Leading on Empty

1.Cordeiro opens the book with a striking admission of his own collapse — a moment when he realized he had nothing left to give. Had you ever heard a pastor or ministry leader speak that openly about personal breakdown before reading this book? What was your initial reaction to his vulnerability?

2.Cordeiro describes burnout not as a sudden explosion but as a slow leak — a gradual draining of reserves over time. Looking back over the last few years of your own life, can you identify moments when the tank was clearly getting lower? What were the signs you may have ignored or explained away?

1.Cordeiro breaks burnout down into emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions. Which of those three dimensions resonated most with your own experience or observation? Why?

2.The author describes how burnout distorts our thinking — making permanent what is only temporary and making us believe lies about ourselves, God, and the future. Can you recall a season of exhaustion when your thinking became distorted in this way? What were the lies that seemed most convincing?

1.Cordeiro walks readers through a personal inventory of their emotional reserves. Were there any areas of the inventory where you were surprised by your own answers? What did that surprise reveal?

2.The author distinguishes between activities that drain us and activities that replenish us, and he notes that even good, ministry-related activities can be draining. List three to five activities in your current life that consistently drain you, and three to five that consistently refill you. What do you notice about the balance?

1.Cordeiro makes the case that refilling is not selfish — it is what allows us to keep giving. Did that argument land for you, or does part of you still resist the idea that investing in your own renewal is legitimate? Where does that resistance come from?

2.The author describes how Jesus repeatedly withdrew from the crowds — even urgent crowds — to pray and be alone with the Father (Mark 1:35 is one example). What does it tell us about Jesus' understanding of his own humanity that he made withdrawal a regular practice, not a last resort?

1.Cordeiro argues that many leaders are so focused on the outer work of ministry that the inner life — prayer, Scripture, silence, solitude — is starved. How would you honestly describe the current condition of your inner life? Is it a source of strength or a source of anxiety?

2.The author draws on John 15's image of the vine and the branches to argue that fruitfulness flows from abiding, not from striving. In practice, how much of your ministry activity flows from a place of genuine abiding versus anxious self-effort? How can you tell the difference?

1.Cordeiro argues that ministry leaders often unconsciously adopt the world's metrics for success — attendance, budget, influence, growth — and that these metrics can become idols that drive us into the ground. Which of these metrics (or others) has had the strongest grip on you? Be honest.

2.The author draws on the parable of the talents (Matthew 25) to suggest that faithfulness — not results — is the standard by which we will be evaluated. How does 'Well done, good and faithful servant' (not 'successful servant') land for you? Does it relieve pressure or frustrate you?

1.Cordeiro argues that Sabbath is not optional for the sustainable leader — it is architectural, woven into creation itself by God's own example. Before reading this chapter, how did you think about Sabbath? Has this chapter shifted your view?

2.The author notes that God rested on the seventh day not because he was tired, but to model a rhythm for his image-bearers. What does it mean that God built rest into the fabric of creation? What does it say about the kind of God he is?

1.Cordeiro describes how burnout tends to push leaders into isolation — they withdraw from honest friendship precisely when they need it most. Have you experienced that pattern? What drove the withdrawal?

2.The author speaks candidly about the impact his burnout had on his marriage and family. How does the myth that "sacrificing for ministry is sacrificing for God" damage the relationships closest to us? Is that a myth you have believed or perpetuated?

1.Cordeiro is honest that recovery from burnout — especially when it has reached the point of clinical depression — takes much longer than most people expect. Were you surprised by the timeline he described? How does our culture's demand for quick fixes work against genuine recovery?

2.The author writes about the shame and confusion of feeling depressed when, from the outside, everything looks fine — a thriving church, a supportive family, an apparently blessed life. Have you experienced that dissonance? How does Cordeiro help make sense of it?

1.Cordeiro describes the difference between a reactive life — always responding to the urgent — and a proactive life that is built on intentional rhythms. Honestly, which word better describes your current life? What would it take to move toward the latter?

2.Jesus' parable of the builder in Luke 14 asks whether you have counted the cost before you build. Cordeiro uses this as a metaphor for sustainable ministry — you must plan for the long race, not just the next quarter. What does counting the cost of ministry look like for you in this season?

1.Which single chapter or concept from *Leading on Empty* was most personally impactful for you, and why? Was it what you expected when you began the book?

2.At the beginning of this study, where would you have placed yourself on Cordeiro's gas gauge — Full, Half, Low, or Empty? Where would you place yourself now, and what has changed?