Thank you for listening once again to the Cultivating Growth podcast where John and I each and every week pick a topic and we talk about how it is that we can grow on that topic ultimately growing. In our relationship with God and with each other. This week we're going to talk about the importance of cultivating our growth when it comes to being a leader.

Lots of different applications of this, really important for each and every one of us to be thinking about as followers of God, as Christians. We're called upon to be leaders in every aspect of our lives. And so the Bible, of course, has a lot to say about that. I'm looking forward to this conversation. So let's get right to it. 

Jeremy, I think sometimes when we talk about.  Leadership in a biblical context. Oftentimes that gets talked about specifically as it pertains to elders in the Lord's church or fathers in the home and those types of things. Both of which are incredibly important to discuss leadership within the context of those roles.

However, uh, Uh, we're in the middle of, of a class here at Trader's Point where we're studying biblical leadership. And one thing that has just jumped out to me is that the principles of leadership can apply to all of us. No matter who you are, male, female, old, young, it doesn't matter. You are in positions of influence somewhere in your life.

And those opportunities to influence demand that we give consideration to biblical principles around leadership, because that's what we're doing when we're trying to have a positive, godly influence in the lives of other people. We are trying to lead them to Christ, lead them to a relationship with God.

And so the principles around this particular topic. I think are far more applicable to the masses than we tend to sometimes present them as. And I think it's important for all of us to give consideration to where it is in our lives that we have the opportunity to lead and the opportunity to influence and then consider how we can grow in that role wherever that may be in our lives.

You know, we often think about this when it comes to being a parent. That, you know, our kids are always watching, right? They're always looking at us and, you know, we'll make the point that, listen, they're looking at us in the good times and they're looking at us in the bad and so we've got to be thinking about that in a lot of ways.

Well, you know, even in a much broader sense,  just as I'm living life, There's people watching me all the time, and that is the reality. And in a lot of ways, just by way of example, and maybe that's, you know, maybe even a good place to start, I'm leading people somewhere, right? We're leading people somewhere.

And so I've got to be thinking about that as a Christian, that I need to be living my life. So that when people are seeing me, and they listen to me, and they talk to me, or they watch me, you know, in whatever capability or capacity that they may be in, where am I leading? Am I leading them closer to God, or am I leading them further away from God?

And so, you know, we have passages, I think 2 Timothy chapter 3 is interesting. A lot of times we always will use that passage, and the only time we turn there, it's at the very end, right? When they're talking about Scripture, and that is a powerful, you know, passage to use, is in one that we've used.  Even here on this podcast multiple times.

But that really is an interesting chapter and it really is causing Paul to have Timothy to think about that you're always leading people. People are being led all the time. And you have at the very beginning of that chapter,  people being led astray, apostasy specifically. But then at the very end of that chapter, After you have people being led spiritually, and so you have, you know, in 2 Timothy chapter 10, where Paul will begin, you have carefully followed my doctrine, my manner of life, my purpose, my faith, long suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, all that happened to me in Antioch.

And Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions that I, that I endured and out of them, all the Lord has delivered me. And so Paul is saying, you have been watching me and I have been leading you towards God. And, and then he's going to call on them, you know, to do that and, and how, how do you do that? Well, God has equipped us with his words, you know, to help us do that.

But I think coming to that reality. Kind of at the outset is going to make a big difference. You're absolutely right. And recognizing that God has equipped us is such an important part of that conversation. One thing we've been talking about a lot in our class thus far is the importance of, uh, Preparing to be a leader or training the next generation of leaders.

And we have to instill within ourselves and in those who are younger and up and coming in that role, which in Paul's case, he was trying to do for his friend, Timothy, who was still a young man, but was in a position of strong influence and leadership. We need to encourage and remind. All of us, but especially those who are up and coming young and growing in this role, that God will equip you for this opportunity.

He will give you what you need and he will help you through this process. And we can be so confident in that because we see examples of that all over scripture. We've been talking a lot about Joseph and Moses in the context of this conversation.  You know, Moses was a guy who he thought he was ready to step into a role of leadership.

I remember he sees some, he sees someone, uh, beating a, a, a Hebrew slave, and he goes out and he kills it. He's ready to start the rebellion right then and there, and take on that role of leadership to lead the people. God says, you're not ready. 40 years. 40 years need to pass and in those 40 years, what are you going to be doing?

You're going to be going back working as a shepherd. That's what you're going to do. Yeah, and then 40 years later God then calls Moses into that role of leadership. Joshua was the same way We see following follow joshua's story where as a young man He is constantly watching Moses He's always near Moses.

Joshua is the one who is going up on the mountain with Moses when he's going to receive the Ten Commandments. Joshua is the one who, we're told in Joshua 33, as Moses has built the tabernacle, that all the other people go back to their tent, but Joshua won't leave the tabernacle. He's there to watch Moses and his interaction with God.

He's constantly observing, readying  himself. None unknowingly at the time for the moment in which he's going to have to step into this role of leadership when Moses dies And so these leaders these great leaders like Moses and Joshua They don't just pop on the scene one day as great leaders They take training and it takes an investment over time to grow into that role  But God provided everything that these men needed to equip them for that role that he prepared for them.

