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Learning to Lead like Jesus: 11 Principles to Help you Serve, Inspire, and Equip Others. Boyd Bailey You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church . . . and Rethinking Faith. David Kinnaman Learning to Lead like Jesus: 11 Principles to Help you Serve, Inspire, and Equip Others
Boyd Bailey Learning to lead like Jesus is a lifelong education. We never graduate from Christ's leadership school, but we do advance as we become wiser students through our own struggles, failures, and successes. [pg 17] Humility looks for opportunities to teach and serve society's marginalized. [pg. 29] Wise leaders humbly measure their own words to bring healing, not hurt, to others. "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3). [pg. 33] He respected me as an individual, and he and his wife, Fay, honored my family by getting to know us in such a way they could pray for us with understanding. [pg. 43] Wisdom in leadership would rather protect the relationship than win the argument. [pg. 46] LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back, Guilty of dust and sin. But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack From my first instance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning If I lack'd anything. "A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here": Love said, "You shall be he." "I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear, I cannot look on Thee." Love took my hand and smiling did reply, "Who made the eyes but I?" "Truth, Lord; but I have marr'd them: let my shame Go where it doth deserve." "And know you not," says Love, "Who bore the blame?" "My dear, then I will serve." "You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat." So I did sit and eat. [Love by George Herbert; pg. 47] It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable. [Moliere; pg. 59] When we give others permission to stick their noses into our business, to ask the hard questions, and to call us out when our behavior does not match what we say we believe, we are accountable. Trusted friends who love us should love us enough to question our motives and move us closer to the heart of Christ. The person whose spouse feels comfortable to call a friend of theirs to share a concern about their behavior--that is accountability. The goal is not just to keep us from foolish decisions, but to grow us in wise decision-making. Good questions help us examine our hearts. Twelve accountability questions that can clarify our intentions: 1. Why do you want to...(change your joy, leave your church, go into debt, etc.)?2. How does the Bible address this issue? 3. What does your spouse think? 4. What's best for you family, your faith, and your friends? 5. Does this decision align with your life purpose and long-term goals? 6. Are there any of your actions or attitudes you would not want posted on social media? 7. Are you sure you want to do this? 8. Have you adequately prayed about this decision and thought through its implications? 9. Are you reacting out of anger and fear, or responding out of forgiveness and faith? 10. What advice would you give someone else in your situation? 11. Is this the story you want to write for your life and later have told about you? 12. What would Jesus do? [pg. 59-60] Adultery is impossible if a man is never alone with a woman who is not his wife, or if a woman is never alone with a man who is not her husband. Old fashioned? Probably. Too narrow? Perhaps. Wise? Absolutely. [pg. 61-62] Above all else, live like you are accountable to Almighty God, as one day we will all give an account to Him for our actions. [pg. 64] We came up with three questions for each of us to discuss on our call: 1. What is the Lord teaching you? 2. What are you learning from your family? 3. What is your biggest challenge at work we can pray about for you? [pg. 72] Procrastination could delay a blessing the Lord Jesus has for you life. Low priority tasks may be more fun and easier, but high priority tasks bring the best long-term fulfillment. [pg. 74] Relational leaders value relationships--sometimes more than measured results. [pg. 84] So how is your relational portfolio? Is it diversified with people who bring value to all aspects of your life? Conversely, are you intentional in investing time and interest in those who look to you for guidance? Quality of life flows not just from receiving wisdom but from giving wisdom. Wisdom works both directions for the good of the relationships. [pg. 84] There is nothing more important than sharing life together. People are lonely today because they are building walls instead of bridges. But the main reason I invest in others is because this was God's strategy for bringing life to a dead world. Emmanuel (God with us) selected purposeful proximity as His strategy. He could have come as an idea or a light, but He came as one of us and walked with us. The word relationship comes from the Latin relationem meaning "a bringing back, restoring." So many of us have the tendency to get off track from being who God desires us to be. Relationships bring us back and restore us to who God created us to be, with intimate relationships with Jesus Christ." [Dan Glaze; pg. 86] There is no greater