We are taught in Romans 1 that we have all been given a conscience, and the ability to follow it or not follow it is in our power. The resolve to follow our conscience, or what we perceive to be right or wrong, is the basis for character. Our character is strengthened by good teaching and training. This is why we have teaching and study as basic Christian disciplines, and the better it is, the more disciplined the people will tend to be.

Of course, there are exceptions to this. There are some amazingly disciplined people who have had...

After mobilizing or gathering people, it is crucial that training begin right away. The quality of that training will be the main factor that determines the force that they become. For this to be accomplished, we must also keep in mind that teaching and training are not the same thing. Quality teaching is also important, but it accomplishes little more than puffing people up with knowledge unless it is combined with training. Training calls for the actual experience of applying what is taught.

How many of you would stay onboard a plane if you discovered that the pilot had...

One factor that always comes into play when the light of the church grows brighter is that those living in darkness become more threatened by it because they love the darkness more than the light. For this reason, they will attack those who walk in the light. Therefore, Christians must always be prepared for persecution, and those who are not prepared for it are not prepared for the times. How do we prepare for this?

First, we should never be surprised by any kind of attack, but rather embrace it as an indication that God considers us worthy of...

The church will begin to take on more of a military mentality in the coming times. We are called to be an army, and in many ways we will start to reflect this in a much more serious and focused demeanor in the leadership and the people. There is something about conflict that does focus our senses. We have been in a war against darkness of the most desperate kind for the whole history of the church, but not all seem to understand this or live as they would if they did understand it. This, too, will be changing as...

Previously, we discussed how there is an anointing for mobilizing on different levels or for different size groups, and how some things are accomplished best in large groups and some things are accomplished better in small groups. Vision casting is usually done better in a large group, but some of it needs to be sown into virtually every teaching to a small group, too. People who are motivated with vision will accomplish more.

Also, when casting a vision we need to provide some practical wisdom about how we will accomplish the vision. Wellington Boone once shared in a board meeting...