Iron Leadership

If you like the topic of Leadership or if you are in, or want to be in a leadership position in a business or church, or really any group; then you need to know the name Patrick Lencioni. He is one of the top leaders and speaks and writes primarily about how teams function. In fact he has a Team Pyramid and he suggests that there are five healthy characteristics that create a healthy team. Those traits are Accountability, Results,... Read More Read More

This year in Iron Leadership we are focused on Jesus’ leadership. We are trying to learn from the best leader that ever stepped foot on our planet. Sometimes Jesus teaches his disciples things directly; sometimes he puts his disciples through a test. Other leadership traits are intended to be learned more through observation. Things are best learned when they are Caught not Taught. The character trait we are zooming on today, gentleness, was both caught and taught. In Matthew 11:27-29... Read More Read More

Follow this link to watch the video discussed in the lesson. What Fuels Forgiveness? God’s Forgiveness of us! Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing….                    Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven,            ... Read More Read More

Galatians 5 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” Self-control: Ascendancy over passions. Self-Government. This is a clip from the movie “Flight” and it shows how self control is such a powerful and realistic war. Appetites seem to call out to you behind a closed door screaming “let me out!” – Anger, Lusts, Alcohol. Did you notice the stages? You look at it, you touch it, you smell it, put it where... Read More Read More

Luke 5:1-11 I love these 11 verses and what it teaches about leadership. It teaches both what Jesus is looking for from his leaders and lessons on how we can develop future leaders. Here is a passage where Jesus is teaching eternal truths to a large group of people yet the focus is not on what Jesus taught but who Jesus was testing. Hear this; In God’s timing, the most important thing for you this morning might not be the... Read More Read More

Leadership Lessons from Jesus Luke 5:1-11 I love these 11 verses and what it teaches about leadership. Both what Jesus is looking for from his leaders and lessons on how we can develop future leaders. Please notice that here is a passage where Jesus is teaching eternal truths to a large group of people, yet the focus is not on what Jesus taught but who Jesus was testing. Listen closely, when you come to church this Sunday or Iron Leadership... Read More Read More

Rhythms & Routines I want to suggest that Rhythms & Routines are at the topic of our lives, very similar to a food chain. When the Wolves were taken out of Yellowstone National Park, chaos ensued. When they were re-introduced they effected everything. What happens in our Rhythm & Routines tumbles down into the rest of our lives. One thing Jesus wants to teach his followers is the necessity of healthy Rhythms and Routines. “Everyone ends up somewhere in life,... Read More Read More

Here we see a 40 year old man who was invited to his son’s 5th grade class to explain his job and give them a vision of what they could do. But Crystal doesn’t have a vision for his life, instead he feels stuck, stuck in a depressing, inevitable rut. It’s not a preferred future but he feels helpless to change it. William Wilberforce was a British politician best known for ending the slave trade. He had a vision for... Read More Read More

What we have in Mind “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13 The Apostle Paul uses all familiar military terms to close out his letter to those who live in a very pagan culture. Just knowing these are military terms helps you understand what Paul thinks of how you make progress in Spiritual Maturity. It will be a battle. Watchful – Like a Sentinel standing guard over your soul or others. Stay... Read More Read More

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 & Ephesians 6:1-4 “Children obey your parents for this is right.” The 21st Century Translation reads “Parents obey your children for this is right. Children, do not provoke your parents to become angry.” Why do I say this? Notice the Text in Ephesians. The child’s world revolves around the parents. The child needs to adapt to a new set of circumstances, a new reality; that new reality is the Adult world. Why is this Important? As a child... Read More Read More

Pictures of Marriage: People think in Pictures Marriage is more like a “workshop” where God works on your Soul, Marriage is intended to be much more Transformational than Pleasurable, not that it can’t be Pleasurable, just not Primarily about pleasure. Ephesians 5: 22-33 In Ephesians, Paul describes marriage as an object lesson to a more profound mystery. Marriage is a picture of how Christ loves his bride, the Church. Marriage and Mystery – vs. 31-32 Paul calls this union a... Read More Read More

My main question to you as a leader is: how do you respond to an emotionally charged moment? Take this classic scene from Secondhand Lions as an example: We will mainly be looking at this idea of Restraint from 1 Samuel 25. First, we meed to get a flow of the story so far. Chapter 19-26 is a series of pressurized leadership challenges for David. You get to see how David, as the leader, responds under pressure. We all know... Read More Read More

On April 14, 1910, the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank, ending the lives of over 1,500 people. As most of you know, it was an accident that could have been avoided if just a few people had been more watchful. Captain Smith was trying to beat the fastest time crossing the Atlantic, so he was travelling to avoid collisions with Icebergs. Ironically, he was going too fast to avoid collisions. This sounds like the pace some of us... Read More Read More

This Iron Leadership Lesson is by Sam Kennedy. How can you tell someone thinks of their work as not just a job, but as a calling? Take this guy for example: Calling is about vision and purpose. Knowing vision and purpose is essential for your leadership. Who has put you in your job, in your home, in your neighborhood, in your city? Why do they have you where you are in your job, in your home, in your neighborhood, in... Read More Read More

I listened to a talk on ‘risk’  by Tim Keller…I’m now basically delivering it to you. So if you ever hear him talk about it, don’t say, “Hey, Pastor Paul said the very same thing! Keller must be listening to Iron Leadership talks and using them! Imagine a diagram with three different options: fear, risk, and foolishness. Which side to you tend toward? Fear: Ready, aim, are you sure you’re ready? What happens if…I’m not ready! (Repeat – so you... Read More Read More

Today we are discussing ‘Time.’  Psalm 144:4 – “Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.” Time passes quickly. Robert Herrick – “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today, Tomorrow will be dying.” Carpe Diem. Seize the Day. Ecclesiastes 1:4, 11 – “Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever…There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet... Read More Read More

Let’s start by watching this clip, this is about raising the flag at Iwo Jima during WWII. “I think about what went on, on D-day and subsequent days in order to get that flag there.” It takes a great deal of sacrifice to wage war and win! There is a great book about the men who raised the flag called Flag of Our Fathers. James Bradley, the author and son of one of the Marines that raised the flag, says this... Read More Read More

This Iron Leadership Lesson is by Brandon Hart. At our previous Iron Leadership meeting, Paul discussed self-control, and he referenced Titus, chapter 2.  Let’s turn there now and highlight something.  You’ll notice self-control is used four times in this short chapter.  But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach... Read More Read More

In my opinion, real, true friendship is one of the most beautiful, most valuable, and most powerful forces on earth. If you want to have a strong interior wall as a leader, a strong character which will help you in the various challenges you face, then you need thick friendships. There are some moments in the Bible so beautiful that you long to experience them. One of those for me is Jesus in the upper room with his disciples on... Read More Read More

Today’s topic is anger. The Avengers movies give us a great example of anger in the Hulk. As seen in the Hulk, anger causes you to destroy your enemies, but also hurt your friends. So, it’s an emotion you must deal with very carefully. Our focus will be listening to Jesus’ teaching on anger from the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:21-26). The Sermon on the Mount is like Old Testament Wisdom literature (think Proverbs). It is Jesus’ teaching about... Read More Read More