Movement–Lead Where You AreSample

Stay Connected to the Vine

Leaders are a unique breed of people. They are born with a distinctive personality and gifts. Leading is in their nature, it is part of who they are. There are leaders who lead in a classroom, in an office, in a house, or in their business. 

But there is another kind of leader those who are called by God. They are called to lead the lost toward the restorative message of the gospel. To lead the hopeless toward a life of purpose and abundance. To lead the least, the last, and the lost toward the redemptive love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

While the life of a leader can be incredibly rewarding, filled with many mountaintop moments, it can also be the most exhausting job on earth. As spiritual leaders bring hope, healing, and restoration to those around them, there will be times when they’ll find themselves challenged to maintain their own spiritual reservoir. 

If this is your case–if you are a leader who is leading others in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ–your journey for the next seven days is not about kicking back and relaxing. It’s about finding time, space, and opportunity for your own spiritual nourishment. It’s about letting God’s Word grow within you in order to extend it to others. If you feel you have squeezed the Bible dry in your preaching and teaching, go back to the streams of living water and fill up again. Splash around in the refreshing spray of the Spirit. Let your dry bones come back to vibrant life. 

So, if you are up to taking a step back to refresh yourself, remember to:

· Guard your time.   If you’re going to do this, really do it. Close the door. Turn off the phone. Escape to your favorite park bench or coffee shop. Set apart 15 minutes at minimum, and preferably 30—and then consecrate that time. Focus fully on prayer, the Scripture of the day, meditation, and being fully responsive to the Spirit’s leading.

· Grab a journal. As you explore God’s Word with eyes refreshed by the Holy Spirit, we encourage you to record what God reveals to you during your study. 

· Get the Word out. This is not about publicity but about the natural outward flow of God’s transforming truth. As you engage deeply with Scripture, it will grow within you and change you. It will also extend through you, outward and into the lives of others. You don’t have to try hard to make this happen, but you must avoid stifling it. You’re used to exhorting and motivating others, so that won’t be a problem. But try “overflowing” to others, out of the refreshing fountain of God’s Word rising up in you. 

Prayer  

Lord, I consecrate the next 7 days into your hands. May this time be one of refreshment for my soul. May your Holy Spirit guide me to all truth and may your presence fill me up as I seek your face. 

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