Next Level Leadership Training: Volume One

Next Level

Leadership Training

Volume One

RICK JOHNSTON

Copyright © 2015 Rick Johnston.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.

Scripture taken from the Amplified Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All Scripture quotations in this publications are from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

All Scripture text in bold throughout the book is the author’s emphasis and is not used in the particular Bible version quoted. The bold text used in Scripture references at the end of each chapter (also not found in the published versions of the particular Scripture version) is used to show the thread of truth being referred to in the body of the text.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-2808-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-2807-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015904072

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 4/28/2015

Contents

Leadership is…

1. The Leader and His Punctuality

2. The Leader and Personal Development

3. The Leader and His Words

4. The Leader and ….Healing the Sick

5. The Leader and A Lifestyle of Serving

6. The Leader and A Culture of Honour

7. The Leader and Platform Protocols

8. The Leader and Message Preparation and Delivery

9. The Leader and Self-Appraisal

10. The Leader and Family Life

11. The Leader and Local Church Commitment

12. The Leader and ….His or Her History

13. The Leader and Adultery

14. The Leader and Personal Hygiene

15. The Leader and Prayer

16. The Leader and Unity

17. The Leader and Discouragement

18. The Leader and Change

19. The Leader and Motives

20. The Leader and Pastoral Care

21. The Leader and Counselling

22. The Leader and Hospitality

23. The Leader and Purpose

24. The Leader and Promotion

25. The Leader and Faith

26. The Leader and Reproducing Yourself

27. The Leader and Gratitude

28. The Leader and Insecurity

29. The Leader and Holiness

30. The Leader and Confidentiality

31. The Leader and Devotional Life

32. The Leader and The Temptation To Quit

33. The Leader and Kingdom Focus

This book is dedicated to my dear wife, Merilee, who has supported me, walked with me and added to me, through all the years of learning and teaching. It is dedicated to my children who have contributed an immeasurable source of wisdom and encouragement and joy to me as a father. It is also dedicated to my spiritual fathers, Dick Iverson, Kevin Conner, and Bob Stricker who taught me and helped shape who I am today. Their legacy lives on, not only through me but through the contributions they have made to the development of leaders around the world. It is also dedicated to many sons and daughters in the gospel that God has privileged me with, that have taught me so much beyond their knowing. Special thanks to Michael Praverman for his tireless efforts in reading and editing the manuscript. Finally, it is a recognition that all that is good and eternal is as the Scripture says, from Him, through Him, and to Him… -- to Him be the glory. May any insight received from this text lead the leader into more of the Word and more of Him, for the Scripture says, "…in the volume of the book it is written of Me." (KJV emphasis mine)

To The Teacher

Leadership is meant to be developed in the same way as children are to be matured through the training of their parents. These lessons are meant to be used as a basis for instruction and discussion and can be taken in any order that the teacher believes is best. Scripture references for all Bible passages, not quoted in full, in the lesson, are all given at the end of each lesson, for reference in teaching. The teacher, in preparation for teaching, would be well advised to look at all the Scriptures so as to capture the full message of the lesson.

Turning to the Scriptures and referring to them in the teaching process is vital, as it is the Word of God that the Holy Spirit places into the hearts of leaders in training. All Scripture references used are the New International Version (2011 Anglicised version) except where specifically stated otherwise.

There are some project or implementation tips given at the end of some of the lessons. These tips can help would-be leaders to more fully integrate, what they have come to understand, into their lives. As the teacher will be training leaders for the rest of his life, there is no hurry to get through the material. Plants that grow the fastest are often weak and unstable. Any lessons that include concepts that are unsuitable to a particular context can simply be accommodated by saying, in our context, we would do the following rather than what the text states.

The lessons endeavour to focus on five primary areas of leadership development: character issues, practical issues, relational issues, theological foundations and principles of supernatural ministry. The goal of this course is two-fold: 1) to develop total life maturity in the men and women being trained and 2) to develop a culture of love, unity and power among the team of those being trained. As a leader, you will only have the team that is powerful, loving and unified, if you train them to be so. Go for it! The wisdom and enablement that was His, in making a team of leaders that turned the world upside down, is on you!

