Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the category “#1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks”

01 Dec 2025

Greatness and the Servant Leader

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28 ESV

The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:11-12 ESV

Note the context of both of these teachings about greatness in the Kingdom.

In Matthew 20 the two Zebedee brothers, James and John, made a preemptive power move involving their mother’s request to sit on Jesus’ right and left when He takes the throne of His Kingdom. Assuming this would be soon, these two positions would be numbers 2 and 3 in authority and power in the new Kingdom. This self-promotion at the expense of the other 10 apostles did not sit well. They became indignant with this ‘all for me, none for thee’ attitude of the two brothers. Not a good way to build trust with your comrades.

Jesus did not rebuke the brothers for their request. Rather, He simply said that those seats were designated for others.

The second context was in a rebuke of the Jewish religious leaders who loved the trappings of their leadership but were not applying what they taught personally. Position, title, and influence were what they desired rather than serving others.

Both lessons contain the same teaching – greatness in the Kingdom of God is found through becoming a servant. Note that Jesus does not say, “Greatness is found in serving.” Rather, greatness is found in becoming a servant. The issue is one of primary identity. Servant leaders have found their identity is being (becoming) a servant who expresses that identity as a leader who serves others. It is identity first, then the actions/behavior of serving flows from that primary identity.

So, don’t pursue greatness. Pursue becoming a servant and that humility will lead to greatness with leadership influence in the Kingdom.

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17 Nov 2025

The Kingdom and Strategic Growth

In Matthew 13:1-9 we find the familiar Parable of the Sower; one of the few parables of Jesus that He explains. In the parable, the farmer sows seeds that fall onto four different types of soils – hard, resistant ground, rocky, shallow soil, weedy soil, and good ground. Jesus explains that the farmer’s intention is not just scattering seed. But his desire is that the seed eventually produces a crop – the bigger the better.

After sharing the parable, His disciples ask why He teaches in parables (this was a change from His first year of ministry). In Matthew 13:10-17 He explains why parables and then in v. 12 He states a strategic principle –  Whoever has will be given more… The Lord of the harvest seeks to honor those who respond to the message.

In the explanation that follows (Matthew 13:18-23) He explains that the fourth soil person is. “But the one who receives the seed good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it.  He produces a crop…” v 23. The farmer’s goal is realized by those seeds that produce a crop.

Later in Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus shares another parable, The Parable of the Talents. Here He introduces it (v. 14-15) by saying the kingdom is, “…like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property  to them.” The three servants were given different amounts of capital to invest while their master was away – each receiving according to his ability. The first two immediately put the money to work.

After a while the master returned, and the servants were called to an accounting review. They reported their initial capital and the results of their labor. In v. 20-22 the first two say, “You entrusted me with… I have gained…” Note the growth and the master’s approval of their efforts. Also note the third servant is chastised for not growing the initial capital. In v. 27 the master says, “…you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest.”

Finally, in v. 28-29 the master says, “Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.  For everyone who has will be given more and he will have an abundance.” It is a repeat of the same principle stated earlier in the explanation of why speak in parables.

Growth is a Kingdom principle and the Lord desires growth in our ministries. We labor to that end, always acknowledging the truth of 1 Corinthians 3:7 ESV, “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

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03 Nov 2025

All Who Are Weary

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

Kingdom leaders, as with all leadership roles, live full, busy lives. We are constantly having to choose between the good, better, and best things to allow into our jammed schedules. We know we should schedule with margin, but even when we do, those margins are often sacrificed for dealing with the latest crisis du jour. We compliment ourselves for having the margin available to deal with these urgent issues, but neglect the fact that margin was removed that was originally set aside for relaxation, thinking, exercise, or fun.

The habitual neglect of margin leads to laboring with a heavy load – like trying to run a race with a backpack of rocks strapped onto us. We grow weary. Life and leadership become a burden, and joy is replaced with quick-tempered responses and a ‘woe is me’ attitude.

