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BECOME A FRIENDLY LEADER 2

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." ~ John 15:15   REFERENCE:  John 15:9-17   Jesus models friendly leadership to us in our text. We have seen how He, God in human flesh, chose to call His 'subjects' friends. The philosopher Cicero said, "Life is nothing without friendship." Understanding this as a leader should motivate you to build a culture of friendship amongst and with your team, remembering that they spend...
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BECOME A FRIENDLY LEADER

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." ~ John 15:15   REFERENCE:  John 15:9-17   Jesus set a new standard for leadership by calling his team members friends. Little wonder they took His message to the ends of the world after his death. The impact of His decision to become a friendly leader is still felt today. Young king Rehoboam, in one of yesterday's texts, was advised to become a friendly...
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A FRIENDLY LEADER

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” ~ John 15:15   REFERENCE:  John 15:9-17   Friendship takes every relationship to the next level. We often downplay friendship, but it is a powerful force. A marriage stands a better chance if the spouses are friends; you would do better in math if your teacher were your friend and would relax to let a doctor who is also a friend perform...
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NO ONE TO HELP

"The sick man answered, 'Sir, there is no one to help me get into the water when it starts moving. I try to be the first one into the water. But when I try, someone else always goes in before I can.'" ~ John 5:7 (ERV)   REFERENCE: John 5:1-9 (ERV)   We often find ourselves in situations where we wish to get something, be somewhere, or have the opportunity to meet someone, but our wishes elude us. A sense of hopelessness soon engulfs you, and you mutter, "I have no one to help me." Especially in a country like ours where it...
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THE WOUNDS OF A FRIEND

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." ~ Proverbs 27:6   REFERENCE: Proverbs 27:5-6   Our text sounds like an oddity; 'wounds of a friend.' This is not how many of us see friendship; we see it as a safe space, a platform for expressing and receiving love, and it is. However, there is more; friendship hurts sometimes, and many who do not understand this have been hurt by it and have vowed to be loners, unwilling to mingle with others because of such hurts. We are humans, limited in knowledge and a bag of...
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WHEN LOVE DELAYS

“So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.” ~ John 11:6   REFERENCE: JOHN 11:1-11   Solomon said that love is a strong force, “Many waters cannot quench love.” People have done heroic things and made great sacrifices for love’s sake. For this reason, when you find yourself in dire straits, the person you expect most to come to your aid is the person who loves you. It is odd, then, when someone who claims to love you sees you in need but delays in giving you aid. They told Jesus that...
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DON’T LOOK BACK

“But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”” – Luke 9:62   REFERENCE: Luke 9:57-62   When God made us, He put our eyes at the front of our heads so we could always look forward. He wants us to set our eyes on a goal, keep at it, and decide not to look back. Looking back suggests a lack of commitment to a cause you are pursuing. Without commitment, it is not easy to do anything of lasting impact. If you are on a journey...
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SEE GOOD DAYS

"He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil…" ~ I Peter 3:10   REFERENCE: I Peter 3:8-12   We all desire to see good days in life, so we hope, pray, and work. Although it eludes many people, it is a possibility. Good days mean having peace, being free from troubles, debts, the yoke of a debilitating illness, etc. Our text reveals that if 'good days' is what we want to experience or see, it will have much to do with our tongue and what we say. Solomon said that the power of...
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KIND OF LOVE

A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" ~ 1 John 3:1    REFERENCE: 1 John 3:1-3   It’s Valentine’s Day! The world has set today aside to celebrate love, which means different things to different people. To some, it is a time to wait for someone to give to them; some ‘take advantage’ of those they claim to love, and several others will ‘break the bank’ to get a gift for their lovers. Does the world understand love as it should? Love in its pure form is the...
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FORGIVE

FORGIVE HIM

“…If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” – Luke 17:3   REFERENCE: Luke 17:1-4   Jesus said, “It is impossible that no offenses should come.” That is true. As long as we relate with other humans, we are bound to rub one another wrong or say things out of turn. We have been told what to do when a brother offends or sins against us – forgive him.   Forgiveness is a rich concept that runs through the whole bible. It is at the root of Christianity. Romans 5:8 says, “…While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Without forgiveness,...
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