12 Lessons from Leaders in the Bible (Part 2 of 4)

The greatest leadership lessons I have learned have not come from leaders of today but from leaders in history, most notably leaders from the Bible.  Some of the greatest examples of effective leadership can be found within the pages of the Scripture.  For leaders today, there is much to learn from these ordinary people who made decisions that transformed them into extraordinary leaders.  I discussed four of them in my last post.  Here are three more Bible leaders we can learn from.


5. Joshua: Leaders lead and inspire by example.
In Joshua 24:15, after leading his people into the Promised Land, in one of the most inspiring speeches of the Old Testament Joshua places two choices before the children of Israel. “But if it doesn’t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living” (HCSB)  Joshua said, “You have two choices.  Choice one: Serve the God who brought you into the land. Or choice two: serve the false gods of other peoples.  And then, Joshua leads by example by revealing his choice. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (ESV).

Because the people believed in Joshua’s leadership, they follow his example. “Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God” (Joshua 24:16-18 ESV).  Joshua didn’t have to force or threaten them; by his example he inspires them to follow his lead.

6. David: Leaders are willing to face giants head on.
The story of David and Goliath may be the most famous story in the Bible.  In 1 Samuel 17, the Israelites are being humiliated by the Philistines and their 9-foot tall giant - Goliath.  Goliath taunts the Israelites and challenges them to send him one man and, if that man should defeat him, the Philistines would become their servants.  David, a small shepherd boy who will not even fit into the armor he is provided, volunteers. When Goliath mocks him, David says, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (v45 ESV).  He then takes a stone, slings it at Goliath, striking him in the forehead and knocks the giant to the ground - dead.  Leaders understand where their real strength comes from.  Therefore, they don’t run from problems, they face them head on.

7. Isaiah: Leaders rise to the occasion
In Isaiah chapter 6, God lays out a need for someone to go and speak for Him.  God has a message and needs a messenger.  Isaiah responds, “Here am I. Send me!”  God issued a call for someone to go.  Isaiah saw it as an opportunity to make a difference for the glory of God.  Leaders don’t wait for someone else to step up when something needs done. They take initiative. Leaders rise to the occasion when the occasion calls for a leader.

12 Lessons From Leaders in the Bible (Part 1 of 4)

The greatest leadership lessons I have learned have not come from leaders of today but from leaders in history, most notably leaders from the Bible.  Some of the greatest examples of effective leadership can be found within the pages of the Bible.  For leaders today, there is much to learn from these ordinary people who made decisions that transformed them into extraordinary leaders.

1. Noah: Leaders do what’s right even when no one else is.
In Genesis 6, because of humanity’s wickedness God decides to blot out the human race and start over. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” because he was “a righteous man, blameless in his generation” (Gen 6:8-9).  “Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation” (Gen 7:1). In a world of unrighteousness Noah was willing to stand alone and do what was right because it was right.  Leaders do what’s right even when no one else does.

2. Abraham: Leaders take risks.
“The LORD said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Gen 12:1)  Abraham lived in Ur in Chaldea with his family. God tells him to leave his homeland and take his family with him and go to a land which God will lead him to. God does not tell Abraham where He is sending him.  He simply tells Abraham to go. To put it another way, Abraham is instructed to leave his comfort zone and march into unknown territory.  Thomas Stearns Eliot wrote: “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go.” Leaders are willing to take risks in order to grow to their maximum potential.

3. Joseph: Leaders maintain integrity.
The story of Joseph beginning in Genesis 37 is powerful. He was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. His father was told that he was killed by a wild animal.  He was falsely accused and thrown into prison because he refused to sleep with his owners wife. Leaders are consistently faced with circumstances which tests their integrity.  Although Joseph was wrongly imprisoned, he maintained his values. Two full years passed before Joseph was presented with an opportunity to get out.  Ultimately, Joseph became the leader of all Egypt–second only to the Pharaoh. Because he maintained his integrity God used him to save an entire race of people.

4. Moses: Leaders can take criticism.
Leaders are loyal to their followers even when their followers complain and criticize. When Moses was leading the Israelite’s in the wilderness, numerous times they complained and blamed God and/or him for their hardship. Several times God wanted to wipe the people out and start over. But Moses interceded for the people and prayed for God to have mercy on them.  Most people would have said, “Ok God, wipe them out.”  Moses demonstrates that effective leaders love and care for their people even when the people are unlovely and criticize them.

Satisfaction - The Enemy of Success

Satisfaction - The Enemy of Success.

Thomas Edison once said, "Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure." He is absolutely right.

That is not to say that we should not be spiritually content. Spiritual contentment brings glory to God. John Piper said, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." Contentment should be found in our relationship with God. However, each of us should be totally discontent with our current level of accomplishments. For when we become satisfied with our achievements, we tend to hang where we are and cease to move forward. And when we cease to move forward we miss seeing and experiencing all the amazing things that God determines to do through us and for us. Successful people continually live with a motivating sense of discontentment.

