By Larry Kreider Imagine a Christian more mature than yourself giving you a hug and saying, “I see God’s potential in you. I want to stand with you and see God work in your life.” After the initial shock wore off, how would you react? By giving a hug back as your heart leaps with [...]
The lessons learned from these mistakes resonate in the hearts of pastors and leaders. By Larry Kreider One Saturday morning my daughter asked me to make her pancakes for breakfast. Knowing I am not a cook, I pleaded with her, “Please, Leticia, couldn’t you just eat cereal today?” She persisted, so I gave pancakes [...]
Renewed Vision for Small Group Ministry By Larry Kreider It's amazing how quickly small group meetings become boring! Why does this happen? We stop asking the Father to renew our vision and end up doing the same old stuff every week. New traditions can crystallize quickly. When we neglect to hear a fresh word from [...]
Small groups provide an ideal setting for believers to live in Christian community and reach out to others. By Larry Kreider some time ago I shared the vision of New Testament small group ministry in Auckland, New Zealand, I met Robert. He listened intently as I spoke about Jesus spending most of His time [...]
When conflict is handled biblically, it becomes an asset instead of a liability. By Larry Kreider Whenever two or more people are together, there is the potential for disagreement. Conflict is not right or wrong, but how we respond to it matters. Conflict can leave us feeling hurt, ignored, confused, isolated or threatened. Unresolved [...]
For believers in China, meeting in small groups from house to house is not just a Christian activity. It’s a way of life! By Larry Kreider Some years ago, I responded to an invitation to travel to Mainland China to minister to eighty key leaders of the underground church movements in their nation. I was [...]
I heard the Lord speak to me through His still, small voice, "Are you willing to be involved in the underground church?" By Larry Kreider During the 1970s I was involved in a youth ministry to the unchurched. One afternoon in 1978, I took a break from youth ministry duties in order to spend some [...]
Many Christians struggle with their personal prayer life more than with any other area of their lives. By Larry Kreider Corrie Ten Boom once said, "Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" Many Christians struggle with their personal prayer life more than with any other area of their lives. Jesus told His disciples, [...]
Refusing to quit may be one of the greatest acts of spiritual warfare you will ever engage in. By Larry Kreider Charles Spurgeon once said, “By perseverance the snail finally reached the ark.” Many start out in their Christian lives or in leadership filled with the Lord’s vision burning in their hearts, but a few [...]
We put our trust in Christ by faith and by faith alone. By Larry Kreider I am going to let you in on a divine secret. It is the secret to living a victorious life. “For this is the secret, Christ lives in you” (Colossians 1:27). How did we receive Christ as Lord? By faith. [...]
