Whether you are here in person or engaging from home, we are thankful you have chosen to worship with us today. If it is your first time, welcome! we would love to get to know you better. Would you consider filling out our Next Steps card and let us know you stopped by?

At Grace Family we focus our worship on Sunday to impact our lives every other day of the week as well. We also believe no one is perfect but everyone is welcome to worship God with us. So, no matter where you're from, what you've done, or what your week has been like, let's worship God and learn from His word together today.

Leadership = Influence

Godly Leaders follow Jesus closely and influence others to do the same.

Godly Leaders see influence as an opportunity to serve.

Godly Leaders sacrifice earthly comfort for heavenly influence.

Acts 16:16-25

 "One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.” 22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. 25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening."

You never know who is listening.

People pay attention to who you are in the midst of a crisis.

Acts 16:26-28

"26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is stay when you have the opportunity to leave.

Don't quit during the storm.

Acts 16:30-31

"30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”

When what you say matches how you live, people listen.

Acts 16:31-34

"31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God."

Living for Jesus creates influence before you ever say a word.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

"14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us.[a] Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.[b] 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them."

Anyone who has decided to follow Jesus gives up their right to live for themselves.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

"16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

Godly leaders don't choose themselves anymore. They choose Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

"18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation."

Every follower of Jesus is called to influence others to follow Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

"20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[a] so that we could be made right with God through Christ."

The Christian life is one big game of show and tell.

Godly leaders sacrifice earthly comfort for heavenly influence.

1. Quit being selfish

Selfish people know what they want.

Unselfish people know their why.

2. Quit trying to escape your calling.

In order to know the point of the call, you need to listen rather than talk.

3. Follow Jesus in a way that requires you to live differently.

Who has God called you to influence?

Are you following Jesus like their life matters?

4. It's never too late.

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