Category Archives: Leadership

Chimpanzee Christians

Posted on November 18, 2020 by russellmckinney

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3, N.K.J.V.) Not everyone who carries the name “Christian” carries the name legitimately. While reports … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion, Discernment, Government, Leadership, Politics, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Does God Lead Us Along Routes That Don’t Make Sense?

Posted on November 9, 2020 by russellmckinney

(“Questions From Israel’s Exodus” series: post #10) God had to use unprecedented plagues, ten of them, to get Pharaoh to release the Israelites from their Egyptian bondage. At last, however, Pharaoh did relent. The Israelites’ departure from Egypt was sudden … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, Choices, Commitment, Courage, Decisions, Doubt, Dying To Self, Faith, God's Will, Leadership, Obedience, Series: "Questions From Israel's Exodus", Service, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Does Doing God’s Will Sometimes Make Situations Harder?

Posted on November 2, 2020 by russellmckinney

(“Questions From Israel’s Exodus” series: post #7) God got Moses to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of their Egyptian bondage, but getting Moses to step into that role took some doing. First, God had to answer all … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, Criticism, Disappointment, Doing Good, Doubt, God's Will, Leadership, Ministry, Obedience, Persecution, Perseverance, Personal, Problems, Series: "Questions From Israel's Exodus", Service, Spiritual Warfare, Suffering, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Does God Accept Excuses?

Posted on October 30, 2020 by russellmckinney

(“Questions From Israel’s Exodus” series: post #6) Forty years had passed since Moses had killed an Egyptian taskmaster, fled from Egypt, and settled down in Midian. His Pharaoh grandfather, the one who had sought his death for killing that taskmaster, … Continue reading →

Posted in Choices, Courage, Decisions, Discipleship, Dying To Self, Faithfulness, God's Will, God's Work, Leadership, Ministry, Obedience, Series: "Questions From Israel's Exodus", Service, Submission | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Spiritual Leaders & Preachers’ Kids (post #2 of 2)

Posted on September 5, 2020 by russellmckinney

People tend to think that being called of God to spiritual leadership somehow causes the called to put on a magic cloak that miraculously changes everything about the person. The cloak corrects wrong thinking, fixes longstanding problems, strengthens weaknesses, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Adultery, Anger, Backsliding, Character, Church, Church Attendance, Current Events, Deacons, Depravity, Family, Forgiveness, God's Work, Hypocrisy, Leadership, Lust, Ministry, Pastors, Personal Holiness, Preaching, Sanctification, Service, Sin, Temptation, The Death Penalty, The Old Testament Law | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Unsung Heroes

Posted on February 22, 2020 by russellmckinney

I live in the state of North Carolina, but when it comes to college basketball I am not a fan of the UNC Tarheels or the Duke Blue Devils. No, my team is the NC State Wolfpack. Do you want … Continue reading →

Posted in Character, Christ's Death, Doing Good, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Family, Fatherhood, God's Work, Influence, Leadership, Ministry, Motherhood, Parenting, Personal, Priorities, Service, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Having Good Spiritual Leadership Isn’t Enough

Posted on January 30, 2020 by russellmckinney

The pastor is usually the first person who gets blamed when a church takes a downturn. And, admittedly, many times the pastor is the problem. That’s just a plain fact. There are, however, two other facts that are just as … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Leadership, Ministry, Pastors, Preaching | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Why Can’t a Woman be a Pastor or a Deacon?

Posted on October 29, 2019 by russellmckinney

I realize that I’m not going to win any popularity contests with this one, but I feel led of the Lord to weigh in on the topics of women preachers and women deacons. In these days of social media, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Deacons, God's Work, Leadership, Ministry, Pastors, Preaching | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What Spiritual Gifts Does the Bible Name?

Posted on August 7, 2019 by russellmckinney

Series: “Spiritual Gifts” (post #2) To find out what spiritual gifts the Bible names, you have to consult three separate passages of scripture. The passages are Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-30, and Ephesians 4:7-16. By combining the lists from all … Continue reading →

Posted in Discernment, Evangelism, Faith, Giving, God's Work, Individuality, Leadership, Mercy, Ministry, Pastors, Preaching, Series: "Spiritual Gifts", Service, Speaking in Tongues, Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Warfare, Teaching, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Lord My Shepherd

Posted on March 5, 2019 by russellmckinney

Series: “The Names of God” (post #4) “The Lord is my shepherd.” These opening words of the 23rd Psalm are probably the most well-known words in the Bible, only rivaled by the words of John 3:16. Far less known, however, … Continue reading →

Posted in Choices, Comfort, Commitment, Contentment, Decisions, Discipleship, Dying To Self, Encouragement, Eternity, Faithfulness, Fear, God's Love, God's Omnipresence, God's Guidance, God's Provision, Heaven, Leadership, Needs, Obedience, Salvation, Series: "The Names of God", Service, Submission, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment