Never Trust A Leader Without A Limp

A Unique Life, a Gifted Calling, a Lasting Legacy John Wimber is not only revered as the founder of the Vineyard movement but is renowned for his unique ability to capture truth in pithy little phrases. This inspirational collection of memorable remarks, each placed in its historical context, offers astute observations on essential principles while also capturing and preserving the story and identity of a miraculous work of God. For those who witnessed the miracle firsthand and for an entire generation of young leaders who never met John or experienced his ministry, here is a unique restatement of the foundational tenets that launched an international community of more than twenty-four hundred churches in more than one hundred countries—a lasting legacy of spiritual insights that changed lives then and can change your life today.

Put your flawed foot forward. Pick up most leadership books and you’ll find strategies for leveraging your power and minimizing your areas of weakness. But think about the leaders whose names have gone down in history. Most of them were so messed up that, if they were looking for work today, no executive placement service would give them the time of day. God’s criteria for choosing leaders runs counter to the conventional wisdom. Our culture equates strength with effectiveness, but God favors leaders who know the value of brokenness. In Leading With a Limp, you’ll discover what makes flawed leaders so successful. They’re not preoccupied with protecting their image, they are undaunted by chaos and complexity, they are ready to risk failure in moving an organization from what is to what should be. God chooses leaders who aren’t deceived by the myths of power and control, but who realize that God’s power is found in brokenness. If you are a leader–or if you have been making excuses to avoid leading–find out how you can take full advantage of your weakness. A limping leader is the person God uses to accomplish amazing things. To go deeper, check out the Leading With a Limp Workbook.

‘I’m looking for the words and writing for those who can’t imagine the words.’ Mark Meynell articulates a heart pain that most of us simply couldn’t express. He connects strongly and immediately with fellow cave dwellers. We relive significant moments from boarding school, Uganda, Berlin and London. We visit the Psalms, Job and The Pilgrim's Progress. If you're after neat conclusions and a fair-weather faith, this is not for you. This book serves up gritty reality and raw honesty, but also the heartfelt hope that the author's brokenness 'can somehow contribute to another person's integration' and 'inspire their clinging while beset by darkness or fog or blizzards'. Contents 1 The mask 2 The volcano 3 The cave 4 The weight 5 The invisibility cloak 6 The closing 7 The way 8 The fellow-traveller 9 The gift Appendix 1 Managing the symptoms Appendix 2 Unexpected friends in the cave Appendix 3 Some words from inside the cave

“Everyone, and I mean everyone, will give you advice on which way to go with your life. Friends, acquaintances, classmates, teammates, your friends’ friends, family, teachers, counselors, and neighbors will nose into your business. They will want to help you with everything from how to dress, to how to act. They will tell you what and where to eat, where to go and what to do. Before you know it, your whole life will be planned out for you, by someone else. If you are susceptible to influencers, choose your influences wisely. “Not all advisors, or advice, is equal. In fact, some of the advice coming your way courtesy of well-meaning friends or family may be downright awful. Truly wise and useful advice will come from very few. The world will give you the same crummy advice it gives everyone. “Get fame. Pursue fortune. More is better!” The world consistently perpetuates the lie, that fame and fortune will make you happy. “The world lies. Fame and fortune will not fill the void in our heart that was designed to be occupied by Christ. Only God can fill that God-shaped space within us. The world keeps trying, and people keep following the siren-song down the wide path to happy destruction. “Happy is hard to define. I have determined that Happy is an elusive place. All of the world’s unfulfilled and dissatisfied people will call you to the same wide path, life-plan they followed—and expect a different result? I challenge you to take the narrow road. I urge you to trust in the Lord in all your decision making.”

Despite our material and technological advances, Western society is experiencing a deep malaise caused by a breakdown of trust. We’ve been misled by authorities and institutions, by businesses and politicians, and even by those who were supposed to care for us. The very cohesion of society seems tenuous at times. The church is not immune from these trends. Historically, it has a dubious record when it has wielded power; personally, many of its members are as afflicted by our culture’s breakdown as anyone. In A Wilderness of Mirrors author Mark Meynell explores the roots of the discord and alienation that mark our society, but he also outlines a gospel-based reason for hope. An astute social observer with a pastor’s spiritual sensitivity, Meynell grounds his antidote on four bedrocks of the Christian faith: human nature, Jesus, the church, and the story of God's action in the world. Ultimately hopeful, A Wilderness of Mirrors calls Christians to rediscover the radical implications of Jesus’s life and message for a disillusioned world, a world more than ever in need of his trustworthy goodness.