Note how Jesus addresses this. “Come to me,” He says, “and I will give you rest.” That sounds attractive, doesn’t it? But we might not expect what follows. “Take my yoke upon you.” What? I was expecting an invitation to an extended holiday away. Maybe a beach vacation or at least a long weekend break. Instead He invites us to continue to work, but now we are yoked to Him. He is sharing the leadership yoke, and we find He is carrying the load. His yoke is easy and His burden light.

He concludes with this – if we yoke up with Him, we will find rest for our souls. This is where the burden of Kingdom leadership resides – within our souls. Here is where we carry our gut-wrenching leadership decisions that eat away our joy and rot our bones. He promises to shoulder those issues with us, and we will find peace and rest – true rest for our souls.

The invitation stands – Are you weary and weighed down by life and leadership demands? Lay down your efforts and pick up His yoke. You’ll find a great fit and He will carry the load you have struggled with. He is faithful and true!

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06 Oct 2025

Responding to Tragedy

To comment or not to comment? That is the question? When historical events happen around us, leadership has a decision to comment on such or not? We consider that we are setting precedent that will have to be addressed again in the future, no doubt, as unforeseen tragedies will again occur. We must remind our staff that their personal social media accounts are linked to the organization, not just to them personally. We must be wise in what we say or don’t say – we will be quoted – yes, even our silence!

  • How to respond to a tragedy?

Ephesians 5:15-16  –  Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

  • Because the days are evil….. don’t be surprised that the world hates you  –  John 15:18-19  –  “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
  • Because the days are evil….. expect to suffer for Christ –   1 Peter 4:16 – However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
  • Because the days are evil….. be very careful for our adversary is not flesh and blood, but evil forces in high places  –  Ephesians 6:11-12 – Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
  • Because the days are evil….. be wise –  Matthew 10:16  –  I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.  Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
  • Because the days are evil….. build your house on the rock – Matthew 7:24-25  –  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 
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14 Jul 2025

Living and Leading at a Sustainable Pace – 2

Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. 1 Corinthians 16:12 ESV

Note how in this passage Paul ‘strongly urged’ Apollos to go to Corinth to help address some pressing issues outlined in his letter to them. There was a very pressing need in Corinth. And besides this need, the Apostle Paul was also ‘pressing’ Apollos to go. Yet, despite all the pressure from different sides, Apollos refused to go at this time. He would come sometime in the future, but not now.

That decision took a lot of courage! That decision came from someone who would not be intimidated or driven by an urgent request – even though it was legitimate. Apollos knew that some others could and would go (it appears Titus carried the letter to Corinth – see 2 Corinthians 2:12-13). It just wasn’t going to be him at this time. He had his reasons.

Why do Kingdom leaders move to reaction leadership and a personal drivenness to achieve, rather than staying within their God-given boundaries and saying ‘no’ when appropriate? Here are some of the lies we believe that drive us to live and lead at an unhealthy, unsustainable pace.

o “Success in the ministry depends upon me.” We would never say this, but we often live like it!
o “True commitment equals busyness beyond the limits of normal.” You know, leaders are busy people!
o “If I don’t accept this task or opportunity, then I will be left out or considered uncommitted by others.” Their opinion of me really matters for my sense of well-being!
o “I must model a challenging pace to be a good example for those watching me.” What happens when they are not watching me?
o The Should vs Could voices in our heads – “Should” pushes guilt and “Could” opens opportunity to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
o The ‘Messiah complex’ – “Apart from me nothing will get done.” “Your job is to represent the Messiah, not be the Messiah!” Donald Barnhouse
o “These are my disciples–my people, and they need / want / deserve me, not someone else.” You’re really not that important?
o “The Good Leader Syndrome” – adopting someone else’s pace, especially your heroes or your leaders.
o Climbing the organizational ladder for more power / influence – “My performance determines my future, therefore, I will put in more hours, volunteer for all duties, and be sure to quietly remind others of my sacrifice for the cause/team.”
o Lack of moral courage – “Everyone else is doing it, so I must do it too.”
o Self-martyrdom – “I can get by on less,” “I’m the exception,” or “I’ll be back to ‘normal’ soon.”

