|
|
|
|
God Calls A Different Kind of Leader The intention of this work, the first in a series, is to provide an overview of Godly leadership. It is the author’s belief that some people do not read more because the large number of pages of many books intimidates them. This series of works is planned to be short so that the entire work can easily be read in an evening. Chapter Topic Introduction Ned became nauseated after he heard that most of the buildings in his hometown of Salem burned to the ground in fires set by vandals. Ned had not visited his hometown in years, but he remembered it fondly. He had not wanted to move away from Salem, nor had his family, yet it happened. After leaving Salem, he obtained a job with the government. Ned rose rapidly to his current position as assistant to the president. His employees, peers and boss respected him. Ned pondered the situation in his hometown. What could he do? He felt helpless, yet he instinctively knew that there was one thing that he could do. Ned began to pray. Ned prayed for several months. He poured out his heart before the Lord. He asked God to help the people in Salem rebuild. Ned petitioned the Lord for the necessary resources: money, materials and people. He prayed that the people in Salem would not become discouraged, but would seek the Lord's guidance in every aspect of the rebuilding process. Ned prayed and listened to what he believed God was telling him. After nearly four months of praying about this situation, Ned became convinced that God was going to use him as a leader in the rebuilding process. This seemed impossible. Surely the president would not allow Ned to leave his government work. Yet the president did allow Ned to leave and sent him on his way with enough resources to insure that the rebuilding project in Salem would be completed. In this true Biblical story, Ned (Nehemiah) is an example of the subject of this book: a different kind of leader. How was Ned's reaction to the situation in Salem (Jerusalem) atypical? What are the characteristics that make him a different kind of leader? We will develop answers to these questions in this book. The purpose of this book is to explain Biblical leadership. We shall see that Godly and worldly leadership are different. God has established a set of principles for Godly leadership. These principles are found in the Bible. This book is designed to establish a framework and overview of Godly leadership. We shall see that the leaders that God calls can be very different from worldly leaders. The book title is derived from this concept. It will be helpful to begin with an initial definition. By the term "a different kind of leader" we mean someone that primarily has their heart set on the God of the Bible. This type of leader is different from other leaders in the world because of their eternal outlook. An eternal outlook is one that has a focus of glorifying God in all things. Our leader is one that can honestly say: "God's will be done." This type of leader puts others ahead of themselves, wants to serve and does not work to obtain personal recognition. Why is a different kind of leader needed? The answer is evident if we rephrase the question to "Why is a Godly leader needed?". Godly leaders call attention to God in a positive way. Godly leaders attribute their own (apparent) success to the God that empowers them and gives them insight. Godly leaders must obey the Bible. The Bible provides principles of Godly leadership, examples of Godly leadership and contrasting examples of ungodly leadership. Even if we did not have the Bible we could see that worldly leadership does not work. Worldly leaders eventually become intoxicated with their power and turn into megalomaniacs. God protects His leaders from this tendency of the flesh as they follow His leadership principles. The Bible contains (among other things) historical accounts of leaders called by God. Each leader listed below had unique experiences, yet God undeniably called all. Leader Bible
Reference These examples are a few of the many that show us that God is in control of calling His leaders. In addition, each Biblical example teaches a complementary principle or principles that we can apply as a Godly leader. We can learn Biblical principles of leadership, but how can we tell if God has called us to lead? The Bible teaches that every matter must be established by the testimony of two or more witnesses. We know that God will confirm His leadership call. The Godly leader must be a Christian. They must want to lead God's way and to obey God's Word. When does a person become a different kind of leader? Is there a point or a line that they cross from having a worldly view to having a Godly view? Leaders called by God are most often not looking for a position of leadership. These people generally feel a burden for some cause or issue, and begin seeking God's will through prayer. As God calls out a leader, that person senses the call through a move of the Holy Spirit. Since it is God's Spirit that does the prompting, He typically prompts one or more other people to confirm the leadership call. The leader called by God experiences an inner peace about being in a position of leadership. The situation confronting the leader may seem impossible, yet the Godly leader knows that God's will shall be done. God is more than able to accomplish His purposes. The Godly leader experiences a sense of relief when they say to God: "I sense your call to leadership. Use me for your glory." God could call any Christian to a position of leadership. The Bible records that most leaders were not seeking a position of leadership when God intervened in their life. Some leaders that God called did not want to lead. Some leaders felt that other people would be better leaders. Yet if God calls us, whoever we are, shouldn't we be ready and willing to accept that call? God is glorified in using people that the world perceives as weak or unlikely leaders. God's people should be joyful that God has chosen to use them for service to Him. If we are ready and willing to be used by God, what is the next step? We must learn how to become a different kind of leader. This book explains leadership in the context of the Bible. God calls His leaders and then equips them to serve Him. Where Does The Process Begin? Martyn Lloyd-Jones wanted to be a medical doctor. He had passed his MD., M.R.C.P. and specialized research programs. He was twenty-seven years old and ready to serve as a heart specialist. A year earlier Lloyd-Jones wondered if God had called God called him into the ministry. He wasn’t sure, so he finished all of his medical doctor preparation work. But upon completion of this work, he sensed again God’s call on his life. He couldn’t and did not want to resist that call. He discussed God’s call with family, friends and his fiancée. Nearly everyone except his fiancée tried to dissuade him from answering God’s call. Martyn answered God’s call and became a different kind of heart specialist: a gospel “heart specialist”, a minister of the gospel. God didn’t waste anything in Doctor Lloyd-Jones training. God used his mental capabilities and analytical prowess in ministry, writing and leadership. He became a prolific author and is still regarded as a sound expositor of the Bible. Martyn Lloyd-Jones demonstrated that he had a heart for God. Godly leadership is an issue of the heart more than the mind. Our mind develops the words, but our heart knows if we believe them. Effective Godly leadership requires consistency between heart and mind. We get our view of truth from our heart. We are only willing to persevere with things that are important to our heart. Therefore, the heart of the Godly leader must be firmly set on God. A different kind of leader has a heart for God. How can we examine our heart? There are several questions that we can and should ask. What do we want to do in life? What are we willing to die for? We can, and must, be honest with ourselves. What if we find that we do not have a heart for God? What if we learn that we believe in and stand for things that are not Godly? If this is the case, we must turn to God in humility. We must turn away from what our heart currently values as important. We must seek God, and if we truly desire Him, the Bible says that we shall find Him. How can we know if our heart is firmly set on God? We need to examine what we consider to be Truth. Do we believe in something called absolute Truth? If so, what is it? Where is it found? What do we do with it once we find it? Consider the