How to Succeed with Sabbath: Practical Steps for Busy Leaders
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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.
One of the greatest threats to leading with joy is giving into the temptation of overcommitment.
When our lives are crowded, cluttered, and cramped, it is difficult to hear God and live in loving union with Him. The irony is, we can "fit in" regular practices of Sabbath and silence while still being driven by an overscheduled life.
But how do we resist this temptation?
Silence, solitude, and sabbath must become our practices.
AND spaciousness must become our mindset.
In order to live spacious lives, we must avoid the critical traps that keep us settling for an overcommitted life.
- What would it feel like to live with breathing room?
- How would it feel to limit your "Yes" and claim more margin in your schedule?
- What if you could build in time for extended thinking, praying, and being?
On today's podcast, I identify several traps that keep you from the gift of spaciousness and offer wisdom that will help you live with a renewed sense of joy.
Many leaders today "know" the importance of a slowed-down spirituality.
So why do so many continue to feel overloaded and over scheduled, often working 3 jobs, taking on new side hustles, and remain driven by the fear of missing out? Why can't we stop overcommitting?
Listen, I know this struggle firsthand. And I've found that it goes deeper than knowing intellectually and theologically the right thing to do.
- How do you break free from the roots of overcommitment inside yourself?
- How do you help others break free from overcommitment as you lead them?
Recently we crossed an unbelievable threshold with the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast with over 10 million lifetime podcast downloads. I couldn't be more surprised, humbled, and thankful for this milestone moment.
I say "surprised" because back in 1996, when we first started, the term "emotional health" was considered heretical in much of the church!
Now 25 years later, we can see that the cultural landscape has changed dramatically. Not only is emotional health received, but in many ways, it is now considered a promotional buzzword.
In today's podcast, I share my observations of what I consider 3 counterfeit versions of emotional health that we settle for, but then cast a vision for an authentic life with God.
I was recently asked by someone...
"Pete, if you could go back and give yourself advice in the different seasons of life and ministry, what would you say?"
The truth is – every decade has its own unique invitations. As I reflected, I realized that I would say something slightly different to myself at 25, 35, 45, and even 55.
Today on the podcast, I share with you some fresh insights as I look back on my own journey and development. While my journey is different than yours, I'm hoping you'll be able to learn from my lessons - both the good and the bad!
But this way of thinking leaves little room for grief and sadness. When we experience real loss, we see it as an abnormal alien invasion, not as a divine invitation.
And yet, Jesus shows us that to welcome and hold sorrow before God is central to our leadership and discipleship.
In today's podcast episode, I share the importance of finding the treasure buried in grief and loss, and how we can train other leaders to do the same.
I encourage you to watch our full training video online in our Leader's Training Vault. It's completely free and only takes one minute to register.
For now, you can listen to today's episode here...
I was 19 when I came to Christ and started my training as a Christian leader.
As a young leader, I was taught many valuable things. But nobody told me about the most powerful gift leaders can bring to those they lead.
But I've learned (through my own failures) that the greatest gift leaders can actually give is becoming an "incarnational presence" – being DEEPLY PRESENT with people like Jesus.
In today's podcast episode, we look at the norm for most churches and leaders, but then we'll explore the beauty of what can happen in our church cultures when we learn to lead in this way.
I encourage you to watch our full training video online in our Leader's Training Vault. It's completely free and only takes one minute to register.
For now, you can listen to today's episode here...
As a pastor or leader, your primary role is to develop and disciple others.
The genogram is a powerful visual map to document the history and dynamics of our family relationships and their impact on us, over three to four generations.
Not long ago I was spending time with some young pastors, hoping to learn how leaders today define ministry success. The word "influence" seemed to be a common theme.
Many leaders obsess over growing their followers, gaining digital credibility, and creating captivating sound bites for social media. While there is nothing wrong with having a following, there exists a pressure and allure to making that the primary scorecard for ministry impact. This way of thinking only leads to destruction.
In many ways, this is nothing new. The 3 deadly temptations that Jesus faced in the desert, are the exact temptations we face as leaders, no matter what generation you are from.
For most pastors and leaders Christmas activities dominate the month of December and then we only get a week's break before launching into a new year!
In January, pastors face the difficult task of vision-casting, goal-setting, and steering the direction of the church for the next 12 months.
Too often, our planning is driven by:
- Expectations from others (i.e. board, supervisors, people we serve)
- Internal pressure to be a great leader or to create momentum.
- The “shoulds" of everything that feels important. (i.e. “We should be doing more of this...")
But planning doesn't have to feel this way.
In today's episode, I want to show you a radical new approach to planning. I'll show you how I plan for the season ahead in a way that produces joy, not anxiety.
In part one of this podcast series, I shared the first 5 marks of a highly-differentiated leader.
On today's podcast, I continue by sharing 5 more attributes that deserve careful consideration.
Why? Because the cost of lowly-differentiated leadership is enormous:
- We diminish the long-term impact of our ministries.
- We allow the wrong people exercise power and leadership.
- We perpetuate immaturity.
- We grow resentful and live in dis-ease.
- We waste the time, energy, and money of God’s people.
- We increase anxiety in everyone around us.
- We, and our community, become less playful (and more “intense/heavy.”)