Encouragement Makes a Difference

Encouragement Makes a Difference

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.  The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that it was useless, they were never going to get out, their fate is sealed.  The frogs kept jumping until finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the frogs above were saying and gave up, laid down, and died.

The other frog, however, continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.  But as exhausted as he was, he kept jumping until, surprisingly, he made a jump so high he made it out.  Once out, the other frogs asked, "Why did you keep jumping after we kept telling you it was useless?" The frog, reading their lips, answered, "Oh, I'm deaf, seeing your motions and yelling, I thought you were encouraging me the whole time."

Few functions a leader performs are more important that that of encouraging others.  Encouragement keeps hope alive.  In the Bible, no other person was better at this than Barnabas (his real name was Joseph).  He was such an encourager to those around him that they gave him the nick name Barnabas, which means, "Son of Encouragement."  What a name to be given.  Whenever Barnabas was approaching, people would say, "Here comes son of encouragement."  That is a good name to be known by.

If you want to stand out in your leadership, one secret puts you head and shoulders above everybody else – be an encourager.  Encouragement is very difficult to find today.  The Bible says, “Encourage one another and build each other up.”  

The frog story above teaches us two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in your words. An encouraging word to someone who is down can  lift them up.  It can motivate them to make it through today because encouragement restores hope for a better tomorrow.

2. A negative word to someone who is down can be all that it takes to push them over the edge and destroy them.

During those times in which others are down and in despair, effective leaders will do all they can to lift others up and out of despair with words that speak hope for a better future.  They'll infuse them with optimism about themselves, their circumstances, others, and the organization.

Effective leaders don't make lite of or deny the circumstances.   Neither do they speak vain words of false hope.  They don't deny reality.  But what they are do so well is sustain hope by offering words of support and of a brighter future.

Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

Years ago I learned a significant leadership principle that has helped me grow tremendously as a leader.  Not only was this leadership principle significant, it was also simple: Leaders are Learners.  The moment we stop learning, we stop leading; therefore, it is essential that we become life-long effective learners if we desire to be life-long effective leaders.

I want to grow continually as a leader.  This past week I read every day on leadership and listened to several leadership podcasts.  I have been doing this for nearly 30 years.  Every week I come away with pure gold.  The principles and practices I learn help me to be a better leader.

Reading through John Maxwell’s “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” I came to “The Law of Process” and underlined this quote in the book…

“In a study of ninety top leaders from a variety of fields, leadership expert Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus made a discovery about the relationship between growth and leadership; “It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguish leaders from their followers.”  Successful leaders are learners. And the learning process is ongoing, a result of self-discipline and perseverance. The goal each day must be to get a little better, to build on the previous day’s progress.”

Simply put… leaders are learners.  Leaders never arrive and are always interested in becoming better.  Some “leaders” want to become better for themselves… but I will argue that real leaders seek to become better because they not only want to grow themselves, but they also want to help those they lead grow as well.  Leadership that is all about you is not leadership at all!  We learn so that we are better stewards of the people we have been given to lead.

If you are in leadership but you’re not doing what it takes to get better, people who are following you will either fall by the wayside or the leaders following you will begin to pass you up!

What leadership lessons have you learned recently?  What is your plan to continue to learn?  It’s true that the best leaders are learners.  This is easier when you are “starting out” on your leadership journey. I find, however, that many leaders lose that hunger after a few years.  Continuing to learn is what separates successful leaders from unsuccessful leaders.  Keep learning so that:

•      You can be your best in your current leadership role
•      You can be ready for your next opportunity
•      You can model growth for those you lead
•      Your leadership won’t wither and die.

What’s your plan to grow as a leader?  I am already planning for growth in 2019.  My plan includes:

·         Read one leadership related book per month.

·         Listen to at least one leadership lesson per week.

·         Attend at least one leadership conference or workshop.
       Teach one leadership lesson per month.

Growth requires intentionality. Take some time and develop a learning plan.

May 3 is the National Day of Prayer for 2018.
Pray for the unity of our nation.

Problem Solving in the Church

One thing that leaders learn very quickly, especially church leaders, is that with growth comes problems.  The early church experienced this.   At no other time in Christian history has the church been characterized by the phenomenal growth which it experienced in the first few weeks of its existence.  Yet it was in this most exciting moment in the history of the church, when the church was being multiplied in size, a problem arose in the church that caused dissension and a division.  The apostles acted immediately to deal with this threat to the unity of the church.

What we learn from the apostles in problem solving.

I. Handling Problems Demands DiscernmentActs 6:1 “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”

As any organization grows, things cannot be handled spontaneously or informally any longer.  Organizational growth requires constant evaluation and change in the way things are done.

The complaint, here in Acts, concerned the welfare of the widows.  The apostles discerned that this was a real problem in the church and it needed to be dealt with.

II. Handling Problems Requires DecisivenessActs 6:2-3 “And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.”

There are several possible ways they could have dealt with problem.

