The lesson is obvious. True missionaries concentrate on doing the work of Mark 16:15 rather than operating social-welfare programs. True missionaries serve the message of Christ, not the institutions of the church.

Neglecting to bathe the ministry in prayer leaves us just workers, not worshipers. When we unite in prayer, there is incredible power.

If you want to meet the needs of the poor in this world, there is no better place to start than by preaching the Gospel.

God's word tells us that righteousness is a gift; it cannot be earned. But godliness is not a gift. We must pay a price to touch godliness through a daily decision to die to self and embrace the cross. God calls us to learn godliness in the classroom of life among people as we sit on airplanes and buses, walk among our neighbors and labor at our factories or desks.

Maybe it doesn't seem like anyone ever watches or appreciates you. Maybe no one on earth understands you. But your King is always watching you. Do it all for Him.

The secret of following God's will, I discovered, usually is wrapped up in rejecting the good for God's best.

The most unhappy people in the world are the ones who live only for themselves.