I greatly enjoyed reading this book by Paul Chappell. Just a little background about Paul Chappell; he is the pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church in Lancaster, CA and also President of West Coast Baptist College. He is widely respected as a pastor, college president, and a leader.
The book highlighted the lives of three men from the Old Testament: Joshua, Nehemiah, and Joseph
During the chapters concerning Joshua; we saw that he was a leader of vision. Joshua went through a time of training, and service under Moses; and God used that time in his life to mold him into a leader that would make a difference. “Invest your life in others, and let God sharpen and purify your vision during the wait.” Joshua used his time to invest, serve, and allow God to work in his life to be a great leader.
Nehemiah was a leader with passion! Nehemiah had a task at hand, his vision was clear, and he was motivated to accomplish it for God. Nehemiah poured his being into building a wall, not just for the sake of building, but for the sake of revival in his people. Nehemiah was a leader of prayer and total dependency upon God to accomplish His will. Because of his steadfastness, revival came to God’s people and the Lord was glorified! “Broken-hearted leadership is less glamorous than wall-building leadership, but it must come first. Do you have a broken heart for your realm of responsibility? Do you care enough to pray?” – from the book.
Lastly, Joseph was a leader of faith. Throughout much of Joseph’s life, he endured and faced hardship. He was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery. He was falsely accused and thrown into prison. Yet in times of distress, he remained faithful to God! His faith in God was evident by his faithfulness to God. It is certainly one thing to say that we have faith in God; but how much of that is shown in our life?
I desire to be a leader that makes a difference. I desire to be a leader of vision, a leader of passion, and a leader of faith. I was greatly motivated by this book to put feet to my prayers, and watch God turn His vision for my life into a fulfillment. I pray that my faith will be evident in my life, and that my passion for others will continue to be one that makes a difference in the lives of others!
Stephen Underwood
Acts 20:24
www.stephenunderwood.net
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