All of these lies lead to a ‘crash and burn’ ending that is not pretty. Whether we are burning ourselves out, wrecking our marriage, ignoring our children or driving those we lead to exhaustion – all is dishonoring to God. It is not honoring to Jesus or the cause of Jesus to associate Him with our own failings. That reality should stop us in our tracks and end the folly.

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:23 NLT

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02 Jun 2025

Decisions and Learning from Others

I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. Proverbs 24:30-34 NIV

Note that the author of the proverb above was making observations as he ‘walked’ through life. He was observant. He reflected on what he saw and drew some conclusions as a result.

Good leaders are teachable. A teachable attitude and learner’s heart will mean that you accept counsel from others. It can come from the direct counsel or advice of others. It can also come from making observations, reflecting on what you see, and then applying lessons learned from the observations to your life and leadership.

It was Otto von Bismarck who said, ““Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.” In addition to learning from the mistakes of others you can also learn from what they did right. Do not hesitate to ask other leaders if they have experienced similar challenges to those you are currently facing and if so, what they did that was helpful or not.

If you are the senior leader, remember that the counsel from others on your leadership team can be invaluable in difficult decisions. You don’t have to figure it all out yourself! Rely upon the wisdom of your leadership team members when confronting complex issues.

And always remember that Kingdom leaders have The Counselor – the Holy Spirit within you and He will guide and direct you. Pray and ask Him for insight, wisdom, discernment, and the ability to anticipate future consequences of your decisions. The saying is true, “Today’s problems are yesterday’s solutions.” The Spirit’s counsel may come from His voice within (Isaiah 30:21) or perhaps He will direct you through the Scriptures (Psalm 119:105).

Many difficult decisions will need more time to see a way forward. But never ignore tough decisions hoping they will solve themselves. They most often get worse, not better. When the time to decide arrives you will almost always feel that you need more time or data to make a good decision. Make the decision and live with the results! And on a day when the decision is to be made, do it early in the day, otherwise it will be a ‘low hanging cloud’ over all other activities until completed.

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21 Apr 2025

There’s Still Much to Do

Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. Joshua 13:1 ESV

It had been quite the life for Joshua! He had apprenticed under Moses for 40+ years, most of those spent in the desert as God led Israel’s wanderings until they finally reached the east side of the Jordan River. Here his mentor, Moses, died and Joshua was commissioned by God to take his place.

After finishing the mourning period for Moses, the nation moved out, miraculously crossing the Jordan at flood stage just as Moses had led Israel through the Red Sea. They conquered Jericho with a shout and then learned major lessons through the defeat at Ai and the deception of the Gibeonites. Then came the campaign to occupy the land promised to Abraham, renewed to Moses, and now realized by Joshua.

Caleb’s life story gives us a great overview of the entire process. He says to Joshua in 14:7, “I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart.” Then he follows with vs. 10, “And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.” It had been 45 years since the spies had viewed the land – 40 years of desert wanderings and 5 years of warfare to occupy the major cities and subdue their kings.

The promise still had to be acted upon – yes, the cities had been conquered, but there remained the towns and villages and the coastal cities to the west. As the Lord had said, “there remains much land to possess.’ The journey of faith is one where we must act upon what God has promised. Yes, we plead His promises and ‘claim’ their fulfillment, but we still must act in faith to ‘possess the land.’

We must share the gospel with the lost, disciple those who are young in the faith, and equip disciples to become disciplemakers that we might ‘possess’ the third and fourth spiritual generations from our efforts. May we see the Lord going before us as we step out in faith trusting His faithfulness to His promises.

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10 Mar 2025
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Leading with the Long-Term View

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. … Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:1, 4-6 NIV

John writes about the revelation shown him regarding the present and the future towards the end of his life, probably around 90 AD. He had been exiled to the island of Patmos off of what is known today as the western coast of Turkey. And in this revelation, the Lord has some instructions and exhortations for seven churches in the province of Asia – western Turkey.

