Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Lee Grady writes the following in his book, Lead Like Paul:

Saul of Tarsus — who eventually became known by his Greek name, Paul — is our mentor and spiritual father. Apart from Jesus Himself, he is our best example. Of course, we have Peter, James, John, Mary Magdalene, and so many other first-century disciples who walked closely with Jesus. But Paul was unique. He didn’t travel with Jesus or witness His miracles, yet he fully surrendered to the resurrected Christ, he understood the truth of Jesus better than almost any human being on earth, he spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire, and he was used by the Holy Spirit to lay the foundation for a Christian movement that has spread globally.

For all these reasons and more, Grady argues, Paul is a mentor we should imitate in our own ministries. In this episode, I talk to Grady about how we can begin to do so.

Lee Grady is an ordained minister in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, award-winning journalist, and author, most recently, of Lead Like Paul: 21 Ways to Reignite Your Spiritual Fire and Expand Your Spirit-Led Influence, published by Chosen Books.

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Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 03:00 — Why Lead Like Paul, rather than Lead Like Jesus or Lead Like Peter or Lead Like James?
• 05:08 — Why start with humility, and how does Paul model humility for Christian leaders?
• 7:37 — Chapters 4 and 5 discuss loving people and being present. What was the impetus for writing these two chapters? And how can pastors develop both better people skills and greater presence?
• 11:21 — Chapter 6 is titled, “You Need Power, Not Just Head Knowledge.” Why is this the case? What function do the words “not just” play in this title? And how do we develop what the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary calls “knowledge on fire”?
• 20:06 — Why are the temptations of sexual immorality and financial exploitation such a problem for ministers, and how we do we overcome them?
• 23:57 — Why is forgiveness so important, and how we do we forgive congregants who have harmed us?
• 26:56 — What trends in the Pentecostal and charismatic movements worry you today? What trends bring you hope?
• 32:11 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 34:21 — Conclusion