How do you worship God even if life isn’t going the way you had hoped? “Even If is not some bumper sticker to display, but a daring commitment to live.”—Kyle Idleman, senior pastor of Southeast Christian Church “I believe we will see more resilient people in the face of suffering because of this great book.”—Bryan Loritts, teaching pastor at The Summit Church What happens when the test comes back positive? The relationship ends? The dream goes unfulfilled? The plans don’t move forward? Amid confusion, hurt, and anger, we wonder where we went wrong. What is God doing? In Even If, Mitchel Lee reminds us that while God does not promise a pain-free life, he offers something better: his presence in the pain. No matter our circumstances, God is worthy of our worship, and he can meet us even in our greatest difficulties. Drawing on his own journey, Mitchel explores the compelling story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. These three men chose to worship God even if God didn’t rescue them from the fire. From their example and countless others, we can do the same. Maybe you are stuck in regret, grieving a loss, or unsure of how to take your next step because there is no promise of success. Even If offers the courage you need to move forward, declaring devotion—not in spite of life’s fires but because of them—to a God whose goodness never changes.

This book, written by a practitioner of the gospel, seeks to reveal firstly the difference between what life looks like when there is a shepherd looking after life and what it feels like when a shepherd is absent and, secondly, how to recognize and listen to the voice of the Shepherd and the difference it makes when we obey that voice. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Ancient of Days, has been speaking to all of creation since before the beginning of time. Jesus is the gospel. He is the good news. It is, and only ever will be, all about him. His ancient words are always constant and unchanging, and He continues to speak to the world today through His infallible Word, the Bible, and through the outworking and constancy of the Holy Spirit. The Shepherds words speak to all areas of His creation and lifefrom following Him and discipleship to how He wants the church that bears His name and how His earthly shepherds, whom He has called to lead the church, will fulfill the mandate set down as clearly laid out in scripture. The question for all who seek to follow Him has always been and always will be until the end of time, Do you hear Him? This book seeks to help us answer that question.

‘Both vintage and fresh David Wilbourne . . . [His] gift is to enable us to see again the face of Jesus delightfully present with us through our Lent journey.’ GRAHAM USHER, BISHOP OF NORWICH Whatever our church denomination, we all use the same Sunday Gospel from the Revised Common Lectionary. Year A focuses on Matthew, but during the first five Sundays of Lent, four of the Gospels are curiously from John. By basing each of the five sessions in this course on the previous Sunday’s Gospel, David Wilbourne provides a brilliant connection to the preaching and teaching that has just taken place. Serious yet full of life and humour, the course covers: Session 1: Temptation . . . On checking every word that comes out of the mouth of God Session 2: Strangers in the night . . . Nicodemus came to Jesus under cover of darkness: finding God in surprising places Session 3: The winner takes it all ‘You worship what you do not know’: upping our game with worship Session 4: I was blind but now I see ‘A god who can be understood is no god’ Session 5: Them bones, them bones, them dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Contrasting events in John with parables in the Synoptics The course booklet is accompanied by a lively CD, in which David Wilbourne and guests from various denominational backgrounds, put forward their thoughts on the themes of the course. This York Course is available in the following formats Course Book (Paperback 9781915843012) Course Book (eBook 9781915843029 both ePub and Mobi files provided) Audio Book of Interview to support You Can Be Serious! York Course (CD 9781915843050) Audio Book of Interview (Digital Download) 9781915843043 Transcript of interview to support You Can Be Serious! York Course (Paperback 9781915843005) Transcript of interview (eBook 9781915843036 both ePub and Mobi files provided) Book Pack (9781915843067 Featuring Paperback Course Book, Audio Book on CD and Paperback Transcript of Interview) Large Print (Paperback 9781915843722)