Week one Thursday 01/13

Michael Berens
Week One
Thursday 01/15/09

Kinds of Leadership

Part A: Leadership is the serving, gifting, and guiding for the sake of others. Leadership is serving because if a leader is not serving, then he or she is selfish and probably running the people around him or her dry. He or she is gifted because leading is usually a gift given by some one else or yourself if you take it. Leadership is guiding because it is about going alongside of people and encouraging them in new ways or old ways renewed.

Was Adam a leader?
Adam had to be a leader for Eve because he was the first man in existence. A man is naturally and instinctually a leader for his family, but it is a learning process of what that means. Adams leadership was not always good. In fact that is what lead to the first sin. It was Adam’s fault over all that Eve was tempted. Adam then took leadership of his family in ways we don’t even know.
Was Eve a leader?
Eve was Adam’s co leader. Truly I think she was co leading in the Garden of Eden. It is not until the fall in Genesis three that She is put under Adam’s leadership because of it.
Was Noah a leader?
Noah was definitely a leader. He was distinct from the others and led his family to build and then get on a boat to which they didn’t know exactly why. It takes strong leadership to follow God and then in turn lead a family that probably doubted the whole time.
Was Isaac a Leader?
Isaac was most likely a good leader over all, but at the end of his life he was not leading rightly. In fact he favored the son who displayed an attitude of slobbery and ungratefulness for the rite he had. Esau sold his righteous birth right for a measly bowl of soup. Jacob clearly deserved this and Isaac was too blind to see this.
Was Jacob a leader?
Jacob was a leader but didn’t always make good choices. He was willing to work for what he wanted. He did end up taking the birth right in a peculiar situation, but ended up working many years to gain his wife’s. He did make the same mistake as his father in favoritism. He liked Joseph and Benjamin more. This did show that he was not the best father and leader.
Was Joseph a leader?
Joseph clearly was a good leader. He was a leader enough for the Pharaoh to notice him and put him charge. For a pagan Egyptian to put a Jewish commoner in charge of so much, there had to be something more than just dream catching going on.
Was Moses a leader?
Moses was a great leader most of the time. In fact God choose him out of the wilderness to come and lead God’s people. That seems pretty substantial. I think people read into Moses that he was not qualified, but he was around leadership in Pharaoh’s house all throughout childhood, so he must have seen something go on with how to be a good leader. He made some mistakes in the wilderness that cost him his entrance into the promise land. Over all he did a good job
Was Aaron a leader?
Aaron was another man appointed by god to lead His people. He had to lead in a much different role. In fact his leadership was not so direct in leading. He was more of the organizer of God’s people for worship. The tabernacle needed a human mind behind it for God’s instructions to come through.
Was Samuel a leader?
Samuel was also a leader though he had trouble eventually. In fact maybe he wasn’t really a leader, but more of a person God used to bring about His purpose. Samuel was a strong ma in terms of correcting Saul, but in his family life he sucked. He let his sons lose the arc of the covenant. He just was not a good father, which filtered into bad leadership in the temple.
Was Saul a leader?
Saul was a strong leader. This does not mean he was a good moral leader. He led his country with strength and passion. At the end of his kingship he let the crazies get to him and his leadership dwindled. He became jealous and reckless with his armies. Over all, you could call Saul a bad leader in Christian standards, but ok by worldly standards.
Was James a Leader?
James became the head of the Jerusalem church. He had to make some tough decision when persecution from everywhere was great. People in the church didn’t agree with him. People against the church obviously didn’t agree with him. He was the one who declared the regulations for the gentiles to not have to be circumcised. That was historic and changed Christianity from then on. I would say he was a great leader.
Was Luke a Leader?
Luke was not necessarily a leader as much as a companion and supporter of the apostles. He wrote some really good books and took some long journeys but I would say he was more of a supporter and encourager to leaders.
Was Barnabas a leader?
Barnabas was a good leader. He led alongside of Paul. He even made the tough choice of separating from Paul when the differed on whom they should take. I would think they it would be hard to disagree with Paul, as he was almost a leader of the church.
Was Paul a leader?
Obviously Paul was a leader basically led from wherever he was. Even if he was half way across the world, he could still lead a church 3000 miles away through letters and prayer. It is amazing to think how much sway he had in the churches he helped start. I do not think I have to say any more.

Part B summarized:
Out of all of these Leadership qualities that I have seen broken and done well were humility, making tough choices, and serving in wisdom. The biblical characters each demonstrated different ways of utilizing these in tremendous ways. I think God picked these leaders because they had so much potential. Some of the characters used their gifts for evil. Saul for example used the strength of his leadership in military to hunt down David, which lead to country invasions. Others used their gifts for good. James for example made the tough choices and that ended up being something really beneficial for the church.