Engaging fired up leaders who know who they are in Christ and are ready for the challenges of leading with integrity in society today and in the future. This is done by understanding and discussing Biblical Insight into Leadership principles and practices. There has only been one perfect role model for leadership. That only role model has been Jesus Christ.
I enjoy incorporating worship music into my blog posts. Some people enjoy listening while they read and others listen at the end.
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be
seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6But
when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who
is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they
will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your
Father knows what you need before you ask him.
The Lord's Prayer - Michael W. Smith
Our Father who art in heaven,
God You are a Father to the fatherless. God You let those who have never felt a
father’s love to experience a perfect fatherly love. You let those who have been abandoned know that
You are with them.
hallowed be thy name.
God you are Holy.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
God we call for Your will to be done. That we would do the work that You have
called us to do. Prepare in us Your will
and Your plan. God it is Your work done
through our hands which are given to do Your work.
Give us this day our daily bread,
We look to Jesus as the living bread. We ask for spiritual bread to nourish our
spirit.
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
Lord Jesus we ask that You provide us forgiveness for our
sins. We ask for Your mercy, grace, and
love. We ask for the wisdom and guidance
to forgive others.
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
God we ask for Your Holy Spirit to continue to guide us and
speak to us to turn away from sin.
Protect us from every evil that would seek to have us run from You. Keep continuing to provide a pull on our
heart God.
Recently on the Lead Like Jesus Facebook newsfeed was this
question, “What does your prayer life reveal about your leadership? Are you
spending time talking with God about your heart, head, hands and habits?” So as a leader and one who studies leadership
I pondered this question I arrived at some of the answers below.
John 13:15 (NIV) Jesus said, “I have set you an example that
you should do as I have done for you.”
Jesus is the perfect leadership role model. No one else comes close. There have been and will be great leaders –
but none are a perfect leader. In
Christ’s perfect leadership role model He continuously modeled servant
leadership. “True greatness, true leadership, is found in in giving yourself in
service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you” (J. Oswald
Sanders).
Proverbs 29:2 (NKJV) confirms the power of a servant leader. “When the righteous are in authority, the people
rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan”. People will reflect the example of their
leader. This is one of the basic
foundational pieces of being a leader.
Consider when you have worked with a leader who is first a servant to
those he/she leads. You see examples of
developing leaders at all levels of the organization. You see public recognition. You see empowerment. You see the leader challenging others to be at
their best and put forward their strengths, (their spiritual gifts from God). J. Oswald Sanders reminds us, “Desiring to
excel is not a sin. It is motivation that determines ambition’s character. Our
Lord never taught against the urge to high achievement, but He did expose and
condemn unworthy motivation.” And it is
“unworthy motivation” as a leader that brings us to the second part of this
Proverbs verse. People will groan,
complain, feel disenfranchised when a leader has unworthy or wicked
motivations. Anyone who neglects or
abandons his family for fame, status, or financial gain isn't really successful
(John Maxwell).
So it brings me back to the question above about my prayer
life. How does my prayer life reflect my
leadership style? "When you pray,
go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then
your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew
6:6 (NIV). In the last several months I
have become far more intentional about my prayer life. I continue to ask for guidance and direction
from the Holy Spirit so that I am Spirit led and not head led. I ask the Holy Spirit for guidance as a servant
leader and in the development of the next generation of leaders.
You will recognize the Holy Spirit’s work in your life when
you burn with a desire for a pure heart.
Each day I listen for God’s guidance for the day and what I need to do
with those I will come in contact with during the day. Do I need to encourage, empower, or hold
accountable? “Trying to lead in your own
power and authority will never achieve God's results. God's purposes are birthed
through prayer and listening to His voice and lived out in humble dependence
and obedience” (Lead Like Jesus, Facebook, Dec. 27, 2013). I give my leadership to God each day as I
follow His will for my day.
Turn on the news today and there is almost always a story of
someone who was willing to give up everything important to them for a quick
gain. We each may even know someone
personally that is willing to give it all up for the appearance of success. It’s easy to give in to the world’s
definition of success and fame. You
might be willing to sacrifice something small… maybe just a couple of dollars. You think that is okay. It’s worth the risk. You justify it to yourself. But the lure of fame and success can become
as addictive as a drug. You can get
wrapped into the cycle.
Remember…
Colossians 3:2 (NIV)
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Matthew 16:26 (NIV)
26What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world,
yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
We may see instant gratification in a sense of gaining
worldly success… but over the long haul, over time this is met with an overall
sense of emptiness. We are being asked
to consider what temptations would allow us to lose our life. Verse 26 is asking each of us to reflect on
our priorities and how we make decisions on those priorities.
