ICFM Leadership Podcast International Convention of Faith Ministries

Statistics tell us that 70% of leaders struggle with loneliness. This comes from dealing with people and the demands of ministry in this current culture.
Loneliness causes us to shut down and makes us feel like there is no purpose left for us. It can steal our focus, and affect our life and marriage.
If you are feeling lonely, there is hope for you. You do have purpose, and you are not alone in this.
In his message, Pastor Kia Perez shares practical steps for getting out of loneliness. 
 Proverbs 27:17: "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."
We need each other, and we are not meant to do life and ministry alone. In ICFM you are part of a family who loves you and cares for you.
Matthew 11:28-30 NASB: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”
 You are needed. We have a world to share the love of Jesus with. 
 God is for you! Who can be against you!
 We are not here to compete with one another, but we are here to complement one another.

In her message, Dr. Datha Thomas shares that we are called to be leaders for such a time as this. Nobody can do your assignment like you. Never underestimate the power of what God has chosen to put in you. 

Even if we feel unqualified to be leaders, when we get into the Word of God, we realize what an honor it is for God to consider each and every one of us as leaders.

God has chosen us to help others to fulfill their destiny. When God created us, He placed gifts and talents inside of us which were chosen by Him because of our destiny. He knew what gifts and talents we need to have operating in our lives to fulfill the call of God on our lives. 

What is going to give you confidence in God using you? Spending time with Him in prayer. You never rise any higher than your prayer life. 

A real leader is not self-centered. A real leader wants to produce other leaders. With this heart attitude, God will bring many leaders across your path for you to help them and aid them, to teach them how to pull out what’s on the inside of them, so that they can fulfill their destiny. Pulling together we will fulfill what God wants. 

As a tree is hid in a seed, so your future as a leader is not ahead of you. It is still inside of you.

No matter what age you are, when the anointing is on you, God will open the door—you are needed. 

You are called and equipped by God to be a leader. Never give up! As long as you are breathing, you are still in the arena of leadership for the Kingdom of God

In his message, Dr. Daniel Gualtieri emphasizes our need for the power of the Holy Spirit in demonstration, as well as the supernatural working through the Word of God in our lives and ministries.

 There is a recipe for God’s power and blessing in Psalm 119:145-148. The keys include developing a devotion and personal relationship with God, as well as a partnership with Him so there will be an impartation of the Holy Spirit that flows when you are ministering. Make yourself an expert in the Word of God. Train yourself to put everything through the filter of His Word. 

 As we prepare ourselves for God to use us, we will be in the right position, at the right place at the right time, to sharpen our ministry and fulfill the assignment that God has for us. 

Balancing Act: Discovering the most important Biblical balance in an unbalanced world
In his message, Pastor Jim Frease shares powerful combination concepts of grace and truth for you and your ministry. 

While we live in a very unbalanced world and culture, God wants us to have Biblical balance.

There are two imbalances that can be found in today's churches. First, condemnation churches major on what they are against versus what they are for. They speak the truth but not in love. Second, comfortable churches lack the commitment to the Word, and their teaching always revolves around self-improvement. They tickle your ears instead of telling you the truth.

What is Biblical balance?

John 1:17b: “…but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

Jesus was 100% grace and 100% truth at the same time. If you are full of Jesus, you are full of grace and truth. 
We need the compassion of grace. We need the conviction of truth. We need the blend of grace and truth. Grace minus truth equals liberalism. Truth minus grace equals legalism. Grace plus truth equals liberty.

In this hour, in this culture and society, as we emulate our Lord, we and our ministries need to be full of grace and truth. 

As a result, our ministries can affect hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands of people, having the Biblical balance of grace and truth. 

In this episode, Pastor Zane Bousum shares vital insights on how we can lead and love others, as church and ministry leaders. Hosea 11:3-4 (NASB): “Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in My arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I pulled them along with cords of a man, with ropes of love, and I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; and I bent down and fed them.”

There are powerful keys for leadership in these verses. First, lift your people up in love. This will position them to receive healing. Pull them along with ropes of love so they can be properly fed and receive the nourishment from the Word. In 1 Kings 12:1-15, King Rehoboam had the opportunity to lead with ropes of love but instead he chose chains of bondage. As a result, the people rejected his leadership and did not end up following him at all. The most powerful force in the world is the love of God for us. As leaders, if we want to see lives changed and transformed, let us show, express and lead them by the love of God and the ropes of love.

At the age of 15, Dr. Daniel King wrote down a goal of leading one million people to Jesus by the age of 30. After reaching it, his goal now is one million souls per year. 
Sharing about Jesus is an assignment given to every single believer. Between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, He had one thing on His mind: The Great Commission. 
The world is a very dark place. But let your light shine! Each one of us is called to be a shining light in the midst of great darkness. It takes one light to make a difference in the world. Feel the same compassion for people as Jesus did.