Around the world, God is utilizing mothers' gifts to nurture and develop the next generation of leaders. So, as we celebrate moms and spiritual mothers alike, we want to say thank you for your sacrifice. You are making a Kingdom impact.
As Lent commences on Ash Wednesday, we are entering a time of introspection and prayer leading to Easter. Let us reflect on the significance of death preceding resurrection, urging readers to embrace a daily practice of surrendering self in preparation for our spiritual transformation.
Despite being more technologically linked than ever, studies now show loneliness and disconnection are at an all-time high. How does this trend truly affect your spiritual life and personal connection with God?
"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." (Romans 8:28). This is a great verse, but it is one we would prefer was needed to encourage others rather than ourselves. What would happen if we totally bought in to Romans 8:28?
Velma Tim is a young leader from Cameroon who has spent time in the USA studying at Asbury Theological Seminary. She shares her experience with the American Church and offers an encouraging word to motivate American believers to really get engaged in sharing Christ, making disciples, and changing lives.
As leaders, we are often in situations where we get to listen to someone's story. The problem far too often is we just have too much to say. To be true servant leaders, we must be quick to listen and slow to speak; but how does one become a better listener?
There is a time to hold a conference and a time to respond to a crisis. When we truly have a Passion for the Harvest, we find that training leaders is not limited to a classroom.
Darlene Franks serves as a key ILI leader in Northern California. She encourages leaders to step away from an events-oriented style of leadership and into a relational style of leadership. Darlene discusses what leadership looks like from an intimate relationship with God and the importance of developing a biblical culture of discipleship.
In a fallen world filled with fallen people, obstacles are expected. A wise person once said that at any given moment in life, you are either walking towards, going through, or coming out of an obstacle. So, how do we respond when such muddy roads lie ahead?
We tend to think the more we have, the more important we are. I guess being wealthy makes us feel like nobility. But not in God’s eyes. Each day, we are faced with the choice to store up, or radically give; to make "barn decisions" or noble decisions. The question is: Which will you choose?
Kuot Ngor came to the USA as a refugee during the Sudanese Civil War in 1995, and now serves as a missionary with African Hope, spreading the Gospel and planting churches in South Sudan. Kuot shares the impact of ILI training on his family, and the incredible testimony of his call to ministry in South Sudan. He describes the challenges South Sudan has faced throughout history, where it now stands spiritually, and his great vision to change the nation for Christ.
While there is no way to add hours to our day, it is possible to “redeem time” as the Bible teaches. At ILI, we call this Stewardship of Time, because we believe God has given us the 24 hours of each day as “talents” we are to invest wisely, and then give an account to Him for our investment of His resource. While they may not seem to save time, here are five productivity hacks sure to help us maximize our time...
Not long ago, I had an ear infection and a hearing test was part of standard procedures. The doctor tested my hearing by placing me in a completely quiet room, putting headphones on my ears, and telling me to raise my hand whenever I heard a beep. Perfect hearing would mean every single beep was heard, even the most quiet. It occurred to me that we must train ourselves in a similar way to hear the voice of God.
“Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth.” These words by leadership guru, George McGregor Burns, still echo in my mind more than a decade after I first read them. A quick search on Amazon.com for books on leadership brings up 232,882 results! How many of these books do you think you could actually read in your lifetime?
A few weeks ago, I moved… again. As an itinerant pastor, I have moved numerous times, and though I no longer pastor a church, I am pretty sure I will move again. There was nothing special about this one. We reserved a big moving truck, went through all our things, threw a lot away, gave to charity, and packed all we could into boxes. Eventually, we loaded everything onto the truck, drove to our destination, unloaded, and begun to unpack in our new home.
Ania Horoshchuk is a young leader from Ukraine with a passion for the Gospel.In this podcast episode, Ania shares the story of when she returned to the USA again and found a job working at Chick-fil-A in Louisville, Kentucky and first heard about History Makers. Immediately, Ania discovered her own God-given vision to equip leaders in Lithuania through the Eight Core Values. Her story is a true testimony of how God can do far more than we ask or think.
Suppose you board an airplane for a nine-hour transatlantic flight with three hundred other souls. After the usual announcements about stowing your luggage and fastening your seat belts, the captain comes on the speaker, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. Today we will try to fly this plane all the way to Paris.” I don’t know about you, but if I heard such an uncertain announcement from the highest ranking leader on that airplane, I'm pretty sure I would get off and catch the next flight.
Have you ever experienced a day when everything seemed to go wrong? Perhaps your tire went flat in the middle of the road and then it started raining. Perhaps your paycheck didn't stretch to the end of the month, and to make matters worse, unforeseen expenses added extreme pressure. Maybe you were hit with the dreadful “C-word” diagnosis — cancer. Every day we are hit with bad news, big or small, but some days it seems to pile up. How can we overcome days such as these?
Al VomSteeg is a Senior International Director for ILI, and he has a passion for family. In this podcast episode, Al continues his discussion on the overwhelming fatherhood crisis in America and the hard work it takes to be a faithful parent. He shares biblical insights about the progressive nature of redeemed fatherhood, which begins in Genesis when man failed to protect his wife from the snake, but finds the crucial turning point at the cross of Christ when he becomes a restored husband. In turn, he also becomes a healthy and empowering father. Listen to part I here.
The world seemed to stop every time Steve Jobs presented a new Apple product. Fans and competitors would wait with great expectation, in part because of the veil of secrecy that surrounded each launch, but also because of the potential for some new, brilliant idea that would revolutionize the market (like the mouse, the iPod, and the iPhone, to name a few).
I recently heard a powerful message on the tenth of the Ten Commandments, Thou shall not covet. While listening, I realized there is a strong connection between coveting and discontentment. If we were truly content in our circumstances, we would never covet. Our neighbor’s house, spouse, servant or ox would be no temptation if we were truly and completely content in our circumstances and life situations. It is as though we could rephrase the tenth commandment by saying, “Be content.”
Tony Vasquez is the ILI International Director for Latin America. In today's podcast, Tony shares how he came to faith after hearing a man in El Salvador speak from the Bible. He was captivated by the idea that the God of creation would speak through the written Word. He shares the story of when he and his wife, Brenda, moved to Spain as missionaries and saw the need to raise up the emerging generation to multiply leaders.
It's easy to feel limited in your leadership because of insufficient training or the right resources. Even many entry-level jobs these days require a degree or years of experience. At times, even I feel “ in over my head,” wishing I had a degree in management or something similar. Then again, maybe leadership isn't only for the naturally talented and the highly educated.
