Sermon Resources on Humble Leadership

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Humble

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Philippians 2:5-8, Luke 2:6-7, Isaiah 53:2-3, John 13:4-5, Hebrews 2:14-17, Luke 22:27, Mark 10:42-45

Humble. Before Jesus, almost no pagan author had used “humble” as a compliment. Yet the events of Christmas point inescapably to what seems like an oxymoron: a humble God. The God who came to earth ca...

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Making the Smart Choice

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Philippians 2:3, 1 Peter 3:3-4, Proverbs 27:14, James 1:19, Joshua 1:9, 1 Kings 19:11-12

Angela Merkel breaks almost every stereotype we have about world leaders. Her appearances and actions are plain and modest. She's humble. She couldn't care less about showmanship or fancy dis...

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Spiritual Gifts and the Miami Dolphins

Author

Eunice McGarrahan

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 12:, Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:11-16, Ephesians 4:4, Ephesians 5:30, John 13:34-35

The coaching philosophy of Don Shula helps us understand the gifting of the church for God’s mission. Shula spent 26 years as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Under his leadership they had their ...

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Lessons from MJ, Lionel, LeBron, and Every Other GOAT

Author

Tod E. Bolsinger

Keywords

The Difference a Coach Makes Back in the days when Phil Jackson’s Chicago Bulls (and Los Angeles Lakers) were dominating the NBA, the joke was that all the coach needed to do was “roll out the basket...

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Author

C. S. Lewis

Keywords

Authority exercised with humility, and obedience accepted with delight are the very lines along which our spirits live.

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Learning Humility on a Mission Trip

Author

Phillip Yancey

Keywords

Scripture

2 Samuel 7:18-19, Isaiah 66:2 , Matthew 23:11-12, Philippians 2:3-4 , Luke 18:9-14, Psalm 51:17

The priest Henri Nouwen learned humility on a mission trip to South America. He went expecting to pass on his wisdom to the poor and unenlightened. During his six-month stay, Nouwen concluded that a d...

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Author

Israelmore Ayivor

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 6:39, 1 Corinthians 11:1, 2 Timothy 2:2, Hebrews 5:8, 1 Peter 5:1-4

You can’t lead people to where you’ve not been yourself. When you all get stranded, you need the knowledge of someone who knows the way!

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Author

Eugene H. Peterson

Keywords

Scripture

Philippians 2:5-11

The servant role was completed in Jesus. Though there were auspicious sings that preceded and accompanied his birth, preparing the world for the majestic and kingly, the birth of Jesus itself was of t...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 2:18-31

A Game of "Who's the Best Preacher?" What is preached matters far more than how it is preached or who preaches it. In Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, he addresses a troubl...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Philippians 2:5-11

Author

Rachel Clark

Keywords

Scripture

Philippians 2:5-11, Acts 16:, Philippians 1:27-2:4, Isaiah 45:22-23, 2 Corinthians 12:9

Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? A letter of friendship Paul’s letter to the Philippians is from Paul and his companions to the saints in Philippi. It is a letter fro...

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The Kinds of Being Spiritually Lost

Author

Don Everts and Doug Schaupp

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 7:7-8, Proverbs 27:17, Luke 15:4-7, Luke 19:10

The second lesson this group of new believers has shown us is that the postmodern path to faith is organic. Lostness, of course, looks different depending upon your perspective and personality. It is ...

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Remember You are Only a Man

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Proverbs 16:18, Psalm 103:14-16, Luke 14:11, Micah 6:8, 1 Peter 5:5-6, James 4:6-10, Jeremiah 9:23-24

If you were to travel back in time to the city of Rome (either during the Republic or the Empire), you may have had the opportunity to witness the Triumph, a colossal spectacle in which the greatest m...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Luke 17:1-10

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 14:1-10, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, John 15:15

Introduction Sometimes verses 1-4 are separated from 5-10 in preaching. N. T. Wright points out, however, that in both sections, the need for humility binds the passages together. A teacher must prac...

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What is Luther?

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 10:42-45, Matthew 20:25-28, 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, 1 Timothy 4:12, John 7:16, Galatians 1:10, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, 2 Corinthians 4:5, John 3:30, 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

When Martin Luther discovered that some had begun calling the first Protestants “Lutherans,” he strongly objected. It is funny to think that some 500 years later, many are still known by his name: ...

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And the Rest...

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

John 21:1-19

The presence of two anonymous disciples in the list in v. 2 [of John 21] (“…Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples ...

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If Ambiguity Keeps you Up at Night

Author

John C. Maxwell

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 18:13-23, 1 Kings 3:5-12, Esther 4:13-16 , James 1:5, Psalm 25:4-5 , Acts 15:6-21

Ambiguity may keep people up nights, but anyone seeking exquisite simplicity in his or her career ought to look for a non-leadership position. Leaders, by definition, have followers. Followers need di...

