Paul believed a leader should be full of integrity: “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 1:11-12). Two thousand years ago in the […]
Fully Surrendered Leaders Embrace Integrity Over Deceit: What is Integrity, and Where Does a Leader Find It? (1 Thessalonians 1:11-12)
Fully Surrendered Leaders Embrace Integrity Over Deceit: A Deceptive Leader’s Trickery (1 Thessalonians 2:3)
Can you think of a time when a leader deceived you? How did it make you feel? Deception is one of the most difficult behaviors for someone to endure because it tricks its victim into a trap. Fully surrendered leaders embrace integrity over deceit. The Apostle Paul referenced the behavior of charlatans of his day […]
Fully Surrendered Leaders Embrace Authenticity Over Flattery (1 Thessalonians 2:5, 10)
Have you ever complimented someone because you wanted something in return? That’s flattery, which is outside God’s design for a Christ-follower. Paul clearly expressed to the church in Thessalonica: “You know we never used flattery” (2 Thessalonians 2:5). Instead, he and his team led with authenticity: “You are our witnesses, and so is God, of […]
Fully Surrendered Leaders Embrace Generosity Over Greed (1 Thessalonians 2:9)
Are you constantly searching for more? Maybe you are pursuing the next deal, a new truck, a bigger boat, a larger house, a better company, greater achievement, the best nonprofit ministry, or even more to merely survive. Paul cautioned against a self-centered mindset that always wants more. Fully surrendered leaders embrace generosity over greed. They […]
Gentleness Restores a Leader’s Relationships Three-Dimensionally (Matthew 5:5)
Harshness destroys relationships, but gentleness restores them. Jesus taught: “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5 NASB). When leaders surrender to power under the Spirit’s control, they experience the blessings of God three-dimensionally. First, gentleness restores our relationship with God. Jesus said that His gentleness restores our souls (see Matthew […]