In this episode of The Leader’s Notebook (Ep. 295) from our seven-part series, The Magnificent Seven, and the final message in this series, I turn our attention to Paul the Apostle and the decisive turning points God used to shape the most influential voice of the early church. We begin with his commissioning in Acts 13 and look back to his dramatic conversion, his unmistakable calling, and the costly obedience that followed. Saul of Tarsus emerges as a Roman citizen, an elite rabbinical scholar, and a relentless Pharisee who encountered the risen Christ and was forever changed. From that encounter, Paul became the great theologian of salvation by faith alone, clarifying what it means for Gentiles to be grafted into the body of Christ. His life reminds us that to touch the church is to touch Christ Himself, and that true Kingdom leadership is not formed by ease, reputation, or advantage, but by answering God’s call wherever it leads.

– Dr. Mark Rutland

• (00:00:03) - The Leaders Notebook
• (00:00:25) - Paul the Apostle
• (00:04:02) - Paul the Apostle
• (00:12:10) - Saul of Tarsus
• (00:20:22) - Paul the Apostle's life
• (00:21:30) - Why Do Certain People Change Their Names?
• (00:27:40) - Paul the Apostle: Suffering and Joy
• (00:35:58) - Simon Peter on the Book of Hebrews
• (00:43:17) - Gentiles and the Law

In this episode of The Leader’s Notebook (Ep. 294) from our seven-part series, The Magnificent Seven, I examine the life, faith, and formation of Simon Peter—introduced in John 1 as a fisherman who meets Jesus and is immediately renamed, redefined, and relentlessly shaped by grace. Peter is bold, impulsive, strong, outspoken, and deeply human: quick to confess Jesus as the Christ, equally quick to resist the cross; first to step out of the boat, first to deny with a curse; yet also first to preach at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit transforms failure into authority. We trace Peter’s journey from natural leadership to spiritual power, from Jewish boundaries to Gentile inclusion, and from rough-edged disciple to apostolic voice whose letters reveal profound theological depth. In the end, Peter himself tells us what mattered most—not miracles, not Pentecost, not even leadership—but seeing Christ in His glory, a vision that steadied his life and clarified his witness.

– Dr. Mark Rutland

• (00:00:03) - The Leaders Notebook
• (00:00:53) - Simon Peter
• (00:09:38) - Simon Peter
• (00:13:23) - Simon Peter
• (00:16:58) - Simon Peter Confirmed as the Messiah by Jesus
• (00:22:28) - Simon Peter at Pentecost
• (00:28:48) - Simon Peter the Disciples
• (00:35:43) - St. Paul the Gentile encounter
• (00:39:02) - 1 Peter and 2 Peter
• (00:40:22) - The Greatest Moment of Peter's Life
• (00:46:24) - Leader's Notebook

In this episode of The Leader’s Notebook (Ep. 293) from our seven-part series, The Magnificent Seven, I walk through the astonishing life and ministry of John the Baptist. He stands as the last Old Testament prophet and the first man to publicly identify Jesus as Messiah. His voice rises out of four centuries of prophetic silence, set against the political brutality of Rome and the corruption of Herod. John does not emerge as a stylist or strategist, but as a singular, God-anointed voice preparing the way. He calls a nation to repentance and redefines the Messianic mission as sacrificial redemption. Standing in the Jordan, he declares Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire. His courage, clarity, and refusal to measure success by comfort or applause confront our modern assumptions about leadership and faithfulness. John’s life reminds us that true success is obedience to God’s call, even when it costs everything, and that the highest aim of any leader is to see Jesus clearly and point others to Him.

– Dr. Mark Rutland

• (00:00:03) - The Leaders Notebook
• (00:00:26) - John the Baptist and the Taxation
• (00:01:26) - The Story of the Birth of Jesus
• (00:07:38) - The Life of Zechariah and the Angel Gabriel
• (00:15:17) - John 3: Behold the Lamb of God that taketh
• (00:15:56) - John the Baptist
• (00:20:25) - John the Baptist's Baptism
• (00:27:25) - Joel the prophet
• (00:35:21) - The Personal End of John the Baptist
• (00:41:06) - John Baptist: A Success or a Failure?