When my children were growing up, we had had for several years something we called “Christmas in July.” It came about because three of our four kids had their birthdays within five weeks of Christmas. This meant there was long time between opportunities to hope for a significant present for those three. 

Scott Rodin has a passion for Core Value of Faithful Stewardship, and he has a special ministry called, The Stewards’ Journey. His mission is “to equip and inspire God’s people to be free and joyful stewards of life...”

Every generation asks the "How did people live without..." questions. Thousands of years ago, many wondered how humanity lived without fire. A more recent generation asked how in the world we survived without electricity. When we thought we heard it all, our present generation wonders how we ever lived without wireless remote controls.

The famous preacher, Charles Spurgeon, was getting ready to preach to thousands at his church in London when he made the most unusual request. He asked his entire congregation to leave and go home to make room for non-believers who were waiting outside and could not fit indoors. Astonishingly, everyone left and the auditorium filled again with non-believers, who now had the chance to hear the Gospel for the first time.

Al VomSteeg is the Senior International Director for ILI, and he has a passion for family. In today's podcast, Al discusses the overwhelming fatherhood crisis in America and the hard work it takes to be a faithful parent. He discusses the process of development to becoming a good father: first by becoming a good man, then a good husband, and ultimately a great father.

"Antonio Velazquez was a grumpy, selfish, and evil old man. He worked for the police obtaining confessions from suspected criminals by questionable means." When I heard Mr. Velazquez's daughter describe my friend in such a way at his funeral, I was completely surprised.

David Thagana is the ILI International Director for English-Speaking Africa. In this podcast episode, David shares his heart and testimony. He discusses his first years of rapid multiplication of ILI training in Kenya and the story of his son, Timothy, who trained over 1,000 young leaders in one year.

Exploration expeditions often hire the services of a guide or scout to go ahead and clear the way. Leaders, in a way, are like expedition scouts. Besides casting vision, leaders are responsible for making clear the path ahead for the rest of the team.

Eager and excited to arrive in a remote town where our mission team would help local Christians, we heard the word no one wants to hear when they are traveling: delayed. The hours rolled by as we waited in the airport with little information other than our plane was being serviced due to technical problems. We were eager to arrive at our destination and ready to begin work, but being stuck in a small airport in the middle of nowhere, it felt like we were wasting precious time.

Norival Trindade is the ILI Vice President for Training. In this podcast episode, Norival discusses the importance and challenge of contextualizing ILI’s training to best suite all languages and regions. He gives fresh insight on how the Eight Core Values integrate together and function in the life of a leader. He also shares about the 100 Nations Initiative and how it motivates the ILI Global Team to get into the hard work of inspiring the multiplication of leaders everywhere.

Have you ever been to a house of mirrors at a carnival or an amusement part? It is hilarious to see our bodies distorted by concave and convex mirrors. Of course, in the age of technology and Snapchat, all you need is a smart phone and the right app to make your face look like a gorilla or a skinny stick-insect.

Imagine two preachers having a conversation comparing their respective churches. They discuss worship, attendance, youth, children's programs, and mission efforts. Finally, they begin to discuss the size of their congregations. One pastor affirms his church has around 400 members. The other responds his is close to 1,200. Skeptical of such a high number, the first pastor asks a clarifying question: “Do you mean active members?” Without hesitation, the second pastor responded, “Yes, we have about 300 active for Jesus and the other 900 active for the devil!”

Teyei serves the Lord in Nigeria, West Africa, and he is passionate about seeing the Gospel spread to the next generation. In this podcast episode, Teyei describes the challenges he faces in Nigeria, the dynamics at play with the ILI Eight Core Values, and the power of partnership.

Part of my job includes a lot of international travel. This means long hours on airplanes, including take-off, landings, turbulence, smooth sailing, and sometimes, bad food. Just a couple days ago, I returned to the US from Brazil. As the plane climbed up through heavy thunderstorms and some of the worst turbulence I have ever experienced, I started thinking how visionary leadership is like flying an airplane.

Devoted is a powerful word. It speaks of character, commitment, and integrity. This word can be misappropriated to be sure, but being devoted is something strong and significant. Being devoted is good, though it may not have a good application or a good end if one is devoted to the wrong thing. Being devoted to an evil leader, ideology, belief system, or an evil desire – like greed or selfishness – is obviously not a good thing, but devotion in itself is powerful and laudable.

Joy and Wes Griffin are the co-founders of the International Leadership Institute. In this podcast episode, Joy shares about her own God-given vision and gives testimony of how God fulfills what He puts in our hearts.

A couple months ago, I awoke to half my face drooping like someone turned off the switch on all my facial muscles. After a quick visit to the doctor, I received my diagnosis: Bell’s Palsy. Fortunately, with the help of some medicine and a few small changes in my habits (like drinking coffee through a straw and wearing an eyepatch), not much has changed in my life. My recovery was quick; a couple weeks passed, and the physical side effects of Bell’s Palsy had completely worn off. I really looked fine.

Henryk Krol is the ILI Director for Poland and the Online Continent. In this two-part series, Henryk discusses the staggering statistics of the millions of people searching for God on the “eighth continent” of the world: the internet. He sheds light on the dramatic response in the Arab world and the rapidly expanding exposure of Christian media throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the most transformational parts of the ILI training is our teaching on The Power of Vision. Leaders all over the world have been able to identify their God-given vision, determine their mission, and set SMART goals to guide them in accomplishing God’s purpose for their lives. For many, if not all, the most difficult part of this process has been the answer to a simple question: What is the difference between vision and mission?