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1. Forming Davids for the 21st Century

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What do Moses, Gideon, David, and Peter all have in common?

Great faith? Great gifts? Great leadership?

Great flaws. Scripture graciously walks us through the lives of leaders without the stained glass of success. We see them question the Living God in a burning bush. We see them doubt multiple miracles. We watch them gaze on the rooftop as a beautiful woman bathes. We cringe when they co

What do Moses, Gideon, David, and Peter all have in common?

Great faith? Great gifts? Great leadership?

Great flaws. Scripture graciously walks us through the lives of leaders without the stained glass of success. We see them question the Living God in a burning bush. We see them doubt multiple miracles. We watch them gaze on the rooftop as a beautiful woman bathes. We cringe when they cowl before an accusing servant girl. Captured on the eternal pages of God’s word, we see their flaws, and quite possibly, we catch a glimpse of ourselves. In a day of countless leadership seminars, books, e-tips, and gurus, we tend to believe that as long as we apply proven principles of leadership, we can form a following. Our culture displays the “winners” and beckons us to practice their maxims and techniques. Though helpful, principles, maxims, and techniques can only teach the how of leadership. It falls woefully short on teaching us the who of leadership. But who a leader is determines how a leader acts. The how only speaks to the hands of a leader – the who speaks to the heart. This isn’t another series on leadership principles, though you will learn a few. This isn’t a series on the maxims and techniques of great leaders, though you will see a few. Rather this series is about how God wants to form the heart of a leader, specifically, your heart as a leader. And He must start with your flaws. We will see that God is in the business of forming leaders. First we will journey back in time to sit with another “creator.” Listen to learn what trained hands could do with flawed marble.

Brokenness: God’s demand that we face ourselves in ways we never would so we can become ourselves in ways we never could.

And remember – it’s not about leadership, it’s about the heart of the leader.

Video – A Story About A Sculpture

Video – Leadership is About Love

Key Points:

  • Leaders will not become whole until they are broken.
  • Far more important than what a leader does is who a leader is.
  • Leaders are living beings formed by the loving hands of the God who created them.

Leadership is not about power or control or success.
Leadership is about love… A love so determined
it will break us to make us whole.

Probing Deeper:

    1. In the video we saw flawed marble compared to flawed leaders. Think back to a time when God broke you in order to shape you as a leader. What insights have you had about yourself?

    2. What leaders have impacted you the most in your life? Was it their skills that attracted you or their character and heart? How were those leaders shaped by their brokenness?

    3. Let’s get real for a moment. How do we as leaders end up using God as our agent for our power, our control, and our success?

    4. We learned that who a leader is is far more important than what a leader does. Do you agree or disagree? How do we communicate this to leaders who wish to separate their public life from their personal life?

    5. How do you see the difference between leadership development and leader formation?

Transforming The Heart:

Rather than being developed like computer chips through a mechanized process, leaders are formed by the creative hands of God. Much like a sculptor with a flawed piece of marble, God personally transforms leaders from flawed lives into whole beings. From the very beginning of our lives, God has been sculpting us into His servants.

Take a few moments this week to meditate on these Scripture passages.

  • Genesis 2:7
  • Isaiah 43:1, 7, 21
  • Isaiah 44:2, 24
  • Isaiah 49:5
  • Jeremiah 1:5

Did you catch the common word?

What does the term “form” convey to you about God’s involvement with Adam, Israel, and Jeremiah?

What does the picture of God forming Adam from dirt reveal about how God creates?

God is clearly involved in the dirty and messy process of forming humanity, His children Israel, and His chosen servants. He, like a potter, shapes the clay to His specifications. In the same way, God forms you. And what He forms, He owns.

As you look back across your life, how has God been forming you?

  • What opportunities has He given you?
  • What mentors have served as God’s hands in your life?
  • How is God using you as His hands in the lives of developing leaders?

What does the fact that God owns you as a leader mean to you?

  • Does it mean security and confidence in Him?
  • Does it mean fear and uncertainty over what He may do with or to you?
  • Does it mean trust and total release to Him?
  • Does it mean joy to know His fingerprints are all over your life?
  • Does it mean anger and confusion over what He has allowed in your life?

Renewing The Mind:

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are the work of your hand.
– Isaiah 64:8


 

Related Topics: Discipleship, Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry, Leadership

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