(1) They could have Ignored the Problem
Ignored problems do not go away.

(2) They could have Resented the Problem.
They could have taken the criticism personally and reacted with resentment.  This never leads to a solution.

(3) They could have Over-reacted to the Problem.
Sometimes the temptation is to overreact by giving in to criticism even before we check out its merits, and possibly do more harm than good.

(4) They Faced the Problem.
Every problem that arises gives us the opportunity to do three things.

(1) Examine the effectiveness of what we are doing.
(2) Exercise faith (in God and in each other).
(3) Express Love in the way that we work out the problem.

III. Handling Problems Requires Delegation.Acts 6:4-5 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.”

It would be easy to read this as though the apostles were saying, “We’re too good to serve tables.”  But if you read it that way you miss the meaning of the passage. The apostles were convinced that their primary calling was to pray for the church and to proclaim His Word.

The disciples knew their calling and therefore they knew they needed to prioritize and organize.  Therefore, Instead of taking it over themselves, they delegated responsibility.

Acts 6:3 “Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.”

This ministry was important. So the apostles laid out specific qualifications.  These men were to be men of character.  Men who have demonstrated they were trustworthy and wise.  

IV. Handling Problems Produces DividendsActs 6:7 “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

The first result of handling this problem was that unity was restored among the people.  According to verse 5, the proposal made by the apostles “pleased the whole multitude.”

Verse 7 starts out with “And”.  Many versions use the word “Then” or “So.” In other words, it was only when the problem was solved that they church started to grow again.  “The word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly.”

Joy in Leadership

It’s Christmas time.  When I think of Christmas I think of joy.  Jesus was born to bring us joy through a restored relationship with God.  On that first Christmas night the angels came proclaiming to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The angels were speaking of joy through Christ.  It’s a reminder that Jesus came to give us joy.  The word "joy" is prevalent in the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus.

• Luke 1:14 “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”
• Luke 1:44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”
• Luke 2:10 “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
• Matthew 2:10 “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”

Jesus came to give you joy.  Do you have joy in your leadership?  You may ask, “What does joy have to do with leadership?”  I believe it has everything to do with it.  If you have no joy, those you lead will have no joy.  And that makes for a joyless environment.  Moreover, I have yet to meet a person who delights in following a joyless, grinch-like leader.

The best leaders I know have a contagious joy about them.  I took some time to think through the traits of the most joyful leaders I have met.

1. They love what they do.  In fact their attitude is that of Thomas Edison who said, “I never did a day’s work in my life. It was all fun."  When they awake in the morning, they look forward to the day - the people they will see and the tasks they will do.

2. They love their family.  Their family holds a place of higher priority than their work. Their wife is their best friend and they enjoy spending time with their kids and/or grandchildren.  In fact, the most joyous leaders I know not only enjoy time with their family, they make time for their family.

3. They love people.  They love being around people and talking to people.  They believe the best in people.  They have taken to heart the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

4. They have a positive attitude.  They are optimistic about their future and have a hopeful state of mind.  They understand the power of a positive thought life.  They understand what Paul says in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

5. They have a passion for personal growth.  They are continual learners.  They read every day desiring to learn something new.  They have mentors.  New experiences excite them.

6. They delight in adding value to people.  Knowing that they had a part in another person’s success brings them great joy.

7. They work within their strength zone.  They know what their strengths and weaknesses are.  They don’t waste their time and energy trying to do things they are not gifted or equipped to do.  They know what activities and tasks produce the most fruit and bring them the greatest return and they stick to those.

8. They have learned to deal with criticism.  Every leader faces criticism.  They have learned to handle criticism in a positive way.  They know how to differentiate between positive and negative criticism.  They learn from the positive and forget the negative.  They have learned to forgive and move on.

9. They have a vision for the future.  They understand that what they do today will determine where they will be tomorrow.  They work with enthusiasm on what is most important to them knowing that at the end of the day they will be one step closer to seeing their dream realized.

10. They like to have fun.  “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing,” wrote Dale Carnegie.  They know how to have fun at work and away from work.

Characteristics of Pastors That Last

Over the years I have read many times that one of the leading marks of a successful organization is that it’s leadership has been in place for many years.  Successful organizations have leaders who last.

Recently I read an article that started me thinking on this issue of pastoral leadership and church growth.  The article stated that the Southern Baptist Convention found a relationship between the length of time pastors had been in their churches and the growth or decline of those churches.  Approximately 3/4 of growing churches were being led by pastors who had been in place for more than four years, while 2/3 of declining churches were being led by pastors who had been in place less than four years.  Their conclusion: While long-term pastorates will not guarantee church growth, short-term pastorates essentially guarantee that a church will not grow.

Amazingly according to a 2009 Barna study the average length of a pastorate is just four years.  It seems that pastors are leaving their churches right at the time they should start seeing positive growth.  Why is it that some pastors can stay at their churches for many years while most pastors seem to move from church to church every four years?  What is the difference between the long-term pastor and the short-term pastor?  Here are some thoughts.

