Category Archives: Discipleship

“Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross” is one of the most popular hymns written by Fanny  Crosby.  Blinded in infancy by a Doctor’s negligence, Crosby was influenced by a godly grandmother and inspired by the famous poet William Cullen Bryant when she was a student at the New York Institute for the Blind.

Leadership guru John Maxwell often says,“Everything rises and falls on leadership.”

And what is leadership? Maxwell defined it this way. “After more than four decades of observing leadership within my family and the many years of developing my own leadership potential, I have come to this conclusion: Leadership is influence. That’s it. Nothing more; more less. My favorite leadership proverb is “He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.”

In his book, Power of the Plus Factor, Norman Vincent Peale relates this story.

Once walking through the twisted little streets of Kowloon in Hong Kong, I came upon a tattoo studio. In the window were displayed samples of the tattoos available.

On the chest or arms you could have tattooed an anchor or flag or mermaid or whatever.
But what struck me with force were three words that could be tattooed on one’s flesh, Born to lose.

I entered the shop in astonishment and, pointing to those words, asked the Chinese tattoo artist, “Does anyone really have that terrible phrase, Born to lose, tattooed on his body?”

While on his third missionary journey, Paul came to Troas where he spent the week. He met with the brethren. Worshipped. Communed. And preached. (Acts 20:6-7)

Preaching. It’s been a part of worship since the first century church began on that Pentecost Sunday in Acts 2. Peter preached. He preached Jesus. His death. Burial. Resurrection. And ascension. He preached God’s plan for salvation.