It's natural for people to give more honor to pastors who are upfront, who speak and teach the word of God, and who are more visible than other types of leaders. But there are many other leaders who work behind the scenes, who serve in the ministry even though others may not see or know them personally except for a few. They are called lay leaders. Without them, the real ministry will not be possible. We need to honor such leaders just as we honor pastors.

Most people are busy with their own lives. Not many are interested to serve the Lord with their time, talents, and treasures. Among those who do serve the Lord, very few are committed to doing their best to serve God faithfully. To find such people is a blessing. To work alongside them is even a greater blessing. What the church needs now are more faithful servants of God. How does one become a faithful servant of God?

Recently, the church has been shaken by several scandals. From church leaders who commit immoral acts to well-known Christian artists who turn their backs from the Christian faith to become atheists. It is only right for the world to question our integrity. How can we speak about God's truth and His salvation when our lives do not align with what we are saying? What is needed today are Christians who truly have a heart for God. How can we develop that kind of heart? What does it mean to have a heart after God's own heart?

It is sad when we hear about Christian leaders or churches who do things that dishonor Christ. It does not help us in our mission to win people. Our goal is to attract our loved ones and friends to Christ so that they, too, may believe and be saved. But how can we do that effectively if our testimony is faulty? We must learn how we can attract people to Christ.

Many followers of Christ are being challenged by what's going on around the world. The faith of many is getting weaker as the pandemic continues. In fact, some have already given up on their faith altogether. They are no longer actively following Christ or practicing their faith as they used to. Those who are still in the race are slowly being pressured by their worries and fears because there seems to be no end to the problems the world is facing. In times like this, how can we have a resilient faith?

The key to unity is humility. But what does humility look like in real life? We often think of humility as something opposite of pride, arrogance, and an inflated sense of our importance and talents. Typical dictionaries will define humility as simply the quality of being humble. So, if I don't brag about my accomplishments or titles, am I being humble already? Unfortunately, most people thnk of humility only in that sense. Perhaps we need to know what true humility looks like.

Everyone desires unity. But unity remains an elusive dream. All attempts to unity often end in failure. We try to unite the nations of the world, but it only ends in war. We try to unite a nation, but the nation breaks apart into factions. We try to unite communities, but neighbors cannot get along with each other. We try to unite our families, but we often end up with broken families. Even churches want to unite, but division is so common. What is the key to unity?

There are many things that can intimidate us. Some of us may not want to admit it but our actions often come from fear. Being too busy can be a sign of fear. We are afraid that if we stop, we might lose an opportunity. Others are afraid of rejection so we don't talk about our faith anymore. Also, we are afraid of being known or being judged, so we refuse to join a Christian community. There are many other manifestations. But we don't have to be afraid. We can be courageous.

It's often hard to wait, especially when we are waiting for God's promises to be fulfilled. We experience disappointment, confusion, and discouragement when we are doing our best to trust and obey God but nothing seems to be happening for a long time. Waiting is difficult because we are not in control of our desired results or expectations. Unless we understand that God is doing "behind the scenes", we cannot endure this waiting period.

You would know what truly matters to a person based on what gives him or her joy. Succcess will give a lot of people joy. Accomplishments also. Money for sure. Popularity, maybe. For some it's finding love. Or maybe having your own children. Life has a lot to offer us and experiencing all of its blessings can give us great joy. Who wouldn't want that? But what if someone or something threatens all of that? Then we would know what truly matters.