The Pathway of Authentic Leadership

In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left St. Louis and stepped into land no American had mapped.

 Eight thousand miles.

Uncharted rivers.

Hostile terrain.

Brutal winters in the Bitterroots.

 They weren’t walking a road.

 They were creating one.

 They hacked through forest, dragged boats over rapids, and sketched maps by hand. What was terror for the front of the line would become direction for everyone behind them.

 Years later, families followed.

 Wagons rolled across marked trails.

Farmers carried maps.

Children walked where explorers once fought to survive.

 What required machetes became wagon wheels.

 Today, we are going to talk about the Pathway of Authentic Leadership and how it helps open the way for others.

 You know, I was reminded this week of a few things.

 First, not everyone understands the decisions we have made over the past few years.

 One of those decisions has to do with the opening, and then closing of our A Children’s Village Preschool at CityRise Bellaire.

 Before I go any further, I want to say that I want to remove barriers for people to follow the path. More importantly, I don’t want my leadership to be the barrier that would keep you from walking the path.

 So, for just a moment, I want to speak on this.

 In the Spring of 2024, we were actively recruiting families from our West U Campus to come to the Bellaire Campus when we opened the ACV in the fall. We also opened our registration up to the public.

 As we were doing this, we also had some challenging times at our West U campus in ACV. We lost some families as a result and what we thought would be two campuses that would easily fill with children in the fall, actually became two locations with plenty of space and not enough registration.

 You see, what we didn’t realize was that HISD had just opened four pre-k3 programs in the area, and their tuition was half what ours was. Moreover, if you were an English as a Second Language family, you would go for free.

 We reached out to other preschools and asked about their waiting lists. They told us, “we have had waiting lists every year. But not any more.”

 As we forecasted our finance, we realized we had a potential $500k or more loss that we would take. Our board met over this the entire school year, and then toward the end of the 2024-2025 year, we made the difficult decision to consolidate back to our West U campus.

 The consolidation worked. We were able to offer jobs, kept our director, Rosie Hirschfield, and she joined forces with Erika Roberts, and they have done a fantastic job rebuilding.

 Now, I am sure many of you don’t need that explanation, as you weren’t impacted by this. But some of you do. Further, here is what I want to say to you all.

 I am sorry. I am sorry that what we launched didn’t make. But more importantly, I am sorry that I didn’t communicate more effectively than I did in the summer of 2025. In light of the landscape, our Executive Council, the board that I chair, made the right decision. But I didn’t communicate to you well. And for that, I want to apologize.

 As we have walked through Pathways and have invited you to journey with us, some of you have had questions that we realize we need to stop and answer.

  The second thing that I have been reminded of is the fact that not everyone knows the story. Not everyone knows that Pathways is the next step in a TEN YEAR VISION.

 As a matter of fact, one of our members reached out to me asking for more information, and it made me realize, “Not everyone is living in this like you and the staff are, Roger!”

 Of course they aren’t.

 So, give me a moment here to set the table:

• Dec, 2017 – at a small gathering of senior pastors – Thom Rainer, who used to be CEO of Lifeway, spent the day with us. Rainer – “The last 100 years has seen more change than all of history combined. The next 10 years will see more change than the previous 100.”
• Feb, 2018 – 90th birthday – I began to wrestle with and then ask the question, “If we are living in a decade of coming change, where are we to be when we turn 100? What will we look like? How do we need to invest and prepare our church for a second century of ministry?”
• Notebook – Created for Greater Vision Team

 

3 Key Terms –
 Investment/Sustainability/Expansion
   We built 6 Teams:

• Facilities Safety and Improvements
• Schedule
• Sunday School/Adult Bible Study shift to Community Groups
• Expansion Team -- Emmanuel Baptist in Missouri City – Now CityRise Missouri City
• Branding – we were WUBC/Crosspoint Church – Became CityRise
• Mission Partner Team

 Our Vision Team came back with recommendations and we got to work…

• Until a pandemic broke out…
• But then, in 2022- We did the Fight For It Campaign.

 

Now, when we did the vision teams, we didn’t factor in the fact that we had to rebuild the church. So, the Lord gave me a message around a rebuild story, and we got after it, studying Ezra and Nehemiah.

