Just as faith is a prerequisite for seeing God, being for God must precede doing for God. I be, therefore I do. To put doing before being is to put fruit before root, law before spirit, works before faith, appearances before heart, legalism before love, fear before freedom, rightness before relationship. (read more...)

Christ did not call us to be successful but faithful. Our first allegiance is to Christ, to serve Him with all that He has gifted us with. Our identity does not reside in our gifts but in the Gift Giver. If the exercising of our gifts should prove “successful” or “unsuccessful” our identity will still be intact since its foundation is rooted in Christ. (read more...)

In humility we cast all our care on Christ because He cares for us. We must be willing to be servants who care for others even in the midst of rejection, brokenness and “incurable” situations. (read more...)

Everything around us is temporal, everything except that which is “unseen,” i.e., God’s Word and the souls of people. Principles from God’s Word flow through our lives and express themselves in a variety of servant forms and structures (i.e., programs) for a particular people, place and time (i.e., culture). Principles never change, but their particular ‘programmatic” expressions in the world must change as people and cultures change over time. (read more...)

Service structures are systems set up to provide a service, sometimes without much regard for the ones being served. Servant structures put a premium on the character of those providing the service and the inherent worth of those receiving the service. (read more...)

God’s grace is manifested in two ways: common and special grace. Common grace is the grace shown by the Creator to and for His creation. This “common” grace is given regardless of the recipient’s awareness and acceptance of it. Special grace is bestowed upon those who enter into a personal relationship to the Creator through Jesus Christ. Those who are ambassadors for Christ must be about both graces. The former grace often opens the door for the latter grace. (read more...)

Justice and mercy work hand in hand to accomplish the purposes of God. God, in His justice, allows suffering to cause a man to see and release sin. When the sin is released, God’s justice destroys the sin and His mercy immediately enters in to restore and renew the sinner. (read more...)

The culture of the Cross must inform all cultures. Where the Cross and culture are compatible (since all culture is the collective expression of God’s image within a people group), both can be embraced. Where the Cross and culture clash (since all cultures have been infected by sin), the servant leader must side and stand courageously by the Cross. (read more...)

Freedom without order leads to chaos. Order without freedom leads to tyranny. Only in Christ can these two warring combatants become creative comrades in the dance of grace. (read more...)

The goal of the servant leader is to glorify Christ and to enjoy Him forever. If Christ is not before all, then our foundation is like shifting sand that cannot support the superstructure of our lives and ministry. (read more...)