Spiritual Leadership by J Oswald Sanders

The filling of the Spirit is essential for spiritual leadership. 

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All Christians are called to develop God-given talents, to make the most of their lives, to develop to the fullest their God-given powers and capacities.

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Ambition that centers on the glory of God and welfare of the church is a mighty force for good.
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The true spiritual leader will never “campaign for promotion.”

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True greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you. True service is never without cost.

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Leaders today—those who are truly spiritual—must pass on the torch to younger people as a first-line duty. 

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One does not become a spiritual leader by merely filling an office, taking course work in the subject, or resolving in one’s own will to do this task. A person must qualify to be a spiritual leader.

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If you cannot keep a secret, do not try to lead. If you cannot yield a point when someone else’s ideas are better, save yourself the frustration of failed leadership. If you want to maintain an image of infallibility, find something else to do besides leading people.

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The reputation of a great leader grows with the years. 

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The leader cannot spend time on secondary matters while essential obligations scream for attention. A day needs careful planning. The person who wants to excel must select and reject, then concentrate on the most important items.

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A leader should read to have fellowship with great minds.

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Jesus placed disciples into internships (Luke 10:17-24) that enabled them to learn through failure and success (Mark 9:14-29).

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Before we can conquer the world, we must first conquer the self.

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Many who drop out of ministry are sufficiently gifted, but have large areas of life floating free from the Holy Spirit’s control.

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Lazy and disorganized people never rise to true leadership.

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Many who aspire to leadership fail because they have never learned to follow.

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Leaders need to be able to reconcile opposing viewpoints without giving offense or compromising principle.

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Behind all the busyness of the apostles was the executive activity of the Spirit.

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To be filled with the Spirit means simply that the Christian voluntarily surrenders life and will to the Spirit.

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All quotes were from J Oswald Sanders in his book: Spiritual Leadership. You can purchase his book here.

Leadership Thoughts From Nehemiah 9

It is important as the leader to take the time to fast, pray and seek God in His word with your team. (Nehemiah 9:1-3)

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Encourage those you influence to bless the Lord. (Nehemiah 9:4-5)

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As a leader with authority, it is important you realize that you are not God and submit to His leadership to be successful. (Nehemiah 9:6)

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Take time to remember the things God has done to give you the faith to trust Him for the future. (Nehemiah 9:7-15)

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God is able and ready to forgive those that turn to Him, and in His grace and mercy He gives us His Spirit to instruct and empower us. (Nehemiah 9:16-21)

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As a leader make sure you celebrate the victories and delight yourself in the goodness of the Lord. (Nehemiah 9:22-25)

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Part of godly leadership is holding people accountable for their actions and allowing them to learn from their mistakes. (Nehemiah 9:26-31)

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A godly leader goes to God in prayer and asks for Him to work on his behalf. (Nehemiah 9:32)

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Successful leaders realize they need God. (Nehemiah 9:33-37)

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It is important to write things out, to have contracts, and make things official with witnesses. (Nehemiah 9:38)

Sticky Teams (pt2) by Larry Osborne

Leadership is not an academic subject. It’s an art and skill that’s best learned in a hands-on environment. 

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At no point should a policy ever be allowed to trump common sense.

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Everyone needs to agree on the pastor’s role.

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Pastors who don’t lead, can’t lead, or aren’t allowed to lead seldom see their church break through growth barriers.

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I always ask pastors to honestly answer this question before attempting to take a strong leadership role: is this a step in my career path, or is this a long-term calling to these people and this community?

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A strong, initiating leader who presents everything in final form puts the rest of the team in an awkward position. 

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The fact is, I can be right about what we’re supposed to do but dead wrong about when we’re supposed to do it. 

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The primary role of the board will always be the same: to determine God’s will and then see that it’s carried out.

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Our primary job is to listen to, discern, and carry out God’s will, not the congregation’s.

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Specialists who can’t become trainers or who aren’t willing to become trainers will eventually put a ceiling on the growth of your church or bust your budget.

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Focusing on training and equipping lay leaders and staff member to be better leaders doesn’t just pay dividends for the church. It also pays dividends in the marketplace

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I find it relatively easy to get our entire staff headed in the same direction and aiming at the same goal. I find it much more difficult to ensure that everyone is taking the same route to get there.