Leadership is…

Many people think of leadership as simply a role one is asked to fill in the context of the local church. Such a concept is fraught with unforeseen dangers. Leadership is fundamentally, spiritual maturity. As we grow up into Christ in all things, we model character, lifestyle and functions that are consistent with that increasing maturity or spiritual development. I can inspire others to stretch out after God but their spiritual development (which includes taking up certain biblical tasks), is limited by my own spiritual development. Parents cannot reasonably expect their children to act more wisely or more maturely than they do. Many do not discover that leadership is more than a man with a message. The man becomes the message even as Christ, who is the Word, spoke the Word. Leaders are meant to be and to become, the message they trumpet.

This course is designed to focus on the nature of this spiritual development as it is defined in our personal, family, and corporate life. No matter your age or experience, you will always be a learner and growing into greater spiritual maturity like Paul, who near the end of his amazing life, aspired to know Him in even greater ways. Next level leadership is on the table for the rest of your life. To develop a role or function without the corresponding character and Spirit-development is a road to ruin. Many leaders have had awe-inspiring talents but didn’t last the course in integrity and honour. Let us set our hearts to follow Him, pursue Him, find Him, love Him and obey Him. Learning from the greatest leader and teacher of all time, we will lean into the One who draws us on and draws others on, through us. Paul said, …that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. Col. 4:12.

Some leaders will, like the first disciples, leave their careers and take up leadership responsibility and receive financial compensation for it. Jesus called His disciples. It is reasonable to believe that He still does so. Gal. 1:1. Whether the time and circumstances are such that a leader is to leave his or her career and take up leadership, in such a quantity of time, that it necessitates getting paid for it, is not the fundamental issue. Every genuine leader is one who has heard or sensed the call to become a fisher of men by responding to the discipline of training. Becoming what He said He would make them, is a process that is more than instruction, although it includes instruction. Whether you came into leadership responsibility because you came forward and asked for something to do or you were asked to do a certain task, you will inevitably have to recognise that it is God that has called you to serve Him. When and if you do, you will also see that it is His calling that must be supreme in your life. Using His wisdom, you can integrate everything else He requires, to fulfil His mission for your life.

Saying Yes! to the call of God on your life is far more consequential than you realise. It is an adventure of faith, full of exciting challenges, and glorious privilege. Once you have said, Yes to the Master, He takes you forward in relationship, training and service fruitfulness beyond what you could ever dream. Leaders get tired, frustrated, upset, de-motivated and feel uninspired at times. If they submit to those feelings and make decisions on the basis of them, they will drift away from what they have acquired. Sometimes they even drift away from God entirely. God is always leading His people to take up a mandate outside of themselves that is impossible. Only He can sustain and enable what He has designed for each leader. Your leadership will find the greatest level of your endurance and motivation and then call you beyond it. Only then, do you stretch to become a greater expression of the capacity that He in His wisdom has placed within you.

There are two great entities that God is passionate about: His Church and His Kingdom. These lessons are designed to help the leader grow in his partnership with Christ in building His Church and in demonstrating His Kingdom.

John 15:16 NLT says, "You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name."

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and most important command." Matt. 22:37-38 NCV.

Do your best in the job you received from the Master. Do your very best. Col. 4:17 TMV

See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord. Col. 4:17 NIV

The Leader and…..

His Punctuality

The best leaders are those who organise their lives in the way that models their example, enables others to do their job well and minimises stress. Many would-be leaders have a lifetime (as long as they have lived so far) of being late to meetings, appointments and engagements. Their parents did not see to it that they made it to school on time, church services on time, appointments on time, or even events that were important to the child, on time. As adults now, they live with the habit to which they have become accustomed; making excuses to themselves and others that timekeeping doesn’t really matter. Prov. 1:3 NLT says, …to live disciplined and successful lives. This disciplined life, or life lived inside good boundaries, serves and blesses others and diminishes stress.

Why should a leader be a person who is consistently early to engagements?

• We live our lives for the benefit of others. 2 Cor. 5:15. When we are frequently late, we are telling others, You don’t really matter. We are telling the team we are on, I and my stuff are what is important…not you and the team.

• We provide an example for those who follow and those who would develop leadership. John 13:15-16; 1 Cor.11:1; Philippians 3:17; 2 Thes.3:7-9. What kind of example do you present to those who will follow you? Your followers will be like you. You will have no moral authority to adjust any team that you lead, in an area where your example is not what you require of them. If on some occasion you are late, don’t just take others’ time for granted, apologise to them and give your reason to the team leader later—whether a flawed reason or a legitimate one (your car broke down, etc.).

