In my last post, we looked at the “Titus Blueprint” and challenged the headcount trap—the cultural myth that your leadership is only as significant as the size of your staff or the square footage of your office. But recognizing the trap is only half the battle. How do we actually escape it? How do we protect our souls from the constant, subtle pull of title-envy, metrics-obsession, and the need for corporate validation?

The answer is not found in modern management theory or a new productivity hack. It’s found in an ancient, repeating chorus tucked inside Psalm 80. Three times in that single psalm, Asaph cries out a desperate refrain:

“Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!”

According to Spurgeon, this psalm is a prayer for national and spiritual revival that begins by acknowledging that we are broken and that returning to Him is the only remedy to receive diving favor. Note that - we have to admit we are broken first! Clearly, the modern-day view of leadership is broken, but have you personally confessed that fact?

When we unpack the original Hebrew behind this prayer (and I am by no means an expert), we find a three-step theological sequence that serves as a manifesto for a leader’s soul. It boils down to three simple, counter-cultural actions: The Turn, The Gaze, and The Freedom.

1. The Turn (Shuv)

The psalm begins with a plea for restoration: “Restore us, O God.” In our modern vocabulary, “restore” sounds like fixing an old building or repairing a broken organizational structure. But the Hebrew root word here is Shuv, which literally means “to turn back” or “to return.”

Furthermore, the grammatical structure used here is causative, meaning that it is not something that we can do alone. In short, the psalmist is literally asking the King of kings and Lord of lords, “Cause us to turn back.”

As leaders, our first step toward health is a radical reorientation of our hearts. We have to stop looking at the world, our competitors, or our industry peers for our definitions of success. When we fixate on worldly metrics—team size, budgets, and titles—we are looking in the wrong direction. Shuv is a moment of deep recognition and repentance where we turn our backs on the world’s hierarchy and turn our faces entirely to the Source of our calling.

2. The Gaze (Owr)

Once we turn around, where do we look? The psalm continues with his ask: “cause Your face to shine.”

The Hebrew root for shine is Owr, meaning “to become luminous, to kindle, or to break day.” In the ancient Near East, when a king or ruler had his face shine toward you, it meant you had his favor, approval, and pleasure. It is a direct callback to the famous Aaronic Blessing in Number 6: “The Lord make His face shine upon you.”

Think about the profound relief of this reality. When you turn away from the exhausting demand to impress the crowd, you catch the gaze of the Father. And what do you see? You see a face that is already shining with favor toward you - not because of what we have done but, simply because of Who He is and how much He loves us.

Your leadership validation doesn’t come from a stellar annual review, well-earned promotion, growing team, or plush office. It comes from living under the bright, smiling approval of God’s face. When His gaze becomes your primary focus, the opinions of onlookers lose their power to define you and your leadership.

Remember, we serve an Audience of One!

3. The Freedom (Yasha)

Finally, the sequence hits its climax: “...and we shall be saved.”

Our modern ears hear “saved” and automatically think exclusively of eternity. But the Hebrew root is Yasha is different, In fact, it shares the same root behind the names Joshua and Jesus and literally means “to be open, wide, free, or delivered out of a tight space.”

When we captivate ourselves with the organizational chart trap or headcount lie, we are living in a very “tight,” suffocating space. It is a prison of comparison, ego, and constant anxiety over whether we are “important” enough.

But look at the divine sequence: When we turn (Shuv) our hearts back to God, and lock our gaze (Owr) onto the light of His smiling approval, we are instantly delivered into freedom (Yasha). We are brought out into a wide-open space of spiritual safety where the world’s criticisms can no longer box us in.

Look at what David Jeremiah said in his book Life Wide Open: "You have inside you the capacity to invest your mental, emotional, and spiritual gifts in a way that glorifies God, impacts the world, and satisfies your own soul." That’s brilliant leadership theology.

Leading from the Wide-Open Space

True alignment never happens when we finally get the title or the direct reports we think we deserve. Alignment happens when we realize that an empty office can still be a wide-open space of immense kingdom freedom. When you are freed from the need to manage an image, you are finally free to actually lead people.

Stop measuring what’s behind your desk, and start resting in Who is ahead of you.

Let’s take our leadership cue from Psalm 80: turn your heart, lock your gaze, and step into the wide-open space. After all, if you want to lead better, you have to live better—and you cannot live wide open while hiding in a tight box of comparison

How have you experienced the “tight space” of comparison in your own leadership journey? Let’s talk about how we can encourage one another to walk in true freedom in the comments below.

In my last post, I shared a comment that really forced me to stop in my tracks: “Oh. It must be hard not being a leader anymore.”

It was a backhanded perspective delivered simply because my current role did not have an office or a team of direct reports - things often associated with positional leadership (rather than personal leadership). It was an “ouch” moment that God quickly turned into an “aha” through a reminder that true leadership comes from our sufficiency in the Father, not our reliance on a crowd.

But that interaction left me wrestling with a deeper question: Why do we automatically equate leadership with teams, positions, or perks?

In our culture—and unfortunately, within many of our ministries—we are deeply conditioned to measure a leader’s worth by the width of their organizational chart. We look at the person with dozens of direct reports, a packed calendar of performance reviews, and a sprawling executive suite, and we say, “Now there is a leader.”