1. Long term pastors have a God-sized vision for the future.
Long term pastors come to their churches with a vision that motivates them.  It provides them with the zeal to stay the course.  A God-sized vision is one which cannot be accomplished in a few short years.  Capturing your town for Christ cannot be done over-night.  Developing leaders to start new churches or  multiple campuses takes years.  Sending missionaries to every continent is a long-term strategy.  Building a dynamic small group ministry that transforms lives can take a whole generation.  These are examples of  God-sized visions which cannot be accomplished in a short four year span.  Long term pastors have visions that are much bigger than they are.

2. Long term pastors protect their integrity.
Long term pastors work hard to protect their integrity.  They set moral and ethical  boundaries for themselves that they refuse to cross.  They not only hold themselves accountable but they allow others to hold them accountable.  Accountability partners have permission to challenge them.

3. Long term pastors have a sense of calling to their church.
Long term pastors sense that they are placed where they are by the sovereignty of God.   God placed them at that particular church for a purpose, therefore it is not seen as a mere rung on the ecclesiastical ladder in their climb to a larger more prestigious church.

4. Long term pastors maintain spiritual vitality
They take care of themselves spiritually.  They read the Scriptures, pray, study, worship, fellowship—and lead out of the overflow of their walk with God.

5. Long term pastors maintain physical health.
The long-lasting leaders eat properly, exercise regularly, and sleep well.

6. Long term pastors maintain mental health.
They are passionate about personal growth. They read every day.  They have an appetite to hear other pastors and leaders preach and speak.  They have a mentor.  They listen to wise counsel.  Their appetite for new knowledge and learning is insatiable.  They do not like failure, but they know that failing at something does not make them a failure.  They have learned how to make the most of their failures.

7. Long term pastors maintain family health.
The church does not come before their family.  In fact they openly share with the church that their family will always have a higher priority in their life than the church.  They understand that if they lose their family, they lose everything.

8. Long term pastors maintain healthy relationships.
They love people.  Long term leaders are likeable.  People respect them because they respect people.  When attacked by others they don’t become bitter but forgive.  To put it in the words of the apostle Paul, long term leaders are patient and kind; they do not envy or boast; they are not arrogant or rude. They do not insist on their own way; they are not irritable or resentful (1 Cor 14:4-5).

9. Long term pastors maintain a healthy sense of humor.
They have learned to laugh.  They do not take themselves too seriously.  They laugh at themselves and they laugh with others.

10. Long term pastors maintain a healthy legacy.
They understand that leadership is highly visual.  They know they are being watched and scrutinized as a Christians leader.  Therefore they work to insure that they are setting a godly example.  They know that how they live today will determine how they will be judged tomorrow.  They have a desire to leave their churches in a position to continue to succeed after they are gone.  They understand they are accountable to God for how they lead where they are in the time they have.

Is There Time?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace."

As I was rereading this well known passage, which was popularized by The Byrds in their song "Turn, Turn, Turn", I was reminded just how precious and limited the resource of time really is. Unlike financial and human resources, time is the one resource that cannot be replenished. Time is also no respecter of persons. Time does not play favorites. It does not matter whether you are the president of a nation, the CEO of a fortune 500 company, a waitress at a restaurant, or a pastor. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week, and 8760 hours in a year.

So why is it that some people seem to be able to get a lot more accomplished in the time they have?  It is because they understand that the question is not "What am I doing with my time?"  The question is "What am I accomplishing in my time?"  It comes down to priorities.

I came across the following story a number of years ago.  I have since seen it demonstrated in several conferences. It speaks of effective time management and its relationship to values and priorities.

One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.” He then pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table. He produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them one at a time into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Really?”

He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing it to work down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied.

He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand and started dumping the sand in the jar until it filled the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good.”

Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager student raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!” “No,” the speaker replied, “that's not the point.”

“The truth this illustration teaches us is that if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all. What are the 'big rocks' in your life? Your children, your loved ones, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching others, doing things that you love, your health; your mate. Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat about the little stuff then you'll fill your life with little things and you'll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff.”

So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

Effective time management cannot be disconnected values and effective prioritizing.  So how do I prioritize activities in my calendar?  I use a procedure I learned from John Maxwell.  It involves asking myself three questions:

What is required of me? In other words what must I do that no one else in the organization can can do for me?  For example, I am required to prepare and preach messages from God's Word every Sunday morning.  That is what my church hired me to do.  I cannot, on a regular basis, pass this responsibility off on someone else.  I have a number of other responsibilities that my job requires of me.  These I cannot dump on another person.  Once I know what is required of me, I must make sure that I schedule time to fulfill those requirements.

