Dr Paul Allen

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) As believers, we recognize the value of imitating Jesus and His leadership style. But if we really think about it, it’s strange that we try to emulate a leader who never developed an organization , regularly encouraged people to stop following Him, and ultimately saw His death as the pinnacle of His accomplishments. What kind of perspective must a leader have to place high value on these kinds of strategies? Jesus was not a manager. His primary role was to function as a spiritual leader . Not all leaders in Christian organizations are spiritual leaders. This is not a criticism as much as a distinction. Distinguishing spiritual leadership from other forms of leadership can free people from unrealistic expectations of some leaders. At the same time, making this distinction can help identify who the spiritual leaders in your organization are. Here are six characteristics that identify most spiritual leaders: They lead others into their own enco

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde poster. Converted losslessly from .tif to .png by uploader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) I do not understand what I do. for what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do  ( Romans  7:15). Romans  12 is Paul’s exhortation to  spiritual growth . As we consider the development of  Christian  character, we need to be clear about one fundamental matter from the beginning— spiritual growth  is a struggle. Some evangelists promise an easy ride in  Christianity ; but it is not. Let us briefly consider some of the enemies of  Christian  growth. One is the world itself. Because of our  sin , God’s world is at enmity with us and grows “thorns and thistles” to make life hard for us. Thus, in a sense, the very physical creation poses obstacles to our  personal development . The primary enemies we face in the struggle for spiritual growth, however, are persons: other people, ourselves, and the demonic host. How often have our lives been damag

Image via Wikipedia Many of us are satisfied with echoing Christian jargon and subsisting on a spiritual diet of milk instead of growing spiritually. Strong growth requires a healthy diet.  It requires what the apostle Paul called “meat.” We need the discipline of study, the discipline of prayer, the discipline of service. Most of us require being disciplined under the authority or tutelage of another. Self-discipline is merely the extension of discipline learned under another. It does not come by magic. If you desire to break out of the plateau on which you are paralyzed, then it is imperative that you get under the discipline of someone qualified to take you further and deeper into the Christian life.  Your pastor is the most obvious person to help. Refuse to be satisfied with milk. It is possible to break out of stagnation and move ahead into a growing, enriching development. We are called to be disciples, not for one year but for our lives. It is ultimately impossible for the Chr