Pastor and teacher at Hillsong church in Australia. In 2007 founded A21 campaign dedicated to care and healing to victims of human trafficking. Thea21campaign.com (abolishing injustice in the 21st century). Director of Equip and Empower Ministries.
“Leading from a Place of Hope”
one girl was shipped over with 60 girls to Turkey. When they opened the container 30 of the 60 girls were dead due to the oxygen tanks didn't work. They were then sent to Greece. The coast guard came and they threw the girls overboard and 20 of the remaining 30 died since they had never even seen the ocean. They rescued her from a brothel in Athens, Greece. One girl asked her “If God loves me so much, why didn't you come sooner?” Christine realized that God is faithful, but she wondered why she didn't respond sooner.
We see so much bad in the world, we wonder if we can make a difference. Times are tough socially, morally, and politically. But, the church was made for this moment: to bring life, hope, and light to the world. Jesus is still in the work of saving marriages, transforming lives, cities, communities. We need to lead people in hope. She was lost without hope. Her family was marginalized because of her ethnicity. Her socio-econimic background was pour, she was abused by many men. She found out just before she was 35 that she was adopted.
If she thinks about 27 million slaves today, she can be dismayed. But if she thinks of them as being people, then she sees hope. Numbers are numbing and desensitizing. It's easy to become complacent when we think of people as numbers, but when we put a name and face on each individual, then we can see hope. Most of us are leading because God did a great work in us and we want it to translate into other lives.
We need passion. When out leadership moves into obligation from passion, then we are losing.
When we have hope, we take risks. Jesus is our hope, firm and secure. It compiles us to move into darkness. Her daughter is fascinated by flashlights now. She took her to Walmart to buy one and put batteries in it. As they were checking out her daughter said “Mommy, can we find some darkness.” We feel like that because of the light in us, we can go into the darkness.
Maybe you're a discouraged pastor, don't loose hope
Maybe you're a business person and have lost so much in the economic climate, don't loose hope
Maybe you're a youth leader and feel the church isn't supporting you, don't loose hope today
Zachariah 9:12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope
Romans 4:18 Contrary to hope, in hope believed
Philippians 1: Jesus who started this work within us will bring it to completion
Note: After hearing this presentation, I must mention that there is a christian young woman here in New Jersey who started an organization called "History Starts Now" http://historystartsnow.org/
History Starts Now is an organization dedicated to serving the most broken in this world.
Injustice: Aiding in the fight against sex trafficking of minors in the United States.
Freedom: Empowering women to fulfill their dreams.
Please take a look at their website and see how you might be involved.
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