Imagine, spending only three weeks in a city, before being driven out, but seeing a successful, persecution-resistant church planted. Paul was very successful, but we must resist the temptation to think that his success is beyond our reach. He was not magically endowed with the ability to plant churches. Yes, God called and equipped him to this ministry, but all of us are capable of similar success in our own callings. You may not have the same calling as Paul, but you can have the success that he had, if you will conduct your ministry as he did. In 1 Thessalonians 2 he gives us the ingredients of his ministry; I like to call it his Formula for Successful Service: Courage, Motivation, Self-sacrifice and Imitability. Read the rest of this entry »