When tragedy strikes a home, a church, or even a nation, those who suffer need strong leaders to provide stability and hope.

Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindall provides a model for leadership that rises from First

Thessalonians Chapter 2.

In this study, Chuck will identify eight principles for leaders in post-traumatic situations.

He delivered this message shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

And you'll hear Chuck applaud national figures who demonstrated bold

leadership during that crisis. He titled today's message, Leading as Paul led.

We return today to our continued series on Paul, and I'd like for you to turn with me to 1st Thessalonians chapter 2.

I want to read for you the first 12 verses of this second chapter of Paul's first letter to the people of Thessalonica.

Here we will find some helpful negatives and positives as related to leading like Paul led.

We'll begin at 1 Thessalonians 2.1. For you yourselves know,

brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. But after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you

the gospel of God amid much opposition. For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity

or by way of deceit, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak.

Not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed. God is witness.

Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ,

we might have asserted our authority, but we proved to be gentle among

you as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.

Having so fond and affection for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the

gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become

very dear to us. For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and

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