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Some things are simply too important to waste on one sermon or sermon series. They are better dripped into everything.

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Getting on the same page is one thing. Staying there is quite another, because mission tends to creep and vision tends to leak.

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All quotes were from Larry Osborne in his book: Sticky Teams. You can purchase his book here.

Leadership Thoughts from Nehemiah 8

Make sure your team is taking the time to read the Bible together and encourage them to regularly read God’s word. (Nehemiah 8:1-3)

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A godly leader must make sure that his platform has a godly purpose that honors God. (Nehemiah 8:4-5)

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Leaders should give credit where credit is due. (Nehemiah 8:6)

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Make sure your team is regularly worshipping God together and making the time to just praise His name. (Nehemiah 8:6)

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Empower others to help you accomplish your vision. If you give others responsibility, make sure you give them authority as well. (Nehemiah 8:7-8)

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Leaders must continually communicate vision and give practical instruction to their followers. (Nehemiah 8:9-11)

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In order to lead well you must communicate your vision in an effective way so that people clearly understand it. (Nehemiah 8:12)

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Godly leaders must continually be learning from God’s word and taking the time to grow in their faith. (Nehemiah 8:16-17)

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There are great blessings when you apply God’s word to your life. (Nehemiah 8:18)

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Make it a practice to read God’s word daily and listen to the vision He gives you. (Nehemiah 8:18)

Sticky Teams (pt1) by Larry Osborne

Sticky teams know how to deal with the issues at hand and still come out united in purpose and vision.

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The dysfunction and disunity in our churches often is not so much a matter of sinful people with evil motives as it is a pattern of failed traditions, policies, and structures that unintentionally tear us apart.

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By spiritual maturity, I mean, a life that consistently exhibits the character of Jesus Christ.

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Location and environment matters; it’s never neutral. It always works for us or against us. 

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It’s hard to have a winning team with losing players, which is why guarding the gate is one of the most important tasks of leadership.

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The best time to remove a problem player is before they have a place on the team.

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Selecting leaders is too important to be treated this casually. It demands the best people we’ve got.

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Rather than trying to figure out what everybody wants them to do, leadership teams have only one question: what does God want us to do?

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If you don’t have the guts to speak up on the front end, you don’t have the right to complain on the back end.

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Getting everyone on the same page is one of the most difficult and important roles of leadership.

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Finding leadership-oriented people is important. But it’s even more important to find folks who meet the Bible’s minimum requirements for spiritual leadership.

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It’s far better to have a long-term vacancy than a long-term cancer on the team.

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I’ve learned that God’s will has a what and a when.

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All quotes were from Larry Osborne in his book: Sticky Teams. You can purchase his book here.

Leadership Thoughts from Nehemiah 7

A leader must place people in the right positions where they can flourish and use their gifts to further the mission. (Nehemiah 7:1)

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Promote people on your team who are faithful and God-fearing. (Nehemiah 7:2)

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Great leaders not only delegate but empower people with clear expectations and necessary training. (Nehemiah 7:3)

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Great vision comes from God. (Nehemiah 7:4-5)

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Recording data today will help you accurately analyze clearly in the future. (Nehemiah 7:6-7)

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Leaders should recognize everyone who makes sacrifices that help accomplish the vision. (Nehemiah 7:7-68)

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Leaders cannot accomplish a great vision alone. (Nehemiah 7:7-68)

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Accomplishing a great vision requires a great team. (Nehemiah 7:7-68)

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Accomplishing a great vision requires a great sacrifice. (Nehemiah 7:69-72)

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Many times to accomplish a great vision it takes great financial support. Don’t be afraid to raise funds for your vision. (Nehemiah 7:69-72)

Brothers, We Are Not Professionals (Pt2) By John Piper

"The goal of spiritual leadership is to muster people to join God in living for God’s glory."

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"Good deeds do not pay back grace; they borrow more grace."

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"A pastor who feels competent in himself to produce eternal fruit—which is the only kind that matters—knows neither God nor himself."

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"The essence of the Christian ministry is that its success is not within our reach."

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"How do we serve so that God is glorified? We serve by the strength He supplies."

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"The difference between Uncle Sam and Jesus Christ is that Uncle Sam won’t enlist you in his service unless you are healthy and Jesus won’t enlist you unless you are sick."

