Leadership, Part 2 --  Setting the Example  

Leadership 101,
The Leadership Skills of Jesus
Part2 -  Setting the Example


Setting the example is first and foremost the most important skill of leadership.  It is important simply because the leader’s actions govern and help control the actions and behaviors of his group.  How the leader behaves sets the example of how he expects the group to behave.  It is a poor leader that behaves in one manner and expects better behavior from the group.   It is especially difficult to control a group when the leader is not in control.

All of us have seen good and poor examples of leadership in our daily lives.  From the teachers we had in school and college, to the “bosses” we have or have had in our jobs.  From our experiences, we can see all types of leadership styles.  Even my students at middle school talk about having seen this in their young lives within the school teachers they have had.  The ones they appreciate the most are the ones that were good leaders.  Good leaders in being fair, ready to help, planned well that allowed them to teach well,.... the list goes on.

In all aspects of daily living, in every aspect of leadership skills listed below, Jesus was the consummate leader.  He always walked the walk of the talk He talked.  He never asks us to do what he never did.  In fact, He faced ever challenge we could ever face overcoming them with faith of our heavenly father, depending on God in every moment He lived.  He lived up to every challenge depending on God and never running from any problem.  He executed every leadership skill with perfection.  He was the Perfect Savior by being the Perfect Leader.  Jesus is the Acid Test for how to lead.  We can learn how to lead people is all facets of life, just by following His example of these skills.

In the skills listed below, Jesus was perfect in His example.  From Matthew 5 in the Beatitudes and Sermon on the mount we see His ability to communicate.   His life and ministry was an example of his planning.  In His wilderness experience after being baptized, He planned His ministry using scripture to fulfill Old Testament scripture, to ward off the devil’s temptations, and teaching the more perfect way of living.  His teachings skills are remarkably effective as we are better able to understand God and ourselves better because of what and how He taught.   In anticipation of his disciples needs, he always saw those needs were met.  We even see his planning skills using the Holy Spirit to meet the needs of His disciples and meet our requirements today.   Examples of every leadership skill listed below can be found in the Gospels.  His examples will be the subject of future writings.

But, He is not only the Acid Test on how to lead, he is the Ultimate Example on how to live our lives.  Study the life of Jesus by serious study of the Gospels, and learn from the epistle writers.  Jesus is the litmus of our lives.  Pray to be like Jesus.  Follow His examples of leadership and you will be a great leader, but more importantly, you will also be a Great Follower.

=====================================
Leadership Skills where Jesus was Most Perfect

I would love to read your comments on how you think Jesus was most Perfect in his demonstration of these skills:

Skill
====
Setting the Example

Communications

Effective Teaching

Planning

Knowing the Needs and Characteristics of the Group

Using Resources Wisely

Sharing Leadership

Controlling the Group

Representing the Group

Counseling

Evaluating

Leadership Skills of Jesus, Introduction

The Leadership Skills         Return to Main Menu
of Jesus                                                      Click here:  Part 2
                                                            Setting the Example
Introduction
Part 1 - Setting the Example --- link is below

John 14:6 NKJ

Jesus said to him,
    "I am the way, the truth, and the life. 
        No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Introduction

Nearly all people like to belong to a group, maybe because most people do not like to be alone.  In belonging to a group and investing our time, we inherently want the group to be successful.  Sometimes at our work, we are forced on projects and do not like being forced; yet, we still want the group to be successful.  Most people have come to understand that for a group to be successful, there must be a good leader.  Think about how many times you have been on a committee or in a project at work having poor leadership and thought you could do better.  Often, we know we could do better, but were afraid to step out of our cocoon and volunteer to lead.

Until I was drafted into the Air Force I avoided leadership positions, to the point of not joining groups or committees in fear of being selected to lead something.  Just like many people, leadership confidence  was the biggest issue on how to lead my peer group.  The Air Force help me gain leadership confidence.  

