A Leader’s Personal Life
With Randy Wollf
Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies and Practical
Theology at ACTS Seminaries
Randy.Wollf@twu.ca
Randy’s Leadership Blog www.MinistryLift.ca

Nehemiah
As you think about Nehemiah as a leader, what stands out to you?

Nehemiah
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He employed appropriate skills
He leveraged the power of team
He strengthened the Jewish community
He understood God’s purpose for him
He was a man of character
Nehemiah prayed

Christian Leadership Pyramid
Biblical Truth
...on his law, he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:2
Skill
Team
Jesus’ example
Community
...love one another deeply...
(1 Peter 1:22).
Calling
For we are God’s workmanship...
(Ephesians 2:10).
Character
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children (Ephesians 5:1).
A Growing Relationship with God
So, then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him... (Colossians 2:6-7).

Following Video

The Blizzard of Busyness
“Many of us have lost our way, spiritually, in the whiteout of the blizzard swirling around us. Blizzards begin when we say yes to too many things. Between demands from work and family, our lives fall somewhere between full and overflowing.”
-Scazzero (pp. 153-154)
Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash a Revolution in Your
Life in Christ . Updated and expanded ed. Nashville, TN: Integrity, 2006.

Journey Through the Wall
STAGE 1
Life-Changing
Awareness of God
STAGE 6
Transformed
Into Love
STAGE 2
Discipleship
(Learning)
Stages of Faith
STAGE 5
Journey Outward
(From my inner life)
STAGE 3
The Active Life
(Serving)
STAGE 4
Journey Inward THE WALL
Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash a Revolution in Your
Life in Christ . Updated and expanded ed. Nashville, TN: Integrity, 2006.

A Rule of Life
The word “rule” comes from the Greek for “trellis.”
Scazzero states, “A trellis is a tool that enables a grapevine to get off the ground and grow upward, becoming more fruitful and productive. In the same away, a Rule of Life is a trellis that helps us abide in
Christ and become more fruitful spiritually.”
“A Rule of Life, very simply, is an intentional, conscious plan to keep God at the centre of everything we do.”
-Scazzero (p. 196)

Rule of Life Elements
Worship
Hebrews 13:15-16 - Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise— the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Worship Languages
The way we tend to relate to God and how we draw near to Him
Thomas, Gary. Sacred Pathways . Rev. ed. Nashville, TN.: T. Nelson, 1996.

Chapman, Gary. The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts . Chicago: Northfield Pub., 2009.

Worship Languages
The way we tend to relate to God and how we draw near to Him
• NATURALISTS – Loving God out of
Doors
• SENSATES – Loving God with the
Senses
• TRADITIONALISTS – Loving God through Ritual and Symbol
• ASCETICS – Loving God in Solitude and Simplicity
Thomas, Gary. Sacred Pathways . Rev. ed. Nashville, TN.: T. Nelson, 1996.

Worship Languages
• ACTIVISTS – Loving God Through
Confrontation
• CAREGIVERS – Loving God through
Loving Others
• ENTHUSIASTS – Loving God with
Mystery and Celebration
• CONTEMPLATIVES – Loving God through Adoration
• INTELLECTUALS – Loving God with the Mind
Thomas, Gary. Sacred Pathways . Rev. ed. Nashville, TN.: T. Nelson, 1996.

Worship Languages http://common.northpoint.org/sacredpathway.html

Worship Languages
Discussion – As you think about these different worship languages, how do you prefer to worship God?

Rule of Life Elements
Scripture
Psalm 1:1-3 - Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the
L ORD , and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

Rule of Life Elements
Silence and Solitude
Mark 1:35 - Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Rule of Life Elements
Prayer
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Rule of Life Elements
Study
1 Chronicles 12: 23, 32 – 23 These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the L ORD had said...
32 from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command

I’ve got it, too, Omar…a strange feeling like we’ve just been going in circles.

Surviving and Thriving in a Learning Organization
Story by David Hutchens; illustrations by Bobby
Gombert
To be used in conjunction with the book
Outlearning the Wolves: Surviving and Thriving in a
Learning Organization (Pegasus Communications,
Inc., 1998).
Copyright © 2000 Pegasus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. These slides are intended to be used during presentations delivered by the purchaser. No part of this product may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

T his is a wolf.

