” That I pleased my Heavenly Father, ultimately above all else, will be worth it all.

If Christ would come back right now, would you receive the prize, based on your life and present actions? He can come back at any moment. Are we running the race to “Inspire a Generation?” It could be your generation, the one before you, or the ones behind you.

You will “Inspire a Generation,” whether you like it or not. Everyone is watching you to see what you will do in the good times and the bad times. How will you respond to life? How will you “Inspire” others? Christian, run well! Run with a purpose! Run in a different direction! Run with patience! Run with your eye on the prize! “INSPIRE A GENERATION” for God!

Timothy Cron
Assistant Pastor
Heritage Baptist Church
Jeannette, PA

Choosing a Pastor

choosing_a_pastorby: Allen Domelle

As I write this article, there are many strong churches that are without a pastor. It is amazing to me how many churches have recently had a man of God step down and have been thrust into the process of choosing a pastor. This scares me because many churches have never been properly trained on how to look for a pastor. Throughout the years I have helped many churches go through the process of choosing a pastor. The one thing I always caution them with is that they want to find a man of God, the man whom God wants for their church.

I remember Dr. Jack Hyles telling the story about how he was called to be pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana. He was pastoring a thriving church in Dallas, Texas, when he received a phone call from a man who asked him if he would candidate for the First Baptist Church in Hammond. He didn’t want the job and told them he wouldn’t consider it. After contacting Bro. Hyles many times,

they asked him if he would at least pray about it. He promised that he would at least pray about it. Bro. Hyles said that he really didn’t want to go, but he prayed a short prayer and told God he prayed about it. Through a series of events, Bro. Hyles eventually took the pastorate at the First Baptist Church in Hammond, and the rest is history. If this church would have been as careless about finding a pastor as many churches are today, they would have never had Bro. Hyles as their pastor and many would not have been influenced in a mighty way under his ministry.

Let me remind you that God always has a specific man of God for a specific place. You can get any man of God to pastor a church, but you want the specific man of God for your specific place. David was the specific man of God for Israel. Elijah was the man of God Israel needed. Elisha was that man of God to take over after Elijah went to Heaven. God prepared Moses to guide Israel through the wilderness, and He also prepared Joshua to carry them into and through the Promised Land. God will always have a man of God; it is your job to get God’s mind to find that man of God for your place.

One of the most important decisions that a church will ever face is the process of choosing a pastor. The man whom you choose to be your pastor will determine the future of your children and grandchildren. This decision should never be taken lightly. Too often churches rush through this process only to choose someone they later regret. If they would have been more deliberate in the process of choosing a pastor, they would have found that right man.

The desire of every church should be to find a man of God. The choosing of a pastor should not be a beauty contest, but it should be a quest to find the man whom God has prepared to pastor your church. You must be careful about who you even bring in to candidate because you don’t want the church to fall in love with the wrong man. If those who are in charge of finding a man do their work before, then the wrong person will never be brought in to candidate. This doesn’t mean that the first person that is presented to the church is the right man, but if the man is vetted before he is brought in, then you won’t have a man who will change the direction of a church.

The process of choosing a pastor should not be a quick process. I was a member of a church in the past that was too quick in choosing a pastor, and they chose a man who changed the direction of that church. The direction of the previous man of God was biblical, but because they were too quick in the process, they chose a man who didn’t have the same direction that they were taught for years. Let me make this clear, one of the most important things you learn about a man before you bring him in is his direction. His direction will ultimately determine where you will end up spiritually. Whenever you look for a pastor, I believe there are several things you should consider about this man before you even ask him to come candidate.

1. Start the process out with prayer.

I am amazed how this is the most avoided part in the search for a new pastor. Choosing a new pastor should never be approached flippantly. It should be such an intense search that you start it out by getting God involved. I believe that before the pulpit committee ever discusses one man that they should have a prayer meeting for God to guide them. I am not talking about a five minute prayer of guidance, I am talking about the whole purpose of the first meeting should be to pray for God’s wisdom and guidance in the choosing of a pastor. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” God will never help you to find the right man if you don’t ask in prayer. Furthermore, James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” You need God’s wisdom to find the right man, and you will only get it through prayer.

Moreover, I think it is wise that the church calls several prayer meetings so that the church can get the mind of God in choosing a pastor. These prayer meetings should be for nothing else other than praying. No one needs to bring refreshments, it is a time of prayer. It is not a preaching service, but a prayer service. The church needs to pray that God would prepare the man’s heart who He wants to pastor their church to accept their invitation. They also need to pray that God will prepare their heart to accept this new pastor.

2. Don’t accept any resumé of a man who called wanting the position.

It is imperative that you understand that anybody calling wanting to be your pastor should immediately be taken off the list for consideration. The man you want will be busy in his own ministry. He won’t be looking for a “step up” in the ministry. If a man is willing to look around for another church while he is pastoring, then you can rest assured that he will look for a “better place” once he has been with you for awhile. God says in Proverbs 25:6-7, “Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.” The right man will not be looking to go somewhere else, he will only be looking to do what he is supposed to do in his present place.

3. Get at least three men to consider.

The search for a pastor should not be a beauty contest, but it should be a search for a man of God. However, I believe before you call a man to candidate, it would be wise to consider at least three men. In the business world it is a known fact to get three bids before choosing a bid. Likewise, you need at least three people whom you would consider looking at to be a candidate for your pastor. Let me make this clear, you will only bring in one at a time, but I believe a list of men would be good to talk about.

When you gather a list of three men, after you have researched each man you should put them in the order of which you believe is best. Then you start at the top of the list and ask that man to come and candidate in your church. The church will then vote on that man, and if he doesn’t get enough votes or if he declines the invitation to pastor, then go to the next man on the list.

