I know how much you love each and every program in your ministry. You and your team put blood, sweat, and tears into getting those programs up and running.

The problem is that if those programs are not sustainable, they are a seeping wound hiding in plain sight. You may want to leave them be, but without proper attention, they will be the death of your entire ministry.

I’m going to rip off the bandaid right now by letting you know that at minimum, many of your programs may need an overhaul – if they don’t need to be eliminated altogether.

I know this seems shockingly extreme, but there are only so many options that you can take.

You can pay now, or you can pay later – and it’s entirely up to you.

If we spiritually “pay now” by accepting Jesus and sacrificing a life that is pleasing to the flesh, we get a bigger reward later (and for all eternity).

If you’d rather not pay now, you can live it up in this life only to pay more for it later.

Whether you choose to pay later or get paid later, what you get will be more than what you have now.

If you choose not to endure the pain of pruning your ministry now, when it’s time to harvest the toxic fruit that was allowed to grow, the consequences will be detrimental to your ministry.

When God asks us to give up something in our lives, we are willing to do it despite the cost because we know that He works all things together for our good.

The same is true for your ministry. It’s better to endure the pain now, so that you can produce good fruit later. If you are anything like me, you won’t care what the price is now, as long as the spiritual fruit it brings later on is worth it.

Begin preparing yourself for some short-term pain in the coming lessons, in order to bring about long-term ministry gain.

Most ministry leaders struggle to get their desired results because they don’t realize what you have just learned: it’s the hard choices that lead to the biggest rewards. I know you are willing to do what it takes because we’re strategists in a spiritual war – and we’re going to win some souls, even if it costs us.