Reprinted from our sister blog, The Underground Awakening.

In July 2005, the Associated Press reported that nearly 1,500 sheep jumped from a cliff in eastern Turkey, killing approximately 450 animals. (The rest were saved from death “as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned.”) God only knows what caused that first sheep to go rogue and take up cliff diving, but the whole herd followed lockstep, leaping to their doom. What a parable for our lives!

Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. We need to be very careful who we allow to influence our lives. Often, it is those who have the loudest megaphones who gather the largest audiences, but real leadership, good leadership is far more than being able to convince a herd of sheep to jump to their deaths.

Never forget the serpent was clever, articulate and convincing. He will give you an ocean of truth to conceal a teaspoon of lies.

Think of the men you allow to influence your life. Are they lip servants or servant leaders? Do they pastor and provide for their families well? Do they honor authority and model respect? Do they reason from the Scriptures or from their opinions?

?What about the women to whom you lend your ears? Are they gracious and godly or prideful and petty? Do they build bridges or set snares? Do they spread gossip or gospel?

Careful who you follow. You just might find yourself at the bottom of a dumb, dead flock.

“My people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge.” – Hosea 4:6

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CrossWay Church is a modern expression of the biblical community of faith, hope and love serving the cities of Debary, Orange City, Deltona, Deland, Sanford and the surrounding central Florida area. Our passion is for the glory and fame of Jesus Christ. Our vision is to effectively engage our contemporary culture with his timeless gospel. Our mission is to help people find and follow hard after him. Visit us on the web at crosswayflorida.com

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