Imagine walking a path that intertwines leadership with the deepest form of love—sacrificial love. Today, we journey through the often solitary world of leadership, exploring how the essence of agape love, exemplified by Jesus Christ, can not only uplift but transform the responsibilities of those at the helm in business, education, and beyond. Witness the call for a cultural shift in leadership paradigms, where the welfare of others becomes the guiding light for decision-making, mirroring the servant leadership modeled by Jesus. It's a conversation that promises to reshape your understanding of power and influence, ensuring that your leadership legacy is one that truly matters.
As we navigate the complexities of conflict in leadership roles, we uncover the strength of kindness and truth in converting adversaries into allies. Hear incredible stories of transformation where love triumphs over opposition, and learn about the intertwining of apologetics with suffering, illustrating that enduring for what is right can open doors to ministry and change. Embrace the idea that while leaders motivated by love may be few, their impact can ripple through the masses, setting a new standard for leadership. Join us in celebrating local examples where Christian values are the backbone of community initiatives, and be inspired by the sustaining power of the gospel in every facet of life. This episode is an invitation to lead with a heart like Christ, changing the world one selfless act at a time.
Imagine walking a path that intertwines leadership with the deepest form of love—sacrificial love. Today, we journey through the often solitary world of leadership, exploring how the essence of agape love, exemplified by Jesus Christ, can not only uplift but transform the responsibilities of those at the helm in business, education, and beyond. Witness the call for a cultural shift in leadership paradigms, where the welfare of others becomes the guiding light for decision-making, mirroring the servant leadership modeled by Jesus. It's a conversation that promises to reshape your understanding of power and influence, ensuring that your leadership legacy is one that truly matters.
As we navigate the complexities of conflict in leadership roles, we uncover the strength of kindness and truth in converting adversaries into allies. Hear incredible stories of transformation where love triumphs over opposition, and learn about the intertwining of apologetics with suffering, illustrating that enduring for what is right can open doors to ministry and change. Embrace the idea that while leaders motivated by love may be few, their impact can ripple through the masses, setting a new standard for leadership. Join us in celebrating local examples where Christian values are the backbone of community initiatives, and be inspired by the sustaining power of the gospel in every facet of life. This episode is an invitation to lead with a heart like Christ, changing the world one selfless act at a time.
Hi, I'm Deanna Kineso with Texas Leadership Summit and we are back for our February podcast, the 15 Minute Just DNA of TLS, and there was something that we left off with for our January one that has really kind of stayed with me. We talked about it towards the end about how leadership can be lonely and with it being January and it's coming out of the holidays Christmas and New Year's and then this being February I was thinking was like, what are we going to talk about on this one for our DNA and what we really stand for? I was thinking you know the Valentine's Day and holidays are lonely, but with Valentine's Day, love, all that kind of stuff we really want to be at TLS an example of God's love and as a leader and a godly leader, whether it be in business, education, government or church, we always want to be that example of God's love.
Speaker 1:
So here we are. We're going to talk about it because I believe that that's really important with our DNA at TLS to be to show God's love in every one of those pillars and, as a leader, looking at those that we lead, and what might they be saying to us that they're not?
Speaker 2:
saying so, Danny, you're pushing my button because I think the world has hijacked this term love and they've redefined it and they've made it about themselves and who they are and what they're experiencing or not experiencing or what they're looking for. I hear all the time from people who are looking to get married. I'll ask the question at the beginning of premarital so why do you want to marry this guy, why do you want to marry this woman? And they go because he makes me happy, you know. And so it's all automatically on the receiving end. But if we're going to be specific about leadership and this love, let's define love. The love we're talking about is what's known as agape love 100% at the expense of the giver, for the sole purpose of benefiting that other person. It is a one way love, regardless of how people respond to you and that's what I mean by leadership can be lonely because people don't always respond the way we expect them to or want them to right, and so this love- is the time they don't most of the time they don't.