Leadership Training

But, it was a secular, civilian leadership training course that gave me a real formula for being a leader.  The skills consisted of mostly of simple phrases.  Phrases as “Setting the Example”, having good Communication Skills, Planning, Knowing the Needs and Characteristics of the Group, Controlling the Group, and other phrases that were part of that course.  Applying those skills, my Boy Scout troop flourished; applying these skills as a computer consultant helped me to be greatly successful.   I used them and teach them in my middle school classroom, with great results.  These skills changed my life.  They can change yours.

These skills were distilled by an English Lord, Sir Robert Baden-Powell taught his troops these skills in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s; and intact, the list of the skills and their use survives and applies today.  But, this is not just about Leadership, it is also about the primary source of Great Leadership.  The Greatest Leader that ever walked the face of this earth is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  As you will see in the weeks to come, there will be no doubt, Baden-Powell was influenced by the leadership skills of Jesus.

Leadership Skills are the Same

Leadership skills are the same, from running a scout troop, to computer consulting, to being a president of a corporation, or as being like Jesus.  The Leadership skills of Jesus can be used in our everyday life!!!!  Jesus’ Leadership Skills can be used to run corporate society just as they can be used in our churches to teach people to bring people to Christ.  The skills are clearly the same.  If Christians would use these skills in building evangelism teams, our churches would be full and overflowing.  

In the time ahead, discussions will be distributed on how Jesus was perfect in His display and definition of the leadership skills learned in a secular environment.   You will come to see that (1) understanding Jesus’ definition of these skills, one will gain confidence to become a better leader; or, (2) realize you are called to step out your box, out of your cocoon, out of your little world to be a leader.

At the end of this and all Leadership messages, you will see all the skills to be discussed.  All the leadership skills will not be consecutively published; typically it will be as time permits me to write   The first skill publication will begin with the most important leadership skill, “Setting the Example”.  The discussion will be why this is so important, and how Jesus was the Perfect Example of leadership skills.  Leadership Skills for your everyday life.  
       
                        Return to Main Menu

Click Here for>>>>>Setting the Example

==================================================================
Leadership Skills where Jesus was Most Perfect

I would love for you to send me your comments on how you think Jesus was most Perfect in his demonstration of these skills:

Skill
====
Click Here for>>>>>Setting the Example

Communications

Effective Teaching

Planning

Knowing the Needs and Characteristics of the Group

Using Resources Wisely

Sharing Leadership

Controlling the Group

Representing the Group

Counseling

Evaluating

Meekness, Boldness, Jesus in the Temple

Meekness or Boldness    
How Do You Want to Live....
         maybe Both?

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Matthew 5:5 NKJ     

 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

Humility is Not Being a Doormat

Growing up in church I was taught many important lessons on God’s Way for my life.  I remember my second grade Sunday school teacher well.  One day she gave us a picture of Jesus to color with the title “Be Meek and Mild like Jesus”.  We colored the paper as she talked about how meek and mild Jesus was.  Oh, she sounded good, but, even at that age, she made me uncomfortable with her picture of Jesus as a meek and mild doormat for someone to walk over.  Even at eight years old, I just could not buy what she had to say.  My thought, “Why do I want to be like that?”  Her words just did not have the ring of truth, but I was unsure why.  That day, you see, had a long lasting impression on me.

Over the ensuing years, I thought of her lesson but seeing a different Jesus as I was taught and studied God’s word.  But for some time, the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:5 was a bother to me.  But, believing Jesus never said anything He did not mean, I just had to seek understanding; I still believe that.  So, how do we reconcile our 'modern' concept of meekness to understand this passage.  

Being Passive is not Meekness

I have come to understand, my teacher taught passiveness where God wants us to be active.  She taught being a doormat where God wants us to stand up for what is right.  She taught just gentleness when God wants us to gently behave but overtly act with boldness in His name.  She bordered on teaching spinelessness when God really wants us to have backbone toward needful people, injustice, and evil in our lives.  The problem came in that she did not understand the word ‘meek’ and what it meant.

