Refuel Rethink Refocus

Change is inevitable. How do you handle unwanted change? Let's look at two steps Jesus encourages us to take in order to embrace necessary changes.

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All of us are leaders. The question is, what kind? Today, we’ll look at three ways to be an inspiring leader.

Here’s our main text, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”

• Hard work inspires people

• Jesus said, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him… two”. Jesus tells us to work hard and go the extra mile.

• We are inspired by people, hotels, restaurants who go beyond our expectations. They work hard to go the extra mile.

• Jesus went the extra mile, leaving heaven for earth.

• Hare work doesn’t always mean sweat, but patience
  
  

• “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

• Jesus’ disciples thought they were going to drown and ask Jesus, “Don’t you care?” We can accused leaders of not caring when they are full of faith and we are full of fear, but they do care.
  
  

• Admonishment is giving instruction and correction

• We eventually appreciate those who admonish us out of love, Proverbs 28:23 says, “Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor, rather than one who has a flattering tongue.”

• The Thessalonian Christians needed admonishment, because they believed Jesus had already been back and left without them. Then there were others who said, “Well Jesus is going to come, like, next week, so why, go to work? Why should I work hard? Hey, can I just sleep on your couch, eat your food and borrow your wifi?” Some of them became lazy and needed to be admonished.
  
  

Some tourists went to a remote village. On their way in, they asked a local elderly man, “Were any great men born here?” The old man said, “No, …only babies.”

All the great inspiring leaders you admire, weren’t born instant inspiring leaders. It took time, growth, hard work, mistakes and maturity. 

Let me give you one more word of encouragement.

John 5:16-17, says, “So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working.” 

Jesus, the greatest leader of all time, had enemies. Jesus was persecuted. This is important, because sometimes we think, “Once we become inspiring leaders, that, we’re not going to have enemies”. Wrong. 

When we become inspiring leaders, we will still have, our fair share of enemies. If it happened to our Lord, the greatest leader of all time, it will happen to us. We just have to be ok with that.

What makes Jesus the greatest leader of all time, is that, while he was being persecuted and put on that cross by his enemies, he in return, loved his enemies to the death. 

He in return, worked harder for them than they’ll ever know. 
He is the true inspiring leader, because he truly cares for us.
He admonishes us always for a heart of love.

When we keep our eyes and thoughts, fixed on Jesus, the greatest leader of all time, he empowers us to inspire others.

Thank you so much for listening to Refuel Rethink Refocus. The Bible reading was from the NIV audio Bible, narrated by Max McLean.

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We can feel comfortable while we are complacent so why is complacency so bad? What causes complacency? How do we get out of it?

• Regrets

• Spiritual life boiling to death

• Puts us in the wrong place

• Exasperation leads to discouragement which leads to complacency

• Thinking God is complacent

• Adopt a mindset that says, “What’s next?”

• Hear Jesus say, “Wake up!”

If you enjoyed this episode share it with your friends, and if you're feeling especially generous, leave a rating or review on iTunes.

• Trunk or Treat Information

• Ina Road Church of Christ

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