The Art of Leadership (Part 1)

Jill Briscoe

Philippians 1:12-20

To understand the art of leadership, it is imperative to understand yourself and God. You can only lead people as far as you have gone yourself with the Lord. Opening up the book of Philippians we see Paul write down the art of the Christian life. Like Paul, we too can bring people along with us as we understand and relate to God in deeper ways.

God Speaks!

Dennis McCallum

Daniel 1:1-20

At a time when the Jewish nation has been beaten down yet again, and many have been taken captive by the Babylonian empire, a young Jewish man named Daniel comes on to the scene. Daniel and a few of his friends are specially selected to live in the palace and be trained and taught as Babylonians. They are offered wealth, power, and prestige but at a price - as they are called to give up their cultural and religious identity. Daniel and his friends are respectful but firm in their refusal to conform, and God provides for them as a result! We face many similar choices where we are told to compromise, will we stand firm?

The God Who Provides

Jim Leffel

Exodus 16-17

When the Israelites wandered in the desert, God led them through various trials in order to teach them dependence on Him. The manna he showered down on them represents God's deeper provision for our soul; the water from the rock is symbolic of God as our rock. The Lord wants to fill our lives the way He filled the Israelites with manna and water. In order to do so, He will lead us to unfamiliar places so that we are forced to either quit or trust that He will supply what's necessary to continue. Wherever God leads, He will also provide.

God All Powerful

Jim Leffel

Exodus 13:17-14:31

When the Lord parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to escape from the Egyptians, He was demonstrating His mighty power in the midst of the Israelites' all-out weakness. As a result of their dependence on Him, their faith was strengthened. We can also have the supernatural expectation that God can and desires to perform the miracle of heart and life transformation in us. However, it's not until we are totally weak?until we come to the end of ourselves?that we are able to fully trust in God's ability to work in us.

A "Thorn in the Flesh"

Dennis McCallum

Galatians 6:11-17

Paul had a thorn in his flesh that God allowed to be there, this thorn was a reminder to Paul that God's grace is sufficient for him. God will allow us to suffer in order for us to see our need for him in our life. We need to choose to depend on God with our lives to experience the fullness of His love and to powerfully be used by Him.

Asking According to God's Will

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 5:14-15

Understanding how to pray according to God's Will includes: 1) entrusting ourselves to God's loving authority; 2) focusing on God's priorities; and 3) listening to God's Spirit. We must learn humble obedience to listen to His Will and present ourselves to Him, eager to live out His purposes. Our prayers should align with what God cares about including developing our character, sharing His love with others, and becoming more attuned to hear Him through His Word. As we couple our prayers with other Christians' and note the Holy Spirit's leading, we can better understand where God is leading us in our lives.

The Life of a Spiritual Ambassador

Dennis McCallum

2 Corinthians 5:14

Paul explained that as Christians we are ambassadors of Christ, we can either be a stumbling block to the watching world or we can reflect God's love to them. Being an ambassador for God is difficult, but is also deeply satisfying, because it is rich with meaning. God will empower us to do His work, the question is whether we are willing to do it?

Servants of a New Covenant

Dennis McCallum

Exodus 34:29-34

Paul explained that through Christ the veil of the law has been lifted and now we relate to God through grace. Christ died for all of our sins and now we can view our relationship with God as something where we draw near to Him and depend on Him, rather than trying to try to justify ourselves to Him. God's grace offers us freedom and peace as we work with Him.

Withstanding Spiritual Agony

Dennis McCallum

Philippians 4:7

Paul taught us that it is important when we face times of spiritual agony to look back at the message that God has carved into our hearts. God writes His message in our lives through the experiences that we have, where we see Him provide for us or use us in other people's lives. When we look at all that God has done for us, it becomes clear that He will continue to work in our lives, and that we are headed toward overwhelming victory in Him.