The boldness of the early church was the result of a lifestyle of prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit. The earliest Christians realized that life was not guaranteed and could end at any moment. The early believers were prepared to die for the glory of God and presenting the gospel. They refused to be silent when ordered to and that took amazing courage. Jesus approached evangelism head on.
That's why I preach my way through entire books of the Bible, dealing carefully with each verse and phrase--even though that occasionally means spending time in passages that don't readily lend themselves to anecdotal or motivational messages. I am grateful to the Lord for the way He has used this exposi- tory approach in our church and in the lives of our radio listeners. But now and then someone tells me frankly that my preaching needs to be less doctrinal and more practical. Practical application is vital. I don't want to minimize its importance.
I do this by observing the Ten Commandments and fulfilling The Golden Rule of “treat everyone how I would like to be treated”. Even though I have had 12 years of Catechism teaching, I still want to have greater knowledge of the teachings of Christ and the Church as well as myself. I really liked participating in the Church activities and advertising for it by telling my friends to come along to things such as youth group with me. I show my devotion to my yearning for knowledge as well my as my loyalty to the Church by walking to Mass on Sundays since I did not bring my car to college. Something that a Practical Catholic should also be is a dutiful and productive citizen.
A leader must be obedient in order to grow and know God’s will. He shows evidence of his relationship, faith and love for God by doing God’s will. When a leader loves God, his actions show where his heart is. He then, understands God’s love for his people and the significance of God giving his only begotten son to suffer and die on the cross and he want to obey God– because of his love. God wants the leader to be obedient because he knows what is best for him.
Courage and Moral Leadership Week 5 Assignment Sybil E. Davis PAD 515 Leadership and Conflict Resolution Dr. Michael Popejoy Strayer University 06 November 2011, Sunday President Barack Obama is high on the Courage and Moral Leadership seat because he displays the qualities of enthusiasm, integrity, loyalty, tact, courage, and dependability. I believe what kept President Obama with such high qualities of Moral Leadership is his Pastor, Reverend Obama’s Spiritual Mentor. President Obama integrity what keep him with his moral leadership. In order for a leader to be effective, they must be honest with their followers. Leaders who display their ethical behaviors during their everyday agenda, nonetheless; demands that honest from their followers.
That might be a reason that I still dread going to church today. In seventh grade, I got confirmed into the Methodist Church. At the time, I just thought of it as something that everyone does; I didn’t really know what it meant to be confirmed. To this day, I still don’t know, but I have a better understanding now. I feel that to be confirmed means that you belong to a big group of loving people who want to do good in the world.
Purpose Sanders’ Spiritual Leadership begins with an initial assumption that readers are looking to begin or strengthen their leadership skills as it relates to the ongoing work of God in the world and through the body of Christ. He takes the readers through many examples of sacred and secular attributes of what leadership looks like and provides examples of various styles. The quest to become a leader, or better leader, is a good one, yet Sanders does not want to give a false impression of the realities of spiritual leadership. The needs, responsibilities, cost and perils of leadership are plainly put forth to be straight forward with the reader of all that could and will be required of spiritual leadership positions. Believing that God is searching for leaders to bring about changes on the earth, he begins the book by highlighting the principle: true greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in manipulating others to serve you, admonishing, “we must put more into life that we take out," and that history will only remember a man for "the quality of his deeds and the character of his mind and heart" (15).
Final Reflection Essay Throughout this semester I have learned so much about God and His plan of salvation. I learned that in order to have salvation you must have an excellent relationship with God. You also must obey God and avoid all temptations from the devil and the world around us. I learned that God is love and that holiness is one of His qualities. Lastly, I learned that God will always love and forgive us.
Many believers do not count the cost of following Christ. One is told to accept the free gift of eternal life, repent of sins, join a church, and then learn to do the best one can concerning all the rest. One is usually not told about the cost of being a Christ-follower, nor does one have much of an idea of what God expects of them now that they are saved. Stewardship is entirely based on the first commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Holy Bible, NIV, Mat 22:37). Stewardship is the product of one’s new worldview that is brought about by one’s conversion.
Kevin I. Juan October 14, 2011 IAS 101 New Student Orientation Challenges and Benefits of a Christian Community As a Christian, I face many challenges in life. I’m not sure if God puts them in my life or if the Devil is the one attacking me. All I know is that I never stop no matter what happens. When I see myself facing a challenge, I pray and ask God for wisdom, patience, and most important of all, love. I often feel alone in this world, no family, friends, or anyone to talk to.