FUEL: Refuel your Leadership
John 10:1-18
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Discuss how resolutions made last week in “growing more like Jesus” worked themselves out— what did God do in and through you (Phil 2:13)? Celebrate those together!
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Read: John 10
Review: Remind the group of the focus of this series:
o This series looks at what Scripture says about health in various areas of our lives— places where the truth and grace of God can shine through and sustain us as well as those around us.
o Last few weeks, we looked at refueling in the area of our friendships, then stress.
o this week, we looked at refueling in the area of FAILURE…
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflect:
What are the core characteristics of an excellent leader— use examples of real people and bring out those characteristics that are key to your idea of “a great leader”.
Discuss the comment, “Everyone wins when a leader gets better.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
Read John 10:1-3. Discuss the passage:
o Jesus had just healed a blind man on the sabbath in Chapter 9, angering the religious leaders of the time. What was the difference between their view and that of Jesus here?
o Jesus used metaphor here to make a point. What does the “Gate” symbolize here?
o How do we recognize the difference between a leader/shepherd who “cares for the sheep” and one who is secretly exploiting them for their own interests/greed/power/position?
Read John 10:3-5. Discuss the passage…
o Discuss the statement, “You can’t lead anyone like they’re everyone.”
o When you find yourself leading an “Extra Grace Required” person, how does that work (when it works well)?
o John 10:3,4 talks about, “He calls His sheep by name” and “…They know his voice...” So, they “know him”, and he “knows them”! Discuss how temperaments can affect the relationships between a leader and those who follow him/her.
o John 10:5 says the sheep “…run from a stranger”. What is the point here in application to our spiritual growth and life in Christ?
Read John 10:7-10 Discuss the following:
o What does that mean that Jesus is the “gate”?
o What are we saved from?
o What are we saved for?
o What can we trust leaders in a church to do— how does their role, and that of Jesus alone, interact in church life and spiritual growth of those in the church?
Read Joh 10:14-15. Discuss the passage:
o Jesus decision to give His life came LONG before his perception of ‘risk’ in living out His ministry. What was the Source of this decision (see v 17-18)? Explain what is happening here.
o Talk about a time you chose to trust God in a difficult situation in your life because you saw the depth of Hiss love for you in Jesus giving His life.
o What does this mean: “Leadership is all about who you are… on the inside”. Do you agree?
o The point of the story about the race horse with a HUGE heart was to allow our heart and soul to be the source of our influence! Just for fun, compare David (a ‘man after God’s Own heart”) and the Grinch (whose ‘heart was 2 sizes too small’). What does that teach us about godly leadership? :)
We all have “influence” and we can all “lead where we are at” (exercising influence up, down and outward). The themes here in refueling were:
Put others first (so they know you care)
Study the people you lead (so you know them well enough to lead them)
Be consistent (in character and action)
Stand in the gap (supporting the journey to abundant life in Christ!)
Sacrifice for those you lead (which inspires dedication in followers!)
Respond:
o Anyone who has actually tried to lead knows they will NEVER be perfect, but there is such a thing as “better”. What are areas of your influence you want to grow in this year? Share as a group or in pairs, and commit yourself to the Lord in these areas!
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