Chapter 2 – Preparation – How God Develops Leaders
COKE BOTTLE ILLUSTRATION
If churches are concerned about future leaders, they would do well to nurture their children, for any strategy for developing spiritual leaders must take into account those emerging leaders currently in their preteens. It is a church’s folly to consign its young people to a youth building across the parking lot so their loud music doesn’t disturb the adults’ worship. Wise churches will explore leadership opportunities for their teenagers rather than waiting until they are adults to begin finding avenues for them to lead (page 32, Spiritual Leadership).
What is the condition of your heart toward God? Draw a picture of your heart’s condition
What is the next step you need to take in your spiritual journey/walk?
- 1 Samuel 16:6-11
- How do you recognize a leader? (Or what not to look for.)
- Physical appearance – verses 6-7
- Age – opt for age over ability, verses 8-11. Is age a good qualifier or should it be one of the top 2-3 qualifications?
- Tradition – verses 6-7 (1 Samuel 9:1-2)
- Pecking order – who is available, verses 6-11
- How did David look when he came before Samuel in v. 12-13? Was David ready to be a leader?
Peter Senge, in his book The Fifth Discipline observed: “Most of the outstanding leaders I have worked with are neither tall nor especially handsome; they are often mediocre public speakers; they do not stand out in a crowd; they do not mesmerize an attending audience with their brilliance or eloquence. Rather, what distinguishes them is their clarity and persuasiveness of their ideas, the depth of their commitment, and their openness to continually learning more.”
THINGS DON’T GET BETTER BY CHANCE, THEY GET BETTER BY CHANGE!!!
-SUBWAY RESTAURANT
- Jesus – Luke 2:52. The Balance
– Mark 6:30-31
- Increased in wisdom – intelligence/knowledge. How can you grow in intelligence?
- Increased in stature – physically. How can you develop physically? How do you reduce stress?
- Increased in favor with God – spiritually. How can you develop spiritually? George Barna’s research shows only 6% of pastors felt they had the spiritual gift of leadership. What am I watching/listening to?
- Increased in favor with man – socially. How do you develop socially?
- What are areas you/I can develop? What is your plan? Who will hold you accountable?
What are events in your life where you can be a ministry? In other words, what has occurred in your life where you can help someone else? Have you experienced mistakes in your life that God can use to minister to others?
A TOP LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE OF JESUS
Replenish yourself or Have a hunger & thirst for God
Matthew 5:6 – Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Have you ever been to the desert? What was it like?
a. Luke 5:16 -.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 –
Psalms 63:1 –
Psalms 42:1-2 –
b. Prayer – heart of David – Psalms 51:1-2, 10
c. The sponge illustration – Kids need to see Jesus.
d. Head knowledge is not heart knowledge.
e. Need to rest and relax, too. Mark 6:31 – Jesus said ACome off by yourselves, let’s take a
break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have
time to eat. (And they did not even have daytimers yet!!!)
1.”Come apart or you will come apart.” – Vance Haevner
2. Maxwell – Life is demanding. People are demanding. The more you succeed, the more you
lead, the more people will demand of you. Replenishing yourself requires your (intentional)
attention. Faith walks out when fatigue walks in.
f. Leadership develops daily, not in a day. – The Law of Process
GROWTH PLAN
- Do I know who I am and where I am going?
- How is my relationship with the Lord right now? Am I growing in Him or are things dry/stale? Everything flows from your relationship with God.
- What vision(s) and purpose(s) has put in me?
- How will I get there, accomplishing what desires for me?
Utilize a Growth Life Plan. If you are not intentional about developing and growing you will not grow! Invest your surplus time wisely. Turn off the radio in the car. Keep a book nearby (page 226, Spiritual Leadership). Margaret Truman, the daughter of Harry Truman, could not recall a time she saw her father spending an idle moment without a book in his hand.
According to human development expert Brian Tracy, only three percent of all people are intentional enough to write out their goals. Yet, Tracy asserts that this top three percent of all people reach eighty percent of their goals. He believes that the very act of writing goals down commits us—even subconsciously—to achieving those goals. I’d like you to join me in the top three percent of all people by creating your own written personal growth plan. (At the end of this chapter, I will invite you to share your personal growth plan with me via e-mail—and I will be happy to share my current personal growth plan with you.) Why should you as a teacher in the church take the time and pains to create a written personal growth plan? As Hendricks says, “If you stop growing today, you stop teaching tomorrow.” If you are truly serious about your personal preparation as a teacher in the church, then I challenge you to develop a written personal growth plan.
- Adversity – 2 Timothy 3:10-12. “Leaders are not people who escape failure, but people who overcome adversity” (Henry Blackaby).
1) Joseph and Moses
2) Abraham (God may begin in one generation what will come to fruition in succeeding generations)
- Grow through failures (taking Lot along, Genesis 12:1, 4).
- Built spiritual landmarks (Genesis 12:7-9).
- Experiencing God’s redemption – allows us to fail but He is right there to redeem us. Learn from your mistakes. Character flaws left unattended can reappear in your own life and subsequent generations –
Abraham Lying – (Genesis 12:10-13) had not learned to trust God fully.
Abraham Isaac – (Genesis 26:7)
Abraham Jacob – (Genesis 27:18-19)
- Learn through experience about God’s character – (Genesis 15:1) After receiving a resounding victory, Abraham learned that he could trust God as his shield.
- Can’t take shortcuts – Hagar and Ishmael vs. Sarah and Isaac.
- Demonstrated his faith – (Genesis 22:9-12)
- Obeying God – giving Him everything, (Genesis 22:9-12,12-18)
- Being a friend of God’s – (James 2:23) – God saw Abraham’s heart.
“Spiritual leadership develops as God matures people in their character as well as in their relationship with him.” – Henry Blackaby