General Index
achievement, 33–49; controls definition of leaders, 38–39; dominates leadership community, 37–38; forms view of success and failure, 40–41; gospel-oriented, 37; as principle lens of self-evaluation, 47; replaces prayer with planning, 48–49; silences honest leadership communication, 14–42; and taking credit, 45–46; views disciples as consumers, 42–44; views people as obstacles, 44–45
“already” and “not yet,” 24, 34, 96, 116, 187, 205–6
ambassadorial calling, 107–9, 188
ambition: and ambassadorial calling, 109; as spiritual battleground, 34
anxiety, 220
balance, 87–98
Bible. See Scripture
biblical literacy, 196
bitterness, 210
broken people, 136
burnout, 97
candor, 148–58
character, 101–13
Christian life, not isolated or independent, 148
church: not designed to be comfortable, 136; shaped by it surrounding culture, 198; commitment, and longevity, 205
communication, silenced by achievement, 41–42
communion with God, 56
community. See gospel community; leadership community
confession of sin, 57–58, 151, 152, 204–5
confrontation, 204
consideration, 204
corporate model of leadership, 54, 134
creation, 87
credit, taking vs. assigning, 45–46
criticism, 51–52
Dangerous Calling (Tripp), 15–17, 20, 83, 145
David: defeat of Goliath, 218–19; fresh start for, 28
deacons, as executive accountants and property managers, 36
debt, 97
delivering grace, 179
dependency, 25
disciples: called to servanthood, 134; commissioning of, 20–21; selfishness of, 131–33
discipleship: as consumerism, 42–44; of leaders, 84
domineering leaders, 74–75, 97, 105
elders, as corporate board, 36
endurance, 197
energy, limits of, 80–83
entitlement, 142
examining the heart, 173
exercise, 82
fallen pastor, and failed leadership community, 16
false identities, 107
family dysfunction, 181
fear of the Lord, 185
forgiving others, 64
fresh starts, 186–87
functional values, 101, 102, 111
gardening, 55
gentleness, 105
gifts: limits of, 73–77; and suffering, 76–77
glory of God, 214–17
gluttony, 81–83
God: interprets creation for Adam and Eve, 163; patience of, 198–99; presence of, 184, 211–21; restorative heart of, 183–90; sovereign promises of, 21
godliness, 108
Goliath, 218–19
gospel: foundation for church relationships, 23–24; infinitely deep, 11–12; and leadership formation, 54; as life hermeneutic, 12
gospel community: as encouraging, 66–67; as forgiving, 63–65; honesty of, 57–58; as humble, 59–60; as nurturing, 54–57; patience of, 61–63; as protective, 67–68; as restorative, 68–69
gospel dissatisfaction, 124
gospel doubt, 156–58
grace, 26; essential ingredient for success in anyone’s ministry, 33; of God’s presence, 219–20; protecting and enabling, 217–20; as reconciling, 179–90; as restorative, 28–29, 190; resurrection power for fallen leaders, 28; and shift in ambition, 34
Great Commission, 20–21
grumbling, 136
heart: balance in, 91–95; lack of balance in, 89, 90, 96–98
Holy Spirit, promptings of, 112
home, tension in, 91
honesty, of gospel community, 57–58
horizontal identity, 164, 167, 168, 172, 173
hospitality, 105
humility, 24–25, 74, 108; as defense against spiritual attack, 122–23; in leadership community, 152; and longevity, 201–2, 203, 206
“I Am,” 21–22
identity in Christ, 156, 164–67
identity exchange, 168–74
identity in ministry, 156, 162, 167–68, 170
imbalance, 88
inspection, 26
intercession, 58
interpretation of identity, 162–63
introspection, 16
James, on restoration, 68
jar of clay, 202
Jesus Christ: authority of, 21–22; glory of, 202; model of leadership, 134; as our nurturer, 56; presence of, 21–22; as suffering servant, 142
job, as identity, 164
joy, in self-denial, 140–41
labor life, 78
