10

David T. Seay served as content editor for this seventh Founda-

tions study, Spiritual Leadership. He has a rich and varied back-

ground as a church staff member, (pastor and minister of educa-

tion), content editor for Sunday School-related materials at LifeWay

Christian Resources, training conference leaders, and concluded his

24-plus years of service at LifeWay as editor in chief of Mature Living

magazine. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1965-70, achieving

the rank of captain.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Texas

Tech University and a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He and his wife, Melva, reside in Franklin, Tennessee. The couple has two daughters. Laura is an

assistant professor at Colby College, Waterville, Maine, and Kathryn works with Wycliffe Bible

Translators in West Africa.

He is active in his church, Brentwood Baptist, Brentwood, Tennessee, where he is a deacon and

serves as class president and assistant teacher of an adult Bible class. David also served a 4-year term

on the church’s Staff Resource Team.

Curtis Honts edited the teaching plans for Spiritual Leader-

ship, bringing many years of editing and writing experience to the

project. Most of his 21-year career at LifeWay Christian Resources

has focused on adult Bible studies, including editing MasterWork,

January Bible Study resources, and leader commentaries for Bible

Study for Life adult study guides.

He was on staff at College Avenue Baptist Church, Ft. Worth,

Texas, during seminary studies, served as minister of education at

Lakeshore Drive Baptist Church, Little Rock, Arkansas, and later as

pastor, Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Benton, Arkansas.

Curtis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Oklahoma Baptist University, a Master

of Divinity degree and Master of Religious Education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theologi-

cal Seminary.

He and his wife Toni have grown twins, a son and a daughter. Curtis and Toni serve at the

Springfield Baptist Church, Springfield, Tennessee, where he teaches adult Bible studies and serves

as a deacon. He has participated in six medical mission trips to Haiti.

page 1 1 WHO IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER?

To communicate that all believers are called to impact others for Christ through

their gifts and influence.

Spiritual leaders receive gifts to serve others and exercise those gifts through

God’s strength to bring Him glory through Jesus Christ.

To use our God-given gifts and influence to honor God, build up the church,

and impact the world for Jesus.

Background

Passage:

1 P E T E R 4

scripture

Passage:

1 P E T E R 4 : 7 - 1 1

• In light of Christ’s return, pursue

prayer, love, and hospitality (vv. 7-9).

• Believers are to use their gifts to serve

others, as good stewards of the varied

grace of God (v. 10).

• Believers are to be diligent in exercis-

ing their gifts for the glory of God

and the benefit of others (v. 11).

Memory

Verse:

1 P E T E R 4 : 1 0

Based on the gift each one has

received, use it to serve others,

as good managers of the varied

grace of God.

who is a

spiritual

leader?

LLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNN 111111

page 1 2 WHO IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER?

PREPARING TO TEACH

Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I? What are my next steps?

This JourneyOn study of Spiritual Leadership can aid believers

to discover Christ-centered answers to their questions of identity,

purpose, and destination. Some adults may question why they

should study spiritual leadership. As a LIFE Group leader you have

the privilege and responsibility to urge them to participate in this

Bible study by emphasizing: 1. Every believer is a spiritual leader.

2. The body of Christ needs to understand the responsibilities and

challenges of those God has called to lead the church so we can

follow, support, and encourage them. 3. As Christ’s followers we are

to consistently evaluate our spiritual influence and consider how

God is calling us to the next level of leadership.

Read 1 Peter 4, journaling instructions and encouragements this

passage offers you as a leader. Read the focal passage, 1 Peter 4:7-11,

in at least three different translations, continuing to journal insights

and questions. Prayerfully read and complete Lesson 1 in your

Venture In: Spiritual Leadership Travelogue.

Ask the Lord to give adults insight into the unique ways He

has gifted them to serve and to motivate them to use their gifts and

influence to impact others for Christ.

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

OVERCOMING STEREOTYPES

Invite responses to the question posed by the lesson title (Travelogue,

p. 9): Who is a spiritual leader? Determine stereotypes believers might

need to overcome in order to answer “I am.”

Ask how the Travelogue (p. 9) defines a leader. Discuss: Based

on that definition, are you a spiritual leader? Explain. Where

do you have influence on others? (Travelogue, p. 10). Declare: The

real question isn’t “Am I a spiritual leader?” but “What kind of

influence am I having on others?”

