Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the tag “kingdom thinking”

14 Mar 2022

Amazing Love!

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them. Hosea 11:3-4 ESV

God’s love cannot be earned; it is a gift.  God loves the unlovable and He accepts us just as we are.  He loves us so much that He died for us.  If you were the only person who ever lived, He would have died for you.

God’s love is so overwhelming – so amazing!  He loves us even when we don’t love Him back.  He shows His love for us by caring for us, guiding us, healing us, and changing us day-by-day to be more like Himself.  Don’t run from God’s love, just embrace it and rest in it!

  • What do the following passages say is God’s ultimate demonstration of His love for us? — John 3:16; Romans 5:6-8
  • How is God’s love demonstrated in the lives of believers according to the following passages? — John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:7-12

Question to ponder:  What is hindering you from accepting God’s amazing love or demonstrating it as you lead others?

Passages for further study: John 15:12-13; 1 John 4:13-21

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23 Aug 2021

God’s Grace and My Good Works

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

No one can work for their salvation; it is an unearned gift from God.  God does not grade on the curve; His is a pass-fail course.  In His perfect justice He has said that all ‘fail’ because of sin.  But the Good News is that all can ‘pass’ through belief in Jesus as their Savior.

Though we can’t earn our salvation by doing good deeds, God does expect believers to do good.  These good works are the result of our gratefulness for all He has done, not a seeking to earn His favor for our salvation. By doing good works, believers bring honor and glory to God.

  • We are saved by the grace of God, not by doing good deeds.  What is said in the following passages about salvation and good works?  —  Galatians 2:15-16; Ephesians 2:8-10
  • God desires all believers to do good to others.  What is said about believers doing good works in the following passages?  —  Matthew 5:16; Hebrews 13:16; 1 Peter 2:12

Questions to ponder:  What good work does God want you to do today?

Passages for further reflection: Acts 10:38; James 2:17-18

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16 Aug 2021

By God’s Grace

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

God’s grace is an unearned gift!  It is His unmerited favor granted us through faith in Christ as Savior. Motivated by His love for us, God acted to deliver us from our deepest problem–sin and its consequence.  His grace caused Him to die for us, freeing us from sin and its penalty–death (Romans 5:8).

But God’s grace is more than a past gift; it is a present power within each believer.  It is not a license to live as we want, but rather the power to live a life that is pleasing to God.  Whatever paths in life God calls us to travel, we can be certain that His grace, His power will be sufficient to see us through.

  • God’s grace moved him to offer salvation to all who believe in Christ.  What is said about God’s grace in the following passages? — Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 2:1-10
  • Having been saved by God’s grace, believers have been called and empowered to live lives that honor him.  What do the following passages say about a believer’s life and lifestyle? — Galatians 5:13-18; Titus 2:11-14

Question to ponder:  How does God’s grace motivate you to want to live for Him?

Passages for further reflection: Acts 15:6-11; Romans 5:15-17

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26 Jul 2021
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Safe and Secure

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 ESV

Security is not found in the absence of danger, but in the presence of the Lord.  Once we have trusted Christ and become a member of God’s family, He promises never to leave us or forsake us.  Nothing will separate us from Him; we are safe and secure in His care.

Jesus promises to be with us forever.  Though we still encounter trials and difficulties, He will be with us in the midst of them and see us through.  We need not fear that He will forsake or abandon us.  He will be faithful to us, even if we are unfaithful.  What amazing love!

  • God will never leave us!  What do the following passages say about God’s commitment to us? — Matthew 28:20; John 10:27-30
  • One person plus God is a majority!  What do the following passages say about the security we have in the presence of God? — Romans 8:31; Hebrews 13:5-6

Question to ponder:  How does the fact of Christ’s presence with you always effect your daily attitude and activities?

Passages for further reflection: Proverbs 3:23-26; 2 Timothy 2:11-13

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12 Jul 2021

The Other Side of the Door

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 ESV

Illness, injury, aging, and death are all enemies of our physical bodies.  But this will not always be so.  For believers, there is the hope of the resurrection from the dead when we will be given new bodies that are free from these enemies.  We will all have heavenly, eternal bodies that do not age, weaken, or die.