But let’s be honest: if your leadership completely vanishes the moment you no longer sign someone’s paycheck, dictate their task list, or approve their PTO, you were not actually leading people. You were just managing a hierarchy.

Position is the lowest level of leadership. True leadership isn’t about position, title, or headcount. As John Maxwell famously noted, leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.

Influence doesn’t care about a corporate grid or flow chart. You can influence others from the bottom of an organization, from the side of it, or from an empty office with no direct reports. When we buy into the headcount trap, we reduce kingdom impact to a numbers game and completely miss the weight of our actual assignment.

The Titus Blueprint

As I’ve been dwelling on this, I keep coming back to a piece of Scripture that has completely reframed how I view my current role. In Titus 1:5, Paul writes to his young protégé:

“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you...”

When Paul dropped Titus off on the island of Crete, Titus did not inherit a thriving corporate infrastructure. He did not have an administrative assistant, a marketing team, or a middle-management layer to delegate to. He was, for all intents and purposes, entirely a single-person team in a chaotic, hostile culture. Later on, we see Paul write that Cretans even mention they they are all liars - talk about a challenge!

Yet, look at his mandate. His job was twofold: build structures (“set in order the things that are lacking”) and build people (“appoint elders”).

Titus was a leader not because he had a massive team reporting to him on day one, but because he was an organizational architect. He was creating something out of nothing. He was laying a foundation so that others could eventually step into those structures, grow, and thrive.

Redefining the Advancement Role

That last statement describes exactly my current role in a small school environment. Because this position has not traditionally existed here in this capacity, I get the opportunity to create things from scratch. Like Titus in Crete, my job is to build the communication models, the community networks, and the strategic partnerships that will sustain this institution long after I am gone.

Does my day-to-day work lead to the development of other people? Absolutely. When you secure a major donor, re-engage alumni to come back, inform the board for a decisions, or inspire a community of parents to buy into a vision, you are leading.

But looking at the Titus blueprint has also brought a heavy dose of conviction. I’ve realized something critical: I need to be much more intentional about how I develop people, rather than just allowing it to happen indirectly.

I don’t need to sign someone’s paycheck to mentor them, cast vision, or call out their gifts. If leadership theology teaches us that leadership is spiritual influence for God’s glory, then my empty office—or lack thereof—is no barrier to building people.

Do you need an impressive headcount to leave a massive kingdom footprint? No! You just need to look at the space God has given you, roll up your sleeves, and start building so that He alone gets the credit (Matthew 5:16).

It was one of those comments that hangs in the air for a second before it lands.

I was catching up with someone recently, and our conversation turned to my career. They know my background—that I’ve served as a school principal, that I ran a highly-charged state office in two states, and that I spearheaded effective training teams focused on leadership and teaching.

But currently, I serve as the Director of Advancement at a small Christian school. As we talked about the role, they asked how big my team was, which actually caused me to laugh. I am a single-person team, and I don’t even have an office. (To be clear, this is a great problem to have—our school is in such high demand that we have completely run out of space!)

When this person realized my situation, they looked at me and said, “Oh. It must be hard not being a leader anymore.”

Ouch.

I’ll admit, it stung at first. My immediate, knee-jerk human reaction was to mentally pull out my resume and start defending my honor, but I let that go. Unfortunately, our minds can really start messing with us. The more I sat with it, the more I actually started to buy into that comment.

Then, a simple post on Facebook absolutely leveled that thought.

A fellow alumnus was simply sharing thoughts from her Maxwell Leadership Bible, quoting this line: “He could LEAD people because he didn’t NEED people. His courage came from His sufficiency in His Father.”

Full stop. The point was made.

Tearing Down the Headcount Trap

The combination of that initial comment and that timely Facebook post completely captured my thoughts. It forced me to confront a massive, pervasive lie that the corporate world—and unfortunately, the ministry world—has bought into for generations:

The lie that you must have a “headcount” in order to be a leader, and that successful leaders must always have larger crowds than everyone else.

This post is the beginning of a longer series I’m launching focused on Leadership Theology—an exploration of what God’s Word actually says about authority, impact, and building, contrasted against the superficial metrics the world tells us to care about. And there is no better place to start than tearing down the “headcount trap,” which we will dive into deeply in the next article.

Why a “Theology” of Leadership?

Before we depart, let’s stop for just a second. Why do I use the phrase “leadership theology”?

The answer is simple and rooted in Matthew 20:25-28, where Jesus called his disciples together to settle a dispute about greatness and leadership. He explicitly told them, “The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,” but declared, “It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”

Jesus threw down a counter-cultural gauntlet and commanded His disciples to be radically different. He was telling them that because their foundational beliefs were different, their practical follow-through had to be different.

In his Everyday Gospel devotional, Paul David Tripp writes:

“In reality, everyone is a theologian… You get your theology either from the Bible or from somewhere else, but you have a theology.”

So, as I always say on my podcast: For us to lead better, we need to live better.

How do we, as broken people, live better? It’s simple—we go to Jesus and we learn to love Him more than anything else. Changing what we love inherently changes our life and our leadership. As we work through these upcoming articles, the surface topic will be leadership, but the underlying reality will be about loving and living as we were designed to.

