In Acts 8:3 we are told that Saul, made havoc of the church. We can only imagine how difficult it was to have Saul tell the church that he was converted to Christ. Paul went to Damascus to arrest followers of Jesus and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial. He was one of the men responsible for the stoning of Stephen. Yet, there Saul is in Act 9, being confronted by Christ and turning his life over to the Lord. Is it any wonder that those who were apart of the church, were unwilling to trust his testimony. What we see in the life of an encourager is that, one who encourages champions the unheralded. An encourage is someone who will jump on the bandwagon when everyone else is jumping off. Every successful believer needs to have a Barnabas, who will support them in their new-found faith. An encourager is one who sees others as assets rather than objects, They see their mistakes as opportunities to learn rather than as failures, and they invite participation and contributions rather than directing and demanding compliance. How do we see potential where others see problems? First, look for a teachable spirit, that … READ MORE

Why does it seem so hard to encourage others? We often find ourselves criticizing people for what we think they should have done rather than encouraging them for what they have been doing. The book of Acts tells us that the first-century believers had “all things in common” but also that they “sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” (Acts 2:45). Encouragers are busy performing while critics are busy pretending. One who encourages others sees a need and attempts to meet that need at their own expense. Not seeking recognition, they simply want to minister to the needs of others. The question that leaves us with is, “How do we perform when all around us are pretending? We need to have our eye on the master not the servants. 1 Peter 4:10 reminds us, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” We must remember that we own nothing but are stewards of everything that we have. Giving is not a matter of doing without; Giving is a matter of stewardship of the things given to us … READ MORE

When most people, who have achieved great things, tell their stories, they mention those who encouraged them along the way. I remember as a young pastor, a local pastor called me and because an encourager to me. He invested 12 years in encouraging me as I served in my first ministry. I am today a better man and pastor because of his ministry in my life. The New Testament tells of a man who distinguished himself as an encourager, and motivator of others. The man’s name was “Joses’ (Acts 4:36), and his story is wrapped up in the exciting details that describe the first-century church in the book of Acts. This man was such an incurable motivator that the apostles finally changed his name from Joses to “Son of Consolation” – Barnabas! The shape of the church was changed by this man as he became the chief supporter of a man named, Saul, who becomes the great apostle to the Gentiles and changed his name to Paul. We never know who it is that we are impacting by kind words, and actions. Take time today to be a “Son of Consolation” to someone today! … READ MORE