I used to help build houses. It amazed me how few construction workers gave thought to the person who came behind them in the work. They appeared to be trying to get the work done quickly, save as much time or money as possible, and let whoever comes next worry about it.

We must guard against such attitudes in leadership.

Souls are at stake and if we are not considering what and who comes next, then the structure will not last.

As preachers, do we consider the preacher who follows us in a congregation? Are we thinking about the challenges they will face because of our decisions?

Elders, what comes next when you resign or pass away? What condition will the leadership of the church be in when the current eldership is gone?

Deacons, the same is true for you. What comes next in the church when you are no longer serving?

The list could go on, but I think you understand. We need to be thinking NOW about who will follow us and work to resolve necessary issues, so that who comes next will enjoy something better.

“It is difficult to see the hand of God at work in our lives, if the only place we ever go is to the super market and the service station.” Dorsey Traw

Nothing is more powerful than seeing God’s hand at work in our lives. The sheer joy of looking at past or present situations and knowing opportunities have been opened.

Considering the depth of brother Traw’s statement is a reminder of how limited or reclusive life can become when the only places we visit are narrowed down to one or two.

Leadership never takes place in seclusion. Our influence as leaders is directly related to being involved in the lives of others. Here is where the real heart of seeing God’s hand at work changes our perspective.

If we are ever going to make a dent in the spiritual transformation of the world around us, then we must get out and get involved in making a difference in the lives of people.

I urge us all to pray more fervently, lift up our eyes and look for the opportunities, and step up to lead others to our Lord.

One of the great blessings of working at Bear Valley is hearing men speak during chapel. Recently, Wayne Roberts came and delivered a wonderful lesson where he shared advice he had been given over the years.

He noted one specific area I want to focus on in today’s post. It was advice given by Ed Wharton several years ago regarding the need to pay attention to the little details of scripture.

Spiritual leadership involves a number of significant areas within the church and our world. It can be easy to lose sight of the little details only to focus on what appears to be the much larger, big picture, ideas of scripture and the work.

There are times it may be a word, phrase, or suggestion, but paying attention to those little details brings a wealth of blessings to our leadership. We will find it also provides a great blessing to those who are following.

While we are pouring the time over scripture in study this week, let us make sure to spend time to observe and pay attention to the little details God intends for us to learn.

God reminded the children of Israel, on more than one occasion, not to forget all He had done for them by bringing them into the promised land. His concern was over an area we continue to struggle with today, i.e. thinking pridefully.

God did not want Israel to believe it was by the strength of their own hands they accomplished victory, but to remember their dependence upon the Almighty.

Our world today continually fights this battle of dependence, or perhaps, independence.

On an international level, countries strive to achieve independence. They want to  stand on their own, make their own way, and establish their own direction.

On a professional level, several areas of independence are demonstrated in the business world as individuals and companies work for the same.

On a personal level, if we are not careful, we train our children with the same mindset. We want them to grow up and learn how to make it on their own.

From a leadership perspective, we need to be teaching how to be dependent upon God and let Him take care of the rest, rather than independent.

The culture of our world seems to focus on the opposite of unity. Interestingly enough, it appears that the idea of unity in diversity appeals to most people. Somehow, everyone wants to “agree to disagree” and still have unity.

This mindset is really the result of a postmodern development where the thought of absolute truth does not exist. Therefore, whatever is truth for one person may not be truth for another. Thus, we are comfortable with agreeing to disagree.

From the standpoint of opinions, I have no problem with being united even in the midst of disagreement. However, I do have a problem with unity at the cost of the integrity of truth in God’s word.

Doctrine trumps my opinion, and if we disagree, either one of us is right and the other wrong, or we are both wrong. We cannot both be right and disagree on the sound words of the faith.

Leaders need to be more diligent to make sure truth is stood on firmly, proclaimed boldly, and followed explicitly. Only then can we be united as God designed for the church.

Recently a thought was suggested to a group of men I was privileged to be among, and it has powerful implications.

If the Lord were to require of you and me that we could not go to heaven until we converted 1,000 souls to Christ, what would we do?

I should state at this point, even though it should be obvious, this is not a matter of simply dunking people in water and claiming (since they have been baptized) they are converted.

With that out of the way, what would you and I really do?

I know this is not the Lord’s requirement, but if it were, would we not stop everything we are doing and start diligently trying to share the gospel with others?

Why do we allow ourselves to think we have plenty of time when the Lord could come now, or those we want to reach might die?

What will it take for me to realize the urgency of eternity? When will I recognize the reality of hell?

Life is too short to focus on the here and now. Lead people to see the hereafter! Think Souls!

“Leaders strengthen credibility by demonstrating that they are not in it for themselves; instead, they have the interests of the institution, department, or team and its constituents at heart. Being a servant may not be what many leaders had in mind when they choose to take responsibility for the vision and direction of their organization or team, but serving others is the most glorious and rewarding of all leadership tasks.” — James Kouzes and Barry Posner

I know I have posted several times about the idea of servant leadership. However, when I read the quote above, I could not help but see the power of finding a secular source that identifies a Biblical truth.

We need to examine the necessity of being servants in our leadership. By such action, we demonstrate how others are more important than ourselves and that we see their needs above our own.

I do not intend to reiterate areas we have already discussed, but we change lives when we show them we are willing to “wash their feet.”

When Paul visited Athens, his message received a mixed reaction. Some mocked his teaching about the resurrection. It seemed impossible for anyone to comprehend how a dead person could be raised to life. There were also others who believed and followed.

However, it is the group in the middle I find interesting. There were some who wanted to hear more about this strange teaching of Paul.

We often times miss this middle group. We have a tendency to push for a conviction. We want people to respond and make a commitment at that moment. As a result, some will reject the truth and some will accept.

Leaders should be more receptive to the reality that some people just need to hear us again concerning the message.

Never lose sight of the need for people to digest the message. Generally, the message is going to be far different from what they expected. It will be convicting, and it can be condemning.

Take a moment to reflect and ask if a return visit will provide opportunity to revisit the teaching and study further.

I have enjoyed studying the Bible for several years. One of my favorite things to do is sit down with plenty of time to really examine the text and highlight key words and phrases.

Once I have finished highlighting these areas in a specific book, I enjoy going back and studying how they are used in the text. I am able to explore the author’s intent by the frequency of these words or phrases.

I began thinking about how we should highlight our leadership. By definition, the idea of highlighting involves an outstanding part of an event or time.

A self-examination of our leadership is vital to understanding a number of key areas for our influence.

What about our leadership stands out that would highlight our leadership in the minds of those who are following?

How are we using our time to highlight the purpose of our leading?

We could ask a number of questions, but our consideration should always be driven to make sure that our leadership is highlighted in such a way to point others to Jesus. Think Souls!

The Bible is filled with words and phrases connected to action.

James teaches us to be “doers of the word, not merely hears.” It is self-deception to think we can listen to God’s word and never take action to make changes in our life.

Jesus described a wise man and a foolish man. Both men heard the same message, but the difference was seen in that the wise man acted upon the words of Jesus and the foolish man did not.

Perhaps there is another lesson to be learned from the emphasis upon setting an example. Paul uses the terminology “be an imitator of me, as I am of Christ.” He also urged the church in Philippi to join in following his example. Both passages indicate action by the one setting the example and by the one emulating it.

Leaders lead by example. Our lives should be seen as acting upon the words of Jesus. As such, we leave an example for others that is worth emulating.

Considering our influence, maybe we can understand the need to help others be more Christlike through our actions.