He does the same thing for you and I. He's preparing us and he's equipping us to be the leaders that he wants us to be in whatever walk of life we're going to find ourselves in. Yeah, I mean, there's a principle in that, you know, already. A lot of times we kind of save applications and principles kind of to the very end, but I do want to kind of toss it in because, you know, I was just thinking about as you're talking specifically about Joshua, um, where, you know, he, he stood back and he observed and he watched and he leaned on Moses, who was an incredible leader of God's people.

Yeah, you know, at the beginning, he thought he was ready. And then 40 years later, when God says, Hey, you're ready, he doesn't think he's ready. And so, you know, he's kind of bouncing back and forth on that.  But yet at the same time, listen, Joshua's there and Joshua is watching. Joshua's learning. He is leaning. 

He understands that Moses is an incredible leader of God's people, and so that's someone that I need to be leaning on. Well, listen, that's a great application for us. I mean, we are surrounded with people all the time, and we're able ourselves to look. You know, I talked earlier about how people are always looking at us, and that's right. 

But we are also people, so we're looking, we're looking at other others around us as well. And so you take notice of, you know, people that are leading the way that you would like to lead, whether that be as a husband or a wife, whether that be as a parent, whether that be in the workplace, whether that be in the community, whether that be in the Lord's Church, you know, whatever that capacity may be, you watch them and you learn from them and you lean on them and you talk.

to them, you, you ask them, you know, some, you know, some ways that you can, you know, some things maybe that you can be, you know, working on and just watching  competent leaders in those areas can make a huge difference for you when you're trying to grow in that as well. Yeah. And, and we can, we can both watch those people in our lives today, and God has provided for us examples in the Bible that we can look to as well.

And so we have, uh, All kinds of examples in our lives to, to look at and to try and model our own leadership characteristics after another one that has come up quite frequently in our class is Nehemiah.  I mean, you could, you could read the book of Nehemiah and I think appropriately label it as an instruction manual in godly leadership in a lot of ways.

We see Nehemiah stepping into a role of leadership that at the beginning of the book. He was nowhere near that role or that responsibility. He was a cupbearer for the King. He wasn't even in Jerusalem, but yet he heard about the situation and the fact that the walls were still in ruins and Nehemiah's steps to becoming the leader that we see him being that ultimately helps the people rebuild the wall in 52 days. 

He first, first and foremost, he prays about it. And I think. That may sound like a, a simple step when taking on or considering a role of leadership, but it is far and away the most important thing that we can do. Again, whether you're in a position of leadership within your home, community, church, whatever it may be,  leaders pray.

Leaders spend time in prayer constantly. We see that in the life of Moses, we see that in the life of Joshua, we see that in the life of Nehemiah. He is someone who prays, and he prays often, and he prays about the work. He prays about the people. And that's what leaders need to be doing. Before we do anything else, we need to be devoted to prayer around these things.

And so again, whether you're a mom or dad, whether you have leadership roles in your community or at church, just take a moment and ask yourself, have I been actively praying for the people? that I have influence over for the work that I'm doing for the big picture, the things that maybe are two, three, four, five years down the road.

Are you praying about those things now? I think the example we see in scripture is that leaders do that. Godly leaders are talking about these things to God frequently. And I think it's the most important thing that leaders can be engaged in. I mean, there's no doubt about that. I mean, there's so many different places that we can go, you know, to talk about, you know, attributes of a good leader and, things that they need to be, you know, thinking about.

One that, you know, kind of hit me as well. You know, I've been studying the gospel of Mark lately. I teach in a class here, you know, in that gospel. And so very, uh, very Jesus focused. It certainly who was an incredible leader. Um, But, you know, one thing that really has stood out to me that I think is an attribute of every good leader is someone who is well aware of what their purpose was and really focused on it, not easily distracted, you know, from, from that purpose and focus.

And that was Jesus. I mean, he was constantly pushed on and, and, uh, and tempted to, to leave his purpose. He's constantly restating what his purpose was. And I think for a leader to stay focused on what Purpose at hand is, is important to kind of keep that, you know, in front of your mind. So, you know, whether that's, you know, elder in the Lord's church, whether that is a parent, uh, a spouse, uh, whether that is, you know, in the workplace and the community, I mean, there's so many different places that we are, you know, leaders  to, to find what that purpose of what that capacity is, and then to stay focused on that.

We certainly see that from Jesus. We saw that from Moses. I mean, You know, just an incredible example for Moses, certainly from Joshua. I mean, you know, his, his focus, you know, throughout, you know, his mentions in Exodus and certainly in the book that bears his name is there, but you certainly see that from Jesus as well.

Yeah, that, that's such a great point and a good place to,  Because I think at the end of the day, leaders understand what the goal is, what the purpose is, and every decision that they make is going to be pointed in that direction. Every decision that a leader makes moves them and those they have influence over closer to that goal.

And you mentioned Jesus being the ultimate example of that, and several others in Scripture are as well. We'll close in Joshua chapter 24, as I think Joshua gives voice to this very thing. He recognizes that at the end of the day, he has a responsibility to help lead people to God and lead them closer to God.

And he expresses that in Joshua chapter 24, a well known passage of scripture.  We'll close with this in Joshua chapter 24, verses 14 and 15, with the voice of leadership here  being shown to us by Joshua. Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served.

on the other side of the river and in Egypt. Serve the Lord. And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 

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Thanks again for joining us this week, and we'll talk again next week.