 And as we studied about the rebuild of the temple and the walls of Israel, we felt led to get back to the vision, and so we stepped into Deep and Wide.
 

• It was here that we then did Deep and Wide – Deepening our Roots and Widening our Reach
• We pursued an aggressive renewal of our campuses.
• Remember, we were still calling people back, and our mindset was:

 “If we can get people investing back into the house of the Lord, we will see our church come back and be stronger for it.”

 But here is what is true, and what I want to make sure we at this campus are well aware of: Because of inflation, we were only able to do facility improvements here, though many at our West U campus as well as our Missouri Campus invested deeply. But we were only able to Renovate here at Bellaire.

 Now, I have good news for you…

 
We have the permit and are rebuilding our CRMC campus where there was significant damage. We are still trying to reach a settlement with the insurance company, but we are well underway.

 
 At West U…we have a great plans…

 Here is my heart as I talk to you about authentic leadership.

• I want to model the importance of investing in the house of the Lord. 
• I want to remove barriers you may have to follow.
• And I want to ask for your willingness…to join in…to invest alongside…to engage your heart by bringing your treasure, for “where your treasure is, your heart is there also.”

As we step into 1 Chronicles 29, King David shows us what authentic spiritual leadership looks like as he prepares the nation for the building of the temple. What he models is timeless — a blueprint for leading your family, ministry, workplace, and church.

 David doesn’t just talk about giving.

He doesn’t just talk about sacrifice.

He goes first.

And because he goes first, the people follow with joy.

 Let’s read 1 Chronicles 29:1-9.

1 Chronicles 29:1-9
1 And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God. 2 So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble. 3 Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: 4 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house, 5 and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the Lord?”
 6 Then the leaders of fathers' houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king's work. 7 They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. 8 And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

 Let’s look at four truths about authentic leadership that we can learn from King David.

 AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP RECOGNIZES THE WEIGHT OF THE WORK

 1 Chronicles 29:1
 And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God.

 David begins:
 “The work is great… for the house will not be for man but for the LORD God.”

 David is confronted with:

• The magnitude of the mission
• The holiness of the task
• The limitations of human leaders (“Solomon is young and inexperienced”)

 Great leadership starts with deep humility. Great leadership understands the sacred purpose of the work.

 Notice this statement: “for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God.”

 As we see in Hebrews, the tabernacle, and then later, the Temple is a replica of the heavenly throne of God.

Hebrews 9:21-24
21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
 23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

 Note here, the Tabernacle and then later the Temple are copies of the heavenly throne.

 And remember that David, at the end of 1 Chronicles 28 says that the plans he got for the Temple were from the hand of God.

1 Chronicles 28:19
 “All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the Lord, all the work to be done according to the plan.”

 Lastly, note what the Lord says in Exodus 25:8.

Exodus 25:8
And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.

  What David is leading toward, and what Solomon will build is an extension of the earthy copy of the heavenly throne of God. And the purpose is for the Lord…that God may dwell in their midst.

 The weight of the things of God on a leader is heavy. It’s eternal. It’s deep.

• As a husband, you should feel the weight of the things of God for your family.
• As one in the marketplace, classroom, or business office, you should feel the weight of the things of God for how you shine the light of God before others.
• There is no divide between the secular and the sacred.
• And as a pastor, the truth is the weight of the work is great. And it should be.

 The call to leading is one of service to the mission of God.

 And our understanding of the weight keeps us on our face.

The second thing I want you to see is this:

AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP GOES FIRST IN SACRIFICE

 1 Chronicles 29:2-4
 2 So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble. 3 Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: 4 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house…

 Notice a few phrases here:

• I have provided…
• For the house of my God…
• So far as I was able…

 Throughout the Scripture, the Lord is looking for giving according to your ability as well as a heart that is willing.

 And what David is doing here is leading out. He is going first.

 Notice also verse 3.

1 Chronicles 29:3
Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God…

 Again, a few key phrases:

• “I have a treasure of my own” – David is bringing stored resources, not just giving from his income.
• “because of my devotion” – this phrase carries with it “delight with no external compulsion.”

 So, David gives national resources and personal resources.