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Using Jesus as a Model when Negotiating during the Cold War

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 33:4, 2 Kings 5:1-15 , Isaiah 1:18, Matthew 9:10-13, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Psalm 133:1

Dag Hammarskjöld, a Swedish economist and diplomat deeply committed to his Christian faith, served as the Secretary-General of the United Nations during some of the most turbulent times of the Cold Wa...

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The Blind Leading the Blind (In a Good Way)

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 4:10-16, Ruth 1:16-18 , Isaiah 41:10-13 , Psalm 23:4 , 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Hebrews 4:15-16

A student who had recently lost his sight was sent to the Seeing Eye Institute for the Blind in Morristown, New Jersey, for specialized training. Upon arrival, he was greeted by another young ma...

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King Arthur Goes Incognito

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

There are some stories that continue to be told generations after they were originally written. The tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table still captivates those eager to hear about a ...

liturgy

Celebrate Palm Sunday with Joyful Hearts

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

John 8:31-59, Zechariah 9:9, Psalm 118:26a, Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:8-11, Luke 19:36-44

Pastor: Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! People: Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Pastor: See, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and having salvation, People: ...

lectionary

17th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 17:5-10, Luke 17:1-4, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, John 15:15

Introduction Our lectionary text is inextricably linked with the five verses that precede it. For that reason, I’ll give a summary of verses 1-4. It’s possible the lectionary authors chose to separat...

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A Glimpse of Eternal Life

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 25:35-40, James 1:27, Philippians 2:3-4, John 13:3-5, Micah 6:8, Isaiah 58:6-7, 1 John 3:18

An ancient legend tells of a well-respected rabbi who would vanish from his synagogue for a few hours each Sabbath. His mysterious absences sparked curiosity among his students, who wondered if their ...

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Starting With the Boots

Author

R. Kent Hughes

Keywords

Scripture

John 13:14-15, Philippians 2:5-7, Matthew 23:11, James 4:10, Mark 10:45, 1 Peter 5:5-6

In 1878, when William Booth’s Salvation Army was beginning to make its mark, men and women from all over the world began to enlist. One man, who had once dreamed of becoming a bishop, crossed the Atla...

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Author

F.B. Meyer

Keywords

I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves one above the other and that the taller we grow in Christian character the more easily we could reach them. I now find that God's gifts are on ...

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John Calvin: A Reformer's Humility

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 11:2, Acts 13:50, James 4:13-15, Philippians 2:3-4, Romans 12:17-19, 1 Peter 2:23, 2 Timothy 4:2, 1 Peter 5:2-3, John 21:15-17, 2 Corinthians 4:5, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

The Protestant Reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) arrived in Geneva to lead the city’s church in 1536, but not, as we might imagine, to universal acceptance. Rather, there was significant resistance and...

liturgy

Prayer for All Needs (Excerpted)

Author

Clement of Rome

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 1:, Isaiah 45:7, 1 Samuel 2:6-7, 1 Peter 2:9, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Psalm 146:7-9, Isaiah 61:1, John 3:16, Colossians 1:13, Revelation 4:11, Ephesians 5:8, Acts 26:18, 2 Timothy 1:9, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Luke 1:51-52, Luke 4:18-19

*This is the earliest known prayer of the Christian Church outside of scripture May he who created everything keep the number of his chosen people, throughout the world, up to the strength he...

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A Poor Man’s Ticker-tape Parade

Author

Mia Levetan

Keywords

Scripture

Zechariah 9:9, Exodus 12:1–28 , 2 Kings 9:13 , Matthew 21:1–11, John 12:12–16, Psalm 118:25–26

Frederick Buechner is a master of capturing the excitement of the moment of Palm Sunday. It’s a great reminder that the story itself is a great illustration! We call it Palm Sunday because maybe t...

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Recognizing the Laborers

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 1:1-6, Nehemiah 3:, Proverbs 22:29, Psalm 90:17 , 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Colossians 3:23-24

In most cities, statues are reserved for founders and the famous, but in Stockholm, Sweden, things are a bit different, at least in one place. Stockholm’s town hall stands as a masterpiece of architec...

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Jesus’ Hidden Invitations

Author

Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Keywords

Scripture

1 Kings 19:11-13 , Exodus 33:12-14, Isaiah 30:15 , Mark 1:35-38, Luke 5:15-16, Psalm 46:10

Jesus’ actions, in and of themselves, often make no sense unless we see them as responses to some hidden invitation—an invitation received from time spent alone with his Father. When Jesus was interru...

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Tell us about Being a Christian

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Hebrews 12:1-2, Matthew 5:14-16, 1 Corinthians 1:25, Micah 6:8, Colossians 3:16, James 3:17

In Soul-Making , Allen Jones shares an intriguing visit to the Coptic Monastery of St. Macarius out in the Egyptian desert. There, he meets Father Jeremiah, a monk who spins tales of the desert fathe...

Sermon Resources on humble leadership

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