Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the tag “Personal development”

11 Apr 2022

GOD’s Guidance

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV

God certainly knows the plans He has for our lives, but how can we know those plans?  The Lord is not wanting to hide His plans from us. Rather, He wants us to know and align our choices with His plans. If He sees a child of His who sincerely desires to obey and follow His will, He will not leave us wondering about His plans.  He loves us too much for that.  He will show us the way to go.

Much of our struggle is not knowing God’s will but doing it.  God reveals His will one step at a time; we are not shown the entire plan.  We are to trust Him for today knowing that He holds the future in His hands.  He will give us the guidance we need for tomorrow when tomorrow comes. It is a walk by faith, not by sight.

  • A primary means God uses to communicate His will is His Word, the Bible.  What is stated about God’s direction in the following verses? — Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
  • God also guides us through wise counselors.  What do the following passages say about getting counsel from others? — Proverbs 13:20; Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 19:20

Question to ponder:  What is hindering you from being truly willing to obey and follow God’s plans for your life?

Passages for further study: Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 12:1-2

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks and tagged , , , , , ,
04 Apr 2022

Growing in Humility

All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Isaiah 66:2 ESV

Humility is an essential character quality for a disciple of Christ.  True humility begins by understanding our total dependence on God for our very existence.  God supports the humble, but He resists (actively works against) and will bring low the proud.

God is committed to building humility into our lives.  We can choose the easy way or the hard way to learn humility. We can humble ourselves or have God humble us.  Growing in humility sets us free to serve others.

  • The easier way to grow in humility is to humble ourselves.  What is stated in the following passages about humbling ourselves? —  John 13:12-17; Philippians 2:5-11
  • The more painful way to grow in humility is to be humbled by God.  What is stated about God’s humbling process in the following verses? — Job 24:22-24; Proverbs 15:25; Isaiah 26:4-5

Questions to ponder:  What opportunities is God currently giving you to grow in humility? Are you embracing them?

Passages for further study: James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:5-6

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , ,
28 Mar 2022

Identity and Purpose

I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. Isaiah 43:6-7 ESV

God is our Creator, and He is not ashamed of the work of His hands.  In His divine love and wisdom He determined our gender, race, physical characteristics, temperament, intellect, all that makes us uniquely different from every other person.  He designed us to be a special part of His creation.

God designed and created us for a divine purpose.  We are made in His image and made for His glory.  He has good works for us to do that will also glorify Him (see Ephesians 2:8-10).  We are created to understand our God-given, unique design and develop our potential for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:1).

  • All God’s creation brings glory to Him.  What do the following passages say about the purpose of God’s creation? — Psalm 19:1-4; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
  • All of our physical characteristics were designed by God–both those we like and those we don’t like.  What is said in the following passages about our unique design? — Job 33:4; Psalm 139:13-16; John 9:1-3

Question to ponder:  What does the world say your identity and purpose should be and how does that contrast with what God says about you and the purposes He has for you?

Passages for further study: Acts 17:24-28; Romans 1:18-25

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks and tagged , , , , , , , ,
28 Feb 2022

Speaking the Truth

All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. Psalm 119:160 NIV

God is truth and His actions are always truthful.  God cannot lie.  God’s truth is absolute and found in His Word – the Bible.  It is unchanging because God is unchanging.  Because God’s Word is truth it is completely trustworthy.

As followers of Christ, we are always to deal truthfully with others.  Our words must be truthful so that others can trust what we say.  Because Jesus is ‘the Truth,’ believers are to share Christ, who is the truth, with others.

  • The Scriptures testify that God is truth.   What do the following passages say about God being truth? — John 14:6; John 18:33-37
  • God’s Word is the measuring rod for believers to gauge whether something is truthful or not.  What is said about the Word of God in the following passages? —  Psalm 119:142,151,160; John 17:17

Question to ponder:  Is there ever a time when you should not tell the truth, the whole truth?

Passages for further reflection: John 1:17; Hebrews 6:13-20

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
21 Feb 2022

God’s Protection

You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Psalm 91:5-8 ESV

Security is not the absence of danger, but the presence of the Lord.  God’s continual presence with all believers is a great comfort and source of peace.  Nothing can happen to us unless He allows it.  And what He allows He uses for good.

But unexpected and difficult times do come into the lives of all – including believers.  Why?  We can’t answer this difficult question completely because we don’t have God’s perspective.  But we do know that God is in control of all aspects of our lives.  He loves us and is committed to caring for us.  And He has promised us a future life free from pain and difficulty.

  • The Lord does not promise a pain-free life of ease.  What is said about the life of believers in the following verses? — John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12-13
  • No doubt much of God’s protection goes unseen and unnoticed.  What is said about God’s protection in the following passages? — Psalm 34:7,19-20; 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Question to ponder:  What should be your reaction when unexpected difficulties come into your life?