statement "There are no absolutes in life." Is this statement true or false? It must be false because it is an absolute statement. Therefore, there must be absolutes in life. The Godly leader believes that the Bible contains these absolutes, that is, Truth. If the Bible is true then all other religious (non-Christian) books are false since they contradict the Bible. The Bible declares that there is only one way to God, that being through Jesus Christ. A different kind of leader has been converted by God. The process of becoming a Godly leader begins with a Christian conversion. At the moment of conversion we become different from the way that we were. In addition to this immediate change, God also begins a process of change in the Christian’s life that continues until the believer’s death or Christ’s return. How do we know that we have been converted? Can we be sure? Can we be deceived in our thinking regarding conversion? Let us examine Biblical conversion to help us to understand what it means. We can test the genuineness of our Christian conversion in several ways. One such way is to carefully study the Book of First John. As we study that Book we can rate ourselves against standards that John develops. The intent of this rating process is to help us find out if we have saving faith. If we have faith that will save us, we see it in our actions. These actions (birthmarks) are evident in every Christian, although they are manifested uniquely in each individual. God wants us to know if we are really His child. If we are His child, He will give us assurance that we are saved. Ask yourself these questions and read the corresponding Scripture from First John. The answers to these questions will help you to know whether you are a Christian. The Ten "Birthmarks" of our Assurance of Salvation There are other ways that we can test the genuineness of our conversion, and all of us must conduct such tests rigorously. This is a most critical issue for us. What would happen if we thought that we were converted, but were not? It would be an eternal disaster to be deceived! How could we be deceived? We could be deceived in any of three ways. First, our mind could convince us of our Christianity. The Bible says that we know in our heart where we stand with God, but our mind could attempt to overrule our heart. We are deceived in this way when we believe our mind rather than our heart. A second way that we could be deceived is to believe the god of this world rather than our heart. Satan would like the unconverted to remain as they are. He works on the minds of the unconverted to attempt to convince them that all is well with their soul. With some he tells lies that their spiritual life is great. To others Satan lies that there is no God. He attempts to convince everyone that they should believe their mind rather than their heart. A third form of deception is to believe today's false gospel of words over action. This deceptive ploy attempts to convince people that all it takes to become a Christian is to repeat some words. True, the Bible says that we must confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. Yet this same Scripture goes on to say that we also must believe this with our heart. Spoken words alone do not save. If we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart (that Jesus Christ is Lord), our actions will become obedient to the Word of God. By contrast, the false gospel declares that a Christian need not be concerned with sin in their life -- that sin is irrelevant in the life of a believer. This is clearly contrary to Scripture. All of these deceptions involve the mind rather than the heart. We must carefully examine our hearts in order to avoid deception. Our actions prove what lies in our heart. A Christian acts differently from the unsaved because of the change in their heart. God provides a new heart to a believer at the moment of salvation and continues to change the believer up to the time of death. God's process of changing the Christian through the power of the Holy Spirit is called sanctification. The process of sanctification is at work in every Christian (Romans 6:22, Hebrews 12:14). We should know that this is happening. There are at least sixteen indicators that show that our sanctification process is underway. Of these sixteen, seven are inconclusive to prove sanctification, while nine are conclusive. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and the proof of our salvation is in the fruit (action) we see in our life (Matthew 7:15-23). How to tell if we are REALLY saved Our conversion is a necessary criterion for being a Godly leader. Once converted, the Holy Spirit guides and teaches us. An especially important tool in the life of a Christian is the Bible. The Bible is the most important physical resource in the life of a believer. The believer desires to read, understand and apply everything in the Bible. A different kind of leader has a high view of Scripture. If we have a high view of Scripture then we place our complete trust in what it says. We not only believe it, but we are obedient to what it says. Our words and our actions must be consistent with Biblical instruction. We are not able to follow every instruction in the Bible perfectly, yet we should be able to observe an increasing obedience to God’s Word over time. A different kind of leader seeks to be obedient to God’s Word. What if we find inconsistencies between our words, beliefs and actions? What if we find ourselves questioning the authority of the Bible? What do we do about our actions that we know to be completely contrary to the Word of God? What do we do with Scripture that says something that we do not like? We need to re-examine the genuineness of our Christian conversion. We should test ourselves to be certain that God has changed us. Remember the importance of conversion in being a Godly leader. Once changed, God’s Spirit will minister to us. God will work in us at the same time that we are at work. The Holy Spirit will show us things that God wants us to do. We may experience this as having a desire to pray or as a burden or concern. Our response to the Spirit's leading should be to follow. We must turn to the Lord in prayer seeking clarification of the leading. Our prayer should be for God to give us insight, wisdom or vision on how to pray effectively. The Bible says that we will find if we truly seek, so we know that God will answer our prayer when we earnestly seek. As God answers our prayer, He may give us some type of knowledge or understanding that is helpful in a given situation. God may give us wisdom in how to deal with people. God may have us share the burden with others to solicit additional prayer. God may give us a picture or vision of something that He is going to do. At some point we may feel the Holy Spirit's leading to do something. When called as a follower, God will point us in the direction of a leader. If God is calling us to lead, then He will give us a picture of what He wants done. In addition, if God is calling us to lead, He will provide us with a confirmation of our leadership call. Occasionally this confirmation comes as an overwhelming peace that we know to be God’s Spirit working in us. Often God will deliver this confirmation through someone called to follow. However God provides the confirmation, it is best to wait until we know that God has truly called us to lead. A different kind of leader waits upon the Lord for confirmation. God gives His leaders a description of what He wants done. This description or vision is an essential part of the leadership call. A vision is the view that you get from the top of a mountain -- the big picture with limited detail. The Bible records many instances where God gave a leader a vision as He called them. A different kind of leader has a vision. The Bible says that it is a good thing to desire a position of leadership, yet we must be cautious before assuming any leadership responsibility. Are we sure that God has given us a leadership vision? Has our leadership call been confirmed? Are we certain that our pride is not influencing our leadership interest? The Bible provides many examples of God's calls to leadership. As God called out the leaders in the Bible, He gave each a vision. Some visions were for a short period, such as a single conversation with an individual. Other visions were for a much longer period. Noah was given a vision of God’s impending destruction of the people of the earth (Genesis 6:13-21). Noah was told to build an ark of a specific material and size. He