I’m sure you’ve heard it said that “History is written by the victors.” This well-known quote implies that history, as we know it, is biased against groups that were conquered or defeated. While this is true in many cases, the history found in the Bible defies this characteristic. Through supernatural guidance, the authors of this In John chapter 13, Jesus challenged His disciples with this: “They will know you are my disciples if you love one another.” Are good works important? Yes! What about avoiding sin? Of course! But what does Jesus say will distinguish us from the rest of the world? Our love for one another.

I’m sure you’ve heard it said that “History is written by the victors.” This well-known quote implies that history, as we know it, is biased against groups that were conquered or defeated. While this is true in many cases, the history found in the Bible defies this characteristic. Through supernatural guidance, the authors of this In John chapter 13, Jesus challenged His disciples with this: “They will know you are my disciples if you love one another.” Are good works important? Yes! What about avoiding sin? Of course! But what does Jesus say will distinguish us from the rest of the world? Our love for one another.

From the very beginning, Satan has brought God’s Word into question in order to cause humans to stumble. He did this with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Of course, they didn’t have the Bible as we know it; they had been given instructions directly by God--hearing His voice – and even still, Satan was able to introduce enough doubt to lead them into sin. God’s Word is under attack today. It’s written off as ancient lore with some historical relevance, but nothing more. In this teaching, Pastor Mark will remind us of the steadfast truth contained in this book. Every word it contains was inspired by God, and trusting it is crucial to living a God-honoring life.

Almost all of us will have some kind of leadership role in our lives. Being a follower of Christ brings a whole new weight to that role. Not only do you need to be concerned with the well-being of those you lead, but you need to be mindful of how your behavior reflects Jesus. As Pastor Mark will clarify in this teaching, you can’t expect perfection of yourself or any leader, but you should expect authenticity and honesty. When you do stumble, don’t be afraid to admit it and seek help; that could be one of the greatest lessons you teach.

All of us have basic needs, including pastors. Many people tend to feel resistant when a pastor starts talking about money. Some of this comes from very real and shameful stories of pastors and spiritual leaders extorting people, using their position to con congregations. The majority of God-loving, people-serving pastors are not in that boat. Pastor Mark will point out in this teaching that even Paul had to be careful how he dealt with money issues. He was truly living by faith, traveling through villages and towns, not knowing for sure where his next meal was going to come from, but he embraced that hardship for the sake of bringing the Gospel to the lost.

Some pastors and leaders rely on charisma and charm to attract crowds. Their ministries can look incredibly successful as droves of people enter the doors every weekend and buildings and programs expand. That’s a very shallow measure of success, and while you can call it that in worldly terms, it’s not necessarily a success for the Kingdom of God. As Pastor Mark will point out in this message, people will be drawn in by godly leadership, but the results and effects it bears in a community will look much different. You’ll see lives changed and priorities shifted, not just fancy church buildings and flashy worship services.

Being a godly leader will require hard conversations. It’s inevitable. The goal should never be to offend, but we can’t avoid conversations just out of fear. A leader must be able to apply God’s Word and address someone in accordance with it. If God inspired it to be written down in His Word, it’s important to Him and should be important to us. As Pastor Mark will challenge us in this message, don’t navigate towards a leadership style that’s afraid of confrontation, but towards a leadership style that lovingly confronts problems in order to strengthen people.

We’ve all heard of leaders falling to corruption of one sort or another. Sadly, it’s all too common. Leadership is a great responsibility with a lot of pressure. For those of us who aren’t in those high positions, we may look at leadership as glamorous and appealing, but the truth is, godly leadership involves servanthood, not glamour. Christ demonstrated that kind of servant leadership perfectly. Being the most powerful being in the universe, He was willing to lower Himself down in extreme humility.

If you’re in Christ, you don’t have to worry about the future. Not only will He provide for you and your needs here and now, but in terms of the End Times, He has a plan for you. God loves you and if you’re part of His family, He won’t let you endure the extreme hardship that this world will experience. You may find yourself feeling like you’re already living through the tribulation but take heart, the Holy Spirit can comfort you and bring you through. As bad as it may be, it’s nothing compared to the tribulation we’re warned of in Scripture, and God won’t let His Church endure that.

Some dogs have patience because they’ve learned to trust their owner to give them a reward for good behavior. Others will go out seeking treats on their own, maybe in the trashcan, or under the table. Ultimately, they may get what they want, but they’ll likely make a mess and get themselves in trouble. As Pastor Mark illustrated, God wants us to be patient and attentive to Him. We can have confidence that He’ll reward us. Don’t waste your energy and resources seeking out that reward in this life. Just like the dogs, you’re only going to end up making a mess and regretting your decisions.