 And He gives:

• passionately
• generously
• joyfully
• publicly
• sacrificially

I want you to know that Julee and I are both praying about and discussing what it is we can bring to the house of the Lord. We will lead out. We will go first.

 Next Sunday night, we have Advance Commitment Night. It is here we are inviting leaders to go first. We are inviting those who are ready, to come at 6pm at our West U Campus for a special service and fellowship, and to lead out.

 If you are ready to lead out, we ask you to come.

Let’s keep at it…

  3. AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP INVITES OTHERS TO JOIN THE WORK (v.5)


 1 Chronicles 29:5
 “…and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the Lord?”

  David asks:
 “Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the LORD?”

Mark Boda states…
 “Offer willingly” is an important verb in this passage for a variety of reasons. This verb comes from the Hebrew word nadab, which is “a Hebrew verbal root associated with freewill offerings given for the construction of the tabernacle by the wilderness community.”

He continues…
 The importance of this term is found in the fact that it is used seven times in thirteen verses (1 Chronicles 29:5, 6, 9 [2x], 14, 17 [2x]). Once again a tie to the construction of the tabernacle is made. The repetition of nadab “recalls the Israelite’s willing contributions given for the tabernacle (Heb. n-d-b, Exod 25:2; 35:5, 21, 22, 29), thus providing further connection between these two stories. The cumulative effect is that the tempo is not to be seen as something entirely new, but rather, it is a continuation of God’s intention to dwell with his people that God had made known to Moses (25:8).”

 King David does not say:

• “You must…”
• “You better…”
• “You owe it to God…”

 He simply models sacrificial devotion because of his heart for God and then invites others to willingly join in.

 But notice something with me also.

 David doesn’t just invite them to give. He also invites them to “consecrate themselves.”

 1 Chronicles 29:5b
 “Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the Lord?”

 The word “Consecrate” is a setting oneself apart to the Lord.

 This isn’t just a financial transaction.

 David is inviting them to spiritual transformation.

 
 At the end of my study break last summer, the Lord gave me the devotional 40 Days of Faith. I was just doing my own Bible Study and I wasn’t looking for anything more to develop. I had developed our preaching calendar. I had developed this series in particular. And it was a Saturday morning when I was up early doing my time with the Lord.

 I was reading Hebrews 10 and came to Hebrews 10:39 that says, “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”
 And I said, “Lord, what is this faith?”

 Then for the next hour, the Lord gave me 40 principles as I walked through Hebrews 11. When Julee came down after waking up, I told her, “The Lord has given me my next book…” and it’s for the Pathways Initiative.

 I want you to step back for a moment with me and see what I see.

 God is inviting us into something significant that will require resolve, commitment, willingness, and sacrifice. And it is in this, that He gave us a journey to prepare our faith. Because this will have to be done in faith.

 We have spent 40 days preparing…setting ourselves apart in faith, and now, the invitation is to bring a “willingness.”

 Are you willing? If not, why not?

Lastly…
  4. AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP PRODUCES A JOYFUL RESPONSE (vv.6–9)

 1 Chronicles 29:6-9
 6 Then the leaders of fathers' houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king's work. 7 They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. 8 And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

  The leaders respond:

• rulers
• commanders
• officers
• stewards
• people
• families

 Then v.9:
 “Then the people rejoiced… for they had offered willingly, with a whole heart…”

Can I tell you something?
This is what I want for you:

• I want your rejoicing.
• I want you to bring your whole heart to the Lord.
• I want you to offer freely to the Lord.

 In that people was a:

• willingness
• unity
• passion
• joy
• worship

 When leaders go first with generosity, joy is unleashed among God’s people.

Advance Commitment Night
 Leaders go first — and the joy of the people follows.

 If you are (any of these):

• ready to bring your commitment
• willing to lead out

 Next Sunday night at 6pm (West U campus)
 
 Consecrate yourselves…bring your willingness…bring your commitment card and let us know of your commitment.

  It’s going to be a special combined service…Aaron, band, our West U choir, a time of fellowship that follows.

 It’s going to be an amazing evening! Please join us.



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, at our CityRise Bellaire campus. Check out the full message below!