There’s an old saying—“One bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch.” I suppose that’s usually true, but sometimes one bad apple can certainly do a lot of harm.

The sin of one man, Achan, caused the Lord to be angry with his people, and instead of continued victories, they suffered a costly defeat. The Israelites didn’t get back on track until they had dealt with the sin (Judges 7).

One gossip can rob a prayer group of its power. One self-absorbed person can destroy a Sunday School class by making every class a session to solve her problems. One power-hungry elder can quench the Holy Spirit in a congregation. One rebellious deacon can thwart the will of the elders of his church.

The situation with Achan was remedied by strong leadership, and God’s people began to experience victory again. All of the modern scenarios listed above could be improved by strong leadership also.

The Bible says, “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.” (Titus 3:10).

I found a rotten apple in my refrigerator yesterday. Guess what I did with it?