Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro
Week 1: Introduction — Recognizing the Warning Signs
Read the Introduction and Chapter 1 of Leading on Empty. Key Scripture: Psalm 23; 1 Kings 19:1-18 (Elijah under the juniper tree)
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Before we can be helped, we have to be willing to be honest — about how tired we really are and how long we have been running on fumes. This week's reading invites that honesty.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.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?
3.The author draws a distinction between being tired and being depleted. In your own words, what is the difference? Why does that distinction matter for how we respond?
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