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LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP 1 SAMUEL 12

Dr. Ryan here, welcome to another episode of the Ocean Water Church Podcast. Now today we've got a really good teaching out of 1st Samuel chapter 12. I'm really glad that you can join us. We're gonna be looking at a powerful chapter that holds some profound lessons for us as leaders. We're gonna uncover how Samuel, the last judge and prophet of Israel, exemplified some of the qualities we're looking for. Accountability, integrity, and service in his final message to the people of Israel. We'll also explore the importance of remembering God, the dangers of complacency, and the role of prayer in our roles as leaders. So whether you're leading a family, business, a ministry, or simply seeking to grow in your personal relationship with Christ, these insights will equip you and inspire you to lead with both wisdom and humility. That's always the target that we're aiming for. So grab your Bible and follow along or you can just listen as these teachings are usually six to seven minutes.

So 1st Samuel 12 marks a significant transition in the history of Israel as Samuel, the last judge and prophet of Israel, addresses the people for the final time. In this chapter, it outlines his farewell speech and offers some insights that we can learn from for our life today. The first thing is accountability and leadership. It's probably the most missing component today. Samuel begins his address by calling the people to bear witness to his leadership. He asks them to testify if he's wronged anyone or taken anything unjustly. The people affirm that Samuel has led them with integrity. This moment underscores the importance of accountability and leadership. The people underneath you will determine if you've been leading with integrity. A leader must be held accountable for their actions, decisions, and the impact that they have on other people. Samuel's transparency and willingness to stand before the people to answer for his leadership exemplifies this important principle of being transparent and open. We must ensure that our conduct is above reproach and prepared to answer for our actions to the people that we serve.

Secondly, the importance of integrity. Throughout his tenure, Samuel consistently acted with high integrity and his farewell speech emphasizes this. He reminds the people that he'd not taken bribes or oppressed them, highlighting that real leadership is built on a foundation of openness, honesty, and integrity. This is the critical component for effective leadership because it builds trust between you and the people that you're leading. Without integrity, our words and actions lose credibility and our ability to effectively lead others. Samuel's life serves as a model for leaders, showing that integrity must be the bedrock of their leadership.

Thirdly, he emphasized leadership and service. Now Samuel's tenure was marked by service to people and obedience to God. This is the blueprint for our lives. Now in his speech, he recounts how he had faithfully led the people, guided them, and prayed for them. He also points out that he has not done this for personal gain but as a service to God and the nation of Israel. Leadership, as demonstrated by Samuel, is not about power, self-promotion, or self-aggrandizement. It is about serving other people and fulfilling our duty to them. This perspective challenges the common assumption today where a lot of people view the role as an opportunity to get ahead instead of an opportunity to serve others and put their needs before yours.

Fourthly, the role of remembering God in all things. Samuel uses part of his speech to remind the Israelites of their history, particularly how God had delivered them from oppression when they cried out to him. He recalls the deeds of God in their past, urging them to remember these acts of God's intervention on their behalf as a reminder that he can intervene in their life today. For us, this serves as a lesson on the importance of remembering God and reflecting on how he's always come through for us. We should remind our people of God's past successes, the challenges he's helped us overcome, and the values that these have instilled in us. This builds a sense of continuity and purpose about what God is doing in our life over the long haul.

And then fifthly, it's a warning against complacency. Samuel also warns people not to turn away from God even though they now have a king. He cautions them that in their prosperity and peace, they will be tempted to no longer rely on God. This warning is vital. We must be diligent to guard against complacency and the tendency to rely on our riches and strength after the hard times have passed. This idea must guide us and the people that we lead. We need to have the same diligence and commitment ensuring that we can stay focused on what God's asked us to do.

And then lastly, just the importance of prayer. Finally, Samuel promises to continue praying for the people and emphasizes the role that prayer plays in our daily life. Even as he steps back from active leadership, Samuel's commitment to praying for the people shows the true leader that he was and how he felt a deep connection with them that transcended the role that he played. This should guide and direct us as we interact with the people that we lead. The best thing that we can do for people is to pray for them and to pray for ourselves that we would be faithful to God.

Now this is another great look at another great chapter of the Bible. Thank you so much for joining me today. If you're getting something out of this, if you can share it, pass it along. It helps us get the word out. Until next time, I hope you have a beautiful day.