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I've recently been reading "Spiritual Leadership" by J. Oswald Sanders. (Click on the title to check it out.) For anyone interested in the topic of leadership, I highly recommend this book.

One of Oswald's insights that I've most appreciated is how leadership plays itself out in Scripture. The Bible actually uses the word "leader" very little when it refers to leaders. Instead, another word is used almost exclusively: servant. (For example, Moses, David and Joshua are always called "servants" as opposed to "leaders", though they are undeniably some of Scripture's greatest examples of leadership.)

Leadership means many things, but the heart of biblical leadership is servanthood. This is leadership that's motivated out of one's love for God and for other people. It's a commitment to influence others, not for the sake of gaining personal gain, but for the good of the people being served.

This is the kind of leader that Jesus was, and the kind of leadership that He modeled. In John 13, He gave the disciples an example of what this servant-leadership looks like. He took a basin and a towel, knelt down, and washed His disciples' feet. (In their culture, this was something that only lowly servants did.) Then he said, "A knew command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (vs 34-35)." And later, in John 15:13, Jesus defined this love: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Then, Jesus put his money where His mouth was, and did that very thing.

The world is full of examples of leaders who are motivated out of selfish gain. Authentic Christian leadership stands in sharp contrast to this. It's leadership that is first and foremost servanthood.

Though we've all been entrusted with varying degrees of leadership, in truth, all of us have relationships where we have the ability to influence others. (That is leadership!) Think of the influence you have among family, people at school, church, coworkers and friends. What is your core motivation in these relationships? What would it look like for you to embrace Jesus' model of servant leadership in them?

These are all questions that God has been asking me lately...

As we continue to follow Jesus, may He transform us into the kind of people who lay down their lives daily in service to Him and others. And may we continue to live out our calling as disciples by embracing Jesus' brand of leadership.

By Anthony Hart
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I recently heard this "song" I guess you could call it about September 11, 2001. After 9/11, I couldn't help but wonder how God could let something like this happen. This recording was being played on 105.3 on the days following 9/11, but I kind of just disregarded it. After all, I was already feeling somewhat doubtful, so I just changed the station and listened to the news. After discussing this topic with Steve 5 1/2 years later, I came across this song on the internet, and it really made me wonder how God works.
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Here's a link to listen to and read it:

http://www.focusonals.com/911lyrics.htm

One of my favorite songs is "Secret of the Easy Yoke" by Pedro the Lion (off the "It's Hard to Find a Friend" album). I tried to find an HTML link to it, but I don't think one exists. Anyhow, the lyrics are below. To me, it's a song about questioning God when we don't feel Him. The lyric that strikes me the most is "if all that's left is duty, i'm falling on my sword. At least then I wouldn't serve an unseen distant Lord". In other words, if I don't feel God, then I'm done with this faith/following you business... It's a gut wrenchingly honest song that I've related to during different seasons of my life. Yet, I've learned to trust God even through these seasons.
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Check it out below, I would love to hear your thoughts.
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i could hear the church bells ringing
they pealed aloud your praise
the members faces were smiling
with their hands out stretched to shake
it's true they did not move me
my heart was hard and tired
their perfect fire annoyed me
i could not find you anywhere
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(Chorus) could someone please tell me the story
of sinners ransomed from the fall
i still have never seen you
and some days i don't love you at all
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the devoted were wearing bracelets
to remind them why they came
some concrete motivation
when the abstract could not do the same
but if all that's left is duty
i'm falling on my sword
at least then i would not serve
an unseen distant lord
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(Chorus) could someone please tell me the story
of sinners ransomed from the fall
i still have never seen you
and some days i don't love you at all
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if this is ony a test
i hope that i'm passing
cause i'm losing steam
and i still want to trust you
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peace, be still... peace, be still... peace, be still...