What you love shapes how you live, and how you live ultimately determines how you lead.

What about you? Have you ever felt like your leadership was discounted or minimized because of your title, your workspace, or a lack of an organizational chart? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.

As I have continued to slowly work through the Blanchard and Hodges book Servant Leadership, page 26 stopped me in my tracks. The authors share how ego can create issues in leadership; however, they do not stop with that discussion. Instead, they offer a piercing analysis that ego is really a heart issue - not a psychological one - and then describe good and bad ego with a simple acronym of the word itself.

• Bad ego - Edging God Out

• Good ego - Exalting God Only

Far to often, we “edge God out” of our lives and focus on ourselves. The antithesis of that action in Scripture is John the Baptist (JtB). Yes, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the best example, but I want to focus on an entirely human one as it removes the excuse of “well, Jesus was God.”

If you think about JtB, his entire life could be summarized in one quote. He delivered this amazing line as his followers came to him and shared that Jesus was getting a following. These students were “edging God out” but JtB quickly corrected their thinking by “exalting God only.” Do you know the verse I’m referencing? Here is that one statement from John 3.

John 3:30 (ESV)

30 He must increase but I must decrease.

Why does this matter for Disciple-making Leadership? JtB’s entire existence was to make disciples but, then, to point those disciples to Jesus. It was never about him and the number of students he had, but it was always about truth that flows from the Son of God.

As you fulfill your God-given call to make disciples, pause and ponder your real motivation. Is it to brag about the numbers of people you’ve discipled? Is it to say “look at what I’m doing”? Is it to absolve a guilty conscience that you should be doing something? All of those are “edging God out.”

Make sure that your ONLY motivation for discipling others is to glorify God as others learn to love Him supremely.

In continuing through The Servant Leader by Blanchard and Hodges, they pause early on and force you to answer a simple question - are you a servant leader or a self-serving leader?

When asked that question, any savvy leader will, of course, say they are a servant leader. Typically, they start to describe how they have served others. Well, let me say this - hold on and not so fast. A leader may answer one way, but the critical aspect is how the “followers” would answer a similar question.

If you want to reflect and potentially get closer to the real answer, here are two tests that Blanchard and Hodges put forward:

1. How do you receive feedback?

2. How vibrant is your succession planning?

Servant leaders take feedback as opportunities for growth and to not rise up to defend themselves. They also look for ways to share authority and grow others for their future roles. On the other side, self-serving leaders view feedback as an attack on them and their position; so they debate it instead of listening to it. With succession planning, they often push that aside as they want to concentrate and keep power for themselves.

Why does this matter for Disciple-making Leadership? For someone trying to implement DmL, their sole focus is servant leadership as they must pass both of those simple tests. Look at succession planning. It’s focus is on developing others for future roles and that is the heart and soul of DmL. To make that happen, the leader has to partner with the other person to gain a better understanding (e.g., feedback) of how they can best serve them.

DmL and Servant Leadership go hand in hand.

As we wrap up, do not forget the words of Paul in his letter to the Philippians as he, in a short statement, speaks of looking to serve others:

Philippians 2:4 (ESV)

4 Let each of your look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

In our modern world, all sorts of leadership styles are promoted. A quick search online identifies these 7 as the more common for business settings - autocratic, pacesetting, transformational, coaching, democratic, affiliative, and delegative. Is it not interesting that the one style Jesus commanded is not listed there?

Matthew 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.”

Read through that passage again. Do you see Jesus saying this is the preferred method but there are other leadership styles? No! Jesus says that leadership is service and, in closing, offered himself as the ultimate example of servant leadership. Many in our modern world will smile and make a comment about the nicety of Jesus as a person or religious icon; however, they will quickly denounce his applicability to leadership. If you find yourself thinking that, then ask and answer these questions:

1. Did Jesus work with and lead imperfect people?

2. Did Jesus gain a following by living what He taught?

3. Did Jesus face an ever-growing list of time-consumers that He had prioritize?

4. Did Jesus encounter criticism and opposition while effectively dealing with it?

5. Did Jesus sacrifice His ego for the greater good of others?

6. Did Jesus face temptations to take short-cuts that would elevate His popularity and reputation?

7. Did Jesus have to perform HR functions of sourcing, recruiting, developing, and retaining talent?

8. Did Jesus stick with His principles even when it was costly?

The answer to EVERY question above is YES! Every question above is also one that leaders face regularly. As such, Jesus is a great model for leadership.

Simply put, if you want to implement disciple-making leadership, then you must do so by using the style that Jesus dictates. If you are leading at home, in church, at work, in the neighborhood, or wherever, you are commanded to be a servant leader.

Greatness and leadership come through service - it’s just that simple!

Very slowly, I will be working through a 2003 booklet called The Servant Leader by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges. It was collecting dust on the shelf of a local, used bookstore. Since it was in like new condition, I decided to pick it up. Flipping through the introduction, I noticed a challenge they issued - keep a journal of key learnings. Well, this blog series will attempt to do just that and, maybe, you will find it beneficial too.