leaders: become unapproachable and controlling, 46, 172; character deficiencies in, 105; defined by achievement, 38–39; discipleship of, 84; drift into imbalance, 95; held accountable to protect souls, 27; limits of, 170; need confronting and restorative grace, 113; need grace, 158; not impervious to temptation, 189; public fall of, 110; qualities, 104; regularly confessing faults, 57; restoration to, 28
leadership community: and achievement, 37–38; candor of, 148–58; change in culture, 35–36; as confessional community, 152–53; conversation about spiritual warfare, 124–25; as defenders and advocates, 112, 182; denials of gospel in, 152; and fallen leaders, 27, 110; and gospel of Jesus, 22–24; healthy, 18; loving confrontation with leaders, 110; must discuss balance in lives of leaders, 91; relationships in, 155; as restorative community, 29, 180, 183; shepherding pastors, 53; values of, 101; weaknesses in, 19–20
lifestyle diseases, 82
limits, 71–84
longevity, 193–206
love: for Jesus, 56; for neighbor, 215; for one another, 56
lust, 180
marriage: problems in, 97; self-sacrificial love in, 105; unfaithfulness, 181
materialism, 95
maturity, 83–84, 194–96, 197, 200–203
mercy to the oppressed, 215
ministry: and accountability, 105; busyness of, 72, 125; as community project, 194; and family, 79; hardships of, 53; humility in, 74; motivations in, 109; and private life, 181–82; as source of identity, 156, 162, 167–68, 170; as spiritual warfare, 56, 115–16; storms of, 197; success in, 126, 168–69; temptations of, 126; values of, 103, 113
money: handling of, 105; misuse of, 95
Moses, fresh start for, 28
mushrooms, 195–96
Nebuchadnezzar, 212–17
nurture, from gospel community, 54–57
oaks of righteousness, 195–96, 197
“one anothering,” 83
opposition, 219
parenting, with compassion, 105
pastoral entitlement, 215
Paul: encouraged others, 66; fresh start for, 28; on gifts in the body of Christ, 73–74; humility of, 59–60; on idolatry, 89; on ministry leadership, 221–22; on spiritual maturity, 200–203; spiritual struggles of, 150–51
peacetime mentality, 115
people, regarded as obstacle, 44–45
permissiveness, 64
personality cults, 60
Peter, fresh start for, 28
planning, replaces prayer, 48–49
popularity, 196
prayer, 90; in leadership community, 152; replaced by planning, 48–49
prepared spontaneity, 25–26
presence amnesia, 211–12
presence of the Lord, 184, 211–21
pride: in accomplishment, 35–36, 62, 67, 141; in appearing righteous, 59–60, 107; crushed by love for Jesus, 56; in giftedness, 75; leads to exposure to spiritual attack, 122–23; in ministry identity, 162, 170; of personal maturity, 154; produces personality cults, 60; shrinks in a confessing community, 153; vulnerabilty to, 180–81
private life, 91
protection, 26–27
Ramashandra, Vinod, 109
redemption, takes patience, 199
respect of others, 155–56
restoration, 28, 68–69, 98, 177–90
righteousness, 215
Scripture: on fresh starts and new beginnings, 28; on identity in Christ, 164–65; on servanthood, 137–40; on spiritual warfare, 116–21, 125
self, inertia of, 131–32
self-control, 105
self-glory, 56, 59, 202, 212–17
selfishness, 130–31
sensitivity, in ministry leadership, 172–73
servanthood, 126, 129–42; and freedom, 141; and greatness, 132, 141; and suffering, 135–40
service, 129
sexism, 108
shalom, 87–88
sin: addiction to, 181; individualism of, 130; minimizing of, 154–55; resides in heart of every leader, 57
souls, 27
spiritual blindness, 67–68, 189
spiritual warfare, 115–21, 125
strategic insight, 196
struggles, 150–51
suffering: and gifts, 76–77; for sake of the gospel, 53; and servanthood, 135–142
temptation, 26–27, 64, 83, 96, 126, 189, 215
theological wandering, 116
time, limits of, 77–80
“try harder, do more” leadership, 79
vertical identity, 152, 164, 167, 172, 218
vision, dominated by growth and ambition, 36
waiting, 61–62
war. See spiritual warfare
weakness, 41–42, 46, 63, 73, 80, 202
workaholism, 97
worship, in leadership community, 152