— DAY 1 —
Monday 3 AUGUST, 2026
Phase 1: The Leader's Posture: Relating Upward
Relating to your leaders, submitting to authority, and catching the vision of the house.
THE FOUNDATION OF LEADERSHIP
Before we can effectively lead the people entrusted to our care, we must first examine how we follow. True leadership does not start with how we direct those below us, it begins and flows entirely out of how we relate to those above us. In this first phase, we will focus exclusively on our upward connections and how we relate to our upline leaders, submit to ordained authority, and genuinely catch the vision of the house.
The way you honour, communicate with, and support your leaders is a direct reflection of how you will eventually lead your own team. If there is friction, hidden rebellion, or a lack of alignment upward, it will inevitably bleed into how you lead downward. You cannot expect honour, trust, and alignment from the people you lead if you are not actively modelling those exact same qualities toward the people who lead you.
We must do the necessary heart work on this upward connection first. By mastering the posture of a supportive, accountable, and vision-aligned follower, you build the spiritual and practical foundation required to be a healthy leader. Before you can carry the weight of leading others forward, you must first master the art of standing securely under the covering of those God has placed over you.
WHAT WE WILL FOCUS ON:
Honouring Authority: Recognising that submission is not a restriction, but a posture of spiritual protection and trust in God's placement.
Catching the Vision: Transitioning from being a passive volunteer to an active owner who champions the overarching vision of the house.
Leading with Accountability: Understanding that true responsibility requires staying tethered to your upline through honest, proactive communication.
Modeling the Way: Realizing that your upward alignment sets the exact standard and culture for the team you are leading.
— DAY 1 —
THE POWER OF HONOUR
SETTING THE SCENE
Today we begin our journey looking at Moses’ inner circle. Miriam was Moses’ older sister, the one who saved him from the Nile River as a baby, and a prophetess who led the nation in worship. Aaron was his older brother, his initial mouthpiece to Pharaoh, and the ordained High Priest of Israel. Together with Moses, they had survived Egypt and led millions of people into the wilderness. Because Aaron and Miriam had grown up with Moses and seen his humanity, familiarity began to breed contempt. In their own right, Miriam and Aaron were highly anointed leaders but as the journey got harder, deep hidden unresolved issues of the heart surfaced.
SCRIPTURE PASSAGES
Numbers 12:1-2 (NLT)
"While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticised Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, 'Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?' But the Lord heard them."
Numbers 12:7-8 (NLT)
"But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?"
Numbers 12:9-10 (NLT)
"The Lord was very angry with them, and he departed. As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened to her, he cried out to Moses."
Numbers 12:15 (NLT)
"So Miriam was kept outside the camp for seven days, and the people waited until she was brought back before they travelled again."
Romans 13:1 (NLT)
"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God."
Hebrews 13:17 (NLT)
"Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow, for that would certainly not be for your benefit.".
COMMENT
Coming under a leader is not about being lesser or losing your voice. It is a profound spiritual decision to align yourself with the structure God has ordained. When we understand that our leaders are appointed by God, honouring them becomes a direct reflection of our trust in Him.
Public challenges to leadership rarely happen overnight. When Miriam and Aaron openly questioned the decisions Moses made, they were simply revealing what had been brewing inside them for a long time. It has often been said in leadership that the issue is isn't always the issue. Their vocal criticism of Moses marrying a Cushite woman was really just a convenient front for the underlying issue. The marriage was a smokescreen for a deeper power struggle, which was instantly exposed when they blurted out their true grievance, "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he spoken through us, too?"
The rebellion did not start with their words, it started quietly in their hearts. Over time, Miriam and Aaron stopped looking at what God was doing and started looking at themselves. They focused on their own gifts, their own identity, and their own desire for influence and control. This is a dangerous trap many leaders face, especially when they have been serving in a church environment for a while.
When you serve closely alongside someone, you naturally see their flaws and you notice the moments they drop the ball. If you are not careful, that familiarity will breed contempt. It starts small, perhaps sitting in a team meeting thinking you are more talented, more organised, or more anointed than the person leading you. Do you ever find yourself secretly questioning the decisions of your leaders, believing you have all the answers? That outward friction always points back to an inward drift. Just like Miriam and Aaron, when we take our eyes off God and focus on our own preferences, we create division that stalls the momentum of our entire church.
But when we choose to keep our hearts focused on God, everything changes. God intentionally places leaders in our lives to guide and protect the mission. When we recognise their anointing and willingly support their decisions, we build a healthy, unshakeable culture.