After the holidays, I finally picked it back up and the very first page just grabbed my attention:

“He who is the GREATEST among you shall be your SERVANT. And whoever exalts himself will be HUMBLED, and he who HUMBLES himself will be exalted.” - Matthew 23:11-12 (NKJV)

Right there, on one page, is the starting point for Disciple-making leadership - the heart of a humble servant. There is not other way. Upon entering a discipleship relationship, you are doing so (1) to think more of others as you honor their value, (2) to serve others by helping them grow closer to Christ, and (3) to model the way that Christ lived His life.

That last one is of critical importance because, as Blanchard and Hodges puts it, Jesus is the most “practical and effective leadership model” we have (p. 10). Why is that? Because He humbled himself to step down from heave and become a mere mortal. He chose to serve us by living, loving, and leading unlike any other person. He worked to disciple us through His teachings. He gave us victory over sin and death through the Cross and Resurrection. In short, if you want to be a disciple-making leader, then go to Jesus.

As we have talked about, Disciple-making Leadership (DmL) is built upon a relationship with someone else. Inevitably, the closeness of two people speaking truth to one another in love leads to hurt feelings. You must know that upfront and know when and how to get revenge. Wait? Did you read that right? Yes! Yes, you did! There is revenge that is right, so let’s turn to the life of David for proof.

In 1 Samuel 22, we see that David and his 400 men are on the run from Saul’s 3,000 men. David gets assistance from a priest, which angers Saul. He finds a man without character and slaughters that priest, his family, and the entire city in revenge. As the chase continues, Saul enters a cave to “relieve himself” and David is hiding in that cave. Then and there, David could have taken revenge but that would not have been right. After Saul leaves, David takes his revenge by calling out to Saul and letting him know what he could have done. This moment - this way - is the right way to take revenge.

You are thinking that David did not take revenge, and you are right - it is NEVER right to take revenge on another person by plotting and striking back. Let’s closely examine what David did in 1 Samuel 24 and learn from his wonderful example:

1. Gave it time (v 4-7) - instead of acting in the moment, David waited while in the cave. That impulse control helped him slow down so he could make better, rational decisions rather than acting on emotions.

2. Reached out (v 8a) - rather than letting time and distance continue to separate the two, David wanted to talk. His silence would have kept a growing bitterness between them, but he wanted to try and fix it. Far too often, we go to our corner and stay there expecting the other person to make the first move. That is wrong!

3. Acted respectfully (v 8b) - note how David addressed Saul: “my lord, the king!” He did not use spite by speaking to Saul as the king-on-the-way-out. He spoke in humility and that made a difference. When you start a conversation with someone that hurt you, be humble and treat them with respect - even if they disrespect you in return.

4. Confronted Saul (v 9) - point blank, David shared that Saul was getting poor advice and was acting based on assumptions. This faulty foundation needed to be corrected as soon as possible.

5. Clarified the situation (v 10-14) - David continued by offering irrefutable evidence that what Saul believed was wrong. More than likely, our understanding of a situation is completely different than someone else’s understanding while the truth rests in the middle. This is why a conversation to clarify the circumstances is critical.

6. Ask for change (v 15) - David had a purpose for this conversation in that he wanted to see circumstances change. Saul’s response later in the passage is that David was more righteous than he and an agreement were made to restore peace between them.

Unfortunately, Saul failed to keep his end of the bargain and would, once again, resume the chase of David. Chuck Swindoll, in speaking of this situation regarding David, said this: “We can’t make anyone live in peace with us, but we can make sure the path to peace is clear on our side.”

In summary, the right time to get revenge is…never.

Instead, let us daily live what Paul wrote in Romans 16:16-18: “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Thus far in our Disciple-making Leadership series, we have defined what it is, looked at practical steps of how to do it, and zeroed in on the one-to-one relationship. We know that DmL is primarily work best done in a small setting; however, there is a way for others to get involved.

Paul, in closing out his letter to the Colossian believers, offered something on this point as one of his final statements. In the next to last verse (4:17), Paul speaks, "And say to Archippus, 'See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord’."

It is unclear exactly who Archippus is in Scripture, but we do see him in one other place in Scripture - Paul's letter to Philemon. Scholars debate whether he is the son of Philemon or a local pastor in Colossae. Either way, Paul's message is important for disciple-making.  He is telling the church at-large to offer encouragement to him so that he fulfills his ministry.  

In our modern era, we need to encourage those who implement disciple-making leadership with others. The task can be laborious, time-consuming, frustrating, exhausting, and downright hard. A simple word of encouragement to keep going is often enough to help that person persevere.

As you disciple others, make sure you look for others doing that work. Share comforting words to keep them committed. Pray with them. And, most importantly, pray for them continually.

One of my favorite speeches by the Apostle Paul is his "farewell" to the Ephesians elders in Acts 20.  

Last words speak volumes and I think this one is of critical importance for Disciple-making Leadership. Why? Well, elders are tasked with overseeing the flock which includes teaching and shepherding and discipling. Although we may not hold the position of elder in a church, the charge to them here is applicable to anyone discipling others.

I do not have time to break the entire conversation apart but let's look at one verse - Acts 20:28. Paul says, "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with his own blood." The end is settled - we have our relationship reconciled ONLY through the blood of Jesus - so let's start in the middle.