ministry than investing in others. [Dan Glaze; pg. 87] Who needs your intentional attention in this season of life? A co-worker? A relative? A neighbor? Relational involvement is messy, so ask the Lord for His grace, patience, and forgiveness to fill your soul. Go the extra third and fourth mile to serve, even if someone takes advantage of your goodwill. It's better to take the risk to love than to withhold your affections from a hurting heart. If you receive a cold shoulder for your care, keep a warm heart. Love is the best relational investment. [pg. 88] Be a student of your spouse. Learn how they like to be loved, as you both patiently stay in a prayerful process. [pg. 95] Lead first and be a friend second. An effective and efficient enterprise understands that leadership trumps friendship. [pg. 96] Truth invigorates the teachable heart. [pg. 100] A wise leader waits for the best time for new idea. [pg. 104] What is unclear becomes lucid as you wait on the Lord. [pg. 105] The Holy Spirit directs a life in motion, so stay in the process of proceeding through the unknown. The promised land is acquired by those who learn and apply their heavenly Father's promises. [pg. 105] You must arrange your days so that you are experiencing deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God. [John Ortberg; pg. 115] The Spirit uses our discipline to defend us against our adversaries, and ultimately defeat the devil's temptation. [pg. 115] Once upon a time, in a not-so-faraway land, there was a kingdom of acorns--a myraid of acorns nestled at the foot of a grand, old oak tree. Since the citizens of this kingdom were modern and fully Westernized acorns, they went about their business with purposeful energy. Since they were mid-life, baby-boomer acorns, they took a lot of self-help courses. There was a seminar called "Getting All You Can Out of Your Shell." There were woundedness and recovery groups for acorns who had been bruised in their original fall from the tree. There were retreats and spas for oiling and polishing those shells, and various acornopathic therapies to enhance longevity and well-being. One day in the midst of this kingdom there suddenly appeared a knotty little stranger, apparently dropped out of the blue by a passing bird. He was odd: capless and dirty. He made an immediate negative impression on his fellow acorns. Crouched beneath the oak tree, he stammered out a strange and wild tale. Pointing upward at the tree, he spoke to all that would listen to him and said, "We...are...that!" Delusional thinking, obviously, the other acorns concluded. But one or two of them continued to engage him in conversation. "So tell us, how would we become that tree?" 'Well," said he, pointing downward, "it has something to do with going into the ground, and cracking open the shell." "Insane!" they responded. "Totally morbid! Why, then we wouldn't be acorns anymore!" [Acornology; pg. 117-118] Brother Marcellus said, "Boyd, do you want to know what it means to walk in grace and humility with Jesus Christ?" Yes," I said. He continued, "Any time you are hurt or offended, the time it takes for you to thank God and forgive is an indicator of how close your walk is with Christ." He help up his two bony pointer fingers six inches apart, and slowly moved them together." Some have a lifetime of unforgiveness, and they die in bitterness. For others, it takes years to forgive; for others, months; for others, weeks; for others, days; for others; hours; for others, minutes; for others, seconds; and for those who walk is closest to Christ, their forgiveness and thanksgiving is simultaneous to the offense." I was breathless. My soul stimulated, my emotions elevated, I asked my heavenly Father to remove any unforgiveness or ingratitude lingering in my heart. I felt free indeed! [pg. 121] He said, "Boyd, instead of talking to ourselves during the day, we need to take those same conversations and have them with our heavenly Father. That is prayer! So, when we are unsure, we ask Him about it. When we are angry, we work it out with Him, by thanking Him and processing with Him." [pg. 121-122] There is a universal language the Lord speaks, and it is silence. [pg. 123] Silence is the soul's remedy for spiritual fatigue. Be still. Are you becoming fluent in God's language of silence? Are you able to comprehend what Christ says to your heart through Holy-Spirit-inspired Scripture, and through His creation? Be still and know He is God. Be still and know He is. Be still and know Him. Be still and know. Be still. Be. This is something to be learned, just like any new language. [pg. 123] "Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." [Dallas Willard; pg. 124] Most of all, slow down to be with your Savior. Christ grants clarity and confidence in an unhurried prayer time. [pg. 126] "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." [GK Chesterton; pg. 129] Grateful leaders are intentional in investing in relationships in need of restoration. [pg. 134] Forgiveness is a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness. [Source; pg. 157] Past hurt converted into present healing. [pg. 160] Wisdom in leadership works toward healing bruised and broken relationships. [pg. 161] Jesus set the table for forgiveness