The Bible meaning of Meakness
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  It is important for us to know that active Humility and Meekness does not mean for us to be a doormat and devoid of action.  True unselfish humble action for God’s Kingdom through the Holy Spirit is accomplished by continually seeking God’s desires in our earthly time.  But, we must not only “seek” we need to be active in His name.  

In the original Greek, this "meek" Jesus speaks of, means or can have any or all of these characteristics:  
(1) A person who is under self-control,
(2) one who is obedient,
(3) humble without pride, and/or
(4) one who is angry only at the right time,
                            (Barkley, Matthew, vol 1, p96).

Influential leaders of history often have one of two behaviors:  Either the humility of  Lincoln or Billy Graham or the pride and arrogance of Hitler and Stalin.  From this view, we see possessing humility is important to leading us to do greatness for God.  Billy Graham was the Clark Kent of mildness, but a Superman in speaking and doing God’s will.  Humility is not a weakness for we, as Jesus, are at our greatest when we are most humble, but just as Jesus taught us through His actions, there is a season for gentleness and a time for boldness.

Jesus was gentle, meek, kind, and showed great mercy in His healing of the blind, feeding of the thousands, curing the sick, and raising the dead.  But, there was a strong side to Jesus, and He demonstrated this often.  Jesus was bold in His behaviors when he saw things were wrong and not working for the lives of people.  His behaviors and words do tell us he was gentle, but other behaviors also shows us boldness in doing the Righteous behavior.

In Meekness Choose Your Battles

Matthew 21
12  Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13  He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a den of robbers."

Jesus chose His time for His battles and did not “major in minor” issues.  He was patient, but He would strike out against evil... at the right time.  In His gentleness he would have compassion, heal, supply needs, and feed thousands of people.  Yet, I cannot imagine the horror of Peter when on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus chastises Peter for not being “mindful of the things of God”.  Jesus certainly was most strong in overturning the tables in the Temple during His last week.  Finally, you can feel the anger in Jesus’ voice when he strikes out, "woe are you..." Scribes and Pharisees” (great video) in Matthew 23.  This is certainly not 'modern' mild or meekness, but it is what Jesus meant, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

In Living with us, Jesus did not come just to lead us to salvation, he came to teach us how to live, to live a life pleasing to God.  God wants us to be gentle, kind, and, yes, meek.  But, He also wants us to stand up to the wrongs (evil) we find in our everyday lives.  His clearing the Temple of money changers was being Bold against injustice, at just the right time.  His desires for us is to be both humbly active and to be Bold in His name, seeking His Wisdom, being Pure in heart and doing His Will.

Walking the Talk

Jesus earthly life Sets the Example of how to live.  In Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount defines Christian living.  He preached the walk of Christian living.  But, most importantly, He walked the talk.  Unlike so many "modern" preachers He lived what he preached, but He was no doormat.

There is no sin in True Christian Boldness for Christ.  Do the Right Thing for Christ and let God take care of the consequences.

Thanks be to God.

(c) Lonnie Coggins

  
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© Lonnie Coggins
ldcoggins@gmail.com

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lonnie

Publication  0014

intro

IN OUR BEHAVIORS FOR JESUS, TIMING IS EVERYTHING.  JESUS HAD GREAT TIMING,  a great ability, and perfect patience in choosing the right words and the truly Righteous behavior at just the right time.  In His meek patience He teaches us much about the active time for boldness.  Click the link for more.    Please share the message on your Fb page as you like, and if you like, click the FB 'Follow' button to have notifications of these publications.  For other messages like this, visit my FB page, or on FB visit-"A Daily Thought Group".

http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2010/11/meekness-or-boldness.html

9+1 Behaviors that Separate us from God

9+1 Behaviors that Separate us                   
     from God

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1-    Accepting and
living with
    discouragement that clouds our vision.

