Month: July 2020

The Power of Listening…

In leadership, communication becomes critical to the success of building relationships and reaching goals.

Leaders who communicate well are able to articulate the vision, inspire the actions of others, and strengthen the character of an organization to achieve long-lasting rewards.

However, the foundation for these three areas requires the ability to actively listen.

When leaders do not listen, they communicate a lack of concern or care about the other person.

If leaders take time to be silent, remove distractions, focus on the person speaking, and truly listen, amazing results occur.

Leaders build stronger relationships, encourage followers, and take steps to achieve their goals.

Pleasing Everyone…

An effort to please everyone is doomed to fail. Marco Rubio said, “We live in a society obsessed with public opinion. But leadership has never been about popularity.”

Sadly, the adage about the “squeaky wheel” is true. Those who complain the most and loudest tend to get action.

The church needs leaders who… 1) examine scripture to ensure decisions are biblical, 2) do not follow the flow of modern popularity, 3) never rush a decision, but do not hesitate between two opinions either, 4) make the decision, 5) remember, not every decision will please everyone.

The responsibility of decisive leadership is crucial to the future.

saltCast034 Preparing Future Leaders

Where do future leaders come from and how can a congregation prepare men to lead. Jeff Archey joins us again to talk about the challenges facing leaders today. He explains the biblical roles and responsibilities of leaders in the church and what can be done to prepare the next generation.

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Fearless Trust…

Throughout many of the Psalms, David writes about his fearless trust in God.

Leaders need a relationship with God that exudes trust in Him to provide everything needed to fulfill His will. How does this develop?

In a word “seeking” Him.

Seek a dwelling in the house of the Lord every day.
Seek to behold the beauty of the Lord.
Seek to meditate in His temple.

If leaders seek these three areas, they develop a greater relationship with God and others.

Leading with Hope…

Daily challenges often cause leaders to step out of leadership and discourage potential leaders from taking the role.

Life is filled with problems, difficulties, and suffering.

If the greatest leader who ever walked this earth dealt with challenges, we should never think our life and leadership will be exempt from them.

True leadership learns how to deal with those challenges. How?

Rely on God for guidance.
Develop a strong determination to lead.
Seek help from seasoned leaders.
Above all, understand challenges are temporary.

Better days ahead. Let us lead with such hope.

Pressure in Leadership…

Pressure has multiple meanings: 1) Continuous physical force exerted on an object, 2) Persuasion, influence, or intimidation to make or coerce someone to do something.

There is no doubt leadership comes with strong elements of pressure.

How do leaders handle pressure when it arises?

The best place to begin is with fervent prayer.

Learn to relieve pressure through activity. Exercise is a start.

Create expectations that are achievable and realistic.

Break big chunks into smaller ones and focus on one at a time.

Never forget the purpose of perfecting us into the people God wants and needs us to be in His service.

Two Powerful Leadership Questions…

Two words with three letters establish the most powerful questions a leader can ask.

The first is why? This question determines the purpose behind decisions made and actions taken.

Why pursue this direction?
Why is this work important?
Why is this the best course of action?

The second is how? Once we know the purpose, we must determine how we will fulfill it.

How will we accomplish this task?
How should we handle obstacles?
How can we get others involved?

If leaders take the time to determine the answers, the path to success is much clearer.

The Value of a Leader’s Time…

How do we use the time God gives us? Frank Bucaro said, “This is the beginning of a new day. I have been given this day to use as I will. I will use it for good, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain and not loss; good and not evil; success and not failure; in order that I shall rejoice in the price that I paid for it.”

If leaders learn to follow these ideas, their leadership will abound in blessings far beyond what could be further expressed.

saltCast033 The International Gospel Hour

The Gospel has the power to change lives. This week, Jeff Archey, Director of the International Gospel Hour (IGH) spends time talking about his background and work with IGH and what they offer to local congregations, as well as, the international presence of IGH.

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Relying on the Lord…

David wrote, “My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” This Psalm provides comfort, reassurance, and confidence.

The challenge is relying upon the promises and living by the hope provided.

We must learn to stop seeking, turning to, going for, or relying upon help based on our experience, education (formal and informal), or close friends.

These are good resources, but our first step should always be the Lord. Why? First, we have a personal relationship with our God. Second, He has authority over and controls all things in heaven and on earth.

He provides the help we need.