4. How Pure Must a
Church Leader Be?
Titus 1:5-9
Becoming a person
of integrity.
5. Integrity
“Integrity
means we
don’t hide our
stumble; we
don’t act like
we didn’t.”
Pastor tony
6. How Pure Must a Church
Leader Be?
How do you recognize a leader with
integrity?
How “blameless” is blameless?
Character flaws revealed by repeated
sinfulness may disqualify person from
high-profile leadership
Selecting a small trustworthy group to
whom we can safely expose our inner
being
7. How can you determine whether a
potential leader is a person of
integrity?
Discussion
How can we as church leaders
grow in accountability with each
other?
How can we challenge each other
in oft-overlooked sins, such as
sloth or pride?
8. What Is My Character as
a Leader?
1 Timothy 3
Can I handle information
correctly?
Can I defer judgment?
Am I willing to be directed by
God?
Can I confront appropriately?
Am I forward-looking?
9. What Is My Character as
a Leader? (cont.)
Do I have a “can-do”
temperament?
Am I willing to own up?
Do I have the patience of Job?
11. The CEO of a major firm once
confessed to me, “I have a banker
to keep me solvent, a lawyer to
keep me legal, and a doctor to
keep me healthy, but I have no one
to help assess my spiritual
condition.”
12. What are common mistakes made
by leaders during a crisis?
What are some crises we have
weathered as a church?
Discussion
How is character built into our
souls?
How does our church assess the
character of potential leaders?
13. Spiritual Audit
1. Am I content with who I am
becoming?
2. Am I becoming less religious and
more spiritual?
3. Does my family recognize the
authenticity of my spirituality?
4. Do I have a “flow-through”
philosophy?
14. Spiritual Audit (con’t)
5. Do I have a quiet center to my
life?
6. Have I defined my unique
ministry?
7. Is my prayer life improving?
8. Have I maintained genuine awe of
God?
15. Spiritual Audit (con’t)
9. Is my humility genuine?
10. Is my spiritual feeding the right
diet for me?
11. Is obedience in small matters
built into my reflexes?
12. Do I have joy?
16. Hope for the
Dry Times
Romans 12:15-16
Can you still lead when
you don’t feel “spiritual?”
17. How spiritual does a person need
to be to be a leader?
How do you find “rain” in seasons
Discussion
of spiritual “drought?”
What role does weakness play in
spiritual development?
How much weight do we give our
feelings about our spiritual
condition?
19. In what areas do we as church
leaders need accountability?
How does our church encourage
Discussion
or discourage accountability?
What kinds of things ruin
accountability—make it overdone
or done poorly?
What steps would help us to keep
each other faithful to Christ?
20. When No One
Is Looking
Daniel 1:8
Why character can’t be
ignored.
22. Why is integrity so important for a
church leader?
How can ministry become
Discussion
“religious activity?”
In what subtle ways can church
leaders become too worried about
their reputation?
How does a leader maintain his or
her integrity?
23. I don’t know why everyone criticizes our
committee; we haven’t done a thing.
Editor's Notes
Sec 2.1 Chuck Swindoll: “With a person of integrity, you feel something solid. That’s the idea in the Hebrew root word—there’s something solid, of substance. It isn’t veneer.”
Sec. 2.1 Blameless doesn’t mean “without blame, without sin.” We haven’t met anyone who is without sin. The point is that when we do fail, we say it.
Sec 2.1 Is integrity visible? Chuck Swindoll: With a person of integrity, you feel something solid. That’s the idea in the Hebrew root word—there’s something solid, of substance. It isn’t a veneer. NT, Paul to Titus, “be blameless.” When we fail, we say it. Matters of repeated acts, such as sexual immorality or extensive cover-up are more than matter of sin—they reveal a character flaw. King David: Was his act the rule or an aberration? From an accountability group, there’s confidentiality, objectivity and freedom for all in the group. Trust is built over years.
Sec. 2.3 Jack Hayford, Church on the Way: “Controlling information is a process fraught with dangers, but it is vitally important to a ministry characterized by wisdom and integrity.” People who make hair-trigger judgments do not make effective leaders. Leaders need to listen to each other, and more importantly, to God’s voice. Conflict is always uncomfortable, but leaders need to be willing to face it. Are the church’s best days behind us or before us?
Sec 2.3 Can-do say “Why not?” instead of “Why should we?” Willing to own up: “I blew it, I was wrong” Jobs take longer than you think. “Hurry up and wait”
Reference: Sec 2.5
Sec 2.5 Each day I am one day closer to who I will ultimately be. Am I satisfied? Pharisees were religious; Christ was spiritual. Family will see the whole of the person Scripture: “He that believeth in me, out of his innermost parts will flow rivers of living water.” Jn. 7:38
Sec 2.5 5. François Fenelon: “Peace is what God wants for you no matter what is happening.” 6. My call is to simply handle the part of the need that is mine to do 7. Do my decisions have prayer as an integral part? 8. “Awe” overwhelms and inspires worship
Sec 2.5 9. Humility is accepting your strength with gratitude. “Humility is not denying the power that you have but admitting the power comes through you, not from you.” 10. Your soul gets fed during “quiet time” 11. Do I bargain or rationalize? 12. Joy is a promise! If relationship with Christ is right, I WILL have it.
Sec 2.11 Daniel 1:8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
Sec 2.11 Charles Spurgeon: “You may write my life in the skies—I have nothing to hide!” James 1:8 A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Gen 27:22b The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau. No amount of reputation can substitute for character.
