When Abraham retired, he thought life would slow down some. Little did he know the big plans God had and the impact those plans would have on the Kingdom of God!
LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT
LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM CUBA
Despite what Cuban's go through daily, their passion and determination for spreading the Gospel is inspiring. Check out some of the servant leadership lessons an ILI team learned while on a recent trip.
WHEN ______ HURTS
Are we actually doing more harm than good by doing nothing at all? Do we hurt those in need by taking no action at all? It's time for us to do stand up and do something!
TRUE FORGIVENESS
A single mother in her thirties struggles to forgive her ex-husband but something happens when she attends an ILI Regional Conference.
I DO: WHY OUR VOWS MATTER
THE VALUE OF DISCIPLINE
Do you focus too much on your physical health and not enough on your spiritual fitness? Applying time, dedication, and discipline to your spiritual health not only benefits your life now, but for eternity with God.
RIGHT WHERE I NEED TO BE
Staring out at the poor remnants of a terrorist attack, John and his team set to work to provide relief. They never could have imagined how God would use their efforts to change the lives of four men.
I'VE GOT YOUR BACK
SPIRITUAL CONSUMERISM
It's easy to see the dangers of falling prey to a consumer mentality. However, the greatest danger comes when we allow a consumer mentality to bleed over into our spiritual lives.
MAKING HISTORY IN CAMEROON
Florence Fokoua is the ILI International Director for French-Speaking Africa. In this podcast episode, Florence talks about the recent History Makers Journey in Cameroon and the spread of the ILI movement in her part of the world.
THE PERSON IN THE MIRROR
While we may not love what we see in the mirror, most of us would never leave home without first checking our appearance to make sure everything was in order. Paul also instructed the Corinthians to “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves" (II Cor. 13:5).
WORKING TOGETHER
I have learned a lot from participating in short-term mission trips over the years. One great lesson I've learned is the value of working together, and what can happen if everyone does his or her job. Consider for a moment how clean water gets to many people around the world though the means of bio-sand water filters.
Bio-sand water filters are a means of naturally filtering water to remove impurities so it will be safe for human consumption and use. Water is poured through levels of different size rock and sand to remove the impurities. I have had the experience of helping build and install concrete filters in the homes of families with no access to clean water. The process of purifying water is extremely simple, but it takes many different steps to get a filter in place for a family.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SAND
Sand is one important component in providing clean water through this process. One layer that the water runs through in the purification process is sand, which is also one of the ingredients used to make the concrete filters the water is poured though to be purified. Sand is critical to the process from beginning to end.
An important job in providing clean water is washing the sand. If sand is to be one of the layers through which water passes to be purified, then the sand itself needs to be clean. In addition, the sand used to make the concrete for the filter must also be free of impurities. If there is any dirt in the sand mixed with water and cement to make the concrete, the filter will not work. Dirt in the concrete will weaken the structure and cause it to crack, crumble, and leak. The filter will be no good.
Clean sand is essential.
CLEAN SAND = CLEAN WATER
The sand gets clean by the thoroughly unspectacular process of washing and re-washing the sand. Water is poured over the sand, drained, and the process repeated. This happens over and over until all the dirt from the river is washed out. Only then is the sand suitable to make the concrete filter and also be used as a purifying layer for the water to run through.
NOT THE MOST GLAMOROUS JOB
The person washing the sand does not have a glamorous job. The work is monotonous and relatively mindless. There is no demonstration of great strength or amazing creativity. Telling others, “I washed sand on my mission trip" will probably fail to impress. Yet, if someone doesn’t wash the sand - and wash it well - there is no filter, no clean water, and the desired result of the mission trip does not happen. The person who washes sand is of such critical importance to the mission that no one else has a purpose in showing up if the “washer of the sand” doesn’t do his or her job.
Not just on mission trips, but in the life of every disciple every day, we have roles and responsibilities that God has for us to do. Amazing things happen when we all work together, doing our part for the glory of God. Every role is critical to the success of our goal to be light and salt and to bring the life transforming power of the Gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the Ends of the Earth.
Every member of the Body has a crucial role to play, and when we function together, the world is blessed and God is glorified.
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WES GRIFFIN SHARES THE STORY BEHIND ILI
Wes Griffin, and his wife Joy, are the co-founders of the International Leadership Institute (ILI). In this episode, Wes shares how ILI became a global movement and what makes it unique. He even recalls the most impactful moments from the 2015 Global Summit, which took place almost two years ago to date.
IT'S FINAL JUDGEMENT
Relax! I know we often consider that day when history, as we know it, will come to an end and every human being that ever lived will stand before the throne of God, but this is not a post about that. The Bible says we will escape final judgment because of what Christ did for us, but His sacrifice does not exempt us from giving an account to God of how we lived out the faith which saved us.
THE RIGHT BASKET
People say "don't put all you eggs in one basket." Reality is, we as Christians need to put ALL of our eggs in Jesus' basket. The idea of not putting ALL of our resources, ALL of our trust, ALL of our hope in one place is probably really good advice. Good advice for all those who don’t know Jesus Christ.
PASSION FOR STEWARDSHIP
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...”
THE CHALLENGE OF INTEGRITY
A deep commitment to a life of integrity is where it all begins, but the desire to do what is right does not always guarantee success. We need a system of checks and balances to keep us in line, to hold us accountable.
LIVING LOUD
The idea of making a joyful noise to the Lord is often associated with singing, but our "noises" don't always have to be audible. When we live a life pleasing to God, we truly begin living loud.
IT WAS JESUS
Growing up in the Middle East, giving your life to Christ was a sentence to hell; but when one woman's sick mother was healed before her eyes, the answer was undeniable. It was Jesus.
HOW TO MAKE AN IMPACT FOR CHRIST
Small groups in a local church are a win-win for everyone. Check out these seven benefits of being a big part of something small!
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.