What Is A Person of Peace?

     Welcome to Multiply a podcast to encourage Village Church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden, and today I want to focus on an important passage of scripture.

Luke 10:5-6 "Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God to this house.’ 6 And if anyone of peace is there someone who is sweet-spirited and hospitable, your blessing of peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you." 

This passage beautifully describes what it means to encounter a “person of peace” when arriving in a new village. It is vital to find individuals who are kind and open-hearted, as their hospitality paves the way for meaningful connections. When someone welcomes you, they are more likely to have a receptive heart, ready to listen to your testimony. This openness lets God begin His work in their life, and then their families and ultimately leading to the opportunity for the entire village to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

My father-in-law used to share an illustration from the days when logging companies would float trees down rivers. Sometimes, a particular log would get stuck on a rock or stump, blocking all the other logs behind it. He called this the “key log.” He would say that ministers, i.e., Church planters - are the ones who had to search for that key log and work on that one so it could be free and thus all the other logs could then flow down the river smoothly, and it would be good. In the same way, a person of peace can be like the key log—someone whose influence can transform the atmosphere of the whole village. 

Often, in our pursuit of big results, we overlook that one vital person who makes everything possible. The person of peace is essential for unlocking the work God wants to do; we should pray that the Lord prepares these hearts to welcome church planters. Only the Holy Spirit can ready the hearts and minds of those chosen for this role, in the right place and time. The person of peace is the one who opens the spiritual door for the village and its surroundings. Let us ask the Lord of the harvest to show us who the ‘Persons of Peace’ are in each community and how He wants to use them. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. 

Who will you share it with today? May God abundantly bless you.

Leadership Development - Four Characteristics of Emerging Leaders

 

    This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development. In my 23 January episode, I concluded with the encouragement that we as leaders need to be attentive to those around us and to be intentional in identifying and equipping new leaders.

Today, and in episodes to follow, I want to share some thoughts about characteristics that I look for when identifying potential future leaders. Perhaps you have additional attributes that you are keen to observe; if so, please share your thoughts with me. I want to also add this disclaimer. These are my personal thoughts and observations. Others may have different ideas than I do. This is not an exhaustive list; I’m certain there are additional important characteristics of emerging leaders.

First on my list is a personal identity that is firmly rooted in Christ. Colossians 3:3 says, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” I appreciate the Apostle Paul’s use of the word “hidden,” as the true essence of a believer’s life is that it is secure and protected in Christ.

You may have heard me observe in previous podcasts that one of the most dangerous situations is to have is someone in a position of leadership who is insecure in who he or she is. Conversely, the leader whose security is firmly rooted in Jesus Christ has a confidence in the Lord that enables them to serve others. Philippians 2:4 instructs us that we should not “look to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Coupled with this sense of personal identity rooted in Christ is humility. This is an attribute reflected in serving the interests of others. I am very wary of those who demonstrate an attitude that indicates they are “a legend in their own mind.” In the JB Phillips translation, we read this in Romans 12:3. “As your spiritual teacher, I give this piece of advice to each one of you. Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities …”

What great wisdom and counsel. “Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities.” One of the significant mentors in my life, Chuck Colson, had this to say. Someone who seeks leadership “because it gratifies his ego is doomed.” It took me many years to learn this crucial lesson.

I will continue my thoughts on characteristics to look for in emerging leaders in my next podcast.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Your Relationship Map

 

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

We don’t know a lot about Jesus’ disciple called Nathaniel. But one thing we do know about Nathaniel is that he owes a debt of gratitude to another disciple, the one named Philip. Listen to John 1:44 – 49:

“Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”  “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approached, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

Can you believe it? Nathaniel was a skeptic. He held a pretty deep-seated prejudice against Nazareth, Nazarenes, and probably against the whole province of Galilee. He didn’t think any good person or good idea could come from Nazareth. But his friend Philip found Nathaniel and testified about Jesus.

He pointed out that Jesus was the Messiah that Moses and the prophets had spoken about. And, amazingly, in spite of his prejudice, when Philip simply said, “Come and see,” Nathaniel met Jesus and recognized him as the Son of God.

What was the relationship between Philip and Nathaniel? Were they brothers or cousins? Were they related by marriage? Or were they just good friends? We don’t know. But it’s clear they had a close relationship because Nathaniel was one of the first people Philip spoke to after he met Jesus. Philip was so excited about meeting the Messiah that he had to share the good news. And so he told Nathaniel, a guy he had a close relationship with.

You have some good news to share. You know Jesus the Messiah. You know he is the savior of the world. You know he forgives us and empowers us and gives us abundant, eternal life. So make a relationship map. Draw a circle on the middle of a sheet of paper and write you name in it. Then draw connecting lines from your circle to the names of friends and relatives you know who are far from God. Draw lines from their names to the names of their friends and family members who are also far from God. When you do so, you have a relationship map. Pray for each person on your map. Then make plans to go to them to share your testimony and the Good News of Jesus. Who knows? As you go and share, your friends may surprise you. They may respond in faith to Jesus the same way Nathaniel did when Philip led him to the Lord so many years ago.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?”

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #RelationshipMap