Understanding Authority

Adult & Teen Challenge USA is proud to announce the release of its first-ever study in the Leadership Development Series: PSNL 106 – Understanding Authority! This PSNL study shows us areas where we struggle with pride and how it may be hindering us from walking in real strength and wisdom. It’s not an easy topic to address because we have to lay down any defensiveness, pride, and pain in order to grow. We have to be honest with ourselves about how these areas can hold us back. As we go through this study, we'll look at how understanding authority has everything to do with becoming a healthy leader and finding new strength that will help us live out our purpose well.

In American culture, leaders are often depicted as being strong, confident, and having it all together. They seem to be powerful and in control. Culture tells us that real leaders are their own bosses, and they answer to no one. But this picture of a leader is a twisted version of what God says leadership is all about. So, if that’s not leadership, then what is?

In this study, we’re going to explore essential keys to healthy leadership through the lens of Scripture. We will be able to identify what healthy leadership looks like, how we can access new, sustaining sources of power and strength, and how submission to authority is the key to unlocking our God-given purpose.

This study explores spiritual authority and earthly authority and shows how they’re connected to leadership. Most importantly, we will learn how God operates in His authority and leads us out of His love for us, not His desire to have power over us.

As we grow in our understanding of God and the life, He wants us to live, we’ll also grow in our ability to submit to His leadership. He wants more for us than from us. He leads us (including discipline) from a place of love. Submission is a learning process. We will battle our sinful nature at times—our desire to be the boss and do things our own way. But as we cultivate an attitude of humility and get to know God in His goodness and power, submission to The Father becomes more natural.

The study answers these questions and more! Questions like:

• What is real leadership?
• What is authority?
• Why should I submit to authority?
• What is submission? What does it look like?
• When is it my turn to lead?
• How do we move past a reluctance to trust or honor those in authority?
• What does a healthy attitude toward authority look like?
• What does good leadership look like?

Jesus is genuinely interested in helping us experience real freedom, not bondage or control over us. Even if you’re not ready to follow Jesus yet. We challenge you to go on a journey through this class to discover the freedom and strength that comes from Jesus that empowers us to be the leaders God created us to be.