Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the month “February, 2026”

23 Feb 2026

Watch Out for the Little Foxes!

Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom. Song of Songs 2:15 ESV

The Bible has a lot to say about money and how to handle it in in a God-honoring way.  Jesus says that how we handle our money will determine how much God entrusts His Kingdom assets to us. 

We remember that money in and of itself is morally neutral – not good, bad, or purple.  But it is the love of money which is the root of all kinds of evil. 1 Timothy 6:10  For those who love money will love this world and its values.  They will seek to accumulate as much money as possible, finding their hope and security in their net worth.  And this then can lead to taking advantage of others, cheating on tax returns, pursuing get rich quick schemes, leading to being distrusted by God.  For He says, “…if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” 

It is the small compromises in money manners that trip us up.  When dealing with money, be careful to avoid any appearance of impropriety.  And be on your guard when you hear an internal voice say, “Oh, that such a small thing, don’t worry about it” or “Don’t be so obsessive about that.  Everyone else is doing it” or “It’s just not that big of a deal.”  There are no small matters when it comes to integrity!

Do you want to have a legacy that reaches to the ends of the earth for the glory of God?  If so, Jesus reminds us that much integrity we have when handling money will determine whether God can entrust us with much more important, eternal things like the souls of men and women.

Watch for the ‘little foxes’ that creep in and spoil the vineyard!

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09 Feb 2026

The Flywheel in Disciplemaking is Evangelism

But as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5 ESV

The purpose of a flywheel is to store kinetic energy and release it to smooth out power delivery.  In a disciplemaking ministry the flywheel is evangelism – taking the gospel to the lost.  Seeing people come to faith in Christ creates great momentum in the rest of the disciplemaking process and attracts those who are practitioners rather than philosophers. 

In personal discipling, focus early with those you help on developing a heart for the lost, praying for the lost, becoming skilled in sharing their salvation story, and in sharing the gospel.  This is especially true if you are beginning to disciple someone who has a Christian background.  Focusing on evangelism will quickly separate those who want fellowship with other believers but are not interested in laboring in the harvest.

An emphasis on reaching the lost will help set a tone for others who are attracted.  They quickly see that foundational to being a disciple is engaging with lost people and helping them move towards a relationship with Christ.  Thus, they begin to get a rudimentary understanding of discipleship and that it is more than just a relationship with Jesus.  It is missional, because God is missional by nature, and it involves helping people know Christ and make Him known.

Recognize that our adversary will actively oppose any initiative towards the lost.  You are a threat to his kingdom.  If he can prevent you from coming to faith, he will diligently work to stop you from sharing it with the lost.  Don’t be surprised when you face difficulties in evangelism.  Expect it.  And do the work of an evangelist to create the flywheel momentum of evangelism in your life and in the lives of those you disciple. 

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