Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the category “#3 DO – What a Leader Does”

20 Apr 2026

The Launch Determines the Orbit!

When you first arrive at your new ministry location you will be greeted by excited people who welcome you, saying all sorts of nice things.  “We’ve been praying for a disciplemaking ministry here…” or “You are such an answer to prayer…” or “We’ve been telling everyone about you…”  So uplifting! So exciting!

These people mean well and perhaps you are an answer to prayer – someone’s prayer.  And in your zeal to get started quickly with ‘short term wins’ you invite these people into a core group bible study or even begin to meet with them one-to-one.  You assume that God has prepared this ‘fruitful field’ and that these initial contacts are the foundations of many future spiritual generations.  This is a very wrong assumption.

What often occurs is that these people are attracted to the latest new and exciting thing and you are it – for the moment.  But next week or next month there will be another new and exciting thing starting and they will be there to greet them and welcome them like they did for you.  That’s their strength and design.  Nothing is wrong with this, just realize that your foundational ministry people will probably not be the ones who you initially meet. 

Go slow in your commitments to others.  Get to know your new ministry environment.  Seek to know and be known.  Pray and wait for the Lord to confirm who it is that He has chosen for you to build the foundation upon.  And don’t be surprised if it is not the people who you initially connected with when you arrived at your new ministry location.  Don’t build your ministry on those who greet you at the train station! 

You only get one ministry launch!  Make it a good one!

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06 Apr 2026

God Himself Will Provide the Lamb

In Genesis 22:1-18 we read of the faith trial Abraham faced when God directed him to sacrifice his son. Abraham had waited 25 years for the fulfillment of the promise that through his offspring the entire world would be blessed, and they would multiply like the sand on the seashore or the stars in the sky.  Isaac was born at age 100 and now a few years later the young man and his father were off to make a sacrifice.  Isaac carried the wood, but no sacrificial lamb was found.

Isaac noted the lack of the sacrificial lamb and asked his father about it.  Abraham’s prophetic response was simply, “The Lord Himself will provide the lamb.”  Romans 4 tells us Abraham reasoned that even if God did allow him to plunge the knife into the neck of his son, God had the ability to raise him back to life.  What amazing faith and trust!  Of course, God stopped Abraham and as he looked up, there was a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.  It was the perfect sacrifice at the perfect time! 

Your leadership will be full of trials of faith where there is no visible means of deliverance.  The storm clouds will surround you, lightening will crackle, and the peals of thunder will rattle the walls.  You will fear all is lost.  But remember, God is never in a hurry, but always on time.  At the perfect time and in a way that brings glory and honor to Him, you will see His answer.  Stay the course.  Do not give way to fear.  Trust Him and His promises.

All who you lead will be looking to you for strength and hope.  You must point them to God who promises to deliver in times of trouble. (Psalm 50:15)  God Himself will provide the ‘lamb’ you need.  Don’t be like Israel who tested God in the desert, and  said in their unbelief, “Can God spread of table in the desert?” (Psalm 78:19).  Yes, He can!  And yes, He did!  He will do the same for you as you trust Him.  Plead the promises to Him!

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09 Mar 2026

Pray and Work for Critical Mass!  – Acts 2:42-47

 In a nuclear reaction energy needs to be added to split atoms until enough atomic particles are split to enable more atoms to split without needing more energy.  So it is in a disciplemaking ministry.  As a ministry pioneer, you will need to expend much energy to attain a critical mass of ministry.  But how do you do this and how do you know when you have it?

When starting a new ministry, you will want to lay a solid prayer foundation from which to begin to build.  Take adequate time and energy praying for ‘soil four people’ who will be the reproducers of many spiritual generations.  Recruit others to pray for God’s favor and expect divine appointments with those who He is bringing to you.  Walk the land and pray for God to bless!

Ask God to give you those who are ‘gatekeepers’ to many more relationships.  These people, like Andrew, will bring their friends because they are blessed to be a part of your ministry and want to share that blessing with others.  They are your ‘fans’ and always bringing others to meet Jesus in your ministry.

Have a short ‘elevator pitch’ answer that you can share when asked, “Who are you or What do you do?”  Make your answer short, engaging, authentic, and inviting.  You will want to meet a lot of people and have lots of practice sharing this.

Critical mass is reached when you have a consistent, sustainable number of committed people engaged with you in the ministry.  You, the leader, do not need to work so hard to invite because these people are inviting their friends.  You are able to delegate responsibilities to them, not having to do it all yourself.  You have increasing capacity to think and strategize, rather than ‘do.’

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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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29 Dec 2025

Launching the New Year!

2025 has ended and now we launch 2026!  As we end one and begin a new calendar year, it’s good to pause and reflect upon what was and what we hope will be.  It is through reflection that we can gain perspective and see more clearly the overarching, God-orchestrated, macro-movements of our lives.

Leaders are often too busy to stop and reflect.  We always have more things to do and people to see.  We take one item off the do-list and add three more!  Who has time to stop and think?

