Learning While Leading: 5 Things

A long obedience in the same direction.

Hello leaders.
Here is this week's round-up of the things I have been learning as I try to follow Jesus while helping others do the same.

Keep Going 🏃

If you feel behind right now, you are not alone, and you are not disqualified. Progress in seminary and in ministry is rarely dramatic; it is one reading, one paragraph, one assignment at a time. The student who finishes is usually not the most gifted one, but the one who refused to quit during the hard weeks. Keep going this week, even if all you can do is the next small step, because God is not finished with you.

ONE Thing I'm Learning While Following Jesus from the Leadership Chair. 🪑

Most of what actually builds a church never shows up on a stage. It is the follow-up text, the hospital visit nobody hears about, the volunteer you thank by name, and the meeting you prepare for even though it feels routine. I used to think leadership was mostly about the big decisions, but I am learning it is mostly about small faithfulness repeated over a long time. Jesus said the one who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much (Luke 16:10). The little things are not a warm-up for real ministry; they are real ministry.

ONE Scripture I'm processing. 📚

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Paul knew that weariness is not always a sign you are doing it wrong; often it is a sign you are doing it long. The harvest comes "in due season," which means God sets the calendar and our job is simply to keep sowing.

ONE Thing to Try This Week. 😎

Try this: Make a "small faithfulness" list.

Before Monday, write down three small, unseen acts of ministry you can do this week: a note of thanks, a prayer for someone by name, or ten extra minutes preparing for something routine. Do them without telling anyone, and at the end of the week, thank God for the chance to serve in secret (Matthew 6:4).

ONE Thing Worth Your Time. ⏰

READ: Gospel of the Kingdom | BibleProject

In about six minutes, BibleProject traces the word "gospel" from the Old Testament to Jesus' announcement of God's kingdom. It is a helpful reminder that our ministry is not a self-improvement program but a royal announcement that Jesus is King. Watch it once for yourself, then ask how you might explain the gospel this clearly to someone you lead.