Character Matters – Part 1
In this episode of The Leader’s Notebook, Dr. Mark Rutland begins a new series on character, drawing from his book Character Matters. He explains that character is like something engraved into the soul of a person or a culture, shaping destiny, leadership, virtue, and national strength. Dr. Rutland challenges listeners to recover the timeless virtues that build strong lives, healthy communities, and lasting hope.
Character Matters – Part 2
In this episode of The Leader’s Notebook, Dr. Mark Rutland continues his Character Matters series with a powerful teaching on courage. He explains that courage is the cornerstone of character because it gives every other virtue the strength to act. Through stories of soldiers risking their lives, a worker standing by his convictions, a couple choosing purity before marriage, and leaders facing moral decisions, Dr. Rutland shows that true courage is more than bravery—it is the willingness to do what is right, noble, and virtuous, regardless of the cost.
Character Matters – Part 3
In this episode of The Leader’s Notebook, Dr. Mark Rutland continues his Character Matters series with a teaching on loyalty. He explains that loyalty is the fabric that holds relationships, families, organizations, and communities together. Without loyalty, trust breaks down and relationships begin to unravel. Through practical examples from marriage, business, leadership, and personal character, Dr. Rutland shows that loyalty cannot be compartmentalized—it is a virtue that must shape the whole person. He also emphasizes the importance of rightly ordering our loyalties, beginning with ultimate loyalty to God.
Character Matters – Part 4
This episode of The Leader’s Notebook with Dr. Mark Rutland continues the Character Matters series with a teaching on the virtue of diligence. Dr. Rutland explains that diligence is more than hard work—it is steady application, immediate obedience, exactness, and careful attention to the responsibilities God has placed in our lives. Using the life of George Washington Carver and personal stories from his own work experience, he shows how diligence builds character, honors God, and helps people finish well.
Character Matters – Part 5
This episode of The Leader’s Notebook with Dr. Mark Rutland continues the Character Matters series with a teaching on the virtue of modesty. Dr. Rutland explains that modesty is not limited to clothing or outward appearance, but is rooted in humility, self-control, proper boundaries, and a right understanding of our lives as belonging to God. Using biblical teaching from Romans 12 and practical examples, he shows that modesty helps us live within godly limits, resist pride and self-promotion, and present our bodies and lives as a living sacrifice to the Lord.
