The Act of Choosing Leaders: Popular Selection
April 15, 2020 Leaders choose other leaders to join their team and help carry out the vision. But the process they use to choose varies depending on the context. The Book of Acts provides at least four different ways that the early church selected leaders. One of them was used when the need arose for […]
The Act of Choosing Leaders: Divine Commission
April 1, 2020 Choosing other leaders is one of the greatest challenges of leadership. Most leaders have had some success and likely some failure in this area. The ‘cost’ of failure is high when the selection process does not bring the right person. What is the best approach to find others who will build the […]
Learning from Rehoboam: Leaders Choose to whom they Listen
October 16, 2019 To whom do you listen when you have a tough decision to make? Rehoboam, like all leaders, had a choice to make. And the choice of who the leader listens to can have significant outcomes, as it did for Rehoboam. We have already seen that Rehoboam learned that failing to listen would […]
A Sense of Timing: A Time to Sow
Issue #203, March 22, 2017 The writer of Ecclesiastes, in the passage on timing, says that there is “a time to plant” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Farmers know that there is a time for sowing seeds in anticipation of a harvest. Leaders also recognize the value of sowing. Leaders “sow” ideas in their own minds and plant […]
A Sense of Timing: A Time to Accept a Loss
Issue #201, February 22, 2017 No one loves to lose! No leader intends to lose. It’s hard to accept loss, but there are some times that it is best to accept a loss and move on. King Amaziah learned this leadership lesson at the young age of 25. Amaziah called the people of Judah together […]
A Sense of Timing: A Time to Change Direction
Issue #192, October 19, 2016 Paul was a leader who knew when it was time to stay and when it was time to move on. But he also knew when it was time to change direction. We’ll examine how he adjusted his course in this account from his second missionary journey: Paul and his companions […]
It’s About Timing: Gaining Perspective
Issue #185, July 13, 2016 Great servant leaders not only manage their time well, they have a keen sense of timing. They have a sense of “when” it is the right time to do something. Time management focuses on making effective use of the time available, essentially doing the right things. Certainly leaders need to […]
Quality Assurance: Not Given to Drunkenness
Issue #105, May 7, 2013 Paul’s list of qualifications next mentions that the leader is “not given to drunkenness” (1 Timothy 3:3). It seems obvious that Paul does not want to see leaders staggering after drinking too much alcohol. But his statement should cause even those who drink no alcohol to think more deeply about […]
Quality Assurance: Temperate/Sober-minded
Issue #100, February 25, 2013 After calling leaders to be blameless and to honor marriage commitments, Paul adds to his quality assurance list; the leader must be “temperate” (1 Timothy 3:2). My first response is “What?” Temperate is not a word I use often! Other translations use “vigilant” and “sober-minded.” The main idea is the […]
Nehemiah: Visions Respond to Need
Issue #77, March 14, 2012 We have examined the foundation of Nehemiah’s vision to build the wall. It was based on his character and birthed in prayer. In this issue we’ll observe that Nehemiah’s vision was not about himself but about others. It came as a response to the report he received about Jerusalem. They […]