Encourage adults to underline the Travelogue (p. 9) statement:

Leadership is influence and influence is expanded through

serving others. State: Another question we need to ask is “Am I

page 1 3 WHO IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER?

seeking to expand my influence through self-centered control

or Christ-centered service?” Our answer reveals whether we’re

leading the world’s way or God’s way.

Today’s study challenges and encourages us to lead God’s way by

using our unique gifts and influence to serve and make an impact

for Christ.

________________________________________________________________________

TEACHING OPTION

Invite the group to describe stereotypical spiritual leaders. (Stereo-

types may range from three-piece suits, big hair, and a big Bible to

plaid shirts, hipster glasses, and beards.) Have fun with this without

being disrespectful. The goal isn’t to mock anyone but to emphasize

believers must overcome stereotypes of spiritual leadership in order

to understand we are all leaders.________________________________________________________________________

YOU ARE GIFTED

Request a volunteer read 1 Peter 4:7-11. Ask: The words leadership

and influence aren’t anywhere in this passage–how can it be

instructions for spiritual leaders? State the key is in verse 10, this

lesson’s memory verse. Encourage adults to read 1 Peter 4:10 aloud in

unison. Inquire: What basic truths about spiritual leadership do

we gain from this verse? Record responses on a writing surface.

Declare one truth is that God has gifted every follower of Christ.

Explain some understand gift in a narrow sense while others view

it in a broader fashion. Identify Peter’s primary meaning of the word

“gift.” Explain the gifts mentioned in 1 Peter 4:11 summarize the two

major categories of spiritual gifts—speaking (verbal) and serving

(non-verbal)—that are listed in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and

Ephesians 4. Many believe these passages are not an exhaustive list

of the many varied ways God gifts Christ’s followers.

Ask: How have you experienced the truth of the Travel-

ogue statement (p. 11): Discovering your spiritual gift or gifts

and using them is part of the adventure of being a Christian?

Explore how believers can discern their spiritual gifts. (Prayer;

page 1 4 WHO IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER?

study; spiritual gift surveys; pay attention to what energizes and

engages you and causes you to feel a deeper connection with God;

try a ministry to discover if you’re gifted in that area; ask other

believers what gifts they see in you.)

________________________________________________________________________

TEACHER HELPS

Find a helpful discussion of spiritual gifts and a spiritual gifts survey

at www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_PDF_Discover_Your_Spiritual_Gifts.pdf.

Although you may not be able to make copies for each participant

due to copyright issues, you can certainly provide adults this URL

and encourage them to take the survey. ________________________________________________________________________

State spiritual gifts are implanted in our spiritual DNA when we

are born again. We also have natural talents and abilities in our human

DNA that God can and wants to use for His glory and the good of

others. Determine the natural talents represented in your LIFE Group.

Discuss: Regardless of whether Peter referred to “gift” in

the narrow or broad sense–what’s the point of God gifting

every believer? Read the final paragraph of this section beginning:

You are one of God’s gifted children (Travelogue, p. 11).

Urge adults if they have not completed the personal evaluation

activities about spiritual gifts and natural abilities (Travelogue, pp. 11

and 12) to do so sometime this week. Encourage them to meet with

another believer to discuss these evaluations.

________________________________________________________________________

TEACHER TIP

PLACE is Brentwood Baptist’s primary means of helping believers

discover their gifts and connect with God’s ministry assignments in

ways that best utilize those gifts. Urge adults who have not partici-

pated in PLACE to do so soon, and urge adults who have partici-

pated to recommit to join God in His work using their unique gifts

and influence. For more information see brentwoodbaptist.com/minis-

tries/place or check with your pastor about assistance your church

offers believers in discovering their spiritual gifts.________________________________________________________________________

page 1 5 WHO IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER?

LEADERSHIP IS STEWARDSHIP

Point out from 1 Peter 4:10 that believers are to use their gifts to

serve others and be good managers of all God has given us.

Guide the group to define the term steward. Discuss: What do you

usually think of when you hear the term stewardship? How is

spiritual stewardship about far more than money?

Explore how believers can be faithful stewards of gifts God has

given us. (Use them, develop them, take new directions with gifts

when God leads.) Declare: God does not give us gifts for self-

advancement but for selfless serving. When we use our gifts to

serve others, we are faithful leaders passing on the benefits of

God’s grace to others. Discuss the Travelogue (p. 13) question: Since

your leadership role is a gift from God, how does that change

how you approach it?