Again, the audience is elders who have a specific flock; however, if you are engaged in Disciple-making Leadership, then you have a little group for which to care. In my own life, I am not a pastor or elder or deacon; yet, I do have a small group - they happen to be teenagers - at our church that is my little flock. That makes sense, right? So, let's bring clarity to the beginning of the verse.

Paul's charge is to "pay careful attention to yourselves." If you spend some time studying the Greek term here, this is a bold warning for us. Paul is saying that you should study diligently, set your course, and then stick with it. What this means is simple - the lessons you teach must match the life that you live. If your walk does not match your talk, then those you disciple will be confused.

Robert Murray McCheyne said it succinctly when he made this observation: "My people's greatest need is my personal holiness." Let that sink in for you as a disciple-making leader. Your people need your time, attention, teaching, AND (most importantly) example.  

If this topic is one you want to dig deeper within, I suggest you get a copy of Charles Spurgeon's Lectures to my Students. Read it slowly and consider its thoughts deeply.  

Let's go back to our definition of DmL - 

"individually and intentionally imparting the truth of God for the glory of God. The end result is that another person has grown in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, whereby, they begin to impart the truth of God for the glory of God." This task is impossible unless your words and deeds match, which is why Paul's farewell to these leaders is critical for us today.  

What lessons do others learn by looking at your life?  ​

Get your Bible and go to Acts 15:36-41.

You will recognize this as the passage where Paul and Barnabas got into a heated debate. It was so intent that both men split up and went their separate ways. Why was Paul so stubborn in getting his own way? Why didn't Barnabas as "the encourager" just get over this situation? Both questions overlook something very important and cause us to miss how both men still fulfilled God's purposes. 

Look at verse 36 and note their purpose. Both Paul and Barnabas wanted to leave Antioch to go back through the cities where they encountered opposition. This sounds awful but their intent was to continue growing and developing their fellow believers. In other words, they weighed the risk of additional abuse but decided that disciple-making leadership was worth the cost. Do you come to that same conclusion?  

Despite the schism that occurred over John Mark, both Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways "in the grace of the Lord" to strengthen their brethren (verses 40-41). There is no doubt that pain was involved in this separation but neither individual allowed that to stop them from a focus on making disciples.

Unfortunately for us in the modern-day, church people are still really good at hurting other church people. When that happens, we need to react just like Paul and Barnabas by letting go of the situation and remaining steadfast in our work. Both men were resilient in that they saw an opportunity even in this situation.

I think this passage really teaches us three important things about disciple-making leadership: 

1. The call is not ceased by the presence of opposition.  

2. Even when disagreements arise within the church, we have to focus on our purpose instead of the pain.  

3. God can do amazing things through you when you let go of the strife.

Admittedly, there are times in my personal Bible reading that I leave discouraged. You may have gasped at that statement, but bear with me. Acts 14 is one of those instances because you see how Paul and Barnabas are shining examples of Disciple-making Leaders - and I am not.

Let me set the stage from chapter 13 first. These missionaries were preaching in the synagogues of cities they visited. They ran into significant opposition in Pisidian Antioch from the Jews who incited a riot. In moving to another city - Iconium - to preach, they ran into even worse opposition where they needed to flee for their lives. What did they do? They kept preaching at Lystra and Derbe but, once again, opponents showed up and stoned Paul to the point that everyone believed he was dead.

With that historical understanding, Acts 14:21-22 is convicting. I am adding some emphasis here for critical language: "After they preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith."  

We often think of Paul and Barnabas as evangelists - and they clearly shared the Gospel - but they were not just focused on conversions. They sought a lifelong commitment to God from these new believers. We see that they made disciples and strengthened them and offered encouragement for their faith.

Please do not overlook the two words - they returned - in this section. Riots ran them off and, in one instance, people tried to kill Paul. Yet, they returned in the confidence of God. It's that passage that discouraged me because these men were strong in the Lord and my weakness is on display every day. It's hard to look in the mirror and not like what you see.

How?

How do you stand strong as a disciple-making leader? I think Luke gives us the answer at the end of Acts 14:22 when he quotes Paul and Barnabas in their encouragement to these new disciples - "Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God." Their answer is the right perspective.

The Christian life is not easy, but it can be lived. We are to keep our faith and trust in the Lord not only for eternal salvation but for everyday sustenance. If God is powerful enough to save our souls, then He is more than qualified to take care of us in our daily lives. We, in discipling others, cannot lose sight of that fact. Expect animosity but then embrace the Almighty.  

Simply put, do not let discouragement distract you from doing the duty God has created you to fulfill.  

Whenever we talk about discipleship and want to learn more, all we need to do is look to the greatest example of Disciple-making Leadership in the Bible. That, of course, is Jesus Christ; so let's see what He has for us in Mark 1:16-20 where He "officially" calls His first disciples.

​Jesus had been ministering in Judea prior to this call, which means these disciples probably knew of Jesus. One, at least, had been following John the Baptist who, without a doubt, had pointed him to Jesus. More than likely, all of them had heard Jesus Him speak, but this interaction goes much deeper.  

The method of Jesus is without question. Notice the explicit language uses here - "Follow me." Jesus is not saying listen to me, speak well of me, or think my teachings are novel. Instead, Jesus is calling them to do something about it.