Speaker 2:
Okay. But leadership is lonely because most of the time leaders are. I don't think they intentionally go here, but they. You know there is a. What are you receiving out of this relationship? And we have to be very careful that we are defining love in the terms that's written in his word, and that is that sacrificial love. And so, as a leader, the heart of leadership should be this. God has put me in a position to lead well, because of Christ and following his example, and I have his word to guide me. And so, when I look at that kind of leadership model, what did Christ do? He left heaven.
Speaker 2:
God's one and only son took on flesh. The word made flesh and he was the servant of God. Israel was supposed to be that servant and they failed, they rebelled, they rejected the Lord, their God. And here in Isaiah, we see the suffering servant spoken of, and Isaiah and the son serves the father by coming and atoning for the sins of the world. And so he takes on flesh, he lives this life in a cursed world and without sin, and he willingly goes to the cross. He, he didn't just be born and then to die. He lived with mankind, he did life with people. He revealed in his ministry who he was, and they rejected him, came to his own. His own rejected him, yet he continued to be obedient to the father's will and allowed himself. He wasn't taken captive, he wasn't arrested, you know, out of his control when there's something just bad happened to him. He willingly went to the cross and died for the sins of the world the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice.
Speaker 2:
And so then he says in his word, as he said to his disciples apostles, he said this is the example of anyone chooses to come after me must deny self, take up his cross and follow me". You got Peter in 1 Peter saying this is the example that you were called to. This example, what example. That Christ, who was without sin, he suffered and died. And so if you wanna lead like Jesus, you wanna lead like Christ in, who is our ultimate, one and only leader. But if we wanna take that example and we wanna love as he's called us to love, or asking us to love, it is a sacrificial leadership. And so when I look at my life as a leader, I'm constant, and sometimes this is difficult because we want people to get it. We do, you know, I go all the time when I'm leading out, I'm going. Surely they'll get it.
Speaker 1:
Surely I don't have to define this, Surely I don't have to. You know, call them to the accountability, you know.
Speaker 2:
And so I said, surely they'll get this and they'll do that, and but no, we don't, it's not in our nature, right, okay, and so whether you're in the business pillar, which is about stewarding life I mean, the scripture is very clear on the business pillar and why we work and so we can provide for our family and we have a little extra, we can help people in need but we steward our abilities in business. How are we advancing the kingdom? So, when you are a leader in business, what kind of culture are you developing within the work environment? If you're the leader, if you're the owner of the company, as an employee, how are you contributing to that culture? What are you bringing? How are you bringing your faith into that culture and taking that sacrificial role? How can I love the people on my team to where I'm looking for their benefit?
Speaker 2:
And so, in the education which is about giving life, if you have? No, we talked about this before, we've said this before if you want to raise a people above poverty or out of poverty, educate them. Yes, and so that's where faith begins. The only reason why we have faith is because we have the word revealing who God is and what he's done and we educate people. We call it evangelism, share the gospel. That's how we first hear about eternal life and sin, the atonement of sin, and so, ultimately, the chief end of man is to know God and join forever.
Speaker 2:
Well, education, that's just giving of life. This is the only life. So, as a leader, and you find yourself in education, how are you moving students towards that understanding of who God is, and how are you equipping them educationally to experience this life that has been given to them to its fullest extent? And education is vitally important. And so in each one of these pillars, if we walk through them, there's going to be an attack, there's going to be an onslaught from the enemy. That which is evil in this cursed world, that's going to come after leaders, christian leaders, to shut that down, right, okay so, but you get into the government pillar. Government, as defined by God, is to minister justice, is to punish evil and reward the good, the one who does good. And so, absolutely, in government, you should understand most of all, more than anyone else, in your governing of people, to punish evil, do you not, hello? Do you not think someone's not going to come after you when you're punishing evil?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you got a target on your back.