A RECIPE FOR SERVANT-BASED SUCCESS

Assert: Faithful disciples of Jesus want to be positive influ-

ential leaders who impact the world for Jesus. But we don’t

always know how. 1 Peter 4:7-9 offers a three-fold recipe for

servant success.

Encourage adults to state the first ingredient in this recipe

identified in 7b. Discuss: Why must we be disciplined for prayer?

How do we demonstrate we take prayer seriously? Can we

really lead people if we don’t seriously pray for them? Explain

your reasoning. Emphasize prayer is hard work. Believers must

take prayer seriously, being intentional and focused as we pray for

others. Guide the group to examine why prayer is a powerful way to

influence others.

Request adults identify the second servant-success strategy

(v. 8). Explore how adults maintain their homes and vehicles

and why. (Stay attentive. Have regular checkups. Fix what’s broken.

Replace what’s worn out. Get rid of some things. Keep it clean.)

Acknowledge it costs money, time, and energy to maintain homes

and vehicles, but the result is safety and usefulness. Ask: How can

page 1 6 WHO IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER?

we apply those principles to maintaining sacrificial, selfless,

intense love for each other?

Evaluate what Peter meant and did not mean with his quotation

of Proverbs 10:12. Love covers a multitude of sins does not

mean believers ignore, justify, or condone sin or that our love atones

for another’s sins. It does mean we give people a break for being

fallible humans, and we forgive repeatedly when people hurt us.

The way believers respond to hurts will have a huge impact on our

families, churches, and communities.

________________________________________________________________________

TEACHING OPTION

Give each adult a rubber band. Ask them to stretch it as far as possi-

ble and privately consider: How far does your love stretch? Read

from the Holman New Testament Commentary: This word [intense]

means “to be stretched.” True agape love is constantly being stretched to the

limit by the demands made on it. This is precisely where agape love shines,

because it is not exhausted when it becomes difficult or inconvenient.1 Urge

adults to keep that rubber band as a reminder to prayerfully develop

and maintain a love for others that doesn’t snap under pressure. ________________________________________________________________________

Invite adults to identify the third ingredient in Peter’s recipe

for servant-success (v. 9). Discuss: Is Christian hospitality open-

ing up our homes, opening up our lives, or both? Explain your

reasoning. Brainstorm specific ways adults can open their homes

and lives to others to have a positive spiritual influence. Examine

why Peter added the comment without complaining.

Point out some recipes need to be followed exactly so ingredi-

ents interact in the proper way; other recipes provide basic ingredi-

ents and allow room for individuality. Ask: Which do you think

this recipe for servant-based success is? Why?

page 1 7 WHO IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER?

LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT GOD’S GLORY

Discuss: We’ve all heard sad accounts of prominent spiritual

leaders who have fallen. What leads to those moral and

spiritual failings? What principles can we gain from verse

1 Peter 4:11 that can help us lead God’s way and avoid serious

pitfalls of leadership? Why is it absolutely essential that we

rely on God’s strength as we use our gifts? What is the only

right objective for influencing others by serving them? Discuss

the Travelogue (p. 17) suggestions for bringing glory to God amid

leadership successes.

GETTING MOTIVATED

Acknowledge it’s against our nature to serve sacrificially and give

God glory and others credit for our successes. The only way we can

do something so countercultural is if we have the proper motive.

Ask: According to 1 Peter 4:7, what is our motivation for lead-

ing God’s way? Invite volunteers to state in their own words what

comes after therefore.

CONCLUSION

Emphasize again: We are all spiritual leaders. We all have gifts

and influence. It’s up to us to use those positively to serve

others and honor Christ.

Invite adults to share what they have gained from this study

about how to lead God’s way and have great kingdom influence and

impact in this world.

State the first course of action may need to be repentance for

seeking to influence through self-centered control rather than

Christ-centered service. Allow time for private prayer, then close

with prayer.

page 1 8 WHO IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER?

FOLLOW THROUGH

Email group participants.

• Include a link to the LifeWay Spiritual Gifts Survey: https://www.

lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_PDF_Discover_Your_Spiritual_Gifts.pdf.

• Affirm the spiritual gifts you observe in them, and/or offer your

prayerful guidance in helping them discover and put to use their

unique gifts and influence.

• Encourage them to memorize 1 Peter 4:10 and make it their goal to

use their God-given gifts and influence to honor God, build up the

church, and impact the world for Jesus.

________________________________________________________________________1. David Walls and Max Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Peter, I, II

& III John, Jude, Vol. 11 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 72.