Leaders must always be watchful that they do not put their trust in expendable commodities. Read Matthew 19:16-30.

As Jesus’ popularity grew among the Jewish people a few individuals wanted to join Him and become a disciple so they could receive more intimate teaching. Jesus had a way of helping people see the commitment that would be required to be His disciple and to help them understand their motives for seeking to be close to Him. The man described in today’s verses had money, power, a good reputation, and good intentions. He also had up-side-down priorities. He had placed a high value on wealth and had placed his trust in his ability to influence others and situations with his financial prowess. The man was broken hearted when he realized his true value system revolved around trust in his financial independence rather than trusting in the eternal perspectives Jesus was offering free of charge.

Effective leaders seek to develop God-honoring character. Read Matthew 18:21-35.

Jesus’ disciples were already leaders when they started following Him but spending time with Jesus caused them to see elements of their life that did not match His words and actions. As they saw Jesus’ consistency, the disciples started trusting Jesus’ character enough to ask the inner-hidden-deeper-secret personal questions they were struggling with in their lives. Peter asked Jesus a question every leader struggles with, “How many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” He must have been shocked when Jesus’ answer was, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Addressing conflict and healing offenses should be a priority for every leader. Read Matthew 5:23-24 and 18:15-17.

One thing is certain: Every leader will face relational conflicts. People may disagree because they have conflicting personalities or different agendas but they will disagree. Any leader that tries to avoid dealing with relational conflicts will only add to the problem. During the mentoring process for His disciples Jesus addressed the topic. There may be no clearer passage in the Gospels on conflict resolution than Matthew 18. When Jesus addressed the problem He tackled it head on.

Mentors commit themselves to training their team. Read Matthew 17:14-21.

Jesus disciples had been with Him continuously for almost three years observing Him instruct the crowds and heal the sick. As their understanding grew Jesus had given the disciples leadership assignments. At times the disciples were very effective but at other times Jesus assessed their work and held them accountable. John Maxwell’s notes in The Maxwell Leadership Bible give some insight into mentoring when a team falls short of expectations:

Encouragement is one of the greatest tools in a leader’s toolbox. Read Matthew 17:1-13.

Peter, James and John were three of the twelve disciples who Jesus relied on heavily to complete His mission even after He was no longer living on earth. In today’s verses these men accompanied Jesus to a remote area in the mountains of Judea and to their great surprise Jesus was suddenly transfigured from a man they worked with everyday to a heavenly being, the man of grace, who was joined by Moses, Israel’s first lawgiver, and Elijah, Israel’s greatest prophet. As if this were not enough they heard the very voice of God giving Jesus’ work His approval from heaven. Can you even imagine how encouraged these men were from what Jesus revealed to them concerning the scope of their mission? The impression was so lasting that Peter later writes about it in one of his books, 2 Peter 1:16-18.