Today…..now is the time to stop and reflect upon who you are becoming and what you are doing!  Your personal diary, journal or devotional notebook can be of great help to you as you look back and observe themes or topics the Lord has been addressing in you.  Here are some questions to get you started in this reflection time.

Are you satisfied with your own personal spiritual walk and growth?  More importantly, is Jesus pleased with your pursuit of Him?  How’s your current pace of life?  Is it sustainable long-term?  Do you have a margin in your schedule?  Are you living and leading from an overflow?  How’s your family doing?  Are you paying the price to experience the marriage you committed to on your wedding day?  Are you investing deeply in your children and grandchildren, knowing that the years for significant influence are rapidly passing you by?

What fears are you trying to ignore related to your leadership?  Are you leading with faith and courage?  Are you more concerned about your reputation or God’s glory?  Is the vision of where you are leading to focused or foggy?  Do you have a team that is unified and empowered around a shared vision?  Are you making progress in the God-given mission that you intended to accomplish?

These and many more questions are helpful for taking stock of where you are today and where you intend to be/go tomorrow.  Use this season for reflection and refocus as you start a new year full of new hope and new beginnings.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.    Hebrews 12:1-2  NIV

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026!

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15 Dec 2025

Long-term Goals vs Short-term Needs

The phrase, “like sheep without a shepherd” is repeated twice in the Gospels.  Here are the references:  Matthew 9:36 ESV – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd,” and Mark 6:34 ESV – “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.”

The Matthew event happened before sending out the Twelve in pairs, while the second occurred after they returned from their short-term ministry trip.  Both events evoked a response from Jesus of compassion for the many people who were wandering through life without someone who cared for or protected them.  But note the different applications that followed His compassion for the crowds.

In Matthew, we know that He saw a ripe harvest of souls all around Him and the application was to pray for more laborers for the harvest.  The solution was more workers in the harvest, and the means was prayer to the Father.  Implied in this request was a willingness to personally engage in the harvest as it was immediately followed by Jesus sending them out into the lost crowds in the villages of Galilee (see Matthew 10).

In Mark, after the Twelve returned, on the premise of seeking to get some time away, they once again encountered the many people in the ‘great crowd’ who had followed their boat from the shoreline.  Upon arrival, He saw the crowd, had compassion on them, and responded by ‘teaching them many things.’  And yes, He did eventually feed them – all 5,000 of them! 

As we go about our busy lives, may the Lord make us sensitive to the many lost, wandering souls around us who are living quietly desperate lives.  They may look all ‘put together,’ but we know the truth.  They are harassed and helpless – like sheep without a shepherd.  They have no one who is watching over their souls.

May our response be one of loving care for these lost ones.  May we engage in praying for them, teaching them the truth of the Gospel, and treating them as we would want to be treated – with dignity and respect.  Let’s be careful not to lose our focus on spiritual generations of disciplemakers – for that will ultimately address the eternal needs of the great crowds.  But let’s not be so future focused that we miss the immediate opportunities He brings our way.  Not moved to action by guilt, but from a compassion for the lost. 

Jesus dealt with this same dynamic tension of completing His strategic mission with the Twelve. He was always responding to the daily clamoring crowds immediate needs, who He helped by teaching and healing.  We too must address some short term ‘crowd’ needs and still fulfill our Mission just as He did.

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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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20 Oct 2025

Doing Good

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, … 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. … 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. Titus 3:1, 8, 14 ESV (italics added)

Note how three times in this short chapter Paul reminds Titus to ‘remind,’ ‘insist’ and help those he is leading in Crete to ‘learn to do good to others.’ These good works were to be done out of obedience to Christ as they submit to rulers and authorities and help others who are in ‘urgent need.’

We note that Luke summarizes Jesus ministry in Acts 10:38 ESV – “… how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” We observe that the good Jesus did was the result of his anointing with the Holy Spirit and with power. These works were not simple courtesies like holding open a door for another or picking up after yourself (and others) on a camping trip. They required power from on High!

In Galatians 6:9 ESV we read: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” These good works require perseverance and endurance. They will be tiresome and draining on our leadership. 2 Thessalonians 3:13 ESV says something similar: “As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.”

In 1 Peter 2:15 ESV we observe that doing good to others is a form of witnessing to them. “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” When returning good to those who intend evil against us, we live the life of Christ, and it silences their accusations. And in 1 Peter 4:19 ESV, Peter summarizes the process of doing good to others with: “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” If we are called to suffer for doing good, so be it.

We do good to others, even those who mistreat or oppose us, because that is Christlike. He suffered and died for us and for those who plotted against Him. We do not seek to earn favor with God by our deeds, but rather, as His disciples, we seek to imitate His example. We thoughtfully lead those entrusted to our care to be ready to do good to others for Christ and His Kingdom, not for us or our organization.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. … For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.” 1 Peter 2:12, 15 NIV

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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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