Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) What’s the greatest miracle that ever happened? Is it the dead being raised or a person getting out of a wheelchair? Actually, God’s Word considers the greatest miracle to be when a person is born again. Yet many of us have missed the miraculous change that takes place in the hidden man when someone gives their life to Christ. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were born again backwards. As you read the account in Genesis 3, you see how fearful and guilt-ridden they became after they sinned. Why? Because the presence and nature of God had left their spirits. …

“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV) Who are you? You have a body and a mind, but those are not primarily you. The Word teaches that you have a “hidden man”—your spirit—and that’s who you really are. What does that mean? I remember being invited to speak at a large Christian conference in another country. In the greenroom between sessions, it was wonderful to meet the other speakers, many of whom I recognized and respected. Then I started chatting with this one man I hadn’t met before. He didn’t look anything like a leader. In fact, he was socially awkward and sounded for all the world like Elmer …

Come after Me [as disciples—letting Me be your Guide], follow Me… Matthew 4:19 (AMPC) Have you ever played follow-the-leader? If you’re the follower, you follow the leader’s every move, right? When the leader turns right, you turn right. When the leader stops, you stop. Would you still be following if you decided to turn left when the leader turned right? Many say they are following Jesus, but really they want to do their own thing. Without thinking, they lead their lives their own way or they think, “Well, I know that Jesus wouldn’t have done what I’m about to do, but He’ll understand.” Jesus does understand, but that doesn’t mean it’s best to do things your way. You may think it will make you happy, …

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 (NLT) The world is filled with great information. I’m an avid reader and I’m always learning something. I read books on leadership, management, how to develop teams and how to run organizations… but you know what? I don’t want to follow good leadership principles. I want to follow Jesus. Everything else is secondary. Some think that following is all about what you do—feeding the poor or taking care of widows and orphans. Although those can be awesome demonstrations of Jesus’ love, that’s not what life is all about. Helping people is great, but we …

“The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep… The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.” John 10:11, 13 (NLT) In any leadership position, your goal is to truly care about the people you lead. Actually, this is the key to being the most effective leader. In John 10:11–15, Jesus gives us a beautiful picture of this caring leader—a good shepherd who cares for his sheep so much that he’s willing to risk his life to protect them. As a leader, you have people who rely on you, just as sheep rely on the shepherd to lead and protect them. But if the shepherd has the attitude of a hired hand, he doesn’t …