Christmas is a time for gifts. People run around trying to find the best
deal, the best sale, the latest and greatest.
Each year news stories run about what the hottest toy is for kids. Commercials run about the perfect gift you
need for your significant other. Many
people cave into the secular idea of consumerism and that Christmas is really
tied to the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. They easily forget that Jesus should be the center of the celebration. In all the craziness and the store clerks
saying, “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” we lose the reason we
celebrate this holiday “Holy Day”.
Jesus' birth at Christmas (Emmanuel: God with us) brought
several gifts to humanity...
God gives his Son as the gift of salvation to humanity.
The birth of the Messiah is foretold.
Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin
will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
The birth of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is fulfilled and
humanity is sent a savior.
In Matthew 1:21 (NIV)
21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the
name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
Luke 1: 31-33 (NIV)
31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to
call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign
over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.
Luke 2: 10 – 12 (NIV)
10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you
good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of
David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will
be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a
manger.”
The gift of a relationship with Jesus Christ is there for
each of us. All we need to do is to
engage this relationship and call upon Jesus.
Jesus brings the gift of God’s grace to His people.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) speaks to this gift from God. 8For
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not
by works, so that no one can boast.
This saving through faith is an unconditional gift that all
we need to do as the children of God is to accept this gift. The Holy Spirit grants us salvation freely
based only on God’s love for us.
Peace be with you. The
gift of God’s peace is given in John 14:27 (NIV).
27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give
to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be
afraid.
The gift of purpose is revealed in Jeremiah 29:11.
11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
The gift of God’s Holy Spirit is one that I do not remember
hearing much about in Church at Christmastime.
I heard all about it at Pentecost, but not so much else except for the
Holy Spirit coming to Mary to conceive Jesus.
Matthew 1: 20 (NIV)
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as
your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
Luke 1: 35 (NIV)
35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and
the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will
be called the Son of God.
In addition to Mary there are a couple of other places where
the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to believers of Jesus Christ.
John 20:22 (NIV)
22And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the
Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon
you…”
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
Acts 2: 1-4 (NIV)
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in
one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from
heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what
seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 8: 15-17 (NIV)
15When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there
that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet
come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the
Holy Spirit.
Acts 19:5-6(NIV)
5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and
they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
The Holy Spirit is a gift from God and cannot be won, bought,
or achieved through deeds or works.
Acts 8: 18-20 (NIV)
18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on
of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19and said, “Give me also this
ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because
you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
Pope John Paul II said that the marvels of Pentecost have
not ceased. This is the new
Pentecost. The move of the Spirit today
is leading an awakening of slumbering faith, changing lives, and engaging a
passion to make Jesus Christ known to the world (Peter Herbeck). Humanity needs to receive the Holy Spirit now more than any other time. We need the palpable experience of an encounter with God that is through the Holy Spirit.
This past October I attended an “Encounter with God” weekend
offered through our Church. This
encounter with God was a spiritual reawakening for me. It was a starting point where I began to feel
led by the Holy Spirit to explore my faith in ways I had never done or been
able to before. I felt God’s presence
stir in me a spiritual revival. My study
has become deeper, my prayer life has been multiplied, and I hear God’s voice
calling to me.
The gift of a Baptism in the Holy Spirit is one that every
believer should pray to receive. I
regularly include receiving the Holy Spirit in my prayers that my hands are to
do God’s work. The gift of the Holy
Spirit is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in Luke 24:49. Jesus’ disciples are led by the Spirit in
every aspect of their lives. John
Maxwell writes that leaders (believers) must be empowered before they can
empower. Whenever someone is filled with
the Holy Spirit something happens.
Empowered leaders express, reflect, and convey God’s power, by which
they empower others. The mystery of
Jesus Christ is revealed through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit permits humanity to respond
to what God fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit comes in power, and when received and obeyed will lead
to a transformed life in Christ (Peter Herbeck).
As today is the 4th Sunday in Advent and we approach
Christmas and the coming of the Lord it is right to prepare a space for Christ
in our hearts. A savior needed, a savior
sent. A call to belong. Will we repent? Will you accept Christ? If you have never graciously received the
gift that Christ came to give I pray that you will choose to accept it today.
The prophets spoke of the coming of the Messiah, the Christ,
to save the world. Jesus’ birth is
foretold.
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin
will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah promises the coming of the Prince of Peace and offers
a description of the Messiah.
The birth is fulfilled.
The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes that Jesus fulfills prophecy. Both God’s promises to Israel and their
history with God are treated as prophecy.
Prophecy interprets the story of Jesus.
The fulfillment transforms what the prophecies mean. Matthew is written primarily to a Jewish
audience with many references that Jesus Christ is for all people.
