Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the month “June, 2022”

27 Jun 2022

Coming Alongside Another Leader – 2

For many leaders, the presence of a wiser, more experienced leader who can come alongside and help them not only survive but thrive in their current labors for Christ is immensely helpful. 

So who would function well in this alongsider type role?  From my experience, those who are fruitful in this type of role have several characteristics.  First and foremost, they are mature in their walk with the Lord.  Being old in the Lord does not necessarily mean that we are mature in the Lord.  There are many who are older who are not mature.  And there are many younger in age who are wise and mature beyond their experience. 

A second essential for those who would serve as an ‘alongsider’ is that they must know their Bibles well.  They must have saturated their lives with the Scriptures to such an extent that they can illustrate the ways of God seen throughout the Word, not just quote one or two of their favorite texts. 

A third quality of a fruitful alongsider is that they are excellent listeners.  They would rather here one word from those they serve than ‘pontificate’ 1000 words of their own.  They show a genuine interest in the lives and well-being of those they help, having a holistic interest in all areas of their lives, not just the spiritual components. 

The final quality needed for serving well as an ‘alongsider’ is that of demonstrated self-control.  Note how Jesus introduces the above passage concerning the functions of the Holy Spirit.  In John 16:12 NLT He says, “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.”  Jesus had to hold back some of the things He desired to tell the disciples because they were not ready to receive it.  Jesus demonstrated great self-control in what, how, and when He shared with those He discipled and trained.  We would do well to follow His example. 

For those given the opportunity to come alongside others, helping them not just survive, but truly thrive in their season of life and in their labors for Christ, it is a great privilege.  May we not take this privilege as a ‘right’ to be demanded or expected, but a privilege to be received with humility and grace as we point others to Jesus and His Word.  He is the answer! 

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #4 REPRODUCE - Developing More Leaders and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
20 Jun 2022
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Coming Alongside Another Leader – 1

For many leaders, the presence of a wiser, more experienced leader who can come alongside and help them not only survive but thrive in their current labors for Christ is immensely helpful.  What does an ‘alongsider’ do and who best qualifies to serve in this capacity?

In John 16 Jesus describes the role and function of the Holy Spirit – the Paraclete – who would come alongside of believers after Jesus was gone.  He says in John 16:13-15 (NIV):  “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” [italics added]  These three alongsider functions of the Spirit can help those of us who seek to come alongside others to mentor, coach, equip, and help them.

The first function Jesus mentions is that of ‘guiding.’  The Spirit guides believers to truth.  In our post-modern world, those we help desperately need to be able to discern truth from error, fact from fiction.  They must be reminded of our second Core Value – The truth and sufficiency of the Scriptures for the whole of life.  The Bible is sufficient for equipping us to labor for a life-time!  We will want to not only help them understand the Word, but also help them apply it to their lives. 

The second function Jesus mentions is one of ‘speaking.’  But note that this is not just any speaking.  It is speaking only what the Spirit hears from Jesus.  As we mentor and equip others we want to be very careful to speak what the Word says, pointing them to the authority of the Scriptures for our laboring in life and practice.  It can be tempting to add our own thoughts to the simplicity and clarity of the Word, especially with an eager listener.  James reminds us that those who teach others will be held to a higher standard – both by men and God when He evaluates our service (James 3:1; Hebrews 13:7).  This sobering reminder should give us pause before we add our own thoughts. 

Having said this, one strength of having experience and maturity in the Lord is that we can illustrate from our own lives and ministries how the Lord helped us or others when we are in similar circumstances.  Just be careful how much you ‘share’ for the Spirit is very capable of communicating all that Jesus says with or without our help!  Be slow to speak and quick to listen! 

The third function of the Spirit Jesus mentions is that of ‘glorifying.’  We see that He specifically glorifies Jesus and not Himself.  This is so very important that we also point others to the reality that Jesus will never leave them, always be faithful to them, and give them all they need to accomplish all He desires in and through them.  Jesus IS the answer!

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #4 REPRODUCE - Developing More Leaders and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
13 Jun 2022

Proper Speech

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 16:24 ESV

As followers of Christ we are His representatives.  Those around us are observing our lives to see what difference Christ makes.  One of the main things that people observe about us is our speech.  They watch what we talk about and how we say it.

Disciples of Jesus are to exercise self-control in speech.  We are to speak truthfully and sensitively.  We are to use our words to encourage, comfort, and edify others, carefully avoiding judgmental statements and slanderous remarks.  Once someone is hurt by our words it is difficult to restore the damage (see Proverbs 18:19).

  • Controlling our tongue is a constant struggle.  What is said about proper speech in the following passages? — Ephesians 5:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:12; James 3:1-12
  • The overall tone of a believer’s speech should be positive–encouraging, comforting, and edifying.  What can you observe about positive speech in the following passages? —  Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Question to ponder:  How do you know what is improper speech for a believer?

Passages for further study: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5; Colossians 4:5-6

Posted in #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , ,
06 Jun 2022

Giving Back to GOD

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10 ESV

Giving is a privilege, not a burden; it is an act of joy and not duty.  We give because God first gave to us.  Because God owns everything in this world, He entrusts part of it to each of us to manage.  He still retains ownership, but we are expected to be good stewards of all He owns (Matthew 25:14-30).

Though some believers have the gift of giving (Romans 12:6-8), all are expected to give.  We are to give back to God a percentage of what He has given us.  Believers in the New Testament are given freedom to determine the exact amount we give depending on our faith.

  • In the Old Testament believers were instructed to give specific amounts to God.  But in the New Testament we are free to determine the amount we give.  What is said about giving in the following passages? — 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
  • There are more needs than we can meet, so deciding who to give to can be a challenge.  What do the following passages say about the object of our giving? — Galatians 6:6; James 2:15-16; 1 John 3:16-18

Question to ponder:  Why does God expect you to give?

Passages for further study: Psalm 50:9-12; 1 Corinthians 16:2

Posted in #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , , ,

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