4. Do you know this man?

Now I know that the pulpit committee won’t know everyone, but they should have some wise men who have been around the fundamental Baptist movement for years who know this man. If nobody knows about this man, then this should bring concern about with whom he has been associated. I believe the pulpit committee should have wise men from the outside who gain nothing from this process to give them names. This will help you to bring in people who are of the same philosophy and direction of your church.

5. Have you seen his work?

It is important that you know what this man has done before you call him to candidate. If this man is currently pastoring, then have a couple of men who the church trusts to go and see the work. If he is not currently pastoring, then ask seasoned men of God about this man. They may know something about this man that you will never find out on your own. Call previous churches where this man has pastored and at least find out why he left. If he is an evangelist, then look at that man and see what he has built. I have a good pastor friend in Texas who was an evangelist for many years before he took the church he now pastors. This church could see that this man was a solid fundamentalist who had built a great ministry. It is imperative that you look at the man’s past work.

6. Do you know what he believes?

DON’T EVER call in a man if you don’t know what he believes. You should never consider a man of God if no one knows where he stands on the main doctrines. Philippians 4:5 says, “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” The word “moderation” is talking about one’s beliefs. A man of God who hides what he believes is a man of God who can’t be trusted. If you call in a man who has the wrong beliefs, you risk the church falling in love with him. Then you will have a problem!

7. Have you heard him preach?

In the technology world in which we live, there is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to get some sermons that this man has preached. You should listen to several sermons and not just one. One sermon doesn’t define a man. However, you can find out a lot about the man if you will listen to four or five sermons. Listen to a Sunday morning and Sunday night sermon. If you can, get a Wednesday night sermon as well. Listen to three or four weeks of sermons so you can find out what kind of preacher he is. Is he a topical preacher or a preacher who goes verse by verse and exegetes the Scriptures? My opinion is that a topical preacher is the best preacher. My reason for saying this is because you wouldn’t go to a doctor who goes through his medicine cabinet and picks up the next medication on the shelf. The next medication may hurt you, or it may not help your current problem. A topical preacher is like the doctor who diagnoses the problem, and then give a prescription for the sickness. The topical preacher will weekly give the people what they need for that week. You don’t need a preacher who simply preaches a sermon, you need a preacher who will preach the message from God that the people need that week.

8. Is he a personal soul winner?

This will knock out many men. Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Sadly, there are many preachers who rarely lead anyone to Christ. I recently talked to a pastor who asked missionaries how many people they led to Christ in the past year. He told me that there were many preachers who only led ten people to Christ. That is sad! If the preacher won’t be a soul winner, then the church won’t be a soul-winning church. If the preacher isn’t a soul winner, then he won’t have the wisdom necessary to help his church. You want a man to lead the church who has a burden for souls. The degree of a man’s soul winning will determine the degree that he has an outward vision verses an inward vision that is looking more for transfers than he is new converts. Personal soul winning should not be an option. It is a must in choosing a man of God.

9. Does he understand Sunday school philosophy?

Sunday school is the ministry that goes hand-in-hand with the Great Commission. Part of the Great Commission is discipling. Having a good understanding of Sunday school is important if you want your church to grow. Thriving independent Baptist churches are built on soul winning and Sunday school. Soul winning gives you prospects to fill the Sunday schools so that you can train them to send them back out. Sadly, very few men have a good understanding of Sunday school. If they only have a few Sunday school classes in the church where they currently pastor, then I can promise you they don’t understand Sunday school philosophy. If a church averages a couple hundred, but only has a couple adult Sunday school classes, then again they probably don’t have a good understanding of Sunday school philosophy. If you want your church to continue to grow and reach the lost for Christ, then the man you choose needs to have a good understand of how to build the Sunday school.

10. What are his standards?

A man’s standards are important because they will define whether this man practices biblical separation and holiness. The man you choose to be pastor should not believe that standards are only for church, but he should believe that standards are for the home as well. Don’t choose a man who has lower standards than the church currently has. If anything, choose a man whose standards are higher. I would rather a man pull me up to his level than have a man who will pull me down.

11. Who would he have as guest preachers?

Whenever choosing a pastor, it is important to find out who he would invite as guest preachers. This is important because pastors usually choose their friends to be guest speakers. If they would invite men of God who are weak, then that means he is considering a weaker stance. Ask him to give you five names of preachers he would want to invite as a guest preacher in your church. Who he puts on that list will highly define his direction and philosophy of ministry.

12. What colleges would he suggest?

Bible colleges show a man’s direction. I don’t believe that a man only has to have one college that he pushes, but I do believe you need to know where he would counsel your children to go to Bible college. If he promotes a college that is liberal, then you can rest assured that he will eventually take the church in that direction. The colleges a man pushes define his school of thought.

13. Is he a builder?

You don’t want a man who will only maintain the work, but you want a man who will build the work. A man who will maintain lacks in vision and work ethic. A man who has great vision will desire to take the church to new heights. He won’t be satisfied with the present size of the church, but he will want to take the church to new heights by building it.

14. Does he have a good family?

When you choose a man to be your pastor, you are also choosing his family. If he has family problems, then your church will be infested with family problems. One of the requirements of a pastor is that he “…ruleth well his own house,…” (1 Timothy 3:4) This man must not have the idea that the ministry goes before his family. This is detrimental to all! He must be of the philosophy that family comes first before the ministry. I have watched too many men of God who have put the ministry before their family to the detriment of their children and marriage. You want a man of God who is strong on the family, for the strength of the church is the family.

Choosing a pastor will be one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. Don’t take anyone’s word about a man, know these things for yourself. Choosing a man of God will affect your family for generations to come. By the way, these principles will apply when you are moving your family to a church. When you choose the right man of God to lead your church and home, it will lead to God’s blessings. Be very deliberate in your choosing of a man of God to pastor your church.