G.W. Bill Elliott, Jr once noted;
Once in a while, it IS your fault. You have reasons, sure. But once in a while just own the blame. The deflection is all to obvious.
Week:
11
Leadership, Service, and Integrity
Keeping vows, leading well, faithful service. This week explores servant leadership rooted in integrity, accountability, and covenantal commitment. It equips participants to lead with humility, to serve without seeking status, and to keep promises that build trust. Practical tools for ethical decision-making and healthy leadership rhythms are emphasized.
Objectives
Learn to lead with humility and accountability.
Practice servant leadership and integrity.
Understand the spiritual weight of promises and speech.
Reflections
Who holds me accountable in leadership?
How can I serve without seeking praise?
Where do my words need more integrity?
NowTo the HowTo
Accountability/Tracking
Invite feedback from one trusted person on your speech and follow through this week.
Community Action
Serve anonymously in the community (small act) and report back on the experience.
Creative Project
Draft a one page “Leadership Covenant” that outlines values, boundaries, and accountability contacts.
Leader Prompt
Run a brief role play on giving and receiving corrective feedback with dignity.
Personal Practice
Reflect on one promise you’ve made and take one concrete step to honor it this week.
Devotionals
Unexceptional Presence
As we recently discussed in The Meaning of Suffering devotional, the painful events in our lives help strengthen us, help lead us, even help us witness and minister to those around us. One of the saddest 'arguments' people sometimes have about God is that He 'allows' the world to suffer, to tear itself apart, to wreak utter havoc on others. But, suffering is actually a personal thing, unique to each of us. While a crowd or group of people may be viewed as 'suffering', it is quite possible...
Surrender to Victory
I know, surrendering is typically considered defeat. Victory and winning are two different things, too. Too often in our lives, we win (succeed), but don't actually enjoy/realize victory. Seems very odd, I know, but our devotional today reminds us that surrender with the Lord results in victory with the Lord... not against the Lord, but 'with' the Lord, 'in' the Lord. Sure, we can do many things, including living our entire lives without the Lord; we can work, raise families, navigate many...
When Good Enough Ain't
I dislike being the recipient of shoddy work, or buying a tool or a product for the second time because the first one failed, or even worse... having to rely on someone whose work-ethic is questionable. But, just how do we get motivated to try harder, or do better, or 'go the extra mile' for a job that just doesn't motivate, appreciate, and certainly does not reciprocate? Easy... change your 'who you are doing it for' focus. See, Colossians 3:23-24 tells us; " And whatsoever ye do, do it...
Successfully Failing
Yea, contrary terms, I know. I enjoy being successful, being on the winning side of a problem (even if it is only the garbage-disposal plumbing), being strong, admired, even 'looked up to'. These traits, these events, these moments in my life leave me self-satisfied, proud of my stature in life, and they even kind of invigorate me to press on, to strive more or harder, to improve... but, all too quickly, my fallibility lurches RIGHT into the middle of some fantastic quest I am (was) on the...