We must also remember that leadership is highly visible. Before we can expect those under us to demonstrate honour, we need to model that exact standard toward the people who lead us. In doing this, we create the spiritual space our leaders need to operate freely in all that God has for them. Flowing with the structure God established protects the unity of the house and ensures that the team keeps moving forward with incredible purpose.
When God descended in the pillar of cloud to address Miriam and Aaron's rebellion, He did not just defend Moses, He reinforced the absolute necessity of divine order. God is a God of structure, and He intentionally places people in positions of leadership to guide, protect, and build up His church. Learning to willingly come under leadership is where the blessing flows. It requires true humility to lay down our own agendas and support the vision of another. Conversely, overstepping boundaries, undermining decisions, or quietly resisting leadership creates friction that disrupts the unity of the team and blocks the flow of God's grace. An honest look at our hearts often reveals that our resistance to authority is actually just our desire to control.
In a culture that champions total independence, choosing submission can feel completely unnatural. Yet, in God's kingdom, it brings incredible freedom and protection. When we let go of the need to be the one calling all the shots and decide to actively bless and uphold the leaders God has placed over us, we step into a place of profound spiritual peace. We discover that true influence is never found in overstepping boundaries, it is found in faithful, supportive alignment.
PRACTICAL WAYS TO SHOW HONOUR
Honour Inwardly: Honour starts on the inside. You stop the exhausting cycle of comparing your gifts to others. When a critical thought arises, you actively choose to take your eyes off yourself, kill the silent jealousy, and trust God with the specific assignment He has given you.
Honour in Speech: Actively champion your leaders in front of your team and peers. When people hear you speak well of your leaders, it builds an unshakeable fortress of trust and shuts down the toxic culture of complaining.
Honour in Approach: Disagreement is normal, but dishonour is not. If you have a different idea or a genuine concern, bring it up respectfully behind closed doors. Never challenge or question your leader's authority in a group chat, in a meeting, or in front of others.
Honour in Action: You become a catalyst for their success rather than a critic who adds to their burden. When a conversation around you drifts toward gossip, you are the one who steps in, stops the division before it takes root, and steers the team back to the mission.
THE HONOUR SELF ASSESSMENT
Pick the number that best describes where you feel you’re at right now with each of the the leaders God has placed over you (ALL OF THEM).
Critical & Envious: I often think I could do a better job than my leaders. I find myself frustrated by their decisions and frequently voice my criticisms to others.
Silent Comparison: I usually don't speak out, but I harbor secret jealousy. I feel overlooked and struggle to genuinely celebrate when my leaders succeed or receive praise.
Growing in Honour: I catch myself comparing my gifts to others, but I am learning to repent quickly. I am actively trying to shut down gossip and look for ways to support my leaders.
Content & Supportive: I deeply trust God's placement. I celebrate my leaders' successes as if they were my own, and I am quick to defend them and uphold their vision, knowing it honours God.
ACTION POINTS
Give Him Fifteen: Give God the fifteen minutes of your day in silence. Ask Him to search your heart for any hidden pride or a desire to control outcomes.
The Unity Guard: If a conversation today begins to drift toward questioning a leadership decision, consciously choose to steer it back to supporting the mission and protecting team momentum.
The Champion's Choice: Go out of your way to publicly or privately encourage a leader today. Let them know you trust their calling and want to help carry the vision forward.
MAIN QUESTIONS
(Self Reflection)
Let’s Talk in the Chat
(on the Boot Camp group in Planning Center)One of the best parts of this journey is that we aren’t doing it alone. We’d love for our chat to be a place of real connection. As you go through each day, please jump in and share:
God’s Voice: What is one specific thing you feel the Holy Spirit is whispering to your heart?
Self-Reflection: What did the "test" reveal to you today?
The Wins: Did you do one of the action points? Tell us about it!
Testimony: Share a testimony of how you have grown in your journey of honouring the leaders that God has placed over you?
Please Read:
Don't worry about sounding 'spiritual' The most encouraging thing you can share is your honest process. This is a self-reflection about what God is speaking directly to you about in YOUR life. Words like “I” and “Me” are encouraged, “we” and “us” less so.
PERSONAL PRAYER STARTER
"Lord, I’ll be honest, sometimes I look at others and feel jealous, or I think I know a better way. Forgive me for the times I’ve let familiarity breed criticism in my heart. Give me the humility of Moses. Help me to trust Your placement, honour the leaders You have ordained, and find complete joy in the role You have given me. Give me a humble heart that willingly comes under authority, so that I can be a blessing to my leaders and experience Your protection. Amen."