Lesson Outline for Jun 18, 2026
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Goal – To understand godly leadership and the power in leadership choices
- Do you think leadership can be taught, or are you born a leader?
- What are fundamental traits of quality leadership?
- What are the traits of bad leaders?
- What happens when a leader tries to do everything themselves?
- What is required before authority delegation?
- Where do you think quality leadership design originated? Hint it’s not Amazon
Hebrew and Greek Terms / Definitions
- truth #H571 “emet” walk in faithfulness are stable, reliable, won’t waver
- ministry #G1248 “diakonia” root word – “diakonos” (deacon) to serve, by God’s command proclaim and promote Jesus Christ
- full #G4134 “pleres” lacking nothing filled up, of the soul-thoroughly permeated with, of the surface-completely covered
- lead #H5148 “naha” to lead, guide, bring
The green is the author’s notations in the verses below. Bold text added for emphasis
Leadership is not hereditary but established by the call of God – all men are called to lead
Prov 29:2 ESV – “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”
NKJV – “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked [man] rules, the people groan.”
What does God’s leadership model require? Choice
Leaders submit, are selected, trained and delegated authority
Exo 18:18-23 ESV – “18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” – Jethro advising Moses
Act 6:1-4 ESV – “1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists (Greek speaking Jews) arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.””
- What happens when leaders get weary – why do leaders overwork themselves?
- Teach them the law, to pray, seek God – this will reduce the workload / strife – why?
- What is the fundamental leadership requirement and quality Jethro tells Moses?
- God’s leadership training model – select, train and give authority; ie Adam, Moses, Joshua, Jesus and the disciples – with us?
- Don’t expect God’s model to work when God is left out
- Delegation is part of leadership – disciples are commissioned, commissioning is authority
- Authority is tied to responsibility
- How does this work in your home, work, church, community – our nation
What do you consider success?
How does God’s moral law bring good success?
Josh 1:7-8 ESV – “7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
- Psalm 1 sounds very similar to Josh 1:7-8
- What was Joshua considering as “success”?
- Why do you think the “Law” was so important?
- What is the standard for evil?
- Meditate – more than thinking / contemplating – it’s to utter, speak, mutter, whisper
- What do you consider “success”?
Josh 24:28-29, 31 ESV – “28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance. 29 After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being 110 years old. … 31 Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the LORD did for Israel.”
Judges 2:7-11 ESV – “7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110 years. 9 And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. 11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.”
Judges 3:1-4 ESV – “1 Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. 2 It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. 3 These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. 4 They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”
- God appointed Joshua in Num 27 to lead the Israelites; Why not another after Joshua?
- God was always the leader, Moses submitted to His authority, and so did Joshua
- Josh 24:15 – well known portion of scripture may give some insight
- The Israelite tribes were all trained in God’s word, instruction – Pres Reagan echoed what God knew – “Freedom is only one generation away from extinction”
- What are your thoughts on Judges 3 verses above?
Godly leaders serve others
Selfless service is a must, according to Jesus Christ
Matt 20:25-28 ESV – “25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.“”
- James & John desired status (their mother wanted it for them too) not selfless leadership
- Godly leadership puts those we lead before ourselves, our status, our position
- Don’t desire something God has not positioned you for – only Jesus could “drink the cup”
- Be careful of the “cup” you think you want – don’t force yourself into a room or position you were never meant to be in
- Being a “living sacrifice” for Jesus Christ is a servant leader quality
- What does servant leadership look like as a man, husband, father?
Last thoughts and considerations
- Godly leaders choose to serve God first, then others – lead with love
- Godly leaders understand their choices have weight, influence and generational impact
- Humble, teachable, authentic, selfless, faithful, steadfast, trustworthy
- Courageous (moral & physical), self-controlled, disciplined
- The enemy wants to wear you down; delegate authority and fight from the highest heaven
- “Train up” the next generation in all the “territory” God has given you
Additional verses for self-study
1 Kings 11:1-2, 9-10, 31-32 ESV – “1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. … 9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the LORD commanded. … 31 And he (Ahijah) said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes 32 (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel)…,”
- Solomon’s rebellion and selfishness brought strife on the people and land
- Repeatedly God noted His mercy on Solomon because of His relationship David
1 Kings 12:8, 14 ESV – “8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. … 14 he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”
- Solomon’s son Rehoboam folly, greed, selfishness, hatred and pride divided the kingdom and began 400 yrs of destruction
2 Chron 14:2-6 ESV – “2 And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. 3 He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim 4 and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment. 5 He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the LORD gave him peace.”
1 Kings 15:13 ESV – “He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.”
- King Asa’s reign (in 2 Chron 14 and 1 Kings 15) demonstrates godly leadership; tearing down the demonic idols, alters, and requiring his closest relatives NO exceptions
- Consider further study of King Asa
