March 2008

The Arrow

Volume III, Issue 2

Greetings from Bullseye Ministries. We have survived our first winter in New York (I hope it’s over!) and we are looking forward to the first signs of spring. Quite a different experience from living in Arizona.

Shoutout

To Bro Darrell Giles and the pastor and people of the Ray of Hope Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland. Last month Bro.Giles and the men of Ray of Hope hosted a Men’s Day Brunch with over 100 attendees. The men of Ray of Hope are actively involved in ministering to the Baltimore community where they are located.

THE SHOT

Last month we looked at Jesus’ method of leadership. This month we will look at Jesus’ method of selecting a new leader.

Jesus knew that His time on earth was limited. He also knew that for His movement to survive and thrive after His departure, the movement would need an effective leader. Early on in His ministry it became clear that Jesus had selected Peter to be that leader. Today, when we talk about Peter, we focus on what many characterize as his negative attributes; however, it appears that what we view as negatives, Jesus viewed as positives.

Peter was outspoken. Peter was bold. Peter was argumentative. Peter was not afraid to ask questions or challenge authority. If Peter joined one of our churches today, he would quickly be labeled a troublemaker and relegated to the fringes of the church. Certainly we would not view him as a candidate for leadership.

But where we see a troublemaker, Jesus saw a potential leader. Reread Acts Chapters 1-5 with a focus on Peter’s leadership skills. Watch him take charge in the Upper Room prayer meeting. Observe him boldly preaching on the day of Pentecost and drawing 3000 men to Christ. See him challenge the authority of the Jewish leaders when they order him to stop preaching about Jesus. Those same “negative” characteristics that Peter displayed in the gospels became vital assets when Peter was left to lead God’s people in a mean world.

Now, to be certain Peter needed some training and mentoring before he was ready to lead. Jesus worked with Peter’s raw material to groom and shape an effective leader. On many occasions Jesus instructed, corrected, and admonished Peter. And Peter learned his greatest lesson, humility, when he reflected on his denials of Jesus just prior to the crucifixion. Thus we hear Peter saying in 1Peter 5:6 “Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and He will exalt you in due season.”

So here’s the moral of the story – Bold, courageous, outspoken men are not the church’s problem; they are the church’s potential leaders if we take the time to mentor them and train them.

(The above is an excerpt from out workshop on Mentoring Christian Leaders, which is a part of our series on Christian Leadership.)

WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON?

WHAT'S COMING UP?