What brings me the greatest return? In other words, what are my strengths? What can I do that will bear the greatest fruit for me and the organization?  The key is staying in my strength zone and out of my weak zone.  I don't need to be working in areas that I am weak in.  For example, I am not good with my hands. I am not good at word-working, landscaping, decorating, painting,... you get the point. Whenever I try fix something at home I always end up making a bigger mess and calling a repairman anyway. I am good at teaching, preaching, vision casting, and leading. These are the areas that I need to spend most of my time on.

What brings me the greatest reward? What activities bring me the greatest joy and fulfillment?  What activities re-energize me?  These need to be priorities and included in my calendar.  I enjoy spending time with my wife on the water.  I enjoy reading.  I like to watch football.  I have to put these on the calendar.  If not, something else will end up taking their place.

The question is not, "Is my calendar going to be filled?"  It will be filled. The question is, "Who is going to fill my calendar?"  There are plenty of people who want to fill my calendar for me and they will fill it based on their priorities and not mine.  The danger is that, if not careful, I could find myself drowning in activities that accomplish nothing.

Is there time? Yes. But you must learn that there is a connection between time and priorities. Think of it like this:

Time minus right priorities = activity
Time plus right priorities = accomplishment

One more thing.  For the Christian leader time is not just about the hear and now. Solomon said God "has put eternity into man’s heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  The Christian leader understands that people were made for eternity.   The Christian leader works within the confines of time but always with eternity in mind.  The question that I constantly ask myself is "Will what I'm doing now help people to know Christ, grow in Christ, or go in Christ?"  I know that one day when time is over, I will stand in eternity before God and He will judge me based on what I did with the time He gave me.

12 Lessons From Leaders In The Bible - Part 4

In my last three posts we have looked at ten different leaders from the Bible and what we can learn from them.  I had originally planned for this to be a three part series. However, because my last post was a little longer, I decided to extend this to a four part series.  Today we will look at two more Biblical Leaders and lessons we can learn from their lives.

11. Peter: Leaders Fail Forward
When Jesus was arrested and being questioned, Peter, the most well-known of Jesus’ disciples is in the courtyard just outside where Jesus is being held.  Three times he is confronted with being a disciple of Jesus and three times Peter denies being affiliated with Jesus in any way.  What makes this failure even worse is that just hours prior to his denying Jesus, Peter assured Jesus that he would never deny him even to the death. Jesus responded to Peter by saying, “before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”  When the rooster crowed,  Peter realized what he had done and wept bitterly. Fast forward a few weeks and we see Peter in Acts chapter 2, giving the first sermon after Jesus’ ascension, to a crowd of thousands of people.  Peter has emerged as the leader of the early church.  Leaders learn from their failings.  They understand that failure is a part of life and leadership.  They make the most of the failure by gleaning lessons from it and they pick themselves back up and move on having learned from their failure.

12. Paul: Leaders Are Passionate For What They Do and Believe.
When you read the life, ministry, and teaching of the Apostle Paul, one thing stands out very quickly - he is consumed with his mission.  As a Pharisee, he zealously and violently opposes the spread of Christianity.  Paul said himself that he was zealous to kill and imprison Christians.  In Acts chapter 9 while Paul is on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians, he has an encounter with the risen Jesus, resulting in a transformed life and a new purpose.  As passionate as he was about destroying Christianity he is now just as passionate for the spread of the gospel.  Paul travels across the known world establishing churches.  Leaders are passionately driven by a sense of purpose.  Leaders have a fire lit under them and are consumed with their mission in life.  There is no place for apathy in the life of a leader. Leaders are passionate about what they believe and what they are doing.

12 Lessons From Leaders in the Bible - Part 3

The greatest leadership lessons I have learned have not come from leaders of today but from leaders in history, most notably leaders from the Bible.  Some of the greatest examples of effective leadership can be found within the pages of Scripture.  For leaders today, there is much to learn from these ordinary people who made decisions that transformed them into extraordinary leaders.  In my last two posts we looked at seven of these great leaders and what we can learn from them.  Here are three more Bible leaders we can learn from.

8. Daniel: Leaders maintain their values and principles even when it will cost them.
Many of us are at least familiar with the account of Daniel in the lion’s den. In the sixth chapter of Daniel, Daniel is a highly esteemed government official whose colleagues become jealous. Seeking to get rid of him and knowing that he is a man of faith and prayer, his colleagues convince the king to enact an official decree stating that prayer can be made to no god except to the king himself.  When Daniel found out about the law he had to decide whether he would submit to the kings edict or stay true to his convictions.  He continues to pray to God as he had always done.  When he is caught, the king, albeit reluctantly, is forced to throw Daniel to the lions.  The next morning, the king finds Daniel alive and unharmed.  Daniel’s faith, values, and principles is what made him a great leader to begin with.  And he maintained those values, even when he knew it would cost him. Great leaders have values and principles that enable them to make decisions quickly and confidently, even when those decisions may require a great cost.

