SERVANT of ALL
REFRAMING GREATNESS & LEADERSHIP through the TEACHINGS of JESUS
Servant of All: Reframing Greatness and Leadership through the Teachings of Jesus
Copyright 2019 Ralph E. Enlow, Jr.
Kirkdale Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225
All rights reserved. You may use brief quotations from this resource in presentations, articles, and books. For all other uses, please write Kirkdale Press for permission. Email us at permissions@lexhampress.com.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Print ISBN 978-1-68-359297-6
Digital ISBN 978-1-68-359298-3
Kirkdale Editorial Team: Elliot Ritzema, Jennifer Edwards, and Erin Mangum
Cover Design: Lydia Dahl
Consistent example
Constant encourager
Foreword by David Kinnaman
Part 1: Misunderstanding Greatness
Part 2: Jesus’ Sermon on Greatness
We humans often make the mistake of creating Jesus in our own image. We embrace the aspects of Jesus that we like, and we reject—or politely overlook—the elements of his character and teachings that we find less relevant to our over-busy, self-important lives. Sometimes, it takes a fresh perspective to shake us from our focus on my-size Jesus.
That’s one of the many reasons I am thrilled to recommend this book, Servant of All, by my dear friend Ralph Enlow. I believe its wise, intimate reflections on Jesus’ command to be a servant of all can help us take his remarkable, countercultural words to heart. It’s a breath of fresh air to imagine that our Lord really meant what he said about servanthood—that he wants us to measure our lives and leadership by this upside-down metric. Throughout this book, Ralph brings to life the backstory of Jesus’ oft-quoted maxim. He helps us see the relational and contextual dynamics behind Jesus’ giving this go-low-to-go-high calling to his disciples, and offers us fresh perspective on what it means for our lives today.
Saturating our lives with meditations on Jesus’ character is important and urgent. It’s important because our research at Barna shows that, as I’ve mentioned above, far too many people make Jesus into their own image. We need helpful guides, like Ralph, to help tune our hearts to the true rhythms of godly leadership. And it’s urgent because of our current crisis of leadership. We have a surplus of Christian leaders who mistake the size of their platform for the impact they are ...
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About Servant of All: Reframing Greatness & Leadership through the Teachings of JesusWhat did Jesus really mean when he said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, the servant of all” (Mark 9:35)? Servant leadership is commended by popular leadership writers and scholars. However, much of the practical, theoretical, and even theological commentary on servant leadership doesn’t do the Bible justice. It fails to account for the context and history of interpretation around this often-quoted saying of Jesus. This context has everything to do with a truly biblical understanding of servant leadership, and that’s what Servant of All unfolds. In a culture where greatness is often confused with fame or competence, Servant of All is a much-needed correction. This useful guide includes personal and group reflection questions, ideal for ministry training and discipleship. |
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