It is one thing to have a vision; it is quiet another for a leader to be able to communicate that vision to others to enable them to embrace and internalize it. Read 1 Chronicles 28:1-21.

When God provided David with a vision of the Jerusalem temple, he wanted to be personally instrumental in making that dream a reality. But the Lord told David that the job of building the temple would be given to his son and successor Solomon. David chose not to view himself as having been cut out of the action. Instead, he energetically undertook his new charge – that of communicating the vision for the temple in a manner that would infect Solomon and enlist his unwavering support. Read more »

It is one thing to have vision; it is quite another to communicate that vision to others to enable them to embrace and internalize it. Read 1 Kings 5:1-18.

Hiram was the king of Tyre, a neighboring nation to Israel. When he heard his old friend King David had died, he sent envoys to meet with Solomon, heir to the throne to congratulate him on his new position. Hiram’s plan was to discuss continued peaceful relations between the two nations. Solomon had more elaborate plans for their relationship. Solomon wanted to build a magnificent temple to honor God and for that he needed raw materials that were scarce in Israel but plentiful in Tyre. Establishing an expanded partnership in his first communication with Hiram would require Solomon to communicate a vision that captivated Hiram’s interest and motivated him to become involved. Read more »

A leader’s vision unites their team. Read 2 Samuel 5:1-12.

The nation of Israel was energized under David’s leadership. All twelve tribes were united under one leader. They found a national identity: “We are your own flesh and blood” (v. 1). The people knew that God had anointed David and by uniting under David’s leadership they were actually uniting as God’s people. Read more »

Whether stated or not, your team members have the question “Why should I follow you?” Leaders go on display before they ever get the chance to display their vision. Once followers gain confidence in the leader, there is a much better chance they will feel confident about the vision. Read Judges 6:1 – 8:35.

Gideon had seven qualities that attracted people to him as a leader: Read more »

The book of Judges can help a leader understand a cycle that is repeated, even today, when there is no central leader to give voice and example to godly core values and goals. Read Judges 2-16.

Without a leader to keep them focused on core values and God’s central goal, the people of Israel went through a series of downward-spiraling cycles. The people found themselves oppressed by foreign powers because without the leader’s constant restatement of goals that kept them focused, they gradually forgot about their part of the covenant with God and became disobedient. Each of these downward-cycles is characterized by: Read more »