Talk

7 Attributes of a Godly Leader

Ben Stuart

January, 29, 2023

As trust for authority figures continues to erode in our culture, what are the essential characteristics that we should look for in good spiritual leaders? Continuing in our series through 1 Thessalonians, Ben Stuart identifies seven crucial attributes that Paul uses to describe a Christian leader and challenges us to embody them in every facet of our lives.

Key Takeaway

Through boldness, sincerity, giving, gentleness, holiness, fatherliness, and staying gospel-centered, we can be effective godly leaders.

Boldness. The content is critical and the proclamation is worth the pain.

Sincerity. Believing in the value of what you're doing and leading authentically without trying to please others.

Giving. Not taking more than you give, and giving because you care.

Gentleness. We can be gentle out of love and care for others.

Holiness. Your holiness should adorn your message, not make it harder.

Fatherliness. Encouraging others and challenging them to move forward.

Staying Gospel-Centered. Repeatedly sharing the Good News from heaven and making it the center of everything we do and say.

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"Don't try to make yourself bold. Make yourself good at knowing Him, and then ask Him to create opportunities to love and share the truth with those He has put around you to influence."

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Ben Stuart

Discussion Questions

Do you have a hard time being bold? Where do you have space in your life to be bold?
Why is sincerity in godly leadership so important?
What role does giving play in your ministry?
How can you practice gentleness?
What does the Bible say about holiness?
What are some instances in your life of people who have exemplified what it looks like to be fatherly?
How can we ensure that our ministry stays gospel-centered?

Scripture References

1You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results.

2We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.

3For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.

4On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.

5You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.

6We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.

7Instead, we were like young children among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 9Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

8so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

9Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.

11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,

12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

13And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

14For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews

15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone

16in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

Ben Stuart

Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.