Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 10
Near the end the speaker connects Jesus’ teaching about rewards (“if you like fame, you have your reward”) with being a father/hero/leader, warning that fame can turn into infamy while God rewards humble service; where do you most feel the pull to lead for “image or position,” and what concrete decisions would expose whether you want honor from people or honor from God?
Another way to ask: Where do you feel tempted to lead so you look important or gain status? What specific choices would show whether you want praise from people or reward from God?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The speaker warns that leadership motivated by fame or being “well-known and widely acclaimed” is already chasing its reward, and it may even collapse into infamy. Concrete proof of motive, in his framing, is whether you lead out of love and humility—choosing service even when it doesn’t improve your image—trusting God to reward what people may not.
- He says being a hero “might make you famous,” and connects it to Jesus: “If you like fame, you have your reward. Jesus said this.”
- He warns fame can reverse: you might become “infamous rather than famous,” implying fragile, people-based reward.
- He contrasts motives: being a hero “for others rather than for yourself,” then “God will reward you.”
- He asks directly: do you lead because you “want to be well-known,” or because you “actually love the people that you are leading?”
- He thanks fathers who care “for their children rather than their image,” and leaders who don’t seek “an honored place,” but step forward because “people need this,” with “willing and humble” leadership.