9. John the Baptist: Great leaders are great followers.
In Matthew 3 people are coming out in throngs to hear John the Baptist preach.  At this point he had already developed a strong following and had a number of disciples.  He is baptizing scores of people and preaching about the coming of Jesus the Messiah.  John knew that his purpose and role was to point people to and prepare people for the coming Messiah.  And when Jesus came John humbly submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. While John was baptizing, Jesus approaches him.  John laid his ego aside and publicly said to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you.”  At another time when Jesus’ popularity was growing John’s disciples approached John and pointed it out.  John, once again demonstrated humility and respect and said, “He must increase but I must decrease” (Jn 3:30).  Great leaders “yield to stronger leaders when they appear because the cause is more important than personal popularity” (John Maxwell).

10. Jesus: Leaders are servants.

The greatest leader in the world proved himself to be the greatest servant in the world.  One of the most powerful images in the life of Jesus is when he washed the feet of his disciples in John 13. When he finished, he said to them, “You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” Jesus, of course, isn’t talking about feet. He’s talking about servant-leadership. Jesus always focused on the needs of others.  Great leaders focus on serving those who follow them. One day when Jesus caught his disciples arguing over who was the greatest among them, he didn’t rebuke them for wanting to be great, he gave them a formula for greatness: “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).  Great leaders are servant leaders.

12 Lessons From Leaders in the Bible (Part 2 of 3)

The greatest leadership lessons I have learned have not come from leaders of today but from leaders in history, most notably leaders from the Bible.  Some of the greatest examples of effective leadership can be found within the pages of the Bible.  For leaders today, there is much to learn from these ordinary people who made decisions that transformed them into extraordinary leaders.  I discussed four of them in my last post.  Here are three more Bible leaders we can learn from.


5. Joshua: Leaders lead and inspire by example.
In Joshua 24:15, after leading his people into the Promised Land, in one of the most inspiring speeches of the Old Testament Joshua places two choices before the children of Israel. “But if it doesn’t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living” (HCSB)  Joshua said, “You have two choices.  Choice one: Serve the God who brought you into the land. Or choice two: serve the false gods of other peoples.  And then, Joshua leads by example by revealing his choice. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (ESV).

Because the people believed in Joshua’s leadership, they follow his example. “Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God” (Joshua 24:16-18 ESV).  Joshua didn’t have to force or threaten them; by his example he inspires them to follow his lead.

6. David: Leaders are willing to face giants head on.
The story of David and Goliath may be the most famous story in the Bible.  In 1 Samuel 17, the Israelites are being humiliated by the Philistines and their 9-foot tall giant - Goliath.  Goliath taunts the Israelites and challenges them to send him one man and, if that man should defeat him, the Philistines would become their servants.  David, a small shepherd boy who will not even fit into the armor he is provided, volunteers. When Goliath mocks him, David says, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (v45 ESV).  He then takes a stone, slings it at Goliath, striking him in the forehead and knocks the giant to the ground - dead.  Leaders understand where their real strength comes from.  Therefore, they don’t run from problems, they face them head on.

7. Isaiah: Leaders rise to the occasion
In Isaiah chapter 6, God lays out a need for someone to go and speak for Him.  God has a message and needs a messenger.  Isaiah responds, “Here am I. Send me!”  God issued a call for someone to go.  Isaiah saw it as an opportunity to make a difference for the glory of God.  Leaders don’t wait for someone else to step up when something needs done. They take initiative. Leaders rise to the occasion when the occasion calls for a leader.

Growth Through Multiplication

If you really want to see growth in your team or organization you must learn what John Maxwell calls “The Law of Explosive Growth.”  The Law of Explosive Growth says, “to add growth, lead followers - to multiply, lead leaders.”

As you pour yourself into developing followers to be leaders you can multiply yourself exponentially. Leaders who develop followers grow their organizations only one person at a time.  But leaders who focus on developing more leaders will multiply their growth because for every leader they develop they also reap the fruit of that leader’s followers.  In other words, add ten leaders to your organization and you have the results of not only your leadership, but the results of ten other leaders.  You have growth from not only those who follow you, but also from those who follow the ten leaders.

Effective leaders who really want to see their organizations grow focus not so much on gaining followers, but on developing the followers they have to be leaders.

How did Jesus grow His church?  By developing ordinary men to become extraordinary leaders.  We find the process He used in Matthew 10.  Here is the process He used.

1. He called them. (vv1-4)
2. He commissioned them. (vv5-6)
3. He equipped them. (vv7-8a)
4. He empowered them. (v 1)
5. He prepared them (v14)
6. He encouraged them. (v15)
7. He evaluated them. (Luke 9:10)

Here is the progression of equipping leaders:

I do it - you watch.
I do it - you help.
You do it - I help.
You do it - I watch.
You do it.

How do you equip leaders?

Home Run the Movie

I had the privilege to preview the soon to be released movie "Home Run" today.  It is a great story of forgiveness, second chances, and power from above to overcome addictions.  I highly recommend it.  A great story.  In theaters beginning April 19.

