Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 1
The speaker opens by saying that if leaders are shepherding like Christ and growing in virtue, they “won’t have to be concerned whether people trust us,” and that lack of trust likely reveals a life “not worthy to be trusted”; what does that claim assume about God’s design for authority and credibility in the church, and where do you feel resistance to it?
Another way to ask: The speaker says Christlike leaders don’t need to worry about being trusted, and that distrust may show a life not worth trusting. What does this assume about how God wants authority and trust to work in the church, and why might you push back on it?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the speaker’s teaching, God designs church authority so that credibility grows out of visible character and virtue, not out of demanding trust or holding a title. The claim assumes that trust is largely the fruit of a leader’s life and reputation, so a trust problem should first drive self-examination.
- “If we are shepherding in the way that Christ asks…growing in virtue, we won’t have to be concerned whether people trust us or not.”
- “If they’re not trusting us…we’re probably living in a way that’s not worthy to be trusted.”
- If you “demand…insist that people trust you…we really need to look at ourselves.”
- Elders must be “constantly looking at ourselves, that we’re the example.”
- He ties trust to “maturity and reputation”: “Reputation comes through character.”