T his is a sheep.

W olves eat sheep.
Any questions?

T he wolves posed a constant threat to the sheep.
Still, over the years, the flock got bigger and bigger.
The occasional loss, though very sad, was to be expected.

T his is Otto.
“I have a dream…” said Otto. “I dream of a day when not another sheep will ever die to become breakfast for a wolf.”

“B ut even the fence cannot keep the wolves away,” said Curly. “Wolves learn very quickly.”
“Then we must learn —even more quickly!” said Otto.
“We will become a learning flock.”

T he flock decided to huddle together at night to protect themselves. Otto kept watch as the sky darkened and the flock fell asleep.
The next morning, Otto was gone.

“M aybe the wolves aren’t as unstoppable as we think.
Something is stopping them, at least some of the time.”

“I won’t stand for this kind of disrespect to our ancestors.
That little ewe is making a mockery out of our heritage.”
“Marietta is right. The wolves only seem to come at certain times.”
“When we had the drought, the wolves seemed to come much more often.
Hmmmm …”
“Maybe the wolves aren’t jumping over the fence. It’s pretty high…and I don’t think any animal is that strong…”

L ater that afternoon, all the sheep came back together to talk about their ideas. Impressed by the turnout,
Jerome made an attempt to count the sheep… but, strangely, he found himself becoming so sleepy that he had to stop.

“L ook!” said Curly. “The wolves crawl under the fence when there is a drought.”
“Well, we can’t control the weather,” Gigi said.
”But we can control the flow of water.”

A s Gigi dug a hole, Jerome built a dam, and Shep pulled thorns from hooves, a small pond formed around the fence. The flock now had a beautiful place where they could gather and drink and play.
But best of all, the wolves stopped coming.

“I
’m glad we became a learning flock,” the sheep said.
“It feels good to know that we’ll never have to go through anything like that ever again.”
But maybe they would.

Rule of Life Elements
Sabbath
Exodus 20:8-11 - “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the
L ORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the L ORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.
Therefore the L ORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Rule of Life Elements

Rule of Life Elements
Simplicity
Hebrews 12:1-2 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Rule of Life Elements
Play and Re-creation
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your bodies.

What re-creates you?
Do you have permission to play?
Do you remember how to play?
Do you play frequently?
Do you exercise the same dedication to play that you do to your work?

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."
Plato

Rule of Life Elements
Service and Mission
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
God prepared in advance for us to do.

Rule of Life Elements
Care for the Physical Body
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Rule of Life Elements
Emotional Health
Psalm 78:31 - God’s anger rose against them...
John 11:35 – Jesus wept
Ephesians 4:26 - In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry

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Much more than intelligence (i.e. IQ) is needed for effective leadership
IQ may help you to succeed initially; EQ will help you to sustain and build on your initial success.

Rule of Life Elements
Family
Ephesians 5:22-6:4 – Wives submit...husbands love...children obey...fathers do not exasperate your children

Bob Pierce

Rule of Life Elements
Community (Companions for the Journey)
Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Rule of Life Elements
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Worship
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Scripture
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Silence and Solitude
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Prayer
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Study
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Sabbath
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Simplicity
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Play and Re-creation
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Service and Mission
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Care for the Physical Body
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Emotional Health
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Family
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Community (Companions for the Journey)
As you think about these 13 elements of a Rule of Life, which ones are quite strong for you personally? Which ones would you like to develop further?

Priorities

Priorities
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit
- and you're keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.
But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.”
― Brian Dyson (former CEO of Coca-Cola)

Renovation of the Heart
Who we are, how we live and how we serve is
“a simple result of what we have become in the depths of our being -- in our spirits, will, or heart. From there we see our world and interpret reality.
From there we make our choices, break forth into action, try to change our world.
We live from our depths…”
(Willard, 2002, p. 13).

Christian Leadership Pyramid
Biblical Truth
...on his law, he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:2
Skill
Team
Jesus’ example
Community
...love one another deeply...
(1 Peter 1:22).
Calling
For we are God’s workmanship...
(Ephesians 2:10).
Character
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children (Ephesians 5:1).
A Growing Relationship with God
So, then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him... (Colossians 2:6-7).