Managing Multiple Tasks

I sat in my home office reflecting on the week ahead.  As I was reviewing my calendar and the responsibilities I had for that week I quickly realized that I had a multitude of tasks for which I was responsible.  People were counting on me to be well prepared.  I had a weekly staff meeting, two sermons to prepare, two leadership classes to teach, a mastermind group to lead, a  meeting with a new young pastor I am mentoring to lead a new church we are planting, plus a number of other responsibilities.

I immediately thought of Ecclesiastes 3:1 which says, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”  How do I balance the meetings on the calendar with phone calls that need to be made, the sermons that have to be written, and so many other tasks that call for my attention?  I knew, especially for that week, I needed to be a good steward of my time.

Four Tips For Keeping Your Life In Balance

Set Your Priorities
A  simple to-do list does not work when you have so many responsibilities.  You need to have a prioritized to-do list.  You must constantly be asking and answering the question, "What matters most?"  You need to identify what is really most important.

Get it Together
In other words, “Get organized.”  You need to find a system that works for you.  I use Google Calendar and Google “Go Tasks” to help me keep it together.  It does not matter what system you use.  What matters is that you have a system that works for you.   Some people can use notes on index cards very effectively.

Learn to Delegate and Empower
There are some things that only you can do.  There are many things that you do not have to do.  When you have weeks like mine described above, you can't do everything that needs to be done.  Therefore you must delegate some tasks, including important ones, and empower others to accomplish them so that you are able to focus your time and attention on what is most important.

The Ten Commandments of Personal Growth

Continuing on the topic of personal growth and development from last week, I want to share with you something I read several years ago but was reunited with this week.  It’s called “The Ten Commandments of Personal Growth.”  It is by Dave Early from his book 8 Habits of Effective Small Group Leaders.

The Ten Commandments of Personal Growth
1.   Make the choice to be an ever-growing person.
2.   Focus your activities and set some goals.
3.   Gather any needed tools.
4.   Develop a plan that fits you.
5.   Schedule the needed time.
6.   Sow before you hope to reap.
7.   Make yourself accountable.
8.   Share what you learn with others.
9.   Associate with growing people.
10. Put what you learn into practice.

Sample Growth Goals

Grow mentally by:
• Reading a _____________ a _____________.
• Listening to _______ CD’s, podcasts, etc. a ______________.

Develop spiritual fitness by:
• Reading the Bible ____ minutes daily or _____ chapters daily.
• Praying ______ minutes daily.
• Journaling _____ minutes daily.
• Leading family devotions _______ minutes a day, _____ days a week.
• Fasting ____ days a month.

Increasing physical fitness by:
• Exercising _____ minutes ______ days a week.
• Sleeping ____ hours a night.
• Eating less ____________ and more ____________.

Investing In relationships with:
• Spouse ___________ minutes a day/hours a week.
• Children __________ minutes a day/hours a week.
• Apprentice ________ minutes a day/hours a week.
• Other ____________ minutes a day/hours a week.

Creating A Personal Growth Plan

I don’t know of anyone who would admit that they do not want to grow. Yet, most people I know do not grow.  For some it’s because their desire to grow is nothing more than vocal.  For others, it truly is heartfelt but they don’t know how.  I have found that if I am going to grow, I have to intentionally create a personal growth plan; a plan that I can follow each day to help me get where I want to be.

Personal growth and development are like going on a journey.  You need to know where you want to go and you need a map or plan to get you there. .

Here is how I developed my growth plan for 2013.

Step 1: I determined areas that I wanted to focus on this year.  For me it was my walk with Christ, the growth of my church through multiplication, my preaching, and the equipping of others in leadership.

Step 2: I determined what resources I would need.  I knew I would need books, CD’s, podcasts, or websites, conferences, journals, and people.  Books and trade magazines I need to read.  Speakers, I need to listen to on CD, podcasts, or the web.  And finally people I want to invest in.

Step 3: I set goals.  The goals I set for this year include:

∙ Reading my Bible through in one year.
∙ Reading one book per month.
∙ Reading 2 journals per month.
∙ Reading every day.
∙ Listening to one leadership lesson per week via CD, podcast, or webcast.
∙ Listening to one sermon per week via CD, podcast, or webcast.
∙ Attend one Leadership Conference.
∙ Attend one Bible or Church Growth Conference.

Step 4: I started gathering the resources.  I picked a daily Bible reading plan that would take me through the Bible in a year.  I determined I wanted to read two books on leadership, two books on church growth through multiplication, two books in the area of spiritual growth, and one book on mentoring others.  There are always books that come along that might not fit into my plan but really catch my interest because of where I am in my life.  So I don’t pick a book for every month.