"Follow me" is a term in the New Testament that is an imperative statement that someone could "come here." In other words, Jesus wanted them to live like Him by loving Him more than other things. He desired that they would follow Him and nothing else.  

Yes, these men were all fishermen and the call was the same; however, the temptation of an excuse would have been different. Peter and Andrew gave up their livelihood and support for their family. James and John, whose father ran a commercial fishing business and was probably a man of means, were to sacrifice comfort for Jesus. We face similar temptations to create excuses instead of willingly accepting the call of Jesus. In thinking about it, an excuse is nothing more than a made-up way to express a lack of desire. Either you desire to follow Jesus or you desire to follow yourself.

Before we get to the mission of Jesus, please note the order here. The method is that He calls us to follow Him - that's the first step. The mission comes next and is that we become fishers of men. Far too often, we get caught up in wanting to know our purpose and the plan that God has for us and completely overlook the need for a relationship with Him. We cannot find our true purpose in life UNLESS we first follow Him.  

Sometimes, that relationship reveals that significant change is necessary. Look again at Peter, Andrew, James, and John. These fishermen would give up their occupation to follow a rabbi and, after the Resurrection, would become full-time preachers of the Gospel. The relationship is what changed their love, their life, and their labor.

If you want to disciple others, then be discipled by Jesus. If you want to be discipled by Jesus, then love Him more than anything else. If you want to love Jesus supremely, then you need a deep, abiding relationship with Him. The method of Jesus will point you to the mission that He has for you. Just make sure that you secure and maintain the relationship with Him...

These thoughts will wrap up the short series about what you should do in living out disciple-making leadership. My focus here will be on PROTECTION.

You probably read that and scratched your head as you tried to predict who was being protected in the process of DmL. We're going one more time to Paul's letter to a young pastor, so go to Titus 3:9-11. You will find that this young pastor is given discipleship direction that protects his integrity and that of the church as well.

Paul acknowledges that staying on the right path is hard, and it requires us to have guidance and education; however, he tells Titus in verse 9 to avoid things that are a waste of time and bring no value. Paul was probably referencing many of the false teachers that were on Crete (including the Judiazers who traced their tribal pedigree), but let's make a modern application - how often do we take our preferences and teach them as doctrine? This step creates major divisions within the church.  

A good friend of mine, Andy Cain, addresses this briefly in something he wrote about the 10 Signs of a Healthy Church. When my personal preference (e.g., whether a drum or guitar should be used in a church) caused me to argue and become angry with someone that believes in the true, Biblical doctrines, then I am producing worthlessness. Yes, we must stand upon God's truth, but my personal preferences that I need to stretch Scriptural context to adopt are not Biblical truth. If we constantly make doctrinal mountains out of personal molehills, then we earn the reputation of being a divider and others will not want to learn from us.  

The second part here is critical, so look at verses 10-11. If we see someone that is stirring up trouble, we are to warn and rebuke. This phrasing in the New Testament is in present form meaning that it will require constant effort and may take significant time. This process, then, is nothing more than disciple-making leadership as you are teaching them the right way to go. The desired result is for them to get to sound doctrine and sound faith (see Titus 1:13).  

If they refuse to listen after multiple attempts, this next part seems harsh but it is not - this is the PROTECTION of the church. Paul tells Titus to have nothing else to do with them. Are we being told to give up on people? If you jump to that question, we've missed the point of verse 11 - the person we are to put distance between us and them is someone that is warped and sinful. What does that mean? Well, I'd define it this way:
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1. They know they are wrong because they have been admonished multiple times in a disciple-making way.

2. Despite the patient and prayerful teaching, they fully realize the divisions they are creating within the church.

3. Quite frankly, they don't care about those divisions as they are about making a name for themselves to attract a following.

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Disciple-making leadership is not for the faint of heart. To protect your integrity - and that of the church - you have to know what is doctrine that cannot be compromised and what is a personal preference that can be. You also have to challenge those that are elevating personal preferences to doctrinal positions as they are causing divisions. If that person has been sufficiently taught with time and effort yet refuses to change, then separation is necessary.  

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Thus far in the "what do I do series," we've covered quite a bit of ground. We've talked about purpose, process, outcomes, and plan. What I need to do here is set reality for you; so this will focus on the CHALLENGE of disciple-making leadership.

​Let's turn back to Paul's letter to Titus because we need to understand the expectations for those that take up disciple-making leadership. Now, do not let the high standard discourage you. Nobody is perfect. We will all make mistakes. Yet, how we live is the source of our credibility with others.

Take a look at Titus 2:7:

SHOW YOURSELF IN ALL RESPECTS TO BE A MODEL OF GOOD WORKS, AND IN YOUR TEACHING SHOW INTEGRITY, DIGNITY. (TITUS 2:7 ESV)

Paul is describing the pattern of life that the DmL process should strive toward, specifically for the young men. If their life matches these aspects, then they are ready to take up the process of discipleship for someone else. This, right here, is a challenge.  

• ​"In all respects" - every area of our life is to be affected. This includes how we actually live BUT also what we think. If you think of the Pharisees, their inward and outward selves did not even come close to matching. We need to make sure that what we believe translates into how we behave. 