was told what the ark would contain and that God would bring the creatures to the ark. Noah was told that his family would be saved. There were may things that Noah was not told, such as how God was going to accomplish His work or exactly when the destruction would occur. Noah had to trust God to be faithful to His word. Noah chose to be obedient to God and to act upon the God-given vision. Abram (who later had his name changed by God to Abraham) was told by God to move to a new land (Genesis 12:1-5). God told Abram that He would bless him and all nations would be blessed through him. Abram was obedient to God’s call. Moses was called by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3:1-22). Moses had concerns about his abilities and his credibility before the leader of Egypt. God helped Moses understand God’s call on his life by providing various “guideposts” so that Moses could see that God was remaining faithful to His word. For example, God told Moses that: 1. The leaders of Israel would listen to Him, 2. God would perform wonders, and 3. The Egyptians would become favorably disposed to the Israelites (all of these “guideposts” came to pass). God knew what Moses needed to become more confident in God’s leadership call on his life. Joshua was given a vision of the territory that God was going to give to the Israelites (Joshua 1:1-9). Joshua was also told to be strong, courageous and obedient to the law. If Joshua obeyed God, the nation would prosper and be successful. God gave Saul (Paul) a vision at his conversion where a man named Ananias would come to and place his hands on him to heal his blindness (Acts 9:12). Ananias was obedient to the Spirit’s leading to fulfill this vision. Ultimately Paul became God’s chosen instrument to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. There are many other Biblical examples of the calling of leaders by God. The most important issue is that it is God that calls leaders. Man’s desire is nothing. God’s call and will are everything. It is also important to learn from the Bible that God’s call to every leader was unique. God called and ministered to each leader in a personal way such that they knew what God wanted them to do. Each leader received a vision from God when He called them. The vision is the beginning of leadership. It is our call to action from God. The vision describes what God wants us to do. It may include some of the why and when. We must translate the vision into individual steps of action. This process is planning. It describes individual work elements (what), timing (when), and location (where). The plan is the conversion of a vision into steps of action. Prayer, counsel and thinking are required to properly translate our vision into a plan. Our plan must integrate all of the necessary elements so that the steps of action lead to accomplishment of the God-given vision. A good plan will have an element of flexibility engineered into it. Conditions often change from the time we begin to plan to the time we implement the plan. Our plan must have contingencies so that we can respond positively to change. A good plan, with contingencies, is not sufficient for success. A successful leader must have the drive to move forward, a will to persevere under any circumstances. Satan will oppose every God-given plan, so a Godly leader must be willing to perform hard work in the face of opposition. Christian leaders will rejoice in their trials and sufferings because they realize that God uses their circumstances for their own best interests and for the glory of God. A different kind of leader combines action, perseverance and flexibility to enjoy the blessings of accomplishment, yet where God receives the glory. What Is Our Purpose? Billy Graham is the most well-known and best role model of a Christian for the “baby boom” generation. He has consistently lived a life that has brought honor to God. As a result of his obedience, God has used Billy to minister to many leaders throughout the world for the last fifty years. Billy realized in the 1940s that God could use him for
evangelistic ministry. Billy had a vision for this ministry by 1948. He and his
core teammates established four guiding principles in their ministry vision.
These principles are still followed today: Billy’s example is a good one for us to follow - not perfect like Jesus, but like the apostle Paul. Billy has never experienced a scandal because of the grace of God and his obedience to following Christ. You can learn more about the life of Billy Graham in his autobiography: Just As I Am. Billy Graham has often addressed the common questions that man ponders: “What is my purpose in life and why am I here?” His speaking and writing when answering these questions always direct the questioner to God – because God has and is the only satisfactory answer. Apart from God, man’s mind can create many purposes that seem plausible. Some people pursue acquisition of possessions as their life purpose. Perhaps you have seen their motto: "The one with the most toys wins." Yet personal testimonies throughout the ages have proclaimed that the pursuit of possessions ends with a feeling of emptiness. We learn from history that many people have lost their lives because of the lust for and abuse of power. A few people believe that the acquisition and use of power is their purpose in life. One notable example for this generation of a power abuser was Adolf Hitler. Yet every generation has experienced power-hungry leaders, some worse than Hitler. Lust for power has been a terminal pursuit for most, with their life cut short by someone with a similar lust. Some people believe that the pursuit of pleasure is their life purpose. Nearly all of the people that have lived long enough have cautioned those following this track to change direction before it is too late. The body grows tired of the physical things that once brought pleasure. Excessive physical pleasure leads to emotional (and eventually physical) pain. Another group of people spend their entire life trying to learn their purpose. They look inward into their mind. They look outward at nature. They look everywhere, but upward toward the God that created both mind and matter. The Christian knows that s/he has one purpose in life: to bring glory and honor to God. There is nothing more to life, nor is anything else needed or wanted. God is at the center of a Christian's life. The Christian weighs everything in a scale by asking: "How will this bring glory and honor to God?" Those things that do not meet this critical criterion are easily forsaken. The Christian needs only to pursue those tasks, methods and goals that cause the Light of Christ to shine more brightly. A different kind of leader brings glory and honor to God. How do we bring glory and honor to God? How can we find out whether something we do is appropriate? What does God expect of us? The answers can be summarized in a word: obedience. God desires that we obey Him. Jesus said that if we loved Him, we would obey Him. How then can we determine when we are being obedient or disobedient? God has provided His children with His Holy Spirit to provide peace (during times of obedience) and to convict of sin (in times of disobedience). The Bible is a source of instruction while the Holy Spirit gives us insight and understanding for personal application. Although God's children are not perfectly obedient, they follow God's Word more and more closely as they mature spiritually. A Christian wants to be obedient. Obedience is not a hardship, rather a joy. Sin becomes a hardship and detested. Throughout time God's people have struggled with the meaning of obedience. It began with Adam and Eve, but continues on with every one of us today. People of faith have times that they choose to be disobedient. It is not a pretty picture, but very real. Consider these men of God and their acts of disobedience: Person Act of Disobedience Most of the acts of disobedience committed by these people were done with calculation and consideration. They thought about, then rationalized the sin they were about to commit. They developed "good" reasons for their sin, although God eventually exposed their "good" reasons as false. Unfortunately we are no different today. Jesus told His disciples to follow Him. They were to do as He did. Jesus said that those that obey the Word of God will be blessed. God calls us to obey Him perfectly. Although we fall short of perfection, this does not change God's standard. A different kind of leader obeys the Word of God. Obedience is