Pastor Josh White wrapped up our third week of Man Month with a message on what it means for men to lead boldly. If you’ve been tracking with our B.O.L.D. series—Belong, Opportunities—you know the pattern. Each week, we’re examining what it looks like to be a man after God’s own heart. This week, the focus was on Leadership.
What Biblical Leadership Actually Means
When you hear the word “leader,” what comes to mind? A CEO? A football quarterback? A politician with a vision? Pastor Josh started by flipping the cultural script: the world defines leadership as inspiring, motivating, having a bold vision. Biblical leadership looks different. It’s less about being the smartest person in the room and more about being a guide—someone who follows God’s directions and brings others along.
Think of Moses. God told Moses where to go. God gave him the law. Moses didn’t dream up his own plan—he followed the One who already had one. The same was true of Joshua. Pastors and elders in the local church operate the same way. They’re not visionaries forging their own path; they’re guides leading people along the road God has already laid out.
“Biblical leadership looks more like a guide. A guide, someone who is following the direction that has already been laid out for him.”
— Pastor Josh White
Authority vs. Influence
Before diving into the “why” of male leadership, Pastor Josh drew an important distinction: authority and influence are not the same thing.
Authority is assigned. A police officer has authority given by the state. He didn’t make the laws, but he’s responsible for upholding them. Influence, on the other hand, is the ability to persuade—and that belongs to everyone, men and women alike.
So when the Bible says men are to lead, it’s not saying men are the only ones who matter or the only ones who can make a difference. It’s saying God has assigned a specific role of responsibility to men, particularly in the home and in the church. Women have enormous influence—and the Bible calls all believers to use it for good. But the accountability structure is clear.
Why Men? The Order of Creation
To answer the natural question—why did God assign leadership to men?—Pastor Josh turned to 1 Timothy 2:12–14:
“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.”
— 1 Timothy 2:12–14
Paul isn’t saying women are deficient or less valued. He’s pointing to the order of creation. God assigned the leadership role to men from the beginning—not as a cultural workaround, but as part of His design.
To illustrate how seriously God takes these assigned roles, Pastor Josh walked through one of the most striking examples in the Old Testament: the rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16. Korah and 250 men—all from the tribe of Levi—challenged Moses and Aaron’s authority. “Why do you get to do this?” they asked. “We’re holy too!”
“You have gone too far, sons of Levi. Is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself?”
— Numbers 16:9–10
God’s answer was dramatic: the ground opened up and swallowed Korah and his company. Fire from the Lord consumed the 250 men offering incense. The message was unmistakable—God’s assigned roles are not negotiable.
This wasn’t about ability. Could the other Levites have served at the tabernacle competently? Probably. But God chose Aaron and his descendants for the priesthood, and He expects His people to honor that assignment.
How Men Are to Lead: Toward Holiness
Having established why men bear this responsibility, Pastor Josh turned to how men are to lead. Two key passages guided this part of the message.
First, 1 Timothy 3 lays out the qualifications for elders—standards that every man should take seriously, whether or not he holds a formal leadership title:
“If anyone aspires to the office of Overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an Overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”
— 1 Timothy 3:1–3
Men, that’s the standard. Not perfection—because none of us will achieve that this side of glory—but a direction of life. You’re called to lead yourself and others toward the character described in Scripture.
Second, Ephesians 5 gives husbands their specific leadership assignment within marriage:
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her…”
— Ephesians 5:25–26
Christ’s goal for His people was holiness. He lived in perfect obedience so that His righteousness could be credited to us. In the same way, a husband’s leadership is not about getting his own way—it’s about leading his wife and family toward godliness. The steering wheel is in your hands, but God has already set the destination.
So What?
Men, God has assigned you a role. You’re not deciding where to go—He’s already given you the roadmap in His Word. Your job is to hold the wheel and bring the people in your life safely to the destination He’s set.
That means:
- Lead yourself by living up to God’s standard first.
- Lead your family by prioritizing their spiritual growth and modeling godliness.
- Lead in the church by using your gifts to serve, teach, and encourage others.
- Lead your friends by caring about their holiness and calling them toward Christ.
If you’ve been negligent in this area, today is the day to turn it around. Not tomorrow. Not “when you feel ready.” Today. God has given you the responsibility—now step into it with boldness and humility.
Next week is our final Man Month message. The “D” in B.O.L.D. stands for Distractions—and trust us, there’s a lot competing for your attention. Don’t miss it.
Scripture References
- 1 Timothy 2:12–14 — The order of creation and male leadership in the church
- Numbers 16 — Korah’s rebellion and God’s sovereign assignment of roles
- 1 Timothy 3:1–3 — Qualifications for overseers (elder leadership)
- Ephesians 5:22–28 — Husbands called to lead families toward holiness
- 1 Peter 5:1–4 — Shepherding God’s flock as undershepherds