Speaker 2:
And so if that leader Christian leader who's engaging in government for the good of the people, the wellbeing of the people, they have to understand and know their leadership may be short-lived, because Satan's been running the nations from the beginning, go all the way back in Genesis and he's still running the nations until the return of Christ. So what are we talking about here? Absolutely, a leader needs to know this sacrificial love and display that. Even if they slay me I mean you go Shadrach, meshach and Bendigo what happened to them? He said we will not bow. Our God is able to deliver us. I'm paraphrasing even if he doesn't deliver us, we will not bow, because what was their first call? To honor their God, to obey their God. And so in this, the United States, we are blessed with something called a constitution. We do not have a democracy. I'm sick to death of hearing about us having a democracy. Save our democracy. We are not a democracy. We are a constitutional republic, which means we are ruled by law, not the majority of votes. And so everyone in government today who's a Christian leader, they've got to know this sacrificial love personally and be willing to follow the example of Christ. And so we see that in business. We said education, and then I would wrap it up with the church.
Speaker 2:
We've got pastors, and this is a struggle for pastors because many times and we've shared this on other podcasts and other conversations we've had many pastors feel, I would say, almost trapped or held hostage with what they can and cannot say. And so, because how's this going to affect me in ministry? How's this going to affect my ministry, if you will? How's this going to affect my wife? How's this going to affect my kids? Because we live in community with these people. And I've heard pastors I've experienced this in my own leadership as a pastor in the past where I've had men come to me and say you will not do that and I said well, I have to tell you I'm accountable to the Lord first, and if it lines up with scripture, we are gonna do it. And that doesn't go over well for a pastor.
Speaker 2:
And so in the church today, more than ever any I mean in this point the church is so post-Christian, so there's so much heresy in the church today that has been embraced in the American church and I'm not saying across the board every church, but there's a remnant but we see churches today that are following after the culture, instead of setting the tone in culture or standing against an equal culture, boundaries yeah and saying no. This is what God's word says. When a pastor does that, you better believe he needs that sacrificial love because he's doing it 100% for the benefit of those people that he shepherds. And when you find yourself in that place of living out that kind of love, I mean look what it costs the Lord. It costs him his life.
Speaker 2:
And in other parts of the world we see this on a regular basis, a consistent basis, in fact. You know, in some of our European countries, brothers and sisters in certain areas that are hostile towards Christians, before they baptize a believer, they will ask the question if you are baptized today and the authorities come and take hold of us and capture us or take us prisoner, will you die for your savior? Are you willing to die? And if they say I don't know that I can, they won't baptize them.
Speaker 1:
Oh well.
Speaker 2:
It's that intense. But in the United States, you know, we're just did I sing the right songs today? You know what? You know? A convenient Christianity, if you will. Right, and it's all. It's just almost like consumerism. And so, like I said, I know I've had a lot of words, but you pushed my button because this is why we do what we do you know this is why we're after and this is a part of the DNA of Texas leadership.
Speaker 2:
We want our Christian leaders, we want to encourage them with this courage and this, these tools and hope, to stand for their faith and each one of these pillars. It's vitally important.
Speaker 1:
Well and to share with nonbelievers. I mean, like even the, the event that we had in January that was for pastors and church leaders. I loved how they talked about protesters coming on the property and they met them with love. They had tents and they had water and they had Chick-fil-A sandwiches and they were they. They didn't go out there fighting, they went out there with love and showed them the truth and let them then decide. And many gave their life to the Lord, were saved, and they even talked about some gangs that they went after that gave their life to the Lord and changed their ways. And it wasn't because they went after them with hate. They went after them with love and they went out there to be an example of God's love, to share the truth, and then you got to let them make the decision from there, Right.
Speaker 2:
I love what Colby Welts said. Yeah, with a citizen's defending freedom. He made the statement. What happened was in that protest specifically as well. They started sharing truth. Well, did you know? This is really what happened. They had no idea.
Speaker 1:
They had no idea what they were protesting and once they realized, their whole tomb changed right.
Speaker 2:
He even said some people took their signs down and got the car and left.
Speaker 1:
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, right.
Speaker 1:
I mean it was eye-opening. I was. I mean I got chills when he was telling the story because he just went there and started talking to them from the heart and showing the truth and he saw the change.
Speaker 2:
Right, and that's one of the things that it works. It's in God's word. Peter also said this. And first, peter, you find yourself. When you find yourself suffering for what is good, not only do you find favor with the Lord, but it also opens an opportunity for people to ask why are you doing?