our hallmark: our measure of success in our walk with God. This measure of success is much different from any of the measures used by the world (for example wealth or power). The successful Christian is someone that the world views as different, odd, unusual or eccentric. Yet the world's lack of understanding must not deter us from obedience to the Word of God. There are many Biblical examples of people that were successful by God's standard, but misunderstood by the world. Consider Noah as he built the ark. Even if the people of that time knew what an ark was, they could not have foreseen its use. How would the ark be moved to the water? Noah's work must have appeared as foolishness to his peers. Noah was not considered successful, yet we are witnesses of his success. Moses was called by God to lead the Jews out of bondage from Egypt. Moses was told by God to ask the Pharaoh to release the Jews. Moses explained to Pharaoh that there would be a consequence from God if the Jews were not released. The Pharaoh, along with most of the Egyptians and Jews, thought that Moses was crazy. At the time Moses was definitely not considered a success. Today the Jews are living witnesses of the success of Moses mission. Esther, a Jew, became the wife and queen to a Persian king. She risked her life in an attempt to save the Jews from death. The world would have thought her actions to be far too dangerous to attempt. The Jewish people celebrate Esther's success today in a festival called Purim. Jesus' life is the best example of ultimate success. The world at His time and down through the ages did not acknowledge Jesus' work. We as Christians realize that everything that Jesus attempted was perfectly successful -- all the way to His atoning death. The world may say that His death was unneeded and that Jesus was unsuccessful because He died. However, we understand that the proof of Jesus' success was His resurrection by the Father. This act proved that Jesus' atoning death was the perfect act necessary to save man from eternal destruction in hell. The world defines success differently than does the God of the Bible. Our God places value in obedience to His Word. We must seek to follow God always and in every circumstance. As we follow, the world will notice. They may ridicule and condemn us, but will recognize that our obedience to the Bible is a reflection of the Light of Christ in us. Our degree of obedience affects the brightness of the Light shining through us. When we are most obedient, the Light is strong, attractive and alluring to those in the world. If we are disobedient, the Light is not visible in us and we are no different from those in the world. God wants His children to be Lighthouses to the lost. Just as the lighthouse does not itself save the sailors, neither do we save the lost. The lighthouse identifies danger to the sailor and thereby points a way to safety. God uses us in similar way to indicate danger to the lost, while showing them the path to salvation through Christ. God's children must seek to be the best possible reflection of the Light of Christ and to be so at all times. The people of the world must see a difference between themselves and us. The people of the world must be attracted to what they see in the people of the Light. How can this be accomplished? What must we do to be used by God as a beacon of Light? We should love our neighbors. Who are our neighbors? Neighbors can be friends or enemies. Loving our neighbors involves giving something of us to them. We can offer encouragement, service or hospitality. We can control our tongue. We can extend a hand of friendship. There are many ways that we can display care and concern for our neighbor. At some point, and God willing, our neighbor will ask us why we are different from others in the world. Another way that God can use us as a beacon of the Light is to provide compassionate service to those in need. We can feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the needy, visit the sick, old, orphaned, or those in prison. When these people ask why we do these things, we can explain our motivation as God-directed. God's children are a Light to the world when they act as model citizens. They willingly obey the laws of the land, pay taxes and give respect to authorities. The attitude of God's children is to accept without complaint. They do not denigrate their leaders. Children of God realize that they have access to the Throne of Grace and should take their concerns to God in prayer. People of the Light set an example for the people of the world to follow. God can also use His children as beacons of Light at work. God's children can excel at work by being productive and innovative. We can be self-starters and work toward zero defects. We can show respect for our supervisors. We can make our employers happy to have Christians as employees. God's Word tells us that we should do everything as though it was for the Lord. Our employer must see a difference in us (Christians) compared to the other people in the world. We are called to be a Light for God in every situation in our life. God's children must be positive examples and role models for the world to follow. People of the world must see a difference in us that they want to experience in their own life. We have a high calling, yet all things are possible through God. What Is Leadership? David Livingstone was a great explorer and missionary. He was shown a map of Africa as a young man and told that no missionary had ever been 700 miles inland. Livingstone, already a Christian, set a course for himself to prepare for his journey. He studied to become a medical doctor and learned languages because he knew that he would have to quickly learn a language that no outsider had learned. He traveled to Africa and went about implementing the plan he had developed long ago. He healed the sick, learned the language, and taught the people about Christ. He worked tirelessly for 37 years in the interior of Africa. David Livingstone presents a wonderful example of the many different facets of leadership. Dictionary definitions of the word "lead," in the context
of leadership, include: Leadership involves the ideas of influence and setting an example. There are many different ways to exert influence. The extremes are to threaten and to mention. Some leaders believe that they must use threats to obtain the obedience of followers. Other leaders believe that the mere suggestion or mention of an issue will stimulate thought and action by their followers. There are obviously many influencing strategies that lie between these two extremes. The point is that each leader uses some form of influence in their leadership. Leadership also involves the setting of an example by the leader (modeling of expected behavior, or simply modeling). Examples can be positive or negative. Some gangs in the United States require that new recruits perform an act of violence against someone outside the gang. Gangs started this initiation procedure to insure the loyalty of new recruits. Most members of society would consider this a poor example for a leader to establish. At the other end of the spectrum we have the example of Jesus. Jesus spent a great deal of time in prayer. This is a positive example to follow. The words "leader" and "leadership" appear infrequently in the Bible because more specific terms are used. These more specific terms reflect various aspects of the two main components of leadership: influence and modeling. For example, consider the word "ruler," which is used in some places instead of the word "leader." The dictionary defines "ruler" as one that governs as a sovereign. The implications of this definition are that a ruler will rely more on threats for influence and perhaps set a negative example for his followers. Consider the following terms used in the Bible instead of the terms "leader" or "leadership." You can see that each term has a different mix of influence and example-setting traits. Leadership Synonym