The fact of the resurrection of the dead is the great hope for followers of Jesus.  Jesus’ resurrection was the demonstration to us that our hope is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:13-14).  Death is no longer a terminus, but rather a junction – a doorway to a new life with a new, perfect body.  What a wonderful reality awaits us on the other side of the door!

  • Jesus rose from the dead as proof that what He promised us will come to pass.  What do the following passages say about Christ’s resurrection? — John 20:24-31; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
  • Just as Jesus rose from the dead with a new, eternal body, so will His followers.   What is said in the following passages about the resurrection? — John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:35-44; 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Question to ponder:  How does the reality of death and the hope of the resurrection impact your daily life and leadership?

Passages for further reflection: John 5:24-26; John 6:38-40

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05 Jul 2021

It is Finished!

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30 ESV

Jesus’ last words from the cross were, “It is finished.”  What was finished?  Certainly there was more to done, wasn’t there?  There were thousands who had not yet heard.  There were thousands more who needed healing.  How could He say His job was complete?

Jesus’ completed task was actually two-fold.  He was first to train a small group of leaders to carry on His ministry after He left to return to the Father.  They would go on to reach the unreached after He was gone.  In His prayer the night before the crucifixion He says that He has completed this task (see John 17:4).  The second aspect of His mission was to redeem mankind from sin, taking upon Himself the punishment for sin that we deserve.  He accomplished this with His sacrificial death on our behalf.

  • Jesus preached to thousands, healed many and trained twelve disciples to carry on His work after He was gone.  What do the following verses say about His ministry to the Twelve? — Mark 3:14-19; Mark 4:33-34
  • Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin and set us free.  What do the following passages say was accomplished by Jesus’ death? — Romans 5:12-19; Hebrews 10:5-14

Question to ponder:  What does Jesus’ death and resurrection mean to you personally and how does this impact your leadership?

Passages for further reflection:  John 12:23-28; Titus 2:11-14

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07 Jun 2021

Facing Our Fears

In Luke 8 we see three events where those involved were confronted with fear. Let’s look at these and draw some parallels for Kingdom leaders.

Luke 8:24-25 (ESV) – And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

The disciples had seen the waves crashing into their boat to the point of nearly being swamped and all drowning. Jesus was asleep and seemingly uncaring as to the threat they faced. They awaken Him with shouts of desperation. He arises, rebukes the raging storm and an immediate calm ensues.

Luke 8:36-37 (ESV) – And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.

The Gerasenes had seen the uncontrollable, demonized man now delivered of his demons, clothed, and in his right mind. The power of God had been manifested and they were so overcome with this that they asked Jesus to leave them. What an interesting response! Here the power of God had been shown to heal even the most difficult case and they did not ask Him for help with others who could have been helped by Jesus. Instead, they asked Him to leave, which He did.

The final instance is recorded in Luke 8:49-50 (ESV) – While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.”

Jairus, the synagogue ruler had come to Jesus begging for Jesus to join him at his house where his young daughter was near death. Jesus had agreed to accompany him to his home. On the way, messengers arrive with the sad news – it’s too late, Jairus’ daughter had died. No need to bother Jesus anymore. Jesus, sensing Jairus’ response to this devastating news, turns to him and says, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”

Kingdom leaders face many fears daily. Like the disciples in the midst of the storm, we face circumstances the arise completely out of our ability to control. The Covid-19 epidemic being a very recent example that threatens to overwhelm us, our ministries and seems as if we will all perish. Yet, He is more than aware of our predicaments and at the perfect time and perfect way, He rebukes the threat and calms the storm.

Like the Gerasenes we can see the power of God manifested in the lives or ministries of others yet fail to see that God can and will do it for us as well. We must invite Him to help us in our need. Or He will leave us to struggle on in our own power because we seek to trust in our own resources rather than His.

Or there is the fear of having begun the journey of faith with Jesus, we suddenly are confronted with bad news that would tend to deter us from continuing. We fear that it is a waste of time and effort to continue on, for it appears that our worst case scenario has now come to pass. We lose hope and turn back, giving way to fear instead of believing that “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.” Philippians 1:6

Kingdom leaders are called to face down our fears by faith in the One who knows no fear. Yes, we are afraid, but we are not controlled by our fears. We live and lead by faith the the Almighty One! On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

What are you facing today that is causing fear to arise in your heart and mind?

Turn your fear to faith in Him who cares for you and your leadership! He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine!

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