Ten Massive Leadership Questions预览

What is my message?

Any leader has a compelling message. Your message contains the reason people follow you. Your message provides the motivation for all the action that follows. It is your "why?". It is the "why" you present to those who you want to follow you. In business terms, we could speak of your value proposition. In ministry or church terms, we could speak of passion. It is therefore critical for you to define your message clearly for any leadership endeavor.

When it comes to the ministry of The Gospel, it is so very important to get the gospel message right! So, what is the Gospel message? If you pause at this question for a moment, you will notice that what seemed like an easy question, is not that easy to define or put into words at all. There are many ways to approach the answer. But allow me to speak about the essence of the gospel message and attempt to sum it up in one word: “Done”. That’s right. Not “do”, but “done”. Grace, not works, is what sets the gospel message apart from every other religious system in the world.

Jesus did all that was necessary on the cross for us to be in the right standing with God. We accept what He has done by faith. It is done! Unfortunately, a lot of “gospel” going around sounds a lot like “do”. We have to do this and that to get God’s favor or forgiveness or blessing. Don’t get me wrong, following Jesus by faith has tremendous implications for our behavior and real-life application. The difference is the motivation. We no longer do because we have to earn grace or favor, we do because of what Jesus has already done for us, and because we have received grace and favor. The motivation is no longer about fear or striving but rather about gratitude and love.