Leadership Synonym Some leaders might prefer some terms on the list over others. However, one term is not optional for Christian: shepherd. Jesus used the example of Himself as a shepherd. Why is a shepherd unique as a leader? In what ways is a shepherd different from other leaders? Shepherds have two types of responsibilities: both doing and leading. Shepherds must perform certain tasks themselves. These tasks cannot be delegated because they are part of the shepherd's job. The shepherd must be the lookout for danger: people, animals, toxic plants, or situations. The shepherd must protect the sheep with his own strength and weapons, even to the point of sacrificing his own life to save the flock. The shepherd must keep the sheep clean by removing sticks, briars or other items from their wool. The shepherd also examines the sheep to inspect for disease or damage, and then acts as a doctor to help them get well. Shepherds have leadership responsibilities too. They must have a plan for how to tend the sheep, where to feed them, and when they should move from one place to another. The plan must be developed based on experience, analysis of current conditions and an assessment of future possibilities. The shepherd must carry out their plan and become a guide for the sheep. The shepherd keeps a watchful eye for sheep that might stray from the flock, and then searches for the strays. The shepherd persistently trains the sheep, knowing that they are not able to perfectly follow his directions. The shepherd must be a lookout, protector, observer, doctor, planner, administrator, guide, and teacher. The successful shepherd has courage, determination and knowledge. He is willing to sacrifice, be lonely, tired, and operate under pressure for the sake of the flock. Who in their right mind would want to be a shepherd? How many Christian leaders have considered that they should lead as a shepherd? How can one learn to become a shepherd? Jesus' words on this subject may shock worldly leaders. Jesus said that leaders must become servants and slaves to lead. Is this a contradiction? A shepherd is a servant to his flock. He does everything except eat and drink for them. If the shepherd fails in his responsibilities, the flock will be lost. The shepherd is a slave to the needs of the sheep. The shepherd must provide for the needs of the sheep, otherwise the sheep will die. This is the essence of Christian leadership. A shepherd serves as a slave for his flock. The successful shepherd is an effective servant and slave. A different kind of leader is a servant and slave to his followers. Does this cause you to reconsider your leadership aspirations? If so, good. Godly leadership is something that God calls us to rather than something that we seek after with our own strength and mind. The cost of being a leader is to be willing to pay any price set by God for that position. When God calls out leaders, He also ordains a course of training. The training will include instruction from the Bible and be taught by the Holy Spirit. Training may include other sources such as leaders, books and experience. Man tends to overemphasize his own experience, rather than rely completely upon God. While God can use man's experience for training, His Word and Spirit are far more reliable. There are many examples of leadership in the Bible. There are many traits, characteristics and attributes that we can see in Godly Biblical leaders. We should develop a desire and hunger for learning about Biblical leadership taught by the Holy Spirit. A different kind of leader seeks training from the Spirit of God. Consider the following example from Genesis chapter 24. When we are called by God, we are taught Godly traits. Listed below are traits that God expects from us, along with the verse(s) that applies. Verse Godly Trait This is a partial list of traits that God expects from us. At that same time that God expects these things from us, He also will be working within us to insure that we develop these traits. God will use every means, including trials, to develop these and other traits that we need to be effective leaders. Jesus is the best model for leadership ever given to man. There will never be anyone that comes close. Jesus was both man and God, so His example is extremely important for us to follow. Jesus had a reason for coming to earth. Everything that He did while on earth was an integral part of His plan. Jesus called men to follow Him. He taught them about the kingdom of God. He tenderly guided them, encouraged them and even rebuked them for cause. He successfully accomplished His mission on earth and now resides in heaven. Jesus went there ahead of His children. He continues to work on behalf of His children as He sits with the Father in heaven. Jesus was and remains a leader. It is interesting that the dictionary definitions of leadership could have been developed from an examination of Jesus’ life. Where Do I Begin? Dwight (D.L.) Moody was one of the world’s most famous evangelists. His goal as a young man was to become rich, yet by age 18 he realized that God had something better for him than succeeding in business. He studied his Bible to become proficient at sharing his faith with young people. His meetings eventually lead him to build a church, which became quite large. His success at preaching the gospel to young and old alike opened a door to large-meeting evangelism in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States. God was able to use D.L. Moody in a wonderful way only because Moody first submitted himself to God. The process of becoming a different kind of leader begins after conversion. People can attempt to emulate the traits and characteristics of a Christian leader, but they will never succeed unless they become a child of God. God's Spirit is the most important tool for a Christian leader, and it is only available (and also indwelling) to God's children. What about people that seem to be "born" leaders? How about those individuals that have worked hard to be "made" into a leader? Can't these leaders function like God's children? How are God's leaders different from the world's leaders? There are three components of a Godly leader, two of which are in common with worldly leaders. First, everyone has genetic capabilities. We inherit these capabilities from our ancestors. Some people have inherited leadership traits and characteristics while others have not. Our genetic inheritance is one part of our leadership composition. Second, all leaders can learn from environmental factors. We can learn from books, teachers, leaders, followers, and situations. Everyone can learn something about leadership from each event in his or her life. In this sense leaders are "made." Some leaders rely more on their genetics, while others on their environmentally established traits and characteristics. Both genetics and the environment combine to establish the sum of leadership traits and characteristics for an individual. The similarity between Godly and worldly leaders ends here. The third component of a Godly leader (and cannot be present in a worldly leader) is the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit of God that is most important to the Godly leader. The Holy Spirit provides wisdom, understanding, discernment, and every other necessary ingredient required to be an effective Godly leader. The Spirit activates the genetic and environmentally influenced gifts that God has given to us. The Spirit maintains the proper balance between the two, while simultaneously filling in where there may be "gaps." In other words, God can use anyone He chooses as a leader. His Spirit will cause an individual to carry out God's plan. A different kind of leader seeks counsel from the Spirit of God at all times. Another by-product of the Spirit's working in the life of a Christian is to reduce their sin. Our sin blocks the communication channel with God. The channel is opened when we ask God to forgive us for our sin. The Spirit helps us to say "no" to sin and prompts us to seek forgiveness when we do sin. The Spirit of God also gives us a "right" attitude toward leadership. A child of God realizes that every gift that they have, including the gift of leadership, comes from God. A "right" attitude means that we will thank God for giving us the gift and to seek God's will for using the gift. A "right" attitude does not include boasting or self-conceit. If we have the "right" attitude we will see God working in our lives. There are at least three areas that we can examine in our lives to see if we exhibit the "right" attitude. These three areas are love, submission and discipline. Jesus made it abundantly clear that His children will love God first and their neighbor second. Jesus also taught that our neighbor includes Christians and non-Christians. It is generally easier to love Christians than non-Christians, but we must love both. Can you truly say that you love your neighbor; despite race, religion, sexual preference, economic condition, political affiliation, or leader/follower position? Jesus did not comment on whether it would