Note that Paul and friends had invested much in Ephesus some 40 or so years earlier. Paul left Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus at the end of his second tour, spent over 2 years there on the third tour, and left Timothy to lead the church while he was imprisoned. Yet now, with such good foundations laid, Jesus’ assessment is that they have ‘fallen from a great height’ and ‘left your first love.’ Tragic!

Good beginnings do not necessarily ensure good long-term, sustainable outcomes. The church at Ephesus had taken their eye off of the ball – focusing on something else other than the simplicity of Jesus. They had lost attachment to the true vine (see John 15) and now were in danger of being removed by the Lord. The call was to repentance and doing what they had done at first when they had come to know Him.

The church at Ephesus started well, but within a few decades was struggling to maintain its primary focus and resulting influence for Christ. As we labor and lead others, let’s remember that we are seeking lasting impact by changing the lives of individuals who will change the world. Ministries will come and ministries will go. Keep the long-term view by maintaining a short-term focus on Jesus and what you did when you first came to know Him.

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10 Feb 2025

One Blessing After Another – Really?

John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.'” From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. John 1:15-16 NLT

In John’s opening words of his record of the ministry of Jesus he makes a summary statement regarding the life of a disciple of Jesus – “… We have all received one gracious blessing after another.” One blessing after another? Really? Let’s note the context of this proclamation.

In the previous verse, John reminds us of the life and ministry of John the Baptist who came to prepare the way for Jesus. He was faithful to fulfill his mission, yet in doing so, was imprisoned by King Herod and ultimately beheaded as Herod reluctantly granted the vengeful request of his daughter. Imprisonment and beheading do not, at first glance, appear to be ‘one blessing after another.’

Or take the Apostle John’s own example. History tells us that he wrote this gospel account while in exile on the island of Patmos where he spent many years. He had seen his brother, James, beheaded by Herod years previously and now had spent years in exile due to his faith (see Revelation 1:9).

And yet, John affirms that we have all received one gracious blessing after another. How can he make this statement given the reality of life? And the question, we find the answer – the reality of life!

For this life on earth is short-lived. We are foreigners and nomads on this earth, fulfilling our numbered days until such time as our purpose is fulfilled and we then fall asleep (see Hebrews 11:13; Acts 13:36). Paul’s perspective was that the trials we face in this life are nothing when compared to what awaits us after we die. “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:18 NLT

And finally, it is a ‘gracious blessing’ – literally ‘one grace upon another’ for our Heavenly Father does not give us what we deserve, but because of His love and grace we obtain blessing through the sacrifice of His Son for us. Therefore, when the trials of your leadership seem overwhelming, you will find His gracious blessing in the midst of it, should you even be called to end your race, for He is faithful.

Keep your gaze heavenward and you will rise above the turmoil of life.

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13 Jan 2025

Protection from Error

Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. Mark 12:24 NLT

Watch out! … And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself. Acts 20:31-32 NLT

Note the context of Mark 12:24 was Jesus being questioned by the Sadducees regarding the resurrection. Their belief was that there was no resurrection of the dead. Jesus corrects their error by pointing out their two fundamental flaws – they do not know the Word of God and they do not know the power of God.

Paul, when leaving the Ephesian church leaders with a final charge warned them to, “Watch out!” There would be those who would seek to lead them and the believers astray. Paul himself would not be around to protect them from errors; thus, he entrusts their protection to the same resources Jesus mentioned, knowledge of God and His Word.

The more we know the character of God, the more Kingdom leaders will be able to serve the flock of God under our care. Knowing God’s character and ways will enable us to recognize falsehood and point those we lead to the truth in His Word anchored in God’s nature. And knowing the Word of God, the Bible, allows us to instruct and mentor others in the ways of righteousness that align with His character.

As we begin this new year, join with me in renewing your focus on building depth in the knowledge of God and His Word. Commit your personal development time this year to a renewed focus on knowing more intimately the character of God and the study of His Word to address the pressing issues of our times. Many are looking for answers, finding few who can point the way.

May we all become like the men of Issachar described in 1 Chronicles 12:32 (NIV), “… men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do–200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command.”

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