                 

2-    Taking life the Easy Way instead living life God’s Way.

3-    Allowing simple fruitless wants to override
             what we really Need in our lives.  
           The discontentment of a fruitless life 

               that can lead to untimely death. 

4-    Living in our own selfishness instead of

            Living in His Desires for Us.

5-    Planning our life instead of Seeking 

             His Plans for our Life.
                   God does have a sense of humor,
                   He laughs when he sees us planning.
                       Or does God cry 

                             when he sees us with our plans.

6-    To be Content in Drowning

             in the self imposed Discontentment of our Lives.

7-    Failure to:  

            (1) study and know God’s Word for our lives or
            (2) failure to live in Humility within His will.
                 Just being ‘good’ is not good enough.

8-    Not making room in our daily activities

           for our best connector to God - prayer.

                 Jesus Prayed Often!

9-    Thinking, "I am a good person, 
          it is just a little sin to do this just one time."

The Ultimate Behavior 
           Separating us From God

10-    Rejecting the Holy Spirit.

Why is it we forget that it is God’s Word
that has lasted for 4500 years and not the wants of man.
The one true need of mankind is 
                  The One True Word of God.

Kings and Kingdoms will all pass away, 
          but the Word of God will live forever.

Thanks Be to God

(c) Lonnie Coggins

Please Join 'A Daily Thought Group' on Facebook.  
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Click here for>>>>

            Why We Rebel Against God

               Sneaky "little" Sins

                      Behaviors God Desires From Us

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You can print the message including this sharing message only for your friends and for non-profit.  You will have to copy and paste the message to a word processing document.   After you copy and paste add the following at the end of the message:

© Lonnie Coggins

ldcoggins@gmail.com

If you desire to use any of these messages in a For-Profit manner you must contact me (email) for permission.  Typically, I will most likely give permission.

Please email me if you find any broken links in this message.

lonnie

Publication  0013


intro
MANY BEHAVIORS SEPARATE US FROM GOD,  Click here for nine thoughts on what keeps us from loving God as we should. Please share the message on your Fb page as you like, and if you like, click the FB 'Follow' button to have notifications of these publications.  For other messages like this, visit my FB page, or on FB visit-"A Daily Thought Group".

http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2010/11/91-behaviors-that-separate-us-from-god.html

Mountains in our Lives

Mountains in our Lives                  

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Matthew 21:21 NKJ     Have Faith to Move a Mountain

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.”

Acts 4:8-13     Peter defies the Temple Leaders, Risking Death:
8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!9  If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed,10  then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.11 He is " 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. '12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

The world says, “Do it your way.”
The Cross says, “I am the Way.”

A 120 pound freshman in high school decided he wanted to try out for the football team.  He worked all summer building stamina and strength.  Confident, on opening day of practice he showed up to try out for the team.  He had so much energy to play the coach took him in.

The next day, the coach took him just beyond the end of the field where there was a deep ravine.  Near the ravine was a huge pile of dirt all cluttered with vines, trash, and the like.  The coach told him, “Fill in the ravine”, handed him a shovel, showed him the wheel borrow, and then, he just walked away.

Day in and day out, he did what the coach said.
He could go to the team meetings but for practice, he ..... moved dirt.   He could feel the teams laughter at him.  Every few days he would ask the coach about practicing with the team, with the same answer every time.  “Work on the dirt, I will tell you when you are ready.  He had no choice but to shovel in the hot humid sun, hours on end, week after week.

The young freshman wanted to quit, but was determined to play football.  Finally, after two months of close personal attention to the shovel, the coach came.  “It is time”, the coach told him.  Humbly, he asked the coach, “Thank you so much, but why have you not allowed me to practice?  Our first game is tomorrow?”

