Finding the Courage to LEAD! (Sermon Audio)

This is the audio from the June 26, 2022 sermon, “Finding the Courage to LEAD”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Joshua 1:6-11

Are you a leader? Are you sure? It has been said that one of the best ways to know if you are a leader is to look around and see if anyone is following. Whether the followers are plentiful or few, we each lead in some way so the question we ought to ask is, “How do I live with the courage to lead God’s way?”. We do so when we find the courage to . . .

Listen. Joshua 1:6-7
- Leading God’s way requires that we find the courage to listen. Listening helps us to understand what people are going through. However, we must be careful that our primary listening is to God and the truth contained in His Word. It was following the majority rule and listening to people that kept the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years. We ought to spend so much time with God through prayer and His Word that we recognize the voice of our shepherd and follow Him in all we do.
Examine. Joshua 1:8
- Leading God’s way requires that we find the courage to examine. It is important that we examine our motives and actions to see how they align with God’s Word. It is through the process of examining scripture daily that we can learn what direction is from God and what is simply from our own flesh.
Accept. Joshua 1:9
- Leading God’s way requires that we find the courage to accept. The foundation of this principle is that we accept God’s Word as the authority we live by. It also involves learning to accept others in the same way Christ accepted us. This is not in any way an acceptance of sinful activity, but rather an acceptance of people where they are so that God’s love can transform them just as He transforms us.
Direct. Joshua 1:10-11
- Leading God’s way requires that we find the courage to direct. Many times when we think of leading, we want to jump directly to this and skip everything else that ought to be involved. But God’s desire is that we would direct people toward Him and in His ways rather than seeing leadership as a means to get others to do what I want. The direction we each receive from God, as the leader we ought to be following, is for us to make disciples everywhere we go.