be easy or hard to love our neighbor, but he commanded us to do it. A different kind of leader loves their neighbor. The Bible also has much to say about submission. Christians must lead the way in being submissive to all authorities. As long as the laws of the land do not conflict with God’s Word we must follow them. We must give respect. We must pay our taxes. We must be model citizens. We should remember that all leaders will give an account of their leadership experiences before God. As children of God we must pray for our leaders. We can take comfort in the sovereignty of God knowing that in all things God is working for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. Should we submit to non-believers? We must if they are our leader. We should pray for them. Perhaps God will save them. In any event our prayers will make our submission to non-believers possible. Believers must be models of submission for the rest of the world to see. It is to God's glory that we can submit to a non-believer and to love them. A different kind of leader submits to others. Christians should always have an attitude of submission toward their brothers and sisters in the Lord. We should think of others as better than ourselves, whatever our leadership position. It is helpful to look inward before we look at others disparagingly. Jesus reminded us that we are quick to see a minor fault in others before we recognize a major flaw in ourselves. We should remember that it is generally easiest to see our own flaws at work in others before we see it in ourselves. We should carefully probe our character before we feel compelled to criticize someone else. It is very likely that the behavior we are about to criticize is present in us. A third area of "right" attitude is discipline -- ours. God disciplines His children. Before you shout “foul”, let’s examine the concept of God’s discipline. What is it? Why does God discipline? The concept of Biblical discipline of God’s children could also be called training. God wants to train us. He wants us to be able to bring Him glory in every area of our life. God wants others to see Him in us. How does He train us? A related example is what parents do for their children. Parents love their children, yet for the benefit of the child must discipline the child in order for that child to learn how to behave. God wants to teach us how to behave. We should rejoice in this. God is at work perfecting us, making us more holy. Others will see that we are holy which will call attention to God. It is to God's glory that we are holy. We must learn to pray for God's discipline in our life. This is a bold prayer and one that we can be certain that God will readily answer. Why would we not want to be holy? Why would we not want God to use us in a special way? Do we love our sin so much that we do not seek after righteousness? The Bible says that we are not God's children if God does not discipline us. God help all of us to learn to seek after His discipline. A different kind of leader seeks after the discipline of God. What Are The Principles? Jimmy Carter was, in many ways, an unlikely candidate for the presidency of the United States. He wasn’t connected to the Washington, D.C. power structure. He wasn’t well known nationally. Yet as he ran for the presidency he called attention to his faith in God. You may or may not have liked his political affiliation, but our country was in need of a leader that could be trusted. Jimmy Carter told the press that he had been “born again” which was why he had moral standards. Many people examined their own relationship with God as a result of hearing the candidate articulate his reasons for being a man of faith in Christ. History will record its assessment of Carter’s presidency, but Jimmy Carter’s long history of service to God cannot be denied. Carter chaired a Billy Graham crusade that brought blacks and whites together at a time and place where racial separation was the norm. He has spent countless hours serving as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, an organization that builds homes for low-income people around the world. Carter has a rich history of following Jesus’ instructions for helping the poor. Throughout his life, and politics aside, Jimmy Carter has attempted to bring glory to God by being obedient to His Word. Are there principles that a Christian can follow to become a different kind of leader? Yes and no. The answer is "yes" in that there are things that a Christian should do. The answer is "no" for those that attempt to lead in their own strength and for their own glory. A Christian can carefully follow the principles listed below, but if the Christian is not seeking after God the result will be a work of the flesh. We know that works of the flesh do not bring glory and honor to God. We must put God first in everything. After we do this, we can apply certain principles with power from the Holy Spirit, which will yield a result that brings God glory. There are seven major principles that a Christian leader
should follow. A different kind of leader seeks after God for a vision. Leadership begins with a vision. To fully convey the meaning intended we must look deeper into the word "vision." The idea we are trying to express is that a leader must have perception and discernment regarding a situation. The leader has a sense of what to do, how, when, why and by whom. This vision is not necessarily something given by God in a mystical way. The vision does not have to be "seen" by the leader. The God-given vision is a call to action for a Christian. It starts as a burden that can be felt. Whenever we experience a sense that God is speaking to us, we need to listen. God often gives us a burden for something. Our heart is heavy for some reason. Something seems to be amiss. Perhaps we are constantly thinking about a situation. There are many ways that God gets our attention. What should be our response when we sense that God is speaking to us? How can we learn more about what God is saying to us? The answer is prayer. We should seek the Lord in prayer. Ask the Lord for clarification of the need. Ask the Lord for help to pray effectively. If we have a burden, is God calling us to lead? Not necessarily. God always calls us to pray; He may call us to lead or to follow. The first step is prayer. We learn what God is telling us through prayer. God will direct us through our prayer. God may show us something that He is going to do. He may call us to be a part of that event. He will show us our role. We are most often called to serve as a follower. What a blessing it is to be called by God to serve -- in whatever capacity that God ordains! A different kind of leader wants to serve others. If God does call us to lead, He will impress upon us the need to have a servant's attitude as a leader. We must always consider those we are called to lead as better than ourselves. We must view our role as a servant to our followers. Our perspective should be what we can do for our followers, rather than on what they can do for us. Leadership implies that there are followers and along with ourselves, a team. A Godly leader puts the team ahead of any personal agenda. The leader seeks ways for the team to work together so that God is glorified. The leader works hard to express the vision, needs and requirements to the team. An effective leader is quick to listen and to offer encouragement. The leader never puts people down. The leader is open to suggestion and receives criticism with respect. The leader must be accountable to God first and the team second. A different kind of leader works to maintain unity. The team must function as a unit. There must be unity of purpose. People must clearly understand the vision so that they know what they are trying to accomplish. An effective leader insures that every team member has knowledge of the vision. It is easier to maintain unity when people know the objective. If people are not interested in the objective they will leave the team. Those that remain are committed to reaching the objective. The leader must discern the commitment of each team member. It begins when the team is assembled. The leader generally selects team members. The leader must weed out those that are not truly interested in seeing the vision fulfilled. This must obviously be done in love. Remember that it would be un-loving to force someone to work toward an objective in which they do not believe. The leader must continually work with each team member to help them keep the objective (vision) in sight. The