The coach said look at you, “You have gained 23 pounds, it is all muscle.  You have showed me you keep trying, you are obedient, and you are not a quitter.”   After a few weeks of practice, the freshman started playing in the games.  

Through diligent, obedient, faithful trust in the coach, accepting that the coach knew what was right for him, he was accepted for a greater role on the team.

-------------------------------

We will always have mountains and hills to move.  We must strive to conquer them in service to God.  The young man focused on the word of the coach.  We must show the same diligent, obedient, and faithful trust to our coach, the Holy Spirit, to know what is right for us.  We simply must Trust and in Obedience as Jesus, seek the Will of God in our lives.   

In our faithfulness in little things, we will be rewarded with greater opportunities to serve Him in His Kingdom.

=========================

10 Truths about Mountains in our Lives:

1. Mountains in our Lives, pray as we may, very often are slow to go away or might not ever disappear.  In our mountains, we find strength.
   ...
2. Sometimes, God does allow mountains in our path, in doing so He Strengthens us and Shows us His Power in our lives.
   ...
3. Our mountains keep us humble. 
   A behavior in us desired by God.
   ...
4. Jesus gave us the example    on dealing with mountains in our lives,
          pray and be obedient (Matt 26: 39-42). 
                  Never let failure be an option.
   ...
5. Jesus had mountains, as with us He did not like some of His mountains.  However, He never ran away and always trusted in God’s will. 
   Likewise, God does not want us to run away;
       and in our Faith, He wants us to Trust Him.
   .
   ...
6. God Desires us to trust in Him; When we trust, He gives us Patience to Strive, Strength to Climb, and Perseverance to Finish.
   ...
7. Many of our mountains are those of our on creation. Be careful, those can be a slippery slope to sinfulness.  Pray to be filled in the Holy Spirit for guidance away from our selfishness.
   ...
8. Do not confuse Mountains with Opportunities.  Many times Opportunities for us to Glorify God are given to us and appear to be Insurmountable Mountains.  We just have to Trust allowing God to work in us to His Glory.
   ...
9. The Best way to scale a mountain is to pray for the guidance of the first step, then move out of our cone of comfort... in faith and Climb.  This builds our Trust in Him.
   ...
10. God’s desire for us is not to sit and pout, His desire for us is for to just,  ...Climb!  When we climb according to God’s will, mountains build our strength  and Trust in God.
    In that Trust, our faith is sustained and we are prepared for greater opportunities to come.

Until our faith is where God wants us to be, we may just have to shovel until those mountains are moved to the sea.  

We must be faithful, diligent, obedient  to God’s word and the Leadership of Jesus.  

Pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit as with Peter in Acts 4:8, growing in His Grace becoming the people Jesus wants us to be.

“Greater is He who is in You, 

than He who is in the world.”    

                                    Oral Roberts, 
                                                                   Conclusion of 1st John 5.

He is always there to help us.

Thanks be to God.

Especially for our mountains He lets us climb.

(c) Lonnie Coggins

Please Join 'A Daily Thought Group' on Facebook.  
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You can print the message including this sharing message only for your friends and for non-profit.  You will have to copy and paste the message to a word processing document.   After you copy and paste add the following at the end of the message:

© Lonnie Coggins

ldcoggins@gmail.com

If you desire to use any of these messages in a For-Profit manner you must contact me (email) for permission.  Typically, I will most likely give permission.

Please email me if you find any broken links in this message.

lonnie

Publication  0012


intro

intro

Many people look at opportunity and see a problem.  Some people see an opportunity dressed as a problem.  Grace, Spirit-filled people see all things before them as opportunities to Glorify God.  Click the link to read of a young man obedient to and Trusting his coach that moved a mountian of dirt on his way to achieving his goals. Please share the message on your Fb page as you like, and if you like, click the FB 'Follow' button to have notifications of these publications.  For other messages like this, visit my FB page, or on FB visit-"A Daily Thought Group".

http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2010/11/mountains-in-our-lives.html