by defining a precondition for forgiveness: humility. Children are capable of quick forgiveness because they easily allow love and humility to mold their lives. Humility precedes forgiveness. [pg. 161] In other words, Jesus taught Peter to forgive others as our heavenly Father has forgiven us: all of our sins--past, present, and future! [pg. 165] Compassion looks a person in the eye and wonders what they have experienced. [pg. 168] Even the most faithful need to know they are known and loved by those who lead them. [pg. 178] When our discomfort intersects with God's comfort, we can comfort others. [pg. 180] Remain true because there is no limit to what the Lord can do. Giving is not for you. [pg. 186] A white stallion rode into the paddocks of an old man and all the villagers congratulated him on such good fortune. The old man only offered this: "Is it a curse or a blessing? All we can see is a sliver. Who can see what will come next?" When the white horse ran off, the townsfolk were convinced the white stallion had been a curse. The old man lived surrendered and satisfied in the will of God alone: "I cannot see as He sees." And when the horse returned with a dozen more horses, the townsfolk declared it a blessing, yet the old man said only, "It is as He wills and I give thanks for His will." Then the man’s only son broke his leg when thrown from the white stallion. The town folk all bemoaned the bad fortune of that white stallion. And the old man had only offered, “We’ll see. We’ll see. It is as He wills and I give thanks for His will." When a draft for a war took all the young men off to battle but the son with the broken leg, the villagers all proclaimed the good fortune of that white horse. And the old man said but this, "We see only a sliver of the sum. We cannot see how the bad might be good. God is sovereign and He is good and He sees and works all things together for good." [pg. 188] Character creates moral authority that qualifies a leader to dispense their responsibilities with effectiveness. [pg. 190] Wisdom in leadership sees life experiences as opportunities to grow our character more like Christ's. [pg. 190] Our character grows as we understand and apply wisdom to every life experiences. There are no shortcuts to obtaining wisdom and discernment; they come in bite-size portions. [pg. 190] Are you focused on the depth of your character? Or is it only on the surface--just saying the right things to get the most expedient results? Are you committed to the long-term discipline of overcoming adversity at work, home, and relationships so you truly push past immature thinking and develop a mature mind? [pg. 191] Heavenly Father, by Your grace I will focus on the depth of our relationship, and I will trust You with the breadth of my influence. [pg. 192] Faithful leaders focus on depth of character and trust God for breadth of influence. [pg. 192] We learn truth so we can apply it to life. Unused truth expires and becomes stale. When you hear truth and put it into practice, you are being wise. When you hear truth and ignore its application, you are being foolish. Foolish is the person who acknowledges truth outwardly but never applies it inwardly. Their foundation for faithfulness is fragile, so when the winds of adversity swirl and blow, their character collapses under the crushing power. [pg. 196] Right now is the wisest time to receive His gift of grace and to graft it into your life. [pg. 196] Focus on building the foundation of your life and character, one brick of truth at a time. [pg. 197] "I have come to believe that true Christian leadership is an ongoing, disciplined practice of becoming a person of no reputation, and thus, becoming more like Christ in this unique way. In his reflections on Christian leadership, Henri Nouwen refers to this as resisting the temptation to be relevant. He says, "I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self."" [R. Scott Rodin; pg. 215] "Samuel anointed David before appointing him King. The selection criteria for leadership was not based on would most likely get the appointment, but whom God had anointed for this task. And appointment without anointment always led to disaster." [R. Scott Rodin; pg. 215] "The central question [of the heart of Christian leadership] is, are the leaders of the future truly men and women of God, people with an ardent desire to dwell in God's presence, to listen to God's voice, to look at God's beauty, to touch God's incarnate Word, and to taste fully God's infinite goodness?" [Henri Nouwen in R. Scott Rodin; pg. 221] "When God uses us to lead, and lead effectively, we should fall on our knees in wonder and thanksgiving that we have seen again the miracle worked in our midst. However, it is far too easy for us to take ownership of this miracle and to believe that these results are due to our own wonderful abilities and leadership qualities. If and when we make this subtle yet devastating shift, the efficacy of our leadership for the kingdom is over. We are on our own, cut off from the power and preservation of the Spirit. Every leader finds himself or herself there at some point in their work, and it is a terrifying place to be!" [R. Scott Rodin; pg. 223] "Some leaders worry themselves into nameless