• We decrease the stress levels for ourselves and others by arriving early. When leaders are prepared to begin, they can begin, focussing on the task of leading rather than fixing all the last minute things they haven’t done or they didn’t know they would face before they showed up. If you are on a team or leading a team, the members of the team take their cue from what you do. They assess how important you think their time is and the work that you are doing together, by the way that you approach it. If you approach it haphazardly and carelessly, they will do the same. If you approach it with diligence, enthusiasm and self-discipline, they will tend to do the same. Peace is related to order. Last minute problems create stress levels that potentially diminish excellence in the operation and can decrease morale as time pressure mounts.

• We put another principle in place in our lives that God uses to expand our influence. Prov. 22:29 KJV says, "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men." Good time-keeping habits are a part of being diligent in what we do. Diligence or consistency in punctuality is part of a solid foundation for promotion.

• We maintain a standard of excellence for the whole team. When we fail to be consistent in attendance and punctuality, we lower the standard for leadership for everyone. We are, in effect, saying that being on time or being consistent doesn’t really matter and thus what are doing together isn’t all that important. Consistent lateness is a form of selfishness that drags the rest of the team to a lower level by lowering morale and standards of excellence. 2 Cor. 8:7 says, "…since you excel in everything…."

What is involved in being early to meetings or engagements?

• Planning. Plan to be early, not on time. Too many things come up in life to simply plan to be on time. If you only plan on being on time, you will too often end up arriving late. Sixty-nine times the word, early, is used in Scripture. Leaders lead by example and followers are generally a few steps behind leaders.

An old military saying helps provide a standard for punctuality…if you’re early, you’re on time, if you’re on-time, you’re late, and if you are late, you are dead. Prov. 23:23 NLT says, "Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline and good judgment."

• Scheduling. Ordering your days with life management disciplines will enable you to plan to be early. The Bible records that Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, David and Jesus all rose early in the morning. If you fail to get out of bed early enough, you set in motion the process of failure to arrive early, as you have too much to get done at home, in the allotted time. If you fail to turn off the television and get to bed, you may have difficulty rising in time to bathe, eat, and get out the door in time to be early. Your waking and sleeping schedule has a great deal of impact on your mental awareness of time passing and your plan to leave in time to be early. Setting a specific time and announcing the time that you will be going out the door into the car is a small item with major ability to impact getting to an appointment early. Tomorrow’s success in time-keeping, begins today, as you choose to get to bed early enough to get enough sleep and arise in time to get everything done that has to be done before leaving. You have to structure your life to succeed in order to succeed.

• Excuse-making. Many people make excuses to themselves and to others to legitimise their continual lateness. They have a small family, they are a single parent, they have other things they have to get done, etc., are all excuses they believe are legitimate reasons for being late frequently. If you cannot be early or on time consistently, it is not the right time for you to accept the responsibility of leadership. If there are no solutions or wisdom in God to enable you, to lead as a leader in your situation, it is simply not the right season for you to take up responsibility. Resign graciously, and wait until God gives you the signal that it is the right time to take up responsibility for leading others. Your example provides your greatest leadership, after that, the particular activity that you lead.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you find most challenging in getting places early?

2. What contingencies (things that might go wrong or happen) do you need to plan for in order to be consistently early?

3. What special problems do traffic, bus schedules, children, and slower partners present in becoming a person who is consistently early?

4. What stress, pressure and chaos do you think might be eliminated by being a person who is consistently early?

5. When does planning need to begin to be early for a particular engagement?

6. How early should you plan to be to engagements?

7. How does the number of commitments affect your ability to be consistently early?

8. What is your ‘minimum turn-around’ time from getting home from one engagement to arriving early for the next one?

9. Why is it that sometimes bathing, dressing, and getting out the door take longer sometimes than others?

10. Why do people sometimes ‘leave it too late’ to arrive early?

11. How would a person establish a lifestyle of being early? In what ways would your daily schedule need to be altered to be more consistently on time?

12. Do a study on the word early in the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. What insights are there to be gained?

13. If you are married, which of the two of you is more consistent in time-keeping? Discuss how you can make your partnership effective in better time-keeping. Set in motion the decisions that you make.