encouragement offered by the leader will help. It is possible that some team members will be dropped from the team before completion of the vision. The leader must be sensitive to this. Each team member should be treated with respect and love, but it is the leader's responsibility to prune out those members as God may direct. The team needs to be told why the team composition changed. The bond of peace must be preserved throughout the life of the team. Maintaining unity requires a great deal of prayer. A different kind of leader develops a plan. Prayer gives us insight for action. The Bible teaches us that prayer is more of working a change in us rather than a changing of God's mind. The Bible teaches us to pray about all things, always. We must take everything to God in prayer. How do we pray? What do we ask for? We need to learn these things from God. God will show us how to pray. God first gives the leader a burden and then a vision. In the same way God will show us what to ask for, how and when. The Spirit of God will lead us away from praying for things that would not be good for us. Furthermore, God does not answer prayer requests when the motive is wrong. We must be content to remain faithful and persistent in prayer until we learn God's will. There are eight truths about prayer that a leader should
remember. A different kind of leader learns to wait upon the Lord. Probably the single most difficult thing about prayer is the phrase: "wait upon the Lord." Our flesh wants to get things going, to be active. We want to begin a project when we are ready rather than seeking God's perfect timing. After we know God's will (through prayer) we should be perfectly content knowing that God is not slow in delivering answers. God answers prayer perfectly: both in substance and in time. We should remain in prayer, now able to praise the Lord for providing us with the insight to be able to pray. A different kind of leader is decisive. Prayer gives the leader an ability to be decisive. The leader knows God's will, that is, what needs to be done. It is therefore easy to make decisions. Leaders must obviously remain committed to prayer because of the decisions made throughout the course of plan achievement. Discernment and counsel from God are available through prayer. The leader must be willing to assume responsibility for every decision. A Godly leader will want each decision to bring glory and honor to God. Consequently, a leader will be faithful in prayer. A different kind of leader sets a good example. If the leader prays, the team members will pray. Through prayer the implementation of the vision will be God-honoring. People will notice that God has done something and He will receive glory and honor. Leaders set an example in every area of character, not just prayer. The leader must be humble and sincere. Character traits displayed include: integrity, tact, diplomacy, and zeal. Humor should be used properly and in good proportion. The Godly leader exhibits personal holiness in every aspect of their life: whether leading or not. The Godly leader is a person of discipline. They discipline themselves for holiness. This calls attention to the God they serve rather than to themselves. What Can Go Wrong? The name of George Washington Carver should be synonymous with innovation. Born to slaves, Carver excelled at learning – he was a genius. One of his greatest discoveries was the peanut and from it, he developed a number of important products such as lard, vinegar, relishes, printer’s ink, dyes, plastic, soaps, coffee, soft drinks, and wood stains. He is remembered as a man of prayer, submitting all of his important research to the Lord, and then waiting for God’s answer. His motto was: “You’re well equipped for what you chose; you have arms and legs and a brain to use.” Yet all of his life he experienced the effects of racism. Carver never let this dissuade him from his main mission: to share his love of Christ with those whom he met. Do you believe that effective leadership is a matter of following a formula? Will the following of this formula guarantee success? We should know better. There are many things that have an influence on leadership effectiveness. Some of these things can be learned. The previous chapter on leadership principles provides an example of some things that can be learned. There are, however, other factors that are apart from our control. We cannot control Satan or other sources of opposition. Conflict will arise because of our inability to communicate with perfect efficiency. God may need to discipline us or to allow us to undergo a trial. Followers and supporters might reject our leadership. The individual that we pick to succeed us might not work out. God allows our leadership to be tested, and this testing improves our ability. Just as a Christian is to rejoice in trials and suffering, so is a leader to rejoice when something unexpected happens. God has a process of perfecting His leaders to strengthen them so that will bring glory to Him. We should not feel as though there is nothing that we can do about things that may go wrong. There is much that we can do. We can ask God for guidance. We can seek God's will for each situation. We can knock on God's door for help in meeting our need. We can also prepare ourselves for the unexpected. Although each situation will be unique, there are some trials that we can anticipate. In our anticipation we can develop alternative strategies that could be used for each expected trial. For example, we know that Satan will oppose God's work. As a Christian, we can expect opposition from Satan. Yet as a Christian leader we have a wonderful arsenal of resources at our disposal. We have the Holy Spirit. We have the Bible. We have prayer. We have confidence that God's plan will be implemented. We have the counsel of other believers. All of these resources, plus others, can be used by us to continue to lead in a God-honoring way. We should realize that opposition is a lot like the weather: it can change rapidly. It can change from calm to storm in a matter of minutes. Similarly, opposition can surge up quickly and then be completely dissipated. Opposition can come in waves like the sea. There might be some periods of calm followed by some huge breakers. Opposition to a work of God will not stop, yet God is in complete control over the intensity and duration of all conflict. We need to keep our eyes focused on God and not listen to what our flesh might tell us. Our flesh will also oppose God's work. Our flesh will tell us that it is sleepy, hungry, sick, or unable to continue. Our fleshy mind will complain that our plan will never work (worry), or that we do not have enough information or understanding to accomplish a task. Our flesh will tell us that it knows all that is necessary (pride) or that we have everything that we need within ourselves (vanity). We need to learn to control our flesh and bring discipline to it. God knows exactly what our body needs. We should seek this data from God through the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to learn to let the Spirit tell us when we should sleep, eat, see a doctor, press on, seek counsel, or cry out to God. This is why we must learn to pray about all things. A different kind of leader prays about all things. Another way that our flesh is imperfect is in its inability to properly communicate. Each person has a unique vocabulary. No two people have exactly the same definition for any word. Research suggests that less than ten percent of the intended meaning is conveyed through words. Ninety percent of the meaning is communicated through gestures, tone of voice and other so-called non-verbal cues. While this does not apply to the written word, it does mean that these written words, by definition, do not fully communicate to you, the reader. Writers do the best that they can, but understanding can be spotty. Of course it must be pointed out that Christian writers and readers have a tremendous advantage over non-Christians. God can use His Spirit to help a writer or a reader to understand. The Bible provides us with the best example of how that works. God inspired the writers through His Spirit and He allows the readers to understand His Word through that same Spirit. Imperfect communication leads to conflict. Our flesh can also lead us into conflict. Our flesh can envy, covet, lust and many other things that will lead to conflict with others. Conflict can also arise between people that have legitimate differences of opinion. A Godly leader must