If you like the topic of Leadership or if you are in, or want to be in a leadership position in a business or church, or really any group; then you need to know the name Patrick Lencioni. He is one of the top leaders and speaks and writes primarily about how teams function. In fact he has a Team Pyramid and he suggests that there are five healthy characteristics that create a healthy team. Those traits are Accountability, Results,... Read More Read More

Iron Leadership

Trust

This year in Iron Leadership we are focused on Jesus’ leadership. We are trying to learn from the best leader that ever stepped foot on our planet. Sometimes Jesus teaches his disciples things directly; sometimes he puts his disciples through a test. Other leadership traits are intended to be learned more through observation. Things are best learned when they are Caught not Taught. The character trait we are zooming on today, gentleness, was both caught and taught. In Matthew 11:27-29... Read More Read More

Gentleness

Follow this link to watch the video discussed in the lesson. What Fuels Forgiveness? God’s Forgiveness of us! Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing….                    Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven,            ... Read More Read More

Forgiveness

Galatians 5 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” Self-control: Ascendancy over passions. Self-Government. This is a clip from the movie “Flight” and it shows how self control is such a powerful and realistic war. Appetites seem to call out to you behind a closed door screaming “let me out!” – Anger, Lusts, Alcohol. Did you notice the stages? You look at it, you touch it, you smell it, put it where... Read More Read More

Self Control

Luke 5:1-11 I love these 11 verses and what it teaches about leadership. It teaches both what Jesus is looking for from his leaders and lessons on how we can develop future leaders. Here is a passage where Jesus is teaching eternal truths to a large group of people yet the focus is not on what Jesus taught but who Jesus was testing. Hear this; In God’s timing, the most important thing for you this morning might not be the... Read More Read More

Tests of A Leader – Humility, Sacrifice, & Vision

Leadership Lessons from Jesus Luke 5:1-11 I love these 11 verses and what it teaches about leadership. Both what Jesus is looking for from his leaders and lessons on how we can develop future leaders. Please notice that here is a passage where Jesus is teaching eternal truths to a large group of people, yet the focus is not on what Jesus taught but who Jesus was testing. Listen closely, when you come to church this Sunday or Iron Leadership... Read More Read More

Tests of a Leader: Action & Obedience

Rhythms & Routines I want to suggest that Rhythms & Routines are at the topic of our lives, very similar to a food chain. When the Wolves were taken out of Yellowstone National Park, chaos ensued. When they were re-introduced they effected everything. What happens in our Rhythm & Routines tumbles down into the rest of our lives. One thing Jesus wants to teach his followers is the necessity of healthy Rhythms and Routines. “Everyone ends up somewhere in life,... Read More Read More

Rhythm and Routine

Here we see a 40 year old man who was invited to his son’s 5th grade class to explain his job and give them a vision of what they could do. But Crystal doesn’t have a vision for his life, instead he feels stuck, stuck in a depressing, inevitable rut. It’s not a preferred future but he feels helpless to change it. William Wilberforce was a British politician best known for ending the slave trade. He had a vision for... Read More Read More

Vision: A Preferred Plan

What we have in Mind “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13 The Apostle Paul uses all familiar military terms to close out his letter to those who live in a very pagan culture. Just knowing these are military terms helps you understand what Paul thinks of how you make progress in Spiritual Maturity. It will be a battle. Watchful – Like a Sentinel standing guard over your soul or others. Stay... Read More Read More

The Most Important Gauge

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 & Ephesians 6:1-4 “Children obey your parents for this is right.” The 21st Century Translation reads “Parents obey your children for this is right. Children, do not provoke your parents to become angry.” Why do I say this? Notice the Text in Ephesians. The child’s world revolves around the parents. The child needs to adapt to a new set of circumstances, a new reality; that new reality is the Adult world. Why is this Important? As a child... Read More Read More

Fatherhood

Pictures of Marriage: People think in Pictures Marriage is more like a “workshop” where God works on your Soul, Marriage is intended to be much more Transformational than Pleasurable, not that it can’t be Pleasurable, just not Primarily about pleasure. Ephesians 5: 22-33 In Ephesians, Paul describes marriage as an object lesson to a more profound mystery. Marriage is a picture of how Christ loves his bride, the Church. Marriage and Mystery – vs. 31-32 Paul calls this union a... Read More Read More

Marriage

  My main question to you as a leader is: how do you respond to an emotionally charged moment? Take this classic scene from Secondhand Lions as an example: We will mainly be looking at this idea of Restraint from 1 Samuel 25. First, we meed to get a flow of the story so far. Chapter 19-26 is a series of pressurized leadership challenges for David. You get to see how David, as the leader, responds under pressure. We all know... Read More Read More

Restraint

  On April 14, 1910, the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank, ending the lives of over 1,500 people. As most of you know, it was an accident that could have been avoided if just a few people had been more watchful. Captain Smith was trying to beat the fastest time crossing the Atlantic, so he was travelling to avoid collisions with Icebergs. Ironically, he was going too fast to avoid collisions. This sounds like the pace some of us... Read More Read More

Watching Your Soul

This Iron Leadership Lesson is by Sam Kennedy. How can you tell someone thinks of their work as not just a job, but as a calling? Take this guy for example: Calling is about vision and purpose. Knowing vision and purpose is essential for your leadership. Who has put you in your job, in your home, in your neighborhood, in your city? Why do they have you where you are in your job, in your home, in your neighborhood, in... Read More Read More

Leading in Our Calling

I listened to a talk on ‘risk’  by Tim Keller…I’m now basically delivering it to you. So if you ever hear him talk about it, don’t say, “Hey, Pastor Paul said the very same thing! Keller must be listening to Iron Leadership talks and using them! Imagine a diagram with three different options: fear, risk, and foolishness. Which side to you tend toward? Fear: Ready, aim, are you sure you’re ready? What happens if…I’m not ready! (Repeat – so you... Read More Read More