14. What are the excuses you have made for being late historically?

Application

Reflect on your punctuality. Isolate without blame or argument, if you are married, what gets in the way of succeeding in punctuality. Decide what steps must be taken in order to succeed. Recognise that you will not succeed in punctuality if you only select to be punctual in relation to church matters. It is a principle that must be applied across the whole of your life.

Read and discuss in small groups the major points of the book, Never be Late Again, by Diana Delonzor.

Punctuality Scriptures

2 Cor. 5:15

"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

John 13:15-16

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Verily, truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him."

1 Cor. 11:1

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

Phil 3:17

"Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do."

2 Thess. 3:7-9

"For you, yourselves, know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, labouring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to imitate."

The Leader and…..

Personal Development

The Bible says, Grow up! The Bible says, Grow up into Him! The Bible says, Grow in grace (Divine enablement) and knowledge! The Bible says, Grow your faith! Your personal development means you stop making excuses to yourself. You make the decision that you are going to take the necessary steps, to develop yourself in ways that God requires, in order to become who you are in Christ. 1 Pet. 2:2; Eph. 4:15; 2 Cor. 10:15. No more do you say to yourself or others, I don’t read well, I don’t have time, I have children, I study for my career, etc. If you are to be the leader that God intends, you will ever be advancing your personal inner expansion through reading, being mentored, being trained, through taking opportunities, through prayer, and stepping outside your comfort zone.

Every leader requires continual personal development in order to keep pace with our changing world and the changes taking place in the Kingdom. Without it, we end up dated, irrelevant, out-of-touch, and missing the mark in our efforts. Most people live in the same patterns of mind and subsequent tracks of relating and doing. The same people, the same activities, the same locations, and the same thoughts, all have the potential of causing us to live in ruts, eventually becoming discouraged. Even though we have an unchanging God and an unchanging Word from Him, we must ever be changing, growing and learning…that we might respond to our ever-changing world, with a now word and the ‘present truth’ that the Holy Spirit is saying across the globe. We must ever become bigger people inwardly. We need an up-to-date experience with God. Isa 43:19 says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" 2 Pet. 3:18 NKJV; Rev.2:7.

Rev. 3:16-17 TMV says, You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that, in fact, you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.

A good leader is ever the learner, a student, as much as a teacher. 2 Pet.3:18. As we often use only a small percentage of our potential and ability, we must cultivate what we have not cultivated.

1. Read some books that inspire your devotional life.

2. Read some books that expand your understanding of your area of responsibility or calling, i.e. worship, audio, stewarding, teaching, children’s ministry, etc.

3. Read some books that inspire the supernatural side of your life and enlarge your faith. Determine how you can hear from God more often.

4. Watch some DVDs or television programmes that stir you to act in some God-approved way.

5. Embrace some new technology so you don’t end up out of touch with what can make your life easier, better, and knowledgeable of what others take for granted and talk about. Don’t be afraid to jump into the learning curve of something new. Don’t make excuses for being lazy.

6. Get some new Bible software or update your personal computer, ipad or smartphone.

7. Go away for three days of fasting and prayer.

8. Attend some conference that will help you see and hear outside your world.

9. Buy some new Christian music and check out some Christian music that is outside your norm or personal preference.

10. Find out what God is saying to the Body of Christ worldwide.

11. Organise your life better. Examine your weekly schedule and make adjustments.

12. Engage others in discussions of what you have discovered in the Bible and what they have discovered.

13. Take some time to talk over very significant life issues of your own with someone older and wiser.

14. Suspect that you could improve in a number of areas and seek how you can do this.

15. Volunteer to do something that you have never done before.

16. Meet up with someone who is a believer outside your age bracket and get to know their world.

17. Spend more time speaking in tongues so that the creativity and voice of the Holy Spirit would occur more often.

18. Make a list of your skills and ask God how you can sharpen them.

19. Do a thorough Bible study on your weaknesses.

20. Get your email on your phone.

21. Hear from God and take some steps of faith you have never taken before, no matter how small.

22. Start setting aside some money to go on a ministry trip to some country or place you have never been to before.

23. Work on your physical conditioning. The body you presently have, is the body you have, to live in, in a healthy condition for the rest of your life. Feeling better, you will think and act better. Stop making excuses to yourself about your physical condition.

