Situations can look hopeless. I had a hopeless situation that presented itself last Sunday when four scuba divers were lost 50 miles offshore from North Carolina. One of them was my son-in-law’s Dad…

Skeptics are everywhere! They question everything, and they doubt everything. They challenge all positive change.

On the other side is the Holy Spirit, the one who brings faith and positivity. How can you overcome skepticism in the power of the Holy Spirit?

I have always loved Psalm 23. It is the favorite passage of many Christians for comfort in times of distress and trouble. The other day, however, I looked at it differently: “The Lord is my pastor" (same word as shepherd).

Ezekiel and John both saw the four awesome living creatures that stand around the throne of God. Both of them (Eze. 1: 10, Rev. 4: 7) describe their four faces: an eagle, an ox, a lion, and a man. Could these four powerful creatures give us an insight into the nature of God’s kingdom and leadership model?

Maintaining stability as a leader is one of the greatest crisis in America today. Business leaders, political leaders, spiritual leaders are “uprooted” from their positions by moral, financial, and ethical failure. How do you maintain long-term stability as a leader?

I’ll never forget being in Lebanon and taking a trip to see the “cedars of Lebanon.” There, perched high on a mountain, these gentle giants were 30 ft. around! I wondered how they received their nourishment and flourished in such a harsh mountaintop climate.

Everyone wants to be a great leader.  They try every book, conference, and seminar.  They pump themselves full of motivation.  They read and listen to the latest leadership strategy.

All good.  The missing ingredient of all of the above?  “Self-awareness.”  

A great deal of your success as a leader is in the ability to spot and recruit talented leaders. King David seemed to be a master at attracting and enlisting top talent (see 1 Chronicles 11-12). Your ultimate legacy will be the leaders you attracted, trained, and released as great warriors. At one time, we had 28 pastors on staff. As I travel around the nation speaking for many of them in their own churches, I am amazed to see their innovation, talent, and ability to multiply.

When Moses was gone for 40 days up the mountain, it turned into a “free for all” down below.  People usually behave correctly until their leader is not around.  THEN…it is up to their inner character.

Here is how you control your passions even when no one is watching: 

Everybody leads something:  their family, their children, their business, their community their church…or themselves.

Paul spoke about “faithful leaders.”  He listed their 5 greatest qualities to his spiritual son, Timothy (2 Tim. 2). 

Check out how you measure up: 

We all put off confrontation.  We hide from people we should confront.  We have imaginary conversations with them we never get the guts to have. 

How do you resolve your worst confrontation scenario?

 

Everyone wants to be a great leader.  They try every book, conference, and seminar.  They pump themselves full of motivation.  They read and listen to the latest leadership strategy.

All good.  The missing ingredient of all of the above?  “Self-awareness.”  

If you can’t see past the outward appearance of someone, you will never be a great leader.  EVER.

People are cunning and shrewd.  Some have experience with deception.  Others put up a good front.  Discerning the difference between a good talker and a hard worker can “make or break” your organization.  You could even find yourself married to the wrong person.

Here are a few lessons I have learned about discernment:

Ezekiel and John both saw the four awesome living creatures that stand around the throne of God.  Both of them (Eze. 1: 10, Rev. 4: 7) describe their four faces:  an eagle, an ox, a lion, and a man.  Could these four powerful creatures give us an insight into the nature of God’s kingdom and leadership model?

Paul describes a leadership model with all four included in (1 Cor. 16: 13-14):

A great deal of your success as a leader is in the ability to spot and recruit talented leaders.  King David seemed to be a master at attracting and enlisting top talent (see 1 Chronicles 11-12).  Your ultimate legacy will be the leaders you attracted, trained, and released as great warriors.

What are the top qualities of David’s great recruiting?

Maintaining stability as a leader is one of the greatest crisis in America today.  Business leaders, political leaders, spiritual leaders are “uprooted” from their positions by moral, financial, and ethical failure.  How do you maintain long-term stability as a leader? 

I’ll never forget being in Lebanon and taking a trip to see the “cedars of Lebanon.”  There, perched high on a mountain, these gentle giants were 30 ft. around!  I wondered how they received their nourishment and flourished in such a harsh mountaintop climate. 

Our guide, a native of Lebanon and one of our Surge Project directors, gave us some really interesting insight into why these trees have been so coveted in major building projects worldwide: