Draining the Swamp: Creating a culture of godly leadership

1. Men, godly leadership is designed on a good relationship with God.

 Gen. 2:15-18: The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

2. Men, godly leadership is displayed by protection rather than sinful control.

1 Pet. 2:24:“²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

Eph. 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

1 Tim. 3:4-5: ⁴ He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, ⁵ for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

3. Men, godly leadership is demonstrated by kindness rather than harshness.

Col. 3:19: Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

Titus 3:2: “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people”

Eph. 5:29: For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.

4. Men, godly leadership is delivered by treating women with purity.

1 Tim. 5:2: treat “younger women as sisters, in all purity.”

Rom. 13:10: ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

5. Men, godly leadership is delighted by accountability.

2 Sam. 12:7:“You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.”

Heb. 3:12-13: “¹² Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. ¹³ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

6. Men, godly leadership is desperate for grace.

Matt. 11:28-20: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Commitment to prevent domestic abuse:

My desire as a man is to lead in a godly way. I will commit to the following:

1. I will use my position and authority to care for women, not sinfully control them.
2. I will use my physical strength to protect and serve women, not hurt them.
3. I will use my words to build up and encourage women, not tear them down.
4. I will not place myself in a situation where I will sin against women.
5. I will not allow myself to be controlled by substances that would lead me to sin against women.
6. I will treat women with all purity.
7. I will maintain godly accountability in my life.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse or have any questions about it:

1. Reach out for help: text, email, or call one of our church leaders

Safespace: 1-800-244-5968

Domestic abuse hotline: https://www.thehotline.org

If you are an abuser:

1. Repentance must be public. You can’t do this in private. Jesus forgives, but forgiveness does not eliminate all consequences.

Marriage or relational struggles:

1. Reach out for help sooner, rather than later. Don’t ignore warning signs.

As a church:

1. Seek to become educated in domestic abuse. For more information on training or resources, contact us.

For counseling, accountability, discipleship, or to learn more about how to help those dealing with domestic abuse, connect with a pastor using this link: Find help here

Forms of Abuse Chart