24. Decide on how you can make prayer a more frequent part of your life.

25. Drink more water to both hydrate and cleanse your system.

26. Examine your waking-sleeping cycle to see if it needs improvement.

27. Improve some relationships that you have taken for granted.

28. Give up some legitimate personal activity for higher gain.

29. Engage with unbelievers more significantly to see, hear, and understand their world and provide enlightened opportunity to reach them. These are redemptive friendships or friendships for the sake of redemption, not to satisfy your personal needs for friendship.

30. Watch less secular television.

31. Ask God and others how you can bring greater excellence to your area of responsibility.

Recommended Topics For Personal Development

Utilise the following topics by searching out resources that will enrich your understanding and enable your growth. 1 Tim.4:6 says, "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you." NKJV

• Prayer

• Administration

• Finances

• Organisation

• Team work

• Faith

• Relationships

• Family

• Marriage

• Public Speaking

• Counselling

• Leadership

• Christian software

• Healing

• Prophecy

• Needs of children, elderly, teenagers, divorced, and addicted

• Challenges and opportunities of being single

Personal development involves the increase of knowledge, skill, understanding, wisdom, and character development. Bigger leaders who accomplish more externally, must never be emaciated and poor inwardly in their relationship to God and their families.

2 Peter 1:2-10 says, "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble…."

The leader that fails to embrace personal development is really saying to themselves, I am satisfied with where I am…I need nothing further, or I don’t have time to do anything more…I do have time to do some other things that add nothing to me, however. Such a leader will not remain a leader for a lifetime. They have plateaued. There will arise challenges they are not prepared to meet. The oil they needed for their lamps they have failed to secure. You are not such a leader. You will embrace whatever steps you need to continue to develop to the fullest expression the Christ who lives within you and the gifts He has given you. You will not stand empty handed before Christ at the end of time or just merit a small reward. You will be a faithful and wise servant ever pursuing Him and His mission through your personal development.

Application

1. Read the following book, Believe That You Can by Jentezen Franklin and write a one page report on what struck you the most from the book.

2. Purchase PC Study Bible from Biblesoft.com and install it on your computer as software for studying the Bible. There are many Bible software packages available on the market today. However, PC Study Bible is one of the easiest to learn and use. At the time of writing it does not work well on a Mac-based operating system. If you use a Mac (Apple) machine, you might consider the Logos Bible software package.

3. Read the book, Ruling Your World by David Oyedepo. Underline as you read it, stopping to weigh up what the author is saying about your life.

Scriptures For Personal Development

1 Peter 2:2

"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."

Eph. 4:15

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ."

2 Cor. 10:15

"Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand…."

2 Peter 1:2-3

"Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life and through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

2 Peter 3:18 NKJV

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

Rev 2:7

"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."

2 Peter 3:18

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

The Leader and…..

His Words

God has given every person a most powerful asset: the tongue. The tongue is especially powerful and effective in the life of a leader in that it is a major element in his or her influence. To fail to recognise how much blessing and how much trouble your tongue creates is a most serious failure.

Ps. 12:2-4 says, Everyone lies to his neighbour; they flatter with their lips but harbour deception in their hearts. May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue—those who say, By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us — who is lord over us?"

Often people remember for the duration of their whole lives what someone has said to them—either damaging or blessing them. God communicates all that He is through His acts and His speech. As His representatives, we, too, learn to communicate and deliver the life of God to others by our acts and our speech.

Job 27:4 …my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies.

A great challenge for a leader is to learn to control, by the Spirit, his own tongue. So much hurt, pain, destruction, division, bitterness, anger, revenge, and separation are caused by careless, thoughtless, or carnal words. At the same time, so much bonding, encouragement, mending, caring, energising, hope-building and intimacy is developed through right words. The difficulty lies in how to speak the truth all the time, in love, to everyone, about everything that matters. Sometimes the biblical, wisest thing to say is: nothing. Isa. 53:7; Prov. 17:28.

The Tongue Begins Its Work In The Heart

Heart attitudes are revealed through our speech. Matt. 12:34.

Anger, fear, rebellion, pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, judging and many other things have their residence in the carnal heart. It is the responsibility of the leader to examine his heart (Keep your heart…for out of it comes…; Matt. 15:18, 19) and take the steps to remove from his