graves, while here and there some forget themselves into immortality." [R. Scott Rodin; pg. 225] "The goal of the Christian leader must be to go to bed every night with a clear conscience and a right heart with God. God only asks one thing of leaders, that we seek with all our heart to know and do His will. Before taking on my leadership position I spent a couple of hours with a man whom I respect for his wisdom and leadership abilities. He gave me encouragement and good advice, and before I left he told me something that both inspires and haunts me to this day. He said, "Scott, in whatever you do, always strive to be a man that God can trust." I now believe that a man or woman that God can trust is one who seeks only the applause of nail-scarred hands. It is also one for whom the cultivation of reputation carries no value." [R. Scott Rodin; pg. 226] "In the end, our work as leaders is all about lordship. Before it is about vision-casting or risk-taking or motivating others or building teams or communicating or strategic planning or public speaking, it is about lordship. Where Jesus is singularly and absolutely lord of our life, we will seek to b like him and him only. That will be our sole calling. We will be called to our work and that work will carry God's anointing. We will be called to decrease that Christ may increase. We will be called to be people of God before and as we do the work of God. We will be called to pray and look for the miracle of leadership that God may work in our midst. And we will be called to strain our ears for that one sweet sound of two nail-scarred hands affirming all that we do in his name. In these ways, in responding faithfully to this calling and striving after these ideals at the cost of everything else that may tempt us, we become leaders. And as we do, we will be transformed into the likeness of Christ, becoming leaders of no reputation." [R. Scott Rodin; pg. 227] You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church . . . and Rethinking Faith
David Kinnaman As a consequence many of today's exiles, while they are not political exiles in the Old Testament sense, feel isolated and alienated from the Christian community--caught between the church as it is and what they believe it is called to be. [pg 77] They [exiles] are not disillusioned with traditions; they are frustrated with slick or shallow expressions of religion. In some of our research, we discovered a common theme to be "I want to be part of Christian community that is more than a performance one day a week." [pg 78] They [exiles] have not found faith to be instructive to their calling or gifts. . .The ways career and calling connect to faith and church community seem to be missing pieces in the puzzles for many young exiles. [pg 78] "I wish the church-at-large would understand that our children are called to mission fields that aren't located on a globe but may be more culturally impacting than mission fields we currently recognize." [pg 80] Could it be that the growing desire for mainstream influence among the younger generation is the work of God--preparing them to bring restoration and renewal to our culture? [pg 103] I am concerned that too many Mosaic Christians are so interested in pursuing the good, the true, and the beautiful that they forget to acknowledge and draw near to the source of those pursuits--Jesus. [pg 103] Oh, no single piece of our mental world is to be hermetically sealed off from the rest, and there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!' [by Abraham Kuyper] I believe that the Christian church in the United States has a shallow faith problem because we have a discipleship problem. [pg 100] "Now I am focusing on going deep with a lot fewer young people." [pg 124] If churches are too big to provide that level of life-on-life focus, can we grow the next generation of Jesus's disciples? [pg 125] This generation wants and needs truth, not spiritual soft-serve. . .This is a generation hungry for substantive answers to life's biggest questions. [pg 127] The issues and debates are not unimportant, but the relationships in Christ are of paramount importance. [pg 146] "Sometimes I wish I could just push the belief button." [pg 188] Not all of us may agree with everything these young exiles say and do. I believe, though, that we ignore the institutional doubts of the next generation at our peril. [pg 191] I believe unexpressed doubt is one of the most powerful destroyers of faith. [pg 192] We cannot argue anyone--young or old--out of doubt. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. But we can try to appreciate how doubts affect real individuals and walk with them as they face vexing questions about life, God, and themselves. [pg 197] "And one has doubts about one's doubts." In a misguided abdication of our prophetic calling, many churches have allowed themselves to become internally segregated by age. [pg 203] I am saying that our programs need to be reevaluated and revamped where necessary to make intergenerational relationships a priority. [pg 204] If you are a young Christian, whether a nomad or an exile, pursue wisdom from older believers. [pg 204] Ask yourself how available you have been to younger Christians. [pg 205] Frankly, deep relationships happens only be spending time, and big chunks of it, in shared experiences. [pg 205] For me, frankly, the most heartbreaking aspect of our findings is the utter lack of clarity that many young people have regarding what God is asking them to do with their lives. [pg 207] They have access to information, ideas, and people from around the world, but no clear vision for a life of meaning that makes sense of all that input. [pg 207] Jesus knew his followers. If our churches are too large to cultivate this type of knowing, then our ministries are likely too large to disciple as Jesus did. [pg 209] Our children can't "catch" what we don't already have. [pg 209] One of the big lessons I have relearned through this project is that we don;t have to agree on everything to remain in Christ-centered community. [pg 214] "When you're honest with your story, when you share the truth about who you are and what you struggle with, you give others a tremendous gift: the gift of going second." [pg 214; John Acuff] "Let's wear our mistakes like a red badge of courage, for the blood soaked in our bandages is not ours, but from the One who healed us." [pg 215; Michael DiMarco] "We need to rediscover the Bible's grand narrative and teach an all-encompassing, multi-dimensional gospel." [pg 216; Krish Kandiah] "But spiritual growth is hand-crafted, not mass-produced. God does not do "one-size-fits-all." [pg 217; John Ortberg] 'For too long, we have assumed that we do good youth or young-adult ministry when we separate kids from the rest of the church. . .We have segregated (believe me, this is not a verb I use lightly) students and young adults from the rest of the church--and it's hurting their faith." [pg 227; Kara Powell] "Holding older adults accountable for discipling younger people will provide sustainable connections between generation." [pg 228; Chuck Bomar] "Too often I summarized Scripture rather than sharing it with them directly. I promised to pray for them at some later, undisclosed time rather than praying for them right then and there." [pg 231; Mark Matlock] "Real substance is the one great foil to the faux world of marketing. That's why authenticity is viewed as today's highest virtue, even when it's ugly or vicious." [Jedd Medefind] Random Assorted Quotes
The biggest mistake you could ever make is to live your life like you'll get another chance to experience all the beauty that surrounds you. - Unknown |
July 2020
Learning to Lead like Jesus Boyd Bailey June 2020 The Children of Hurin J.R.R. Tolkein June 2020 Meditating on the Word Dietrich Bonhoeffer May 2020 Going Solo Roald Dahl April 2020 Prayer: Key to Revival Paul Y. Cho February 2020 Unfinished Tales J.R.R. Tolkien September 2019 The Genesis Record Henry Morris August 2019 Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God Timothy Keller July 2019 The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution Richard Dawkins July 2019 Peary: The Explorer and The Man John Edward Weems July 2019 You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church . . . And Rethinking Faith David Kinnaman June 2019 The Sacred Romance: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God Brent Curtis and John Eldredge June 2019 Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences Howard Gardner May 2019 The Love of God Oswald Chambers May 2019 The Silmarillion J.R.R. Tolkien May 2019 The Origin of the Universe John Barrow May 2019 The Power of Prayer in a Believer's Life Charles Spurgeon (compiled by Robert Hall) May 2019 Last Train to Paradise Les Strandiford May 2019 Rewire Your Heart David Bowden March 2019 The Return of the King J.R.R. Tolkien January 2019 The Two Towers J.R.R. Tolkien January 2019 The Fellowship of the Ring J.R.R. Tolkien December 2018 The Dialogue: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe Clifford Johnson October 2018 Wonder: From Emotion to Spirituality Robert C. Fuller October 2018 Kill the Spider Carlos Whittaker September 2018 The Sense of Wonder Rachel Carson September 2018 The Life of the Creative Spirit H. Charles Romesburg August 2018 The Explicit Gospel Matt Chandler July 2018 Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen July 2018 Faith Forward Future Chad Veach July 2018 The Diversity of Life E.O. Wilson June 2018 The Invention of Air Steven Johnson June 2018 How We Decide Jonah Lehrer June 2018 On Intelligence Jeff Hawkins and Sandra Blakeslee May 2018 Why? What Makes Us Curious? Mario Livio May 2018 The Wonder of Birds Jim Robbins March 2018 The Nature Fix Florence Williams March 2018 Spiritual Power Sherwood Eliot Wirt March 2018 Empowering Leadership Michael Fletcher March 2018 Yawn: Adventures in Boredom Mary Mann December 2017 In the Heart of the Sea Nathaniel Philbrook July 2017 Living Water Brother Yun July 2017 Endurance Alfred Lansing June 2017 The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor Gabriel Garcia Marquez June 2017 The Wild Places Robert MacFarlane June 2017 The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World's Religions Brandon Toropov and Father Luke Buckles June 2017 The Shack W.M. Paul Young June 2017 How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking Jordan Ellenberg May 2017 Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen |