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"The great threat to our prayer and our meditation on the Word of God is good ministry activity."

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"Our suffering is not in vain; God never wastes the gift of pain. (Philippians 1:29)"

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"God will gladly receive anything from us that shows our dependence and His all-sufficiency."

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"A pastor who does not know the rhythm of desperation and deliverance must have his sights only on what man can achieve."

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"God does all His gracious work in such a way “that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:29), which means He usually does it in answer to prayer."

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"God is the only sure and stable thing in the universe."

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"For in your working, God is working."

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"There is an infinite difference between the pastor whose heart is set on being a professional and the pastor whose heart is set on being the aroma of Christ, the fragrance of death to some and eternal life to others (2 Corinthians 2:15–16)."

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"If you want to be a conduit for God’s grace, you don’t have to be lined with gold. Copper will do."

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"God is not looking for people to work for Him but people who let Him work mightily in and through them."

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All quotes were from John Piper in his book: Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry. You can purchase his book here.

Quotes on Suffering

“Christian hope does not rest in the denial of hard things, but in their redemption." -Tim Chaddick

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The big question is not, “Why do we suffer?” The question is “How do we suffer?” -Richard Cimino

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"Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.” -Billy Graham

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”A rebuke is not so much punishment as it is illumination” -William Barclay

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"The best antidote for self-pity is to help someone else who is worse off than you." Corrie ten Boom

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“God's way of answering the Christian's prayer for more patience, experience, hope, and love often is to put him into the furnace of affliction.”  -Richard Cecil

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"I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize the Lord is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient.” - Hudson Taylor

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“Hard times are a passport that gives you permission to go places you wouldn’t get to any other way.” -Levi Lusko

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“God's plans for you are better than any plans you have for yourself. So don't be afraid of God's will, even if it's different from yours.” -Greg Laurie

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“Refuse to let your situation determine your attitude.” -Charles R. Swindoll

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“Leadership is pain. When your leadership grows, your tolerance for pain has to grow.” – Dr. Sam Chand

Brothers, We Are Not Professionals (pt1) by John Piper

"Spiritual leadership is knowing where God wants people to be and taking the initiative to get them there by God’s means in reliance on God’s power."

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"Professionalism is not supernatural. The heart of ministry is."

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"The highest, best, and final good in the good news is God Himself."

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"Why Christians do what they do is just as important as what they do. Bad motives ruin good acts."

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"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

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"A pastor who feels competent in himself to produce eternal fruit knows neither God nor himself."

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"Faith unites us to Christ."

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"The great pressure on us today is to be productive managers. But the need of the church is for prayerful, spiritual poets."

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"For your own soul and for the life of your church, fight for time to feed your soul with rich reading."

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"Loving our wives is essential for our ministry. It is ministry."

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"A cry for help form the heart of a childlike pastor is a sweet praise in the ears of God."

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"Let us not merely criticize or commend the seminaries. Rather, let us pray for them."

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"The aims of our ministry are eternal and spiritual."

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"All pastoral afflictions are graciously designed to make us rely on God and not ourselves."

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"Brothers, we are leaders, and the burden of change lies most heavily on us. The place to start is our own lives."

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"God loves us infinitely."

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All quotes were from John Piper in his book: Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry. You can purchase his book here.

Leadership Thoughts from Nehemiah 6

People notice when things get done. (Nehemiah 6:1)

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Just because people request a meeting with you doesn’t mean you have to say yes. (Nehemiah 6:2-3)

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There will always be distractions. Make sure you prioritize your schedule with things you value. (Nehemiah 6:4)

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It is important as a leader to clarify what is true and kill the culture of rumors and gossip. (Nehemiah 6:5-8)

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A godly leader humbles himself regularly before God and asks for His help and strength. (Nehemiah 6:9)

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When accomplishing great things for God we must understand and discern that spiritual attacks will come and prepare ourselves for them. (Nehemiah 6:10-13)

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Allow God to take care of your enemies and place them in His hands. (Nehemiah 6:14)

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When people are unified and working together, they can get great things done. (Nehemiah 6:15)

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God desires to help people do great things for His kingdom. Have you asked Him for His help today? (Nehemiah 6:16)

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A godly leader must have strong character and be above reproach because there are always foes wanting to take him out. (Nehemiah 6:17-19)