Be Alert.

Be watchful, prayerful, clear-headed, and know the Enemy and his strategies (1 Peter 5:8-9). Pastor Robert Thune, in the conclusion of his insightful book Gospel Eldership: Equipping a New Generation of Servant Leaders (pp. 110-118), challenges church leaders to identify the temptations they face. We need to be sober-minded and alert to these five key issues.

Five Key Temptations of Church Leaders:

1. Affirmation/Approval
   We naturally enjoy being liked, but do we need to be liked and affirmed by people? There is great danger when ministry becomes about pleasing people rather than pleasing God. Reflect: Whose affirmation or approval (or disapproval) most deeply affects you?

2. Comfort
   Ministry calls for sacrificial service, yet leaders are often tempted by the allure of comfort. Our culture highly values comfort and quick fixes, from pills to apps for every issue or pain. Consider: What comforts are you reluctant to give up for the sake of faithful ministry?

3. Greed
   Leaders can develop a relentless drive for more—more people, more money, more influence—often rationalizing this as a desire for ‘Kingdom growth.’ Ask yourself: What are your prized metrics, and what do you honestly want more of?

4. Escape
   When under stress, there is temptation to seek escape through pleasure—whether laziness, apathy, drunkenness, or illicit sexuality. Honestly examine: What do you tend to run to for temporary relief from pressure?

5. Entitlement
   Authority can breed a sense of entitlement—a mindset of ‘I have a right to’—leading to focus on personal merits and desires, and feelings of deserving certain indulgences. As a leader, what do you feel entitled to?

Pastor Thune reminds us to root ourselves deeply in the love and approval of God and our identity in Christ. Jesus Himself was not entitled; He came to serve, not to be served. Let us be captivated by the sufficiency of Christ (Philippians 3:8; 4:11-13), humbled by the gospel of grace, and honored to sacrificially serve God and His people.