Who's Leading You? // Pastor Joshua Sherron

The question, “Who’s leading us?” rises out of a painful reality, because leadership without character will wound everybody under it. The danger of toxic leadership begins with broken trust, with heroes turning into villains, with people defending somebody who looked innocent but turned out guilty. God is not merely looking for powerful leaders. God is looking for righteous leaders, people who will stand and not shame him.

Character becomes the cradle of credibility for the leader. Power without character makes a person feel untouchable, but the untouchable are often built on flawed foundations, lies, abuse of power, ruthless ambition, and no accountability. The question keeps pressing through politics, pulpits, parenting, churches, schools, families, and culture: Who’s leading us? Everybody follows somebody, but the question is whether that somebody is worth following.

Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 1 gives the search. God tells Jeremiah to run through the streets of Jerusalem, look around, take note, and see if one person acts justly and seeks truth. Jeremiah finds a city full of religious talk, worship routines, and sacred traditions, but no real truth. The problem was not that religion was missing. Sincerity was missing. The sanctuary had sound, phrases, routines, and language, but the truth had become hard to find.

Toxic leadership seeks power more than people, image more than integrity, control more than service. Toxic leadership looks like a beautiful skyscraper with a rotten foundation. It may look impressive, full of influence and success, but pride, greed, manipulation, fear, deception, and selfish ambition make it unable to stand forever. The pulpit is supposed to pull people out of the pit, but a toxic pulpit becomes a place where leaders play and pit on people.

Jeremiah’s search becomes a search through today’s world too, through social media, Congress, churches, families, schools, and the White House. Truth is not trending. Truth is revealed. Psalm 25 asks God to lead in truth, and Psalm 119 says the word is a lamp to the feet and a light to the path. Prayer, Scripture, guidance, and obedience become the way not to get lost.

The Bible gives signs of toxic leadership: Samson’s power without accountability, David’s charisma without character, rulers with control without compassion, Solomon’s success without integrity, and Israel’s popularity without truth. Toxic leadership leads to pain, but godly leadership leads to purpose. Jesus stands as the true leader because Jesus does not manipulate, scatter, or destroy. Jesus saves the shattered, serves the least, washes feet, lays down his life, and stays the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The cross shows man at his worst and God at his best. The throne became a cross, power became sacrifice, and leadership became service. The church is called to produce people who love justice, speak truth to power, protect people from evil, serve the community humbly, and preach the gospel. Every generation must answer the question: Who will lead? The answer must be the Lord, because where he leads, faithful people follow.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Character carries real leadership Character is not decoration on leadership, it is the foundation underneath it. Power may open doors, build platforms, and impress crowds, but character determines whether that life can stand when truth comes looking. A leader without character becomes dangerous because influence without integrity can hurt people faster than weakness ever could. [19:57]
• 2. Truth is revealed, not trending Truth does not become true because an algorithm pushes it, a crowd repeats it, or a powerful person benefits from it. Jeremiah’s search exposes a world full of religious noise but empty of honest surrender. God’s truth must be sought in prayer, Scripture, guidance, and obedience, because trends can entertain a soul while still leaving it lost. [48:24]
• 3. Toxic leadership rots the foundation Toxic leadership can look impressive, successful, gifted, and untouchable, but rotten foundations eventually show themselves. Pride, greed, manipulation, fear, deception, and selfish ambition are not small flaws when they sit in places of authority. A beautiful skyscraper with a rotten foundation may impress people for a season, but it cannot stand forever. [37:07]
• 4. Discernment must be greater Influencers, algorithms, politicians, celebrities, pastors, and artificial intelligence all shape people in real ways. The issue is not whether influence exists, but whether discernment is strong enough to test where that influence is leading. Some voices plant pessimism, fear, and confusion, and a soul must not allow broken leaders to talk it out of purpose. [50:15]
• 5. Jesus leads through sacrifice Jesus does not lead by manipulation, image, or control. Jesus washes feet, serves the least, feeds the hungry, gives water to the thirsty, and lays down his life at the cross. The cross reveals leadership at its purest, where power becomes sacrifice and service becomes glory.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [13:02] - Who’s Leading Us?
• [15:12] - When Heroes Break Trust
• [17:19] - God Wants Righteous Leaders
• [19:57] - Character Is Credibility
• [22:14] - Everybody Follows Somebody
• [28:39] - Jeremiah Searches Jerusalem
• [31:22] - Religious Talk Without Truth
• [36:39] - Defining Toxic Leadership
• [44:52] - Searching for One Honest Person
• [47:24] - Scripture Leads Into Truth
• [57:18] - Five Signs of Toxic Leadership
• [62:22] - God Still Searches
• [63:22] - Jesus, the True Leader
• [64:16] - The Cross Turns Power Into Service

1. In Jeremiah 5:1, what specific qualities was God searching for in Jerusalem’s leaders? How does this contrast with the religious routines described in the sermon? [31:22]
2. According to the sermon, what are the “rotten foundations” of toxic leadership? What examples from Scripture or modern life illustrate this? [37:07]
3. How does Psalm 119:105 describe the role of Scripture in guiding daily life? How does this connect to the sermon’s emphasis on truth being “revealed, not trending”? [48:24]

1. Why might God’s command to Jeremiah to search for “one person” acting justly and seeking truth (Jeremiah 5:1) still resonate in today’s world? What does this reveal about God’s priorities?
2. The sermon states, “Power without character makes a person feel untouchable.” How do biblical examples like Samson or David (Judges 21:25; 2 Samuel 11) demonstrate the dangers of this mindset? [57:39]
3. Jesus’ leadership is described as sacrificial rather than manipulative. How does His example in John 13:1–17 (washing feet) redefine what true authority looks like?

1. Who are the voices or leaders shaping your decisions (e.g., social media, family, pastors)? How can you test whether their influence aligns with God’s truth? [50:15]
2. Reflect on an area of your life where character growth is needed (e.g., honesty, humility, accountability). What practical step could you take this week to strengthen that area?
3. The sermon warns against “religious talk without truth.” How can you move beyond routines (like church attendance or prayer) to cultivate genuine sincerity in your relationship with God? [35:11]
4. Jesus’ leadership prioritizes serving others. In your workplace, family, or community, what is one way you can lead through sacrificial service this month?
5. The sermon asks, “Where is truth hard to find in your life?” What distractions or pressures make it difficult to seek God’s truth daily? How can Psalm 25:5 guide your prayers in this?