David: Failing Forward
Issue #146, January 7, 2015 After Adam and Eve’s first sin, David’s affair with Bathsheba is perhaps the most widely known failure of all time. It is ironic that after all the great lessons we have learned from David’s life, we read in 2 Samuel 11-12 the sad story of lust, adultery, and murder. Yet […]
Leading From or Towards Intimacy—Part 2
Issue #95, December 4, 2012 In the last issue we looked at the example of Jesus leading and serving from a position of intimacy with His Father. Now, let’s examine what it looks like to lead towards intimacy. All people are created to have an intimate relationship with God. This is evidenced by the deep […]
Grace to lead in a new year
Issue #73, January 11, 2012 As we enter 2012 I've been reflecting on why New Year's Day is a significant event around the world. While we know that nothing really changes from December 31st to January 1st, the mental change is profound and results in massive celebrations in every time zone. I conclude that New […]
Tame that Tongue: Grace to Change
Issue #72, December 28, 2011 In the last three issues we examined the “big three” sins of the tongue: Talking too much, lying, and gossiping. James reminds us that as leaders we are held to a higher level of accountability because of our influence (James 3:1). So, let’s conclude this series by looking at five […]
Moses: A Sinning Servant
Issue #61, July 27, 2011 Moses is a great example of a servant leader, but he wasn’t perfect! Numbers 20 records the story of the sin that would keep Moses out of the Promised Land. The people are thirsty and blame Moses again. Moses cries out to God for direction and God instructs him to […]
Moses: Serving Those Who Won’t Follow
Issue #60, July 13, 2011 The grumbling of the people right after the Red Sea crossing soon turned vicious. First, Moses’ brother and sister who brought him out of the water as an infant complained about Moses’ wife. Then, after the spies brought back their negative report the entire community grumbled and threatened to choose […]
Perceive God’s New Thing
Issue #47, January 12, 2011 Happy New Year! The beginning of a new year is an annual cycle that God built into our world to allow us to deal with the past and have a fresh start. People from every culture gladly welcome a chance to forget the past and have a fresh start. Servant […]
Leading with Joy
Issue #45, December 1, 2010 Paul was chained up in prison, struggling, not sure whether it would be better to live or die, and opposed by people determined to undermine his leadership. In this situation he wrote four chapters of inspiration summarized by one of his opening statements, “And because of this I rejoice. Yes, […]
Grace to Lead
Issue #38, August 25, 2010 Leadership Nuggets from Ephesians, 2 Servant leaders have grace to lead. Paul’s discourse on grace in Ephesians 2:1-10 provides great insight for the role of grace in servant leadership. Grace has been described as “unmerited favor,” God’s lavish goodness to each one of us. The grace Paul describes for all […]
The Leaders’ Identity
Issue #37, August 11, 2010 Leadership Nuggets from Ephesians, 1 Servant leaders influence greatly because they have a strong sense of their identity in Christ. Paul lays the foundation for our identity in Ephesians 1:1-14 and provides several key factors that shape our identity. The principles he lists apply to all believers, but three have […]