How to Succeed with Sabbath: Practical Steps for Busy Leaders

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5 Ways to Avoid the Trap of False Power, Pt. 2
Posted on: Tuesday March 18, 2025
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📝 Free Church Culture Assessment: How is your church doing in these 6 core areas? https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchhealth

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Are you leading out of true power—or false power?

Far too often, we mistake activity for effectiveness, urgency for wisdom, and influence for true authority. When we operate out of false power—power rooted in our own ambition, hurry, or need for approval—we’re actually moving backward, not forward. We might look like we’re leading well, but deep inside, something is off. Anxiety rises, peace disappears, and we start measuring success by numbers instead of names, by comparison instead of calling.

In this episode, I unpack five countercultural ways to guard your heart and leadership against the trap of false power. We look at Paul’s struggle with the “super-apostles” and how weakness—not strength—is the pathway to true kingdom power. We explore why embracing slowness, humility, and deep discernment is the only way to keep your leadership aligned with Jesus.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted, driven, or subtly addicted to success—this episode is for you. True power is found in surrender. Let’s learn to lead from a different kind of strength.

 

Archives:
Tuesday September 28, 2021

On today's podcast, Pete offers encouragement to pastors who are carrying the weight of the church in a time that is very disorienting. If you need a fresh perspective, take a listen.

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Tuesday September 21, 2021

If you've come to the end of yourself, you're not alone. On today's podcast, Pete shares with you a message that he believes is timely and encouraging.

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Tuesday September 14, 2021

Today, Pete gives you a sneak peek of his wife Geri's new podcast, Emotionally Healthy Woman. The first episode is called "Quit Being Afraid of What Other People Think".

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Tuesday September 07, 2021

In this interview, Pete shares some treasures of church history and why they are vitally important for the leaders of today and tomorrow.

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Tuesday August 31, 2021

In today's podcast, Pete invites you to listen along as he walks through these three habits detailed in his book Emotionally Healthy Discipleship.

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Tuesday August 24, 2021

In today's podcast, Pete shares with you a passage that has been instrumental for him as a leader. The scene comes from Mark 15 where Jesus is lonely on the cross. Pete then offers some encouragement for how God comes to us, even in His silence.

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Tuesday August 17, 2021

In today's episode, Pete offers encouragement by drawing attention to the enormous power of Jesus in the face of evil.

Mark chapter 5 offers us the most graphic story in all of the New Testament. In this story, Jesus confronts a man filled with a legion of demons. And in Jesus' presence, this man is freed and restored to his right mind.

This kind of power is available to us all in Christ.

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Tuesday August 10, 2021
In today's episode, Pete shares with you a sermon from the gospel of Mark which was written during a time of horrific persecution. Jesus shares a story that points to the reality of spiritual warfare and invites us to overcome the evil one through His power alone.
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Tuesday August 03, 2021

When power and dual relationships in your church are not carefully considered, you may be on the road to deep pain, confusion, and division.

In this episode, Pete reads five case studies from leaders who are navigating this delicate tension and he draws from difficult personal lessons he's learned to offer leadership wisdom.

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Tuesday July 27, 2021

Today, Pete shares with you an excerpt of an interview he recently did for Preaching Today. In this interview, Pete shares 6 questions that you must ask if you want to learn how to preach from the inside out.

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