• "model" - the Greek term references the mark of a blow or the use of a die. Think of a sculptor who uses tools to chip away what should not be there. How this applies to you and me is simple. Imagine that you are sitting on a stool in a room full of artists and they are recreating your image. That's a scary thought for me because I worry about the flaws they would find. For DmL, your life needs to be one where others would willingly want to copy you. OUCH!

• "teaching" - this implies active work and not a passive presence. Sometimes, we remain silent by thinking that our lives will teach us enough material. While I cannot disagree that how we live tells a story, we also need to actively share what it all means. If we do not, then we risk the wrong message being received. For example, someone could conclude that I am "religious" and then conjure up images of a "religious" person that mistreated them. That is not good enough! In conversations, I have an opportunity to teach the truth about Jesus and not the poor example of another person (that may or may not have been a true believer).

• "integrity and dignity" - if the things above have not frightened you yet, well, this will. Integrity speaks of ongoing perfection without corruption. Dignity means something of real weight and substance. So, your teaching is to be a truth that does not change and it is of real value in a world that thinks it knows what is to be valued. Your life cannot fit either of these terms BUT the life of Jesus does! That is to be our source of instruction - not self-help books, neat quotes, or just talking about hobbies. For DmL to be effective, we have to get into the things that matter most for eternity.

​All of this may be hitting you hard because of the mistakes you have made in the past. We've all been there BUT let this quote below serve as foundational for you in disciple-making leadership. If you intentionally live this idea under the guidance of God's Word, then you will be creating the right pattern in your life...

To make good progress, you need a good PLAN; and Paul offers one for Titus. If there was ever a theme verse for Disciple-making Leadership, then Titus 2:1 is it! Let me produce it below from a couple of different translations and one paraphrase:  

​ESV - BUT AS FOR YOU, TEACH WHAT ACCORDS WITH SOUND DOCTRINE
NKJV - BUT AS FOR YOU, SPEAK THE THINGS WHICH ARE PROPER FOR SOUND DOCTRINE
MSG:  YOUR JOB IS TO SPEAK OUT ON THE THINGS THAT MAKE FOR SOLID DOCTRINE

​First, note the intensely personal nature of DmL. Paul leaves no doubt for Titus as he clearly states "But as for you." Titus has one job - just like a person initiating Disciple-making Leadership. It is a personal duty. It is a personal opportunity. This is not something that you can put off to another because we all should be involved in discipleship.

Second, that job can be summarized this way - talk the truth up to terminate the tumor. Let's break this down in a bit more detail for understanding.

• Talk - we see an obvious command to use the physical construct to make a speech. Discipleship-making leadership uses words - not just actions or just leaving a tract here and there. It is an intentional sharing of something.

• the Truth up - this is less clear but stay with me for a moment. Speaking requires a subject and Paul references things that accord or are proper. That Greek word is based on a root that means "to tower up" so we would not say these things are inconspicuous - they can be obviously seen. Titus was to do just that - speak the truth in such a way that it was plainly seen and understood. In other words, we do not hem and haw in language but we are precise and clear with the truth.

• to Terminate the Tumor - in going back to something mentioned in an earlier blog, the Greek word for sound is where we gain our modern term of hygiene. It specifically refers to "everything being in balance" and "free from debilitation." My mom battled cancer and its tumors, but the doctors never could remove all of them, meaning their spread continued. Paul is telling Titus to make the truth so prominent that error is easily noticed and avoided.  ​

​You may be thinking that this is a bit heavy for Disciple-making leadership because that can be confrontational. You're right! Sometimes, it just has to be because altered precepts afflict people. Think about it this way - if a daily vitamin is soaked in poison, does the vitamin still work? No! The poison is overpowering and alters the vitamin's state which gravely afflicts people instead of giving them benefits. Disciple-making leadership must talk truth to elevate its standing and banish error.

I will close with a wonderful quote by Pastor Stephen Davey that expounds upon this one verse and, quite frankly, speaks perfectly to Disciple-making Leadership: Paul wanted Titus "to join the truth of the Word of God with the Spirit of God in bringing about transformation to the child of God so that truth becomes a way of life."

If you understand the purpose of disciple-making leadership and have a good process in place, how do you define success? This question is not easy but here are a few thoughts as we turn to OUTCOMES.

Let's go back to some ground we have already covered in Titus 1:5. This young pastor was to put things in order and appoint elders. Then, in Titus 1:6-9, Paul makes a list of characteristics that Titus should look for in these church leaders. Now, I am not going to do any kind of exhaustive study on the list, but here are a few of them for your convenience: modeling devotion to their wife, resisting the ever-present lure of pride, avoiding the loss of their temper, holding firm in the faith, and an ability to teach.

The wonderful OUTCOME of disciple-making leadership is that the student meets these characteristics. If they are living a life where others can see a clear difference from the world and they can share why they are different (e.g. the Gospel changed them), then the church is reproducing individuals that can, in turn, take on someone to teach and develop.  