learn how to resolve conflicts between people. God provides His leaders with training on how to handle conflict. A different kind of leader will become proficient in resolving conflict. God will discipline His leaders when they need it. Just as trials should bring rejoicing, so must God’s discipline bring us joy. We are not happy during the trial or discipline, yet we have complete assurance that God is doing what is best for us for the long term, our ultimate benefit. We learn to rejoice and be joyful as we consider the end result of our current situation. One type of trial or discipline that God may subject us to comes from our followers. Followers do not always like their leader. Sometimes followers reject their leader. There are times when people not directly involved in a leader-follower relationship will reject a leader. Popular opinion may paint an inaccurate picture of a leader. People may lie about a leader and other people may believe the lie. Leaders can be rejected for any number of reasons. A different kind of leader refuses to be moved by rejection. A Godly leader stands firm on the call that God has placed on his life. A Godly leader continues to lead in spite of the circumstances, including rejection by his followers. God may touch the hearts of the followers to turn to their leader. The leader will regain the respect of the followers as he works through these difficult times. Effective leadership has a succession plan. We know that we will die on God's appointed day and time. We have a responsibility while we are alive to develop a leader that can assume control when we die. This may not be a pleasant subject to consider, yet that does not change the facts. How do we develop a leadership succession plan? If God calls His leaders, how do we know whom He has called to succeed us? Since God is obviously at the center of these issues, we clearly need to establish our succession plan based on our view of God’s direction. There are often individuals that stand out as leadership candidates. God may call one of them. Yet God may call someone that our flesh overlooks. A different kind of leader seeks after God for a leadership succession plan. The Bible contains many examples of leaders that men overlooked. Moses would have been too humble to pass any leadership trait test. David was the youngest of his father's sons, at the bottom of his family's line of respect. Timothy was considered to be too young to lead. God called each of these people because they were His chosen ones. As a leader we need to seek after the Spirit of God to learn whom God is calling to be our successor. Epilogue: What's Next? Jesus is the best model for leadership ever given to man. There will never be anyone that comes close. Jesus was both man and God, so His example is extremely important for us to follow. Jesus had a reason for coming to earth. Everything that He did while on earth was an integral part of His plan. Jesus called men to follow Him. He taught them about the kingdom of God. He tenderly guided them, encouraged them and even rebuked them for cause. He successfully accomplished His mission on earth and now resides in heaven. Jesus went there ahead of His children. He continues to work on behalf of His children as He sits with the Father in heaven. Jesus was and remains a leader. It is interesting that the dictionary definitions of leadership could have been developed from an examination of Jesus’ life. The author’s story is the least important of those given, but it will serve as an illustration of where things can and do go “wrong” - not wrong in God’s grand design, but quite different from what we expect. I was 35 when I was laid off from my “dream” job. I served as a consultant to very large technology companies. Our firm had some financial reverses, and about two thirds of the employees had to be let go. I was devastated, angry and hurt. I could not see this for what it really was: part of God’s plan to draw me to Himself. I can see it now and certainly thank God for rescuing me. After being laid off I continued the same type of consulting to the same companies for about three years. I became uneasy in this work and felt that God had something else for me, even though I had no idea what it would be. I became more interested in things of God, and finally surrendered to Him in 1984. After becoming a Christian I had great expectations of what God would do for me! I prayed and thought, but not much transpired. I developed some software for churches to use on microcomputers. That endeavor was not very successful. I formed an organization with two other Christians to make videos for churches - with a similar result. The three of us developed a process for helping people with financial problems. We would analyze an individual’s finances and make recommendations. No success here either. In ten years of working through these ventures I nearly always felt that I was in the perfect will of God. I matured enough spiritually to recognize that what God would do for me was conform me more to the image of His son, not necessarily cause me to have a successful business. I was at times frustrated that I didn’t experience success, but I knew that somehow I was doing and learning what God intended. My current business is very different from the rest. I work in the industry of agriculture. I have been making specialized agricultural implements to dispense “good” bugs for about ten years. There are “bad” bugs that eat crops and “good” bugs that eat the “bad” bugs. If you dispense “good” bugs near the “bad” bugs, you often get a good result: fewer “bad” bugs and more “good” bugs. I can't report any great success in this endeavor either. I am looking at other ways that technology can be used in a cost effective way in agriculture. Have I found God’s perfect plan for my career? Time will tell. Only God knows. Could it be that I work on a series of relatively unproductive projects, but do so to the glory of God? Perhaps, yet I have experienced God’s peace in my life at each step along my trail. I don't often fret and am learning to become "joyful always." I have learned to submit more things to God in prayer - not just do something and ask Him to bless it. I am seeking to be conformed more and more into the image of Christ. I desire to walk more closely in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. I am learning and growing. I believe that I am an effective leader in God’s eyes, regardless of what the world may believe. This brief work has provided you with an overview of Godly leadership. We have seen that Godly leadership is very different from what the world expects. Godly leadership has everything to do with God: it begins with God, is sustained by God, and accomplishes what God intends. Godly leadership obviously begins with being a child of God, to be a Christian. A Christian receives the indwelling Holy Spirit of God that is a critical factor in Godly leadership. The Spirit gives a leader called by God a mission (vision). The Spirit is instrumental in providing insight and encouragement along the way. Godly leadership seeks to call attention to God. A Godly leader recognizes that it is God's Spirit that causes people to accomplish things, so that it is God that should receive the credit for accomplishment. Godly leadership involves the setting of an example. It involves being a servant first, leader second. An effective Godly leader acts as a shepherd. God provides gifts to His children that He calls to lead. More importantly though, God provides His Spirit to activate the gifts that He provides. It is through submission to His Spirit that a Godly leader learns to love one another, submit to authorities, to learn from God's discipline, to plan, wait upon the Lord, and to do everything else expected of a Godly leader. Godly leaders are subjected to trials as are all of God's children. The trials serve the same purpose, which is to make us mature and complete. The trials may come as opposition, conflict, rejection, or resolving leadership succession. A Godly leader can stand firm with assurance that God will use every trial for the betterment of the leader. If these words have had the intended effect, you should be thinking about the application of this material in your life. Perhaps you have some questions: How does one become a Godly leader? Can this material be substantiated from the Bible? These questions will be answered in subsequent works, Lord willing. You are welcome to contact me with comments or questions. AgAttack@comcast.net |
|
Copyright © 2000-2006
|