Blog: Max Dawson
July 13, 2017
Last time we talked about how Nehemiah began his task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem with the end in mind. This is one of the qualities that made him a leader. He knew the result he wanted to achieve and would let nothing stand in the way.
A leader not only begins with the end in mind, he also knows the steps to take along the way. He knows what needs to be done next. Let’s follow the steps Nehemiah took to accomplish his task. [Read more…]

Blog: Max Dawson
July 10, 2017
Our last couple of blogs have focused on Nehemiah. He was the king’s cup bearer in Persia, but became the construction leader in Jerusalem. He was a man with the ability to see what others did not see. He saw that the walls of Jerusalem could be rebuilt. He saw that task–and completed that task in only 52 days.
While others might have made excuses about why the walls were not rebuilt, Nehemiah just did it! No excuses. Just got to work. Rallied the workers. Completed the job.
One of the factors that contributed to his success was that he began with the end in mind. That means he had it fixed in his mind that the walls and gates of the city were going to be finished. In his mind, he could see what the job looked like when it was complete. With that picture firmly fixed in his thinking, he would allow no interference or hindrance to stand in the way of the finished task.
A leader can be successful only if he has the end in mind that he wants to reach.
In Alice in Wonderland, Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, “Would you tell me which way to go from here?” [Read more…]

Blog: Max Dawson
July 6, 2017
That’s a question we need to ask and answer!
In Monday’s Leadership Blog I wrote about the success Nehemiah had in rebuilding the walls of the city of Jerusalem. He was a visionary leader. While he never received a miraculous vision from God, his insight into what could be done was powerful.
He set out all the way from Persia to go to Jerusalem–a distance of more than 800 miles. When he got to the city, he motivated the Jewish people to “rise up and build” (). The work was completed in only 52 days ().
Now to our question: Why Nehemiah? [Read more…]

Blog: Max Dawson
July 3, 2017
And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

Nehemiah is the great leader who rebuilt the walls of the city of Jerusalem. He learned of the terrible condition of the city from some of his brethren who had come from Judah (). He was determined to do something about the condition of the city–even though he currently lived hundreds of miles away.
Men are often limited in what they accomplish in God’s kingdom because they do not see what might be accomplished. They try to find reasons why something can’t be done, rather than what can be.
Have you ever heard the line that says, “You can’t get there from here”? It is often said as a joke, but when it comes to God’s work, a lot of folks take that line far beyond a joke. They like to talk about what can’t be done, what we cannot achieve. [Read more…]

Blog: Max Dawson
June 29, 2017
Let me tell you a story that I heard more than thirty years ago. It was an incident that took place at a women’s club in a large city.
A concert pianist (I don’t recall her name) put on a private event for the women’s group. She thrilled those present with selections from Rachmaninoff and Gershwin. After the event was over, one of the club’s patrons chatted with the pianist.
“Your playing just thrilled me. I would give anything to be able to play like you.”
“No, you wouldn’t!” was the terse reply. [Read more…]

Blog: Max Dawson
June 26, 2017
I believe it was Maxwell who first said, “Leadership develops daily–not in a day.”
The story of Joseph in the Old Testament bears witness to that truth. His case shows what can happen when the right things are practiced day-by-day. Joseph became one of the great leaders of all time and was used by God to further His purposes. But the key is in understanding that Joseph became a great leader. He was not born as a leader. In fact, there were several things in his life that were obstacles that had to be overcome in order to be a leader. [Read more…]

Blog: Max Dawson
June 22, 2017
In our last look at leadership we saw a contrast between King Saul and King David. One of these men was successful. The other was not. You know which is which.
While David was successful as the leader of his nation, there were a number of factors that might have limited him.
Here are some things that might have held David back from being a great leader.
His Family: His older brothers certainly did not consider him to be a leader. They regarded him as a pest (). His family would have excluded him from the army of Israel. They even mocked him as a young man. David could have withdrawn into a shell of self-pity. [Read more…]

Blog: Max Dawson
June 19, 2017
When we think of these two kings–Saul and David–we immediately think of the drastic differences between these men. Saul’s failed leadership was monumental. By contrast, David was a man after God’s own heart. Even though David had a number of faults, he was very successful as a leader. Why the difference? That is an especially significant question when you consider all that these two men had in common.
Both men had a common opportunity. They were both chosen by God to be king.
Both Saul and David had a common cause. They were both used by God for the purpose of propagating the nation of Israel.
These two men shared the same counselor. Samuel, God’s prophet, was present to guide each of them.
David and Saul faced a common enemy. Both had to face the armies of the Philistines.
They shared common choices. Both Saul and David had opportunity to repent when they sinned.
With so much in common, you might think these men would turn out to be much the same when it comes to leadership. But they were not the same at all. [Read more…]

Blog: Max Dawson
June 15, 2017
In our last look at leadership we did a case study on Joshua. Needless to say, he was a great leader in so many ways. Now we look at another leader who was not so great. “Poor King Saul.” I use the word “poor,” not because he was broke or bankrupt, but because he was a broken and bankrupted leader. Saul is a case study in poor leadership. We need to avoid his mistakes.
Here are fifteen things that characterized his poor leadership:
. IMPATIENT: He failed to wait for Samuel; he disobeyed God.
. IMPULSIVE: He made a foolish oath that jeopardized Jonathan.
. PROUD: Saul would rather kill Jonathan than admit a mistake.
. DISOBEDIENT: The king chose to go against God’s command.
. ARROGANT: Disobedient Saul built a monument for himself.
. DISHONEST: He lied to Samuel, professing he had obeyed God.
. MANIPULATIVE: He blamed others for his own sins.
. REBELLIOUS: Saul rejected the word of the Lord.
. COWARDLY: The king feared the people rather than the Lord.
. DELUSIONAL: He wanted to continue as though all was well.
. FEARFUL: Because he did not fear God, he feared Goliath.
. JEALOUS: Saul had jealous anger over praise given to David.
. MURDEROUS: His anger provoked him to try to kill David.
. VENGEFUL: He killed God’s priests because they helped David.
. FAITHLESS: He resorted to sorcery as he consulted a medium.
[Read more…]

Blog: Max Dawson
June 12, 2017
In our previous thoughts on leadership we identified Joshua as one of the great leaders in God’s kingdom. Yet, he was unable to influence the people of Israel to do right when they came to the Promised Land (). The ten spies who were in opposition influenced the people to rebel against God.
Looking at the larger picture of Joshua’s life, that incident in only emphasizes what a great leader he was. Joshua–and Caleb–were men of persistent faith who did not change their position because of hostility from others.
While it might have been easy to give up as he faced adversaries, Joshua did not weaken nor yield. Even after the ten spies had given their terrible report, Joshua said to the people, “The Lord is with us!” (). It can really be discouraging when the enemies of righteousness are loud and numerous–as they were in this case. We can be tempted to fold and just give in. That is what we must not do. Joshua still insisted that Israel could be victorious in taking the land.
What did Joshua get for his faith in God? He and Caleb almost got a stoning from the people (). Had the glory of the Lord not appeared in the tent of meeting, these two men might have lost their lives! [Read more…]