One other important aspect is the last line of Titus 1:10 - "also to rebuke those who contradict it [sound doctrine]." When someone passes through disciple-making leadership, they learn the truth and are able to step in to protect it against error. Without this all-important component, the next generation will suffer the consequences. Yes, the OUTCOME of disciple-making leadership, even in a 1 on 1 setting, will affect generations.

Do not miss the fact that everything within disciple-making leadership is others-focused and that approach is counter-cultural. Why? Because most people do not want to expend time, effort, and resources without some financial or societal gain. Making disciples physically and financially offers no benefit to the one expending the effort; however, the spiritual rewards are many as God is glorified through faithful service. Never forget that labor for reward is hollow but living for right is honoring.

​Last week, we launched into Titus and covered your PURPOSE in disciple-making leadership. As promised, we will get to a very specific PROCESS that will help you share what you have learned.

​If you remember from last week, Titus 1 has the older and wiser Paul discipling a young pastor who would, in turn, disciple others in a very difficult location. The last thing I shared with you was to read, study, and meditate on God's Word - because that is what you would share. Now, here's how...

The fours step process is outlined below:
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1. Study - spend time digging into the Bible to discover the truth that He has for your life (and the one you are discipling). Every night, make a list of 3 things that you learned from your study. Taking the action of writing down those lessons creates a library of what you can share with others.

2. Say - now that you have written down your lessons, pause and pray. Take the lessons that you have recorded and pray them back to God. Please note that this is not just a reading them back to God but offering why they are important to your life. This thought of further meditation on the lessons learned is where God starts to shape that learning further.  

3. Show - having written them and prayed them, the hard part hits - you need to put them into action by living them. Take the time to write at least one way that you can live each of your lessons learned. If you can list several ways - even better! Be ready to face big challenges as you take theoretical learning and transform it into practical living. You will find that your learning gets deeper here as the application of God's Word smacks into the attitude of a world that does not love Him.

4. Share - take this worksheet where you've recorded your study, saying, and showing, and spend time talking through it with the one you are discipling. Don't just focus on the "good parts" but be open and honest about your struggles, failures, and additional things learned.

The graphic below is a simple tool that you could use to help plan those disciple-making leadership meetings. If you would like an editable template, feel free to email and we'll get you a copy.

​In the last blog, we stopped by setting up the relationship. I hope that you now have someone that you will pour into and point them to Christ. You're probably asking - "Now what? What do I do with this person?"

​That is a perfectly normal question to ask and we are going to answer it over several - and I do mean several - blogs. This topic is too rich and too deep but let me give you a hint: read the New Testament book, Titus. From long-distance, Paul is discipling a young pastor that he sent to Crete - a very tough location. For some cultural context, look at Titus 1:12-13 where a Cretan poet described his people as liars, lazy, beasts, evil, and over-indulging.  

Take a look at Titus 1:5 and we will be able to get to your PURPOSE. Paul told Titus that his duty and purpose were to: (1) put things in order and (2) appoint elders. Let me summarize what both of those things meant - Titus was to implement disciple-making leadership!!  

Paul would, in the rest of his letter, provide specific things that Titus should use to correct wrongs and choose worthy men. Titus, then, would take what he learned from Paul and then share this information with those chosen leaders. Disciple-making leadership does not allow people to wander and drift alone, but it does offer specific focus and direction.

Right now, your purpose within disciple-making leadership is a simple one - read God's Word! Study Scripture. Meditate upon passages and talk to others to learn more. Then, the fun part is - you get to share with the one God has brought your way.

Next week, we will step away from Titus for one week BUT will give you a four-step process to meet this purpose.

In the last blog, we discussed everyone's R.O.L.E. in disciple-making leadership. You may be thinking that is all well and good but HOW do you approach someone to start that relationship?

​If we want to know how then we need to see how Jesus did it. Take your Bibles and go to Matthew 4:18-22, which is where the first disciples were called by Jesus. The close parallel passage is Mark 1:16-20. Take note that Christ was out among the people and He was looking for people to disciple (something we discussed at length last time).

When He finds those with whom He wants to initiate a relationship, he does two very specific things: (1) asks them to follow and (2) adapts the purpose into language they understand. We try to complicate things but not Jesus - He just invited them and gave them an idea as to why. Remember, these rugged individuals were fishermen. In stating the purpose Jesus wanted them as disciples, He said they would become fishers of men. This was not a catchy or glitzy sales pitch - it was a language they could understand. The word picture gave them a sense - even though not a crystal clear one - of what would be the end result of that relationship.  

Jesus called them to a life of courage, cost, and change. It would require them to have the courage to give up some things in order to gain others. It would also force them to see where they had to surrender to be more like Him. For these first disciples, they listened to His call and they left who they were to reach for who they could become - fishers of men. Note the way the text shows their response: immediate and things are left behind.

What does that mean for you?  

Walk up to that person that God has now laid on your heart and ask: "Hey, I need a Bible study partner. Interested in learning with me?" It's just that simple. Do not complicate it. If that person says no, that's okay. The Bible records, in Matthew 19:22, at least one individual refused the call of Christ. And, that did not deter Jesus from reaching out to others. For you after rejection, then find another person and ask the same way!

To wrap up, here are two thoughts about disciple-making leadership:
(1) The cost of the hoped-for future is held to present
(2) You cannot follow unless you first leave