I started looking at websites such as www.amazon.com and Christianbooks.com to see what books are available in the areas of my interest.  Once I found a book that interested me I  read the reviews to see what others were saying about that book.  I also looked to see what books other leaders are reading and recommend.  I don’t buy the books immediately.  I either put them on my wishlist on the site or I write the name and author down on my notepad app on my Ipad.  I buy them when I’m ready to read them.  I already subscribe to a number of journals, so picking those out was not an issue.

I know which preachers I like to listen to and already have their websites bookmarked on my web-browser, so that part was easy as well.  I watch or listen to the leadership lessons and the sermons while I’m on my elliptical every morning.  I will meet this goal with no problem.

I constantly receive email, postal mail flyers, and brochures for conferences. From these I choose which conferences I will attend.  I believe everyone should have at least one conference on their personal growth plan.

There it is.  My personal growth plan.  It’s simple.  The plan for the whole year took less than two hours to develop.  I now know where I’m going in my personal development and how I’m going to get there.

Do you have a growth plan?  If so, share it with me.  If you do not, it’s not too late for 2013.  Take some time in the next week to develop your plan.

Quick Decisions

This is an article that I received that is just very practical when having to make a quick decision.  

ARE YOU MAKING PERMANENT DECISIONS ON TEMPORARY FEELINGS?
By Elias Kanaris

Ever had that super glue feeling?  They say that you should be careful when you use super glue because it can permanently set in a matter of a few seconds.  Yet, how many of us when using super glue to fix a broken item have made a rash decision when opening the tube with our teeth or squeezing it too hard and you end up with too much super glue and nowhere to put it…

In life, we can tend to make the equivalent of this super glue mistake by making rash decisions that we might regret.

There is a particularly unusual story that I came across recently.  It turns out that a man came in to the local ER department with his eyes closed. Evidently, his wife had accused him of looking at other women and they got into a quarrel. Being the macho man that he was, he decided that he could prove that he wasn’t looking at other women by super-gluing his eyes closed.

Unfortunately, after the glue dried, he began to think it wasn’t such a great idea and got some people to drive him to the emergency room. I suspect that the doctors and nurses laughed at him for a while and then gave him Vaseline to rub in his eyes.

I pray you never get so caught up in the moment that you end up being carried away in the spirit of the thought and you follow in this man’s footsteps, doing something that you’ll instantly regret!

So, before you do anything rash, here are five simple steps you should consider before you make your decision that leaves you like concrete - all mixed up and set in your ways:

1. Step away.
Whatever you do, if you feel that you’re about to make a rash decision, take a step back and give yourself the five minute rule.  Allow yourself five minutes to think through the consequences of your action to ensure that you don’t “stuff it up”.

2. Sleep on it.
If you have to make a decision and you feel that you’re running out of time and it’s getting late, ask yourself, “Does it really have to go out tonight, or can it wait till the morning?” Put the item on hold and get yourself to bed, where you can get a good night’s sleep so that you can look at it again with clear and fresh eyes in the morning.



3. Spend time in prayer.
If in doubt – pray about it – and then wait to hear that still, small voice in your head!  They say that prayer is us talking to the Grand Overall Designer.  And that the still, small voice is Him talking back to you!




4. Seek counsel.
Get together with your inner circle, a group of trusted advisers, and ask them to validate your decision.  There is a wise ancient proverb that says, “As iron sharpens iron, so does the countenance of a good friend.”  That’s exactly what your inner circle will give you with their counsel.

5. Strike a compromise.
When you are aiming for perfection, you might need to head for a middle-of-the-road compromise.  Perfection may not always be attainable, but it’s worth using the old builders adage of “Measure twice, cut once!” This will save you heaps of wastage in the long term.

When rushing to make a decision, take a step back and use these five simple steps to keep you from making the wrong decision that leaves you stuck like concrete.

Grow by Sharing

One key to your own personal growth and development is to share.  According to Jim Rohn it is the key to making your life unique and worthwhile.  He says, “If you share an idea with ten different people, they get to hear it once, and you get to hear it ten times. So here’s part of self-interest for yourself, getting you even better prepared for the future.  Share ideas.  Share with your family, share with the people around you, share with other employees, share with your colleagues.”

By sharing, two things happen.
1. You add value to yourself.
2. You add value to others.

I have found in my own life that by sharing with others what I am learning, I am actually cementing the truth into my own life.  We learn by repetition.

I have learned that the more I teach it, the more I hear it.  The more I hear it, the more I retain it.  The more I retain it, the more I can apply it.  The more I apply it, the more effective I am.

Jim Rohn also says that sharing makes room for more.  “If the glass is full of water, can it hold any more?  And the answer is yes, if you pour some out.  If you want more, you’ve got to pour out what you’ve got, and then you have the opportunity to receive more.  Now, unlike the glass that remains the same size when you pour some out, it’s not so in the consciousness of human beings.  Your capacity will increase the more you share. You’ll get bigger and bigger and bigger.”

Getting bigger and bigger and bigger is called growth.  And the best part of this is that by sharing what you are learning not only you grow but you are giving others an opportunity to grow as well.