Leadership 103
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
July 1, 1998
Introduction
Homework assignments –
Did you have your Quiet Times?
Did you pray for your ministry?
Did you complete this week’s assignment in Spiritual Leadership?
NEXT WEEK: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, guest speaker Jim Hesterly.
Spiritual Leadership
Large Group Discussion
From the questions in Spiritual Leadership, pg. 172:
#2. How can vision create problems? (ch.8)
#3. Can serious people learn to be funny? Why is it difficult to maintain a sense of humor when leading? (ch.9)
Focus Lesson:
The Art of Listening
1. Paying attention = Loving them.
Work at not allowing your mind to wander.
The basis of Biblical love is giving (for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son …)
Giving the person attention is a great way of showing value to them. It shows you care enough to give them some of your time.
This is important whether the other person is your spouse, or a young child in your Sunday School class.
Why is it so easy for children to catch on to Jesus’ love for them? Because Jesus took time for them!
(Mat 19:13-15 NKJV) Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. {14} But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." {15} And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
2. Eye contact = sincerity.
Some of you have a problem with this. You need to work at looking the other person in the eyes.
Very often a person won’t look you in the eyes because there is a sense of insecurity in them. There is a sense of not being accepted, perhaps of being inadequate or inferior to you.
There is a sense of exposing yourself to the other person when you allow them to look at you in the eyes.
The eye has been called a "window to the soul". Jesus said:
(Mat 6:22 NLT) "Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul.
When you look a person in the eyes, it shouldn’t be difficult for them to tell whether or not you care about them.
There are some people who have cultivated eye-contact in order to deceive others, but for us, eye-contact is a way of communicating sincerity.
It also helps you stay focused on what they’re saying too!
3. Listen to understand.
Don’t "pre-understand"
Too often we think we’ve understood what they are talking about, but don’t realize we’ve missed the point completely.
(Prov 18:13 KJV) He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
Don’t cut them off. Sure you’re in a hurry, but show a little respect! Usually when I’m cut off in mid-sentence, I haven’t gotten to the real point yet!
Don’t be thinking about how you’re going to respond while they’re talking.
Listen for things you might misunderstand.
There are lots of times when we jump to the wrong conclusion based on the difference between the way we understand words and they way the other person is intending them to mean.
Expect that you’ll misunderstand at some point. Work to make sure you have gotten the message.
Use "I heard you say".
Before you stop and answer a person, take the extra time to put their ideas into your own words, starting with the phrase, "I heard you say …"
This is a tool to help make sure you understand what a person has said, and to make sure they agree with how you understood them.
I’ve used this in counseling situations, and it’s funny when I ask one person to say to the other person, "Now what did you hear them say …", and they weren’t even listening!
Try using "I heard you say …" in your small groups. Have each person answer the question, and have the other people in the group take turns responding with "I heard you say".
Small Group Discussion
Accountability – how many days this week did you have a Quiet Time? Everybody share how many.
From the questions in Spiritual Leadership, pg. 172:
#1. If you were granted a wish and could instantly and permanently acquire one leadership quality, which would you select?
#5. Why is patience a particularly difficult virtue for leaders to develop? (ch.9)
Venture in Faith Video
"A Change of Philosophy, A Change of Ministry"
The emphasis on the teaching of the Word of God is one of the major cornerstones of Calvary Chapel.
This is what drew me to Calvary Chapel from the beginning, the balance between the teaching of the Word of God with the working of the Holy Spirit.
A church that places too much emphasis on the Word of God, and neglects the work of the Holy Spirit becomes dry.
A church that places too much emphasis on the Holy Spirit, and neglects the Scripture, is open to deception.
One of my main responsibilities as a pastor is to teach the Scriptures, so that the church is equipped for its ministry.
(Eph 4:11-12 NKJV) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, {12} for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
That means that if I’m doing my job, then you will be growing in the Lord and learning to "do the ministry". It’s not a professional, paid staff person who is to do the ministry, it’s the whole church.
Equipping for life and ministry comes from the Bible.
(2 Tim 3:16-17 NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, {17} that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Some have suggested that we have too many Bible Studies. Personally, I don’t think we have enough of them.
Our model for church growth comes from the early church:
(Acts 2:42-47 NKJV) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine
(teaching of God’s Word) and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. {43} Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. {44} Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, {45} and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. {46} So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, {47} praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.Small Group
Share prayer requests and pray.