Month: August 2020

Knowing God…

Biblical leadership involves qualities, traits, virtues, and principles that guide character formation. As such, a biblical leader is one who desires to know God.

Scripture is filled with passages that emphasize the need to know God. Jesus said eternal life is aligned with knowing God and the One who was sent by Him.

Paul counted everything as loss for the “surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:8). His heritage, material possessions, academic achievement, and religious position were worthless when laid alongside this knowledge.

Biblical leaders are driven by a passion to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.

Positive and Godly Influences…

The world is filled with negativity. We cannot escape a negative and toxic environment. However, we can choose to allow or not allow these negative and toxic elements to take up residence in our mind.

A few suggestions might help when considering what to do.

Avoid as much negativity as possible.
Learn to walk away or turn it off.
Find positive people to spend time with daily.
Be the most enthusiastic person you know (Pro. 23:7).

The choice is ours, but leadership thrives when the mind dwells on positive and godly influences (Phil. 4:8).

saltCast038 A Conversation with Chris McCurley

The journey into ministry takes many twists and turns. Chris McCurley, minister with the Oldham Lane Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas, shares his amazing journey and talks about the great challenge of apathy that leaders face within the church today. You can learn more about one of his areas of ministry at www.rippleoflight.org and the episodes addresses to Dear Church.

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A Godly Leader…

The Bible often speaks of being set apart, or holy. David emphatically claimed we should “…know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him.”

This is such a powerful thought. God has taken action toward the godly for Himself, which highlights a special relationship between God and the godly. The result is followed by activity.

Tremble…and do not sin.
Meditate…and be still.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness.
Trust in the Lord.

The combination of these four areas provides a powerful foundation for the success of a godly leader.

Better Leadership…

If something is better, there is improvement from a previous condition or situation.

One of the key words in Hebrews is better. We live under a better covenant, based on better promises, because of a better sacrifice. The result is a better hope.

When we examine our character, attitude, work ethic, practice, or presence, can we say it is better than before?

Would we say the development of those who follow is better today than yesterday?

Perhaps the appropriate question is, “Will we do what it takes to make it better?”

Leaders make things happen, and what they make happen should be for the better.

The Future of Leadership…

How great would it be to have a crystal ball and see what the future holds? Or, would it be? We might not like what we see.

Leadership is about the future. Spiritually, nothing is more important than the future.

Pragmatically, however, leaders must consider what the future of their leadership looks like.

Questions abound, yet in the end, we must plan today to ensure a future of growth and stronger leadership.

The future of leadership must be built on prayer.
Leaders should prepare with God’s word as their guide.
Tomorrow’s leaders must be encouraged today to be ready.

What are the Possibilities?

Opportunity has been defined as circumstances presenting possibility. For someone to take advantage of the opportunity, one must see the possibilities. Nicholas Sparks said, “It’s the possibility that keeps me going, not the guarantee.”

When we look at our neighborhood, city, state, nation, or the global community, what possibilities keep us going? Can we see how God is working?

Leadership will not succeed if we only look for guarantees. The possibilities of what God can and will do through us must keep us going.

When leadership is fueled by possibilities, our vision expands toward greater achievement.

The Lord, Our Example…

Nearing the end of Psalms we find a poetic passage that highlights several areas about the Lord, declaring why He is worthy to be praised. He is…

Creator of heaven and earth.
Executor of justice for the disadvantaged.
Provider of sustenance for those in need.
Healer of the afflicted.
Exalter of the downtrodden.
Compassionate to the upright.
Protector of strangers.
Supporter of the orphan and widow.
Frustrater of wicked ways.
Ruler of all.

These ten words are laced throughout the Bible and provide strength to the weak, comfort for the discouraged, and protection for the vulnerable.
Leaders understand and practice the same.

Leading with Tenacity…Part 2

Tenacity is associated with grip, determination, and persistence.

The ability to grip something, or hold on firmly, is crucial for long-term success.
Determination presents an attitude of strength to endure the distractions.
Without persistence, leaders find themselves ready to give up and move on.

Tenacity, as defined in these areas, demonstrates the ability of leaders to take a group of people who might not otherwise continue and motivate them to heights unknown.

With it, leaders build confidence in their approach to the establishment of goals and the development of plans to achieve them.

Leaders must hold on with a tenacious spirit.

saltCast037 Pop-Culture and Leadership

What does it mean for Christians to be faithful in the midst of our current culture? In our final discussion with Brandon Edwards, Global Missions Minister with the Nashville Church of Christ, we focus our attention on pop-culture and the influences of culture on the church today. He provides a little “out of the box” thinking for leaders in our approach to the culture.

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