Speaker 1:
this Right Living by example?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it's one of the things that. It's where we get the term apologia, apologetics, and we often separate apologetics from suffering. But everywhere you see this apologetics in scripture, it's always tied to suffering, because when you're suffering for the Lord, here's that sacrificial love, right On display, and then you get to ask that person who's loving people that way, at their expense I mean, it's costing them why are you doing that? Right, and that's what's exciting to me for leaders, Christian leaders, in this situation setting with what you're talking about today, asking me is that we can encourage them to love that way and lead that way. And so when we lead with love which was one of your things in talking to me beforehand leading with love it's not the, the flowers and the chocolates and all the gifts.
Speaker 1:
No, it's not the romance, it's how you're living and it means laying down your life.
Speaker 2:
Laying down your life and so that's exciting. When our Christian leadership and taxes get a hold of that, look out, because people are going to come to Christ. We're going to have people laying down their lives to honor Christ and he's going to bless that in the church and in communities and we can see full transformation of communities when that happens for sure, and we're already starting to see it right.
Speaker 1:
Oh, absolutely. Examples of it.
Speaker 2:
Right, absolutely so. Yeah, well, thank you for asking me and pushing that button.
Speaker 1:
I think we're going to have see more of that this month as well, and other things that we're going to be talking about in greater detail with other people too, how they're out living that and doing it and living by example, leading with their heart.
Speaker 2:
I think it's contagious.
Speaker 1:
Oh, for sure.
Speaker 2:
That's exciting, it's contagious and, and we've said here at Texas, leadership, we said if we can just get 10% of our leadership doing this, 80% will follow. And you always and you see this in team sports you'll have that 10% leadership that are passionate, they're all in and 80% that'll follow and join in. And you got this 10%. That always been the naysayers. You know. We want to lead them to Christ, we want to share Christ, we want them to be on the team, but if they choose not to be, that's their choice. It's a choice. So 10%, if we just get 10% in our community. And we are seeing this in our own community. We're seeing it with our local pastors, we're seeing with school board elections. We're seeing it at City Council where groups of people have gone to stand firm for their faith addressing City Council. We've also seen this locally with a, a group called Washington County Cares and we're gonna be interviewing them and asking them questions how they got established. But they said we cannot be tied to the national rotary club because they have embraced Transgenderism and and some of those values. They said we can't be a part of that and be Christians. And so they they've stepped away and started their own business club and still doing same things at rotary does, but it's in light of Christian values, right, and they've had a huge response. So I want to encourage our listeners. You know, as you're leading out in this and connecting leaders across our state and you've People don't know how much work you've done behind the scenes to try to build the foundation of Texas leadership something. But as we see different groups, county by county, as they begin to network and understand and see, no, we can do something, you're gonna see that 10% we all can and that 10% in county by county, just 10% and if those local pastors, just 10% of the local pastors, will get on board, it'll be very exciting because it's the church and the pastors that they're driving this.
Speaker 2:
That's what I mean by sustaining life. The church sustains life. If you don't have the gospel, people being equipped with the gospel, you don't have people being built up, equipped as the body of Christ Ephesians 4 You're not gonna sustain this life. And that's why the, the apostles, handed the words of Christ. They handed it down to men who were able to teach, teach it, and then people received it and it was blessing people and with eternal life, and it's sustained. And so the church has been sustained for over 2,000 years and we want to keep sustaining that Till he returns, because we're gonna be held accountable. So, every Christian leader, you are gonna be held accountable by the one who demonstrated this love and and revealed this love to us in bodily form, representing the father, and so we're gonna be accountable to that example. That's why I just simply asked Nana, how are you and I living up to that example? It's, it's a daily work, daily, daily surrender hourly.
Speaker 1:
So we're, here to help others do the same and to lead with love and to surrender.
Speaker 2:
And exalt you well, I hope I explained that In the right format.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely thank you for diving deep All right well. Thank you everybody for tuning in today and thank you, tim, for being here with us with the TLS DNA, and we look forward to being with you next month.