In at least one way, every leader is Christlike. Jesus was tempted, and so are we. While he was famously confronted directly and openly by Satan, our temptations usually appear a bit more subtly but just as strongly. We are tempted by money, sex, and power … and oh-so-many other things: fear and despondency and pride and anger and envy and gluttony and selfish ambition, just to name a few.
Temptation itself is not a bad thing. In fact, you remember the classic distinction between virtue and innocence? Virtue, unlike innocence, has successfully passed a point of temptation. So without temptation, there can be no virtue.
So how do we successfully pass the many points of temptation we will face every day? Here are nine of the best tools that we’ve put together to help you in your ongoing pursuit of virtue, which, much like one of those gritty Spartan Races, will be contested with obstacles at every turn.
The Sin Tamer, by John Ortberg. Do we ever get to stop fighting against the evil within? John Ortberg helps us understand our ongoing posture toward the sins that so easily beset us.
DNF by Gordon MacDonald. Many in ministry Did Not Finish. What can we do about that? What can we learn from the power of bad examples?
Seeking God, Finding Sex by Marshall Shelley. There’s a strange osmosis between lofty piety and earthly passions, which has shown up throughout history. A look beneath the surface of sinful behavior. What’s driving that?
The War Within: An Anatomy of Lust by Name Withheld. It's an invisible sin, and one of the most destructive. In a brutally honest account, one leader tells of his descent into lust and his painful escape.
“Help, I'm Gay” by Stanton L. Jones. A pastoral conversation about same-sex attraction, one of the most difficult things to talk about hopefully and redemptively. Stan’s example is well informed and compassionate.
Church Discipline for Repetitive Sin by Kevin Miller. How do you work pastorally with people who are likely to fall again? This church’s practices are faithful to both truth and grace.
How to Prevent Ministry Burnout. Ministry is hard. You've heard the stories and may even know leaders who have left their calling. Most of the damage is done not by external pressures, the conflicts, problems, or perceived failures, but by the internal responses to those pressures. How do you keep your equilibrium when things get shaky? This download features six leaders who’ve faced burnout and know the causes. This tool will help you keep your priorities in order, your integrity high, and your attitude positive when things get tough.
How to Last as a Leader. Leaders are like fruit trees: when the tree stops growing, the fruit starts to rot, says Dave Kraft in this resource. Continual growth is one of several principles key to dealing with temptation and essential to leaders that last. This 24-page resource offers insights and practices to help you keep your ministry strong over time.
Sexual Integrity. As our culture becomes increasingly sex-charged, the ability for Christian leaders to stumble only grows. Churches must speak frankly about temptations, and the boundaries and guidelines that are necessary to help prevent leaders from giving in. This resource outlines the many different aspects churches must address in order to build healthy, open, and honest leaders.
