Abraham Lincoln said, ”a house divided against itself cannot stand.“ Unity is so important. Unity creates synergy and energy. Everyone has different opinions, desires and dreams and the leader must attempt to find the “uniting' factors in order to unite behind the vision. Most of us are constantly on the hunt for those who will agree with us. When we find them, we feel so good and want to be around them. If they don’t agree with our positions or ideas, we try to convince them otherwise, or we ignore and even shun them. We are not looking for the best, but the willing. The ordinary that God makes extraordinary. We are looking for harmony, tolerance, comfort, and peace. We always are looking for people who will affirm us and our beliefs. We all want love, we want joy, and we love hope. We want to spend our time and our energy on those who agree with us and are like us. We reproduce like minded. (Disciples) There is no such thing as a non-reproducing Christian. Your leadership will reproduce. If you are not bearing fruit, you must stop and question if you are a true disciple. Matthew 19 Jesus was both a disrupter and the greatest uniter of all time. This seems to be opposite concepts, but the reality is, it is not. It sounds like oil and water. He loved to use parables to unite and disrupt. Warren Weirsbe, the famous author and theologian explains a parable like this; The followers were united in purpose. Others were brought up short and either changed or hardened in their opinions and beliefs against Him. He was strong and plain spoken but without reservation or tentative thoughts or action. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life no one comes to God but by me.” The people united around the name DISCIPLE. Jesus says, Follow me - After Jesus disrupted their status quo they did. “A story or figure placed alongside a teaching to help us understand its meaning. It is much more than “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. A true parable gets the listener deeply involved and compels that listener to make a personal decision about God ‘s truth and his or hers life. A parable begins innocently as a picture that arrests our attention and arouses our interest. But as we study the picture, it becomes a mirror.” Warren Weirsbe.