Your Why is Showing | 1 Samuel 11

Main message: Good leadership is humble, hungry, and people-smart — it lets people fail while providing cover — and followers (and leaders) must guard against pride when they succeed by giving glory to God and examining their hearts.

Key points:

• 1 Samuel 11 shows Saul starting well as a leader, but later forgets those qualities and fails.
• Strong leaders create safety, allow healthy failure for growth, and help people learn from mistakes rather than merely punish them.
• An "ideal team player" combines humility, hunger (drive/sacrifice), and people-smarts; leaders should model these traits.
• Success often reveals or fuels pride, making it more dangerous than failure if it shifts motives toward self-glory.
• A personal story: God confronted the speaker about hidden selfish motives behind a desire to help, showing the need for heart examination.
• Practical challenge: notice where you’re winning, thank God, and give Him the glory to keep your heart aligned.

Scriptures mentioned: 1 Samuel 11, 1 Samuel 13, Psalm 139