transfering worship to life application

I know good bloggers raise questions and provide answers but I seem to be full of more questions, than answers. I am wrestling with worship and watching a room full of believers emotionally connected to the truths of scripture, walk back into society unchanged by what they have received. Somewhere in my academic history I sat in a seminary class and was taught that it is my job to accurately teach God's word and it was the people's job to receive it and apply it. Well I have a problem, I am too emotionally connected to lives of these people! I cannot watch people I love listen to God's word but live untransformed lives. I'm drawn back to the different images of a cowboy and a shepherd. Cowboys are the image of our country; tough, independent, and very task oriented because he knows that every animal he leads will be sacrificed to reach his goals. However, the shepherd is strong, involved, and very compassionate because he knows that every animal must survive to reach his goals. As a shepherd, I want the best for the people God's asked me to shepherd. I long for them to see the amazing life found in living a life conformed to the image of Jesus and not a life bent on the do's and don'ts of religion. In my pursuit of Jesus I discover the life of His word!

Watching Love Grow

I find it amazing and somewhat confusing to know that I love my wife more today than the day I married her. I know how much I loved her then and I was just hoping to hold onto that level of love for a lifetime but the more we grow together, the more I fall in love with her. I want to spend time with her, I want to know what she's thinking, what she likes, what she dislikes. The longer we are married the bolder I am in proclaiming my love for her.
Therefore, I looked around and began to ask myself do I feel the same way about my love for Jesus. Am I deeper in love with my Savior today than the day I meet Him? Do I want to spend more time with Him, do I want to know what He's thinking, what He likes, or dislikes? The longer we maintain a covenant relationship together, am I bolder in proclaiming my love for Him?
Time together reveals truth! The longer we stay in a relationship with someone the more we will reveal our true feeling for the other person. "Puppy-Dog" love can and will only carry you so far and then life and time will reveal truth. I want the best days of my journey with Jesus to be ahead of me! I want to discover greater worship, deeper truths, and far more intimate guidance in the days ahead. I love you Jesus!
PS I love you too, Lori!

Leadership Resolution

I've recently tried to define my basic strategy when it comes to leadership. I've read, watched, and listened to hundreds of men and women describe leadership, and ultimately I've realized that Christian Leadership should not be defined by the terms of the world by the words of my scriptures. Therefore, I want to lay out what I see as God's leadership lesson as described through His word.
2 Peter 1:5-8 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. NASU
Scripture tells us to add to our faith with ALL DILIGENCE, these additional characteristics and I see a leadership journey in these verse necessary if we want to lead as Jesus led. However, I need to admit each characteristic is harder for a Christian leader than the one before it. Peter begins with faith and no christian leader can lead as Jesus led without faith, you would think this is a no brainer but you'd be surprise how many of us as Christian leaders try to lead through with the same leadership tactic as world but hoping for spiritual results. Peter then tells us to add to our faith with complete passion these additional characteristics and I want to list them for you with a basic definition. Remember, each level is progressive and harder to live out than the one before it.
Moral Excellence is the God given ability to perform heroic deeds.
Knowledge is the truth of God properly comprehended and applied.
Self Control is the restraint to trust the will of God over the will of self.
Perseverance is the spiritual staying power that will die before it gives in.
Godliness is a reverent loyalty to the obedient pursuit of Christ likeness.
Brotherly kindness is the selflessness of being a living sacrifice.
Love is the surrendered choice of dying to self so others can experience Christ.
I find it amazing the two hardest characteristics of the christian life is kindness and love. Knowledge of our field is much easier than finding the time to be kind and to love others. As a christian leader I am reminded of how hard it is to die to self and to live and love as Christ did. But I am committed to the leadership principles of scripture and I hope I can influence others in the body of Christ to the same banner!