I'm grateful to have spent the last weekend with my friend Daniel Henderson, he mentored me in a men's group and baptized me in 2005. He gave me a book a few years back called Glorious Finish. A glorious finish starts in the heart, not the spotlight. Your calling is first to intimacy with Christ, then to ministry. Activity without abiding leads to drift. Worship creates humility. Neglect creates self-reliance. Daily rhythms of prayer, Scripture, and honest community protect you from fatigue and pride. Ministry is the overflow of a healthy soul. Revival begins when you stop trying to produce outcomes and return to God. The reward is a life that ends well, with integrity intact and Christ exalted.
Glorious Finish – Outline
1. The Core Problem
- Ministry drift begins when leaders substitute activity for abiding.
- Burnout, comparison, ego, and performance creep in unnoticed.
- Leaders lose intimacy with God long before they lose influence.
2. The Call to Identity Before Activity
- Who you are in Christ is more important than what you do for Christ.
- Success is not measured by output but by obedience, integrity, and character.
- Your private life determines your public ministry.
3. Two Possible Endings
- Glorious Finish: A life marked by faithfulness, integrity, and spiritual fruit.
- Dishonorable Discharge: A leader undone by neglect, self-reliance, or hidden compromise.
- The trajectory is shaped by daily choices, not dramatic moments.
4. The Four Rhythms That Sustain a Glorious Finish
a. Reasons
- Clarity of calling and purpose.
- Ministry anchored in God’s glory, not personal success.
b. Rhythms
- Daily worship.
- Consistent Scripture meditation.
- Praying with others.
- Guarding your heart and habits.
c. Results
- Renewed joy.
- Stronger resilience.
- Greater humility.
- Spiritual authenticity.
d. Rewards
- Endurance over decades.
- God’s pleasure, not people’s applause.
- A finish marked by faithfulness and intimacy.
5. The Great Exchange: Worship vs. Neglect
- Worship cultivates dependence, humility, and strength.
- Neglect produces professionalism, self-reliance, and spiritual erosion.
- Revival begins with returning to God, not working harder for God.
6. The Leader’s Inner Life
- Leaders lose their way when they lose their private life with God.
- Daily intimacy is the antidote to fear, comparison, pride, and exhaustion.
- Spiritual disciplines protect the soul and align the heart to Christ.
7. Finishing Well
- Faithfulness is formed over time.
- Finishing well requires guardrails, accountability, confession, and community.
- A glorious finish is not the result of talent. It is the result of daily surrender.
seeking God for revival, praise God it never ends.
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