Bold Leadership, Acts 4:13,29,31

What is the 1st bold thing you had to do?

· Jumping into water

· Allowing someone to pull your lose baby tooth

· Walking around a big farm house in the dark

· Going to the dentist

· Killing a snake

· Going on an international trip at 15

· Going for your drivers license / signing up for college

· Join the military / going on a clandestine mission

Bold Leadership Results in:

Puzzlement,

(ESV) — 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

The evidence:

1. The courage & freedom with which they spoke (with formal OT training)

2. Then, they had been with a dangerous man – Jesus. A threat to them.

3. The healed man was standing with them before the tribunal.

The irony can scarcely be missed—the accused spoke with utter boldness and freedom; their accusers sat in stony silence.

1. Seek Guidance – Work with a mentor or a life coach. They can be the very thing you need to push you through your limitations.

2. Action Plan – Take the time to write out your dream or goal. Write or draw the big picture of how you would like your life to be 10 years from now, 5 years from now, One year from now and then break down the one year from now into smaller steps or goals with deadlines. Design your action plan and be open to revising it as needed

3. Commit – Guard a period of time and keep that weekly appointment with yourself. During that time, verbalize how well you stayed on your action plan this week. Look at your successes and your misses for the week. Look at what you might do differently and revise your action plan as needed. It will keep progress alive and maintain your commitment.

4. Journal – Have a nightly appointment with yourself where you journal your daily successes and your misses. Small successes can build our confidence. When we write them down and we see them in front of us in a journal of other successes, it's harder to give up because you can't really deny your success when you're looking at them. With your misses or little failures, simply determine what if anything you could do differently. Review your action plan to keep it fresh in your mind and allow it to strengthen your commitment.

5. Partner – Success is easier when supported. You can be a lone warrior shattering your limitations and holding yourself accountable if you want to, but it’s much, much easier when you have a support system. Find a partner you can count on or create a meet-up group for people with similar aspirations. It's okay if it's just you at first… big beautiful gardens can start from a single seed.

6. Question – Question your limitations, it weakens them. “Am I really going to let myself down this time? Am I really going to allow myself to sabotage this and not go for it.” Question yourself into doubting your limitation!

7. Self-talk – Have a conversation with your best self, the version of you who is optimistic, resourceful and encouraging. Remind yourself of your successes or how you’ve conquered some of your limitations.

8. Visualize – Make a vision board or hang up images of what it is that you desire. Visualize yourself experiencing the reality.

9. Dare Yourself – Dare to do the thing you are having a hard time with. If being shy or introverted is your perceived limitation, dare yourself to go to a networking event and dare yourself to strike up a conversation with at least two people. It's okay if you only stay for 30 minutes, just dare yourself to do it. Dare to adventure into the thing you feel is holding you back, that thing you're not yet good at. Challenge yourself in small ways. It builds your courage to go for bigger things.

10. Do – Take big steps, small steps, heck just take any steps as long as they're in the direction toward your dreams. Momentum happens when we begin to take action

Prayer,

ESV 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

Acts 4:29 ESV

29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

· If this prayer was answered they would experience more PERSECUTION.

· They were not praying for DELIVERANCE or POWER OVER THEIR ENEMIES.

· They were praying for BOLDNESS to WITNESS.

· The first step in “SHARING YOUR FAITH” is prayer.

· Then, talk about Jesus in your daily conversation.

· Take someone with you.

· Live like Jesus.

o If you talk the talk you must walk the walk.

o (ESV) — 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

o The end result of this prayer is . They had to relocate to beyond their comfort zone. To Samaria.

Acts 8:1 ESV

1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

o God tore down their “fences” that kept the gospel in Jerusalem.

o What fences in your life must he tear down?

· Spurgeon wrote:

o Breaking down the walls and fences

o Keeping us apart

o Happens every time the gospel

o Penetrates a heart. —Sper

Power,

ESV 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

As when Christ entered the world, there are people today who are completely in the dark.

David and Goliath.

), and the Lord answered clearly by throwing their enemy into confusion (v. 10). Though the Philistines may have been mightier than the Israelites, the Lord was the strongest of them all.

1 Samuel 4:8–10 ESV

8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.” 10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.

For Summit to be a powerful Church we needed:

1. Our leaders to get the message out

2. Place tools need in our hands to turn ideas into actions

3. Be honest about the challenges we will face

4. Offer knowledge & training

5. Visualize the end result. And keep that before us.

Have you prayed, sang, heard a sermon, etc. and new the power of God was in that place?