Passages for further reflection: Psalm 50:15; 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks and tagged , , , , , , ,
31 Jan 2022

Purity of Life

“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. Job 31:1 NIV

The battle is for control of our minds and what enters our eyes greatly influences our thoughts.  Job made a conscience decision to limit what he saw and not look lustfully at a woman.  He committed himself to moral purity in his thought life.  Moral purity begins in our thoughts and continues to our actions.  We are called to live holy lives in thoughts as well as behavior.

God is holy and therefore His followers are to be holy.  Personal holiness is a struggle between our bodies (the flesh) and God’s Spirit within each believer.  Though we are already positionally holy before God because we have trusted Christ as our Savior, experientially we strive to overcome our flesh and yield to the controlling power of the Holy Spirit.

  • What do the following passages say about God’s holiness? — Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 20:7,26
  • Because God is holy, we as his ambassadors are called to live holy lives.  What is said about our calling to holiness in the following passages? — 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 1:14-15.

Question to ponder:  What means is the enemy currently using in your life to gain entry to your thoughts?

Passages for further reflection: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Ephesians 4:20-24

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , , , ,
17 Jan 2022

Pride – Corruption of the Heart

But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 2 Chronicles 26:16 NIV

Uzziah started well in his walk with God, but his pride caused his downfall.  Pride does not blast its way into our life, it is insidious. It comes creeping in with small steps.  It gains a foothold little by little, feeding on itself, it grows until it consumes a life and brings ruin.

God opposes the proud person.  He will actively work to humble the proud.  Because God is committed to building humility into us, we have two choices.  We can take the easy road and humble ourselves, or we can let God take us down a hard road where He humbles us.

  • What is said in the following passages about God’s opposition to pride? — Proverbs 6:16-17; James 4:4-6
  • Pride wrecks a life.  Nothing good comes from it. What are the results of pride noted in the following passages? — Proverbs 11:2; Proverbs 13:10

Question to ponder:  How can you recognize pride in your own life?

Passages for further reflection: Isaiah 25:11; 1 Peter 5:5-6

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , ,
10 Jan 2022

Integrity – A Matter of the Heart

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity… 1 Chronicles 29:17 NIV

When God measures a person, He puts the “tape measure” around their heart.  Who we are is more important to God than what we do.  He looks at our hearts, not our activities.  If our hearts are right, then our actions will follow.

Integrity, a basic building block in our character, is rooted in our hearts.  It begins with a commitment in our hearts to honor and obey God wholeheartedly.  Integrity is then manifested by being truthful in all that we say and do.  Believers are people of their word, who fulfill promises—even to our own detriment if necessary.

  • God has integrity.  He does not lie, and we can count on Him always doing what He says He will do.  What do the following passages say about the importance of integrity? -— Numbers 23:19; Mark 12:14
  • The Lord uses people of integrity.  What do these passages say regarding the type of person God uses? -— 2 Timothy 2:20-21; Titus 1:6-7

Question to ponder:  Kingdom leaders represent God’s leadership of His people. Are you and your leadership known for integrity?

Passages for further reflection : Joshua 21:45; Luke 16:10

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , , ,
03 Jan 2022

It’s a New Year!

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

What a year 2021 was!  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.  The promise above reminds us not to “dwell” on the past because God wants to do a new thing this year in and through us. But “reflection on the past” is not “dwelling on the past.” It is through reflection that we 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 of the do-list and add three more!  Who has time to stop and think, let alone, pause to reflect?

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 as you look back and observe themes or topics the Lord has been addressing.  Here are some questions to get you started in this reflection process.

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 leadership 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!

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , ,
20 Dec 2021

Praising God!

“The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!

2 Samuel 22:47 NIV

David’s heart overflowed with praise for the kindness God had shown him.  But so often our prayer time is self-centered rather than God-centered.  The Lord God Almighty is worthy of our praise.  We can praise God for who He is and thank him for what He has done or has promised to do.  Praise is worshiping, honoring, and exalting Him.  When we pray, we are acknowledging our dependency upon Him.

Praise can be done in song, like this song of David and the many Psalms of David; or it can be done in prayer.  Praising God can be done individually or corporately.  It is a deep expression from our inner being where the created one focuses on the Creator.

  • God rules over His creation as Lord.  He is the sovereign king over His universe.  What do the following passages say about God’s reign? -– Psalm 47:1-9; Psalm 103:19-22
  • God not only rules His creation, but He does so with goodness.  What do the following passages say about God’s goodness and His good works? -– Psalm 119:68; Nahum 1:7

Question to ponder:  What can you be praising God for today?

Passages for further reflection: Nehemiah 9:5-6, Revelation 4:9-11

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

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →