The Heart of LeadershipSteve Sonderman

Small Group Discussion1. Share with the group your name and what ministry you

are involved in. What is your greatest leadership challenge at the present time (at home, work, church or in the community)?

2. Share with the group what you have done to stay connected with Jesus in the midst of your ministry responsibilities.

3. What do you see as the benefits of leading from character, versus credentials, charisma or competencies?

4. What does/can servant leadership look like in your ministry?

A leader is a person who influences people to

accomplish a purpose.

Howard Hendricks

People

PurposePerson

The areas of true spirituality are not basically external; they are internal, they are deep; they go down into the areas of our lives we like to

hide from ourselves. The inward area is the first place of loss of true Christian life, of true

spirituality, and the outward sinful act is the result. If we can only get hold of this, that the internal is basic, the external is always merely

the result, it will be a tremendous starting point. Francis Schaeffer

I. Leadership of the Heart

1 Samuel 30:6 - David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

The Physical Dimension – Diet/rest/exercise The Relational Dimension – Spouse, children,

friends The Intellectual Dimension – On-going growth The Emotional Dimension – Identify and

express in a healthy manner

Filling Your Tanks

Physical Tank

Relational Tank

Spiritual Tank

Intellectual Tank

Emotional Tank

What fills you up? What drains you?

II.Leadership flows from intimacy with Jesus

Leadership Principle: The closer you get to God, the greater the impact you will have for God.

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather,

train yourself to be godly.

I Timothy 4:7

My central claim is that we can become like Christ by doing one thing – by following him in

the overall style of life he chose for himself. We can become like Christ by practicing the types of activities He engaged in, by arranging our whole lives around the activities he himself practiced in order to remain constantly at

home in the fellowship of the Father. Dallas Willard

.

Spiritual Disciplines Silence – We close off our souls from

“sounds,” whether those sounds be noise, music, or words.

Solitude – We purposefully abstain from interaction with other human beings, denying ourselves companionship and all that comes from our conscious interaction with others.

Study – Engage ourselves with the written Word.

Worship – We engage ourselves with, dwell upon, and express the greatness, beauty and goodness of God.

Prayer – Conversing and communicating with God.

Journaling – The practice of recording your inward groans, fears, sins, experiences, feelings and aspirations for the purpose of seeing God at work in your life.

Personal Retreats – To listen, read, write, allow God to speak.

Taking Your Spiritual TemperatureDo you thirst for God more than ever before? Are you more and more loving to others? Are you more sensitive to and aware of God than

ever before? Are you governed more and more by God’s Word? Have you become more concerned with the physical

and spiritual needs of others?

Taking Your Spiritual TemperatureHave you become more concerned with the Church

and Kingdom of God? Have the disciplines of the Christian life become

more important to youAre you more aware of your sin? Are you more willing to forgive others? Are you thinking more and more of heaven and of

being with the Lord Jesus?

II.Leadership that Flows from Character

Life above the water line

Life under the water line

Effective ministry flows out of being. Leaders must become intentional and

focused in their character development before they can impact others.

Robert ClintonThe Making of a Leader

A. Character is who you are when no one is looking

The greatest gift you can give your people is your personal godliness.

Robert Murray McCheyne

Nothing is more important in a leader’s life, than to lead an exemplary life in all things.

Your ministry is no more effective than the life you lead.

Wesley Duewel

Everybody thinks of changing humanity, and

nobody thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy

B. Have a Barnabas in your life

Accountability is giving others the freedom to help you order your private and public worlds.

Leadership Principle: The further you move from community the greater the potential for sin.

C. Deal with temptation and sin in your life - Hebrews 12:1-3; 1 Corinthians 9:27

1. Sexual sin is rarely a fluke.

“Good and Evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions we make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which a few months later you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of. An apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger today is the loss of a bridge, railway line or beachhead from which the enemy will launch an attack otherwise impossible. --C.S. Lewis

Two contributing factors:Emotional readiness Timely opportunity

2. Establish guard rails in your life.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is thewellspring of life. - Proverbs 4:23

Your Eyes – Job 31:3Principle: Your eyes are connected to your heart.

Your Feet – 1 Cor. 6:18; Gen. 39

Your Mind – 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Phil. 4:8Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.

Your Hands Keep as far as you can from those temptations that feed and strengthen the sins which you would overcome. Lay siege to your sins and starve them out, by keeping away from food and fuel which is their maintenance and life. –Richard Baxter

Question: What is fire for you? Hove you told your small group?

Answer some key questions:1. Are there women filling your thoughts

during the day other than your wife?2. Are you looking forward to being with any

woman other than your wife?3. Have you been viewing any images that

are impure?4. What situations are leading you into times

of impure thoughts and actions?

IV. Live from a Sacred Trust: lining up who you are with what you do

For we are God’s workmanship; created in Christ Jesus to do good works; which God prepared in

advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

The Glory of God is human beings fully alive. Iranius

H.E.A.R.T.H – Heritage – remember the importance of

your family of originQ: How have your parents contributed to who you are today?

E – Experiences – your future is anchored in your pastQ: What experiences and people has God used to shape you?

H.E.A.R.T.A – Abilities – access your talents; both natural and

supernaturalQ: What talents, abilities and gifts has God given you?

R – Resonances – there’s a passion inside of you, identify it. Q: What private passion has God branded on your soul?

T – Temperament – your personality is perfect for God’s assignment.Q: How would you describe your temperament and how does that relate to what you do in the future?

V. Servant LeadershipJesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord

it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead,

whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to

be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:42-45

Barriers to being a servant leader Pride – Romans 12:3 – Promoting self Fear – Proverbs 29:25 – Protecting self