Effective Christian

Leadership

Inner Life (1)

“The Leader’s
Pathway”

2018 Edition
 A Profound Insight
“I am more determined now than ever to
make sure my heart keeps growing bigger
during the remainder of my leadership
adventure. What good does it do to be a
Christian leader if my skills, my insights, my
decisions, and my energy don’t flow from a
deep love for God and for other people?
How’s your heart??”
-- Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership, p. 197
2018 Edition
 The Art of Self-Leadership

“It is management of self that should occupy

50 percent of our time and the best of our
ability. And when we do that the ethical, moral,
and spiritual elements of management are
inescapable.”
-- Dee Hock, “The Art of Chaordic Leadership”

2018 Edition
 What The Bible Says

“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in

keeping with the prophecies once made about
you, so that by following them you may fight
the good fight, holding on to faith and a good
conscience. Some have rejected these and so
have shipwrecked their faith.”
-- 1 Timothy 1:18, 19

2018 Edition
 What Is God Looking For
In A Leader?
 Spirituality
– A person “after His own
heart” (1 Samuel 13:13,
14)
– A life in harmony with
God
– A life sensitive to the
things of God
– A life with no hidden
closets, no locked doors,
nothing swept under the
rug
2018 Edition
 What Is God Looking For
In A Leader?

 Humility
– A servant’s heart
– Doing with all your might what God wants
you to do right here, right now
– Not caring who gets the credit—just so the
task gets done

2018 Edition
 What Is God Looking For
In A Leader?
 Integrity
– “So he shepherded them according to the
integrity of his heart . . .” (Ps. 78:72)
– Deeply authentic thought and life
– HEB = “complete, whole, innocent, having
simplicity of life, wholesome, sound,
unimpaired”
– Bone-deep honesty

2018 Edition
 Inner Dangers for Leaders

 Distractions
– Can invade daily
prayer/Bible study
– Can be spiritually
dangerous
– E.G. David in 2
Samuel 11:1f
 Busyness
– Can “crowd out” the
important
– “Tyranny of the
urgent” 2018 Edition
 What Jesus Said

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If

you remain in me and I in you, you will
bear much fruit.” (John 15:5)
– Your inner life determines fruitfulness
– Your inner life depends on “abiding” in
Christ
• A “being-at-home-with” God
• Daily walking with God

2018 Edition
 How To Walk With God Daily

 Develop a continual sense of need of

Jesus in your life
– “There, but for the grace of God, go I!”
 Develop a deep-down sense that
Jesus is all I could ever need or want
– SEE Psalm 73:25, 26, 28
 Develop a daily prayer dependence on
Jesus for everything
2018 Edition
Spiritual Pathways To God

 Sacred Pathways
by Gary Thomas
 About different
ways people
approach
intimacy with God

2018 Edition
 The Relational Pathway

 Team-based approach to God

 Needing other people around to getting
close to God
 See God in the dynamic of working,
worshipping, praying, studying with
others
 Examples: most “caring” Christian
leaders
2018 Edition
 The Intellectual Pathway

 Enriching and stimulating the mind to

engage the heart
 Thrilled with theological discovery
 Seeking in-depth conversations,
articles and books
 Examples: Apostle Paul, Augustine,
Calvin, Ravi Zacharias, Lee Strobel

2018 Edition
 The Serving Pathway

 Doing the work of God to get close to

God
 Consistently laboring in their gift-mix
 Always looking for “something to do for
God”
 Example: Mother Theresa

2018 Edition
 The Contemplative Pathway

 Thrive on quietness, solitude, alone-times

with God
 Extremely sensitive to God at work around
them
 Reflection and meditation strengths
 Often seem to be “out of the mainstream” of
leadership
 Examples: St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas
Merton, Henri Nouwen
2018 Edition
 The Activist Pathway
 Always seeking the next challenge, the next
“hill”
 Choose a fast pace, exhausting to others
 Have a lot of energy and often love multiple
projects
 Highly “driven” people
 Examples: John Wesley, George Whitefield,
Bill Hybels, John Maxwell

2018 Edition
 The Creation Pathway

 Relate best to God when around His

creation/nature
 See spiritual meaning and lessons
from creation
 Want large vistas, quiet brooks, serene
mountains, and so forth
 Example: Roy Goble, Christian
Environmental Assoc. Chair/founder
2018 Edition
 The Worship Pathway
 Find closeness to God in vital, vibrant,
Spirit-filled worship experiences
 Drive and ride cars using worship
tapes and CDs
 Feel overcome with the presence of
God in worship
 Examples: David, Jack Hayford, John
Wimber
2018 Edition
Using Your Pathway
 Identify your most
evident pathway
to God
– Do not compare
your pathway to
other leaders
– Do not envy
others in their
pathways
2018 Edition
 Using Your Pathway

 “Lean into” your

pathway
– Experiment with
it
– Practice it without
apology

2018 Edition
Using Your Pathway

 Appreciate other
pathways to God
– Experiment with
different
approaches
– See them as
opportunities for
growth

2018 Edition
 Using Your Pathway

Help others identify

their pathway
– Encourage them
to experiment
– Help them find
and use their gift-
mix

2018 Edition
 The Bottom Line
“Imagine the fruit that could be born, the
creativity that could flow, the power that could
be unleashed, if we were all regularly
accessing the presence and power of God
through the pathway that He’s designed for
us. The church would truly become a force
that the gates of hell could not hold back!”
-- Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership, p. 229

2018 Edition
Your Turn

Q&A

2018 Edition
 Next Time

“The Art of Self

Leadership”
(Chapter 9)
“A Leader’s Prayer”
(Chapter 10)
2018 Edition