The Integrity of a Spiritual Leader is built upon their personal growth and development. As a result in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 we continue to see that a Spiritual leader must be growing toward maturity. Since one of the great dangers facing any leader is pride, humility is an essential element of their life and walk. We must remember that pride was the very things that brought Satan down according to Ezekiel 28:11-19 & Isaiah 14:12-14. The question then becomes how long should a person wait before they become a spiritual leader in the church? Our text says in verse 6, that they are “not a novice,” which means that they need to be old enough in the Lord that they have had tie to develop and demonstrate the spiritual disciples that are required for leadership and maturity. This is a process that can not be rushed, but at the same time is difficult to measure. The key here is that there is enough time to bring the respect and recognition of the Church body, and a personal demonstration of those qualities. Humility allows others to judge and determine those qualities, and not the leaders themselves. The importance of this is … READ MORE

Integrity is living what you teach and preach, that is why all the qualifications for leaders are given at the beginning of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 describe their moral character. Once the personal issues are pointed out, we move to the home life of the godly leader. It is not enough for the spiritual leader to have an exemplary personal life, he must also have an exemplary home life. To “manage” your household well, means that a godly leader is on who is a good steward of the things God has put into their charge. A spiritual leader is not just intrinsically good, but also visibly good. It is possible for a person to meet the moral qualifications for a pastor, yet be disqualified because of their evident lack of leadership in the home. He must be a good steward not only of his family but also his finances, learning how to control spending and not being tied to the “stuff” that they accumulate is important to model what is truly important. Having his children under control does not mean that his children must be followers of Christ (since that is the work of the Lord), however it does mean that … READ MORE

In light of what we have seen in religious circles regarding moral decline, it is essential that the first aspect of the blameless character that needs to be addressed is in the area of morality, in 1 Timothy 3:2b-3. More pastors give into this area than any other, and great is the fall of the pastor, and the church where this happens. The first aspect f this is “a one-woman man, the emphasis here is that literally that he is a (one woman man), while a pastor does not have to be married, he does need to have his moral life under control. Many have made this characteristic about Divorce, but this characteristic is so much more than simply, a Pastor should not be divorced. Its emphasis is in his moral character, and his Commitment to the Lord to be faithful to his covenant to the “wife of his youth” We live in a day and age where so much has come to light regarding the moral lapses in ministry. The man of God, must be careful that he keeps his moral life honorable before the Lord. Women and children need to be confident that the relationship that is being … READ MORE