Macs

Here is a little study for you... It will only take a few minutes. Open your Bibles to 2Corinthians 8 and read the first 8 verses. Now, get out a pen and paper and list everything you learn in the passage about the Macedonians. Notice how they are described, how they gave to others, etc. What were their priorities? Now, just to let me know you have completed this study (I am watching who participates), write a brief (one sentance is fine) comment on what you learned.

Hope

Are we having fun yet? I gave you one of those sorts of questions that teachers do which drive some people crazy – namely to figure out what I noticed that I want you to notice as well! Your responses thus far included…

Lead, warn, direct, preporation (sic), serve, obey, encourage, preach, persue (sic) and teach. [the (sic) here means spelling in context – in other words I did not correct it]

Two of you nailed it. I would take either preach or teach as the main thrust of what Paul is specifically telling Timothy as a leader that he must do. For Paul, preaching and teaching go hand in hand. They are similar actions that differ mostly in their context. A good preacher is also a teacher. In other words, you ought to learn something new in the sermon each week at your church, or be caused think in a fresh way about something.

Now lets go back a step. I mentioned in a previous post that according to George Barna, leadership is about calling, character, and competencies. I will spend more time on that when we do our next training day. Read Romans 5 (specifically verses 1-5). The context is that Paul is talking about how we are justified by faith and saved by grace. Overall the chapter is fairly heavy stuff, but notice the chain of progression in verses 3-5. He is arguing that suffering can lead to hope. It is worth knowing that when Paul uses the word ‘hope’ it is not like we use the word today. Modern use of the word implies wishful thinking (I hope to buy a cool car someday) but rather a confident knowing that the future holds great things. Along the way between suffering and hope, character is produced.

Read also Psalm 139 and think about how character is developed and how hope is expressed by the writer.

Enjoy! See most of you on Friday at Mondo. Those who are not going, please please please be praying for the students to be really challenged to live a courageous faith!

Leadership Lessons

Well done all who participated in this task! All of you found passages relevant to some aspect of leadership. I want to review these, point out a few things and then give you a brief assignment. If you did not read everyones responses to the last post, be sure you do before reading this post.

Several of you went straight to a primary source for instructions on leadership. Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus are from a leader to a leader and much of it is direct instruction on leading in the church. Y’all would do well to read the Timothy epistles and Titus. Some of you noted that the references to marriage and parenthood are not as relevant but really they are. As young leaders, you need to be in good relationships in the family. This is the toughest place to live out your faith. I find it incredibly challenging!

Ephesians 5:22-33 is a challenging and controversial passage! Plenty of people don’t like what this says! I do think it relates to leadership, but simply in that the instruction is for the man is to be the spiritual leader of the home. Girls, if that is disturbing, look closely at how challenging are the instructions to the husband. Note the comparison to Christ and the church. Husbands are called to be servants to wives! The mystery he mentions is that Jesus would leave heaven on behalf of us (the church) to come die for us.

Acts 18:9-11 is a good reminder that God will protect and provide for his leaders. It also reminds us that the most important task for a leader is to teach the word of God.

In John 13:3-4, 12-17 we see Jesus turn the popular notion of leaders as rulers on it’s head. In other words, Jesus challenges leaders to do the very thing that most leaders would not touch.

1 Cor. 9:19-23 is a great passage on evangelism and how we need to reach out to people where they are at. The danger is that we need to not get caught up in the ways of those we are trying to reach. In other words, we don’t become drug users in order to share the gospel with drug users. Paul is talking in these verses about crossing socio-economic boundaries, not moral boundaries.

Hebrews 13:17 Leaders are also followers. Every leader has a leader whom they need to be obedient to. Glad this verse came up!

Matthew 20:25-28 Again, Jesus turns the expectations of leadership upside down and demands that leaders serve people, not the other way around.

Exodus 18:19-23 An excellent example of the fact that leaders need to delegate tasks. Moses was serving as the judge deciding in disputes between people and got overwhelmed by the amount of work that he was doing himself. God’s plan is the leadership is shared into manageable amounts. Too often leaders get caught in the trap of doing it all themselves. Rectors and youth ministers struggle with this all the time.

Now the assignment… Read the following passages:
1 Timothy 4
2 Timothy 2:14-26
2 Timothy 3:10 thru 4:5

In one word, what is the dominant task that Timothy is instructed to do?