Dr Paul Allen

When the leader walks into the room, a passion for truth had better enter with him.   Authentic leadership does not emerge out of a vacuum. The leadership that matters most is convictional—deeply convictional. This quality of leadership springs from those most deeply held beliefs that shape who we are and establish our beliefs about everything else. Convictions are not just beliefs; that is, they are not those beliefs that are merely held by us. Instead, convictions hold us in their grip. We would not know who we are but for these bedrock beliefs, these convictions, and without them, we would not know how to lead. Christian leaders recognize that conviction is essential to our faith and discipleship. Our Christian experience begins with belief. That most familiar of all New Testament verses, John 3:16 , tells us God sent Jesus Christ , His only Son, “that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” When Paul and Silas told their terrified jailer how ...

The church exists in and through Jesus Christ , and so is a distinctive New Testament reality.   At the same time it is continuous with Israel , the seed of Abraham and God 's covenant people. The new covenant under which the church lives (1 Cor. 11 :25; Heb. 8:7-13) is a new form of the relationship in which God says to His chosen community, "I will be your God, and you shall be my people" (Jer. 7:23; 31 :33; cf. Ex. 6:7).  Under the new covenant, the Old Testament priests, sacrifices, and sanctuary have been superseded by the mediation of Jesus (Heb. 1-10). Believers in Christ are the seed of Abraham and the people of God (Gal. 3:29; 1 Pet. 2:4-10).  Second, the limitation of the old covenant to one nation (Deut. 7:6; Ps. 147:19, 20) is replaced by the inclusion in Christ on equal terms of believers from every nation (Eph. 2; 3; Rev. 5:9, 10).  Third, the Spirit is poured out on the church, so that fellowship with Christ (1 John 1 :3), minis...

We don’t often realize where we put our hope . We can seek sustenance, energy, or relief in the most transient, innocuous things—from our morning coffee to a vacation we’ve been anticipating for months. These things are not bad in themselves, but if they constantly serve as minor fixes in our daily lives, they can shift our focus. We can end up trading God ’s help for caffeine and a few days in the sun. The trouble arises when we fail to see the complexity in our motives. The psalmist helps us look beyond what seems comforting and shielding: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains; whence will my help come? My help is from Yahweh , maker of heaven and earth” (Psa 121:1). The psalmist uses the hills and mountains to point us beyond what we can see to the true source of help and protection. These stationary shields seem to offer protection, but God is the true source of help and refuge in our often chaotic circumstances. He is constantly present—“your shade at your right hand” (Psa ...