Matthew 1: 18 – 23
18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His
mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together,
she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her
husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public
disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20But after he had considered this, an angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not
be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is
from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him
the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this took place to fulfill what the
Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will conceive and give birth
to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
As Joseph and Mary came into Bethlehem they were turned away
at each door they tried. Each door was
closed to them. There was no room for
Him in the Inn. We have God coming to meet us in a world filled with sin,
suffering, and death. Yet so many people
turned Him away.
Today we still find many
who have no room for Him in many Inns. Today
as much as ever we need to call to God to be with us, Emmanuel. With this Christmas holiday take time to
bring Jesus Christ into your heart and let Him give you eternal life.
Prayer:
Shepherd of Israel,
may Jesus, Emmanuel and son of Mary,
be more than just a dream in our hearts.
With the apostles, prophets, and saints,
save us, restore us,
and lead us in the way of grace and peace,
that we may bear your promise into the world. Amen.
Today there was a post from the Lead Like Jesus Facebook
page newsfeed that caught my attention and I will answer. “God has called you into relationship with
Himself through Jesus Christ in order for you to be caught up in His purposes
in the world. How will your leadership influence others for Him today?” How can I be a better witness for Jesus
Christ? How will I lead for Him?
My recent posts have centered on calling, vision, leading
with gifts, and attitude. Each of these
pieces are some of the very critical characteristics for leaders. There are some areas that I have found as
strengths for me. In my past congregation,
I was a Bible study leader/teacher for our adult group. I have found that teaching is a spiritual gift.
Although I know I could learn more, and continue to do so, I am able to read
Scripture and meditate on the passages I read and facilitate teaching.
Currently there are two areas that I am working on developing
in my faith walk. These were not areas
that I am comfortable with. But in the
last 15 weeks I know that God is working me through each. The first is developing my prayer life and
the other is evangelizing, witnessing, spreading the Gospel and helping
others/ teaching others come to Christ. I’ll
touch on prayer life first.
For my prayer life I continue to grow beyond the standard
prayers I learned as a child. I know
that God is saying to me to speak to Him in prayer. Speak to Him from my heart and my spirit. Growing up Roman Catholic I learned the Lord’s
Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Apostle’s Creed, and the Act of Contrition. I prayed the scripted prayers or the prayers
of the liturgy during worship.
Psalm 141 has been a focal point for me related to
prayer.
1I call to you, Lord, come quickly
to me;
hear me when I
call to you.
2May my prayer be set before you
like incense;
may the lifting up
of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
3Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
keep watch over
the door of my lips.
4Do not let my heart be drawn to
what is evil
so that I take
part in wicked deeds
along with those
who are evildoers;
do not let me eat
their delicacies.
5Let a righteous man strike me—that
is a kindness;
let him rebuke
me—that is oil on my head.
My head will not
refuse it,
for my prayer will
still be against the deeds of evildoers.
6Their rulers will be thrown down
from the cliffs,
and the wicked
will learn that my words were well spoken.
7They will say, “As one plows and
breaks up the earth,
so our bones have
been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”
8But my eyes are fixed on you,
Sovereign Lord;
in you I take
refuge—do not give me over to death.
9Keep me safe from the traps set by
evildoers,
from the snares
they have laid for me.
10Let the wicked fall into their
own nets,
while I pass by in
safety.
(Psalm 141 (NIV))
Copy and paste this link: Psalmody 141: Let My Prayer Rise Up (Holden Evening Prayer)
For me, sharing my faith with others (witnessing to
salvation through Jesus Christ) was something that I was always reserved
about. It was even more so when I knew
that someone was openly an atheist or had turned toward some other spirituality;
exactly the people that God is calling us to reach out to.
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28: 19-20 (NIV))
I know what I believe.
I believe that Jesus Christ was God sent by God to save His people. I believe that we are the chosen children of
God. I believe in the salvation that is
given by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe that the Holy Spirit is still
present in our world today.
"Creed" by Rich Mullins
Sharing my
faith through this blog is one of the ways that I am continuing to develop my
ability to share my faith in face to face settings. Where I have often struggled is having the words to say to
someone who is challenging my belief. I
continue to pray that the Holy Spirit anoint me with the wisdom and words. I ask God to send the Holy Spirit to overflow
my life and to use my hands and use me to do His will. I struggle each day to live a life that He
would have me live.
My prayer is that each day I serve in my leadership roles
that the people I have relationships with see Christ’s light and salvation in
me. That I am a leader of integrity and
that I walk the talk. I'm just an
imperfect Christian trying my best to live for and glorify my perfect Savior.
