Tag: God

Leading Unconditionally…

Reaching out and leading with unconditional love is difficult. 

We must be vulnerable emotionally, mentally, and physically. We must develop a compassion for the pain of others and a greater desire to get involved. 

The difficulty is learning to be genuine in our care for those who are not like us..

Loving unconditionally means there is nothing you can do or say to make me love you more and there is nothing you can do or say to make me love you less.

Unconditional love is what leads others to the Savior! When we demonstrate it, we lead with a God-given example.

People, People, People…

People are everywhere. Who are they? Where do they live? Where are they going? Do they believe in God?

The only way to know anything about people is to get involved in their lives. How can we lead them to Jesus without this connection?

We need to overcome fear, but what are we afraid of most? Rejection? Failure? Making a mistake? 

The application is true whether talking to a stranger at an airport or a neighbor across the street. 

Leading anyone to Christ involves moving past our fear and connecting to their lives. As challenging as it may seem, the connection of genuine love makes the difference.

Who Are We Leading?

Numerous stories describe the challenges of reaching the more affluent in our world today.

As difficult as it might be to admit, we know this is true.

Why the concern? If God chose the poor in this world to be rich in faith, and they are receptive, why do we not make greater efforts to share the gospel with them?

Why do we spend so much time focused on those who seemingly feel they do not need God because of their abundance?

We need to lead those with little or nothing in this life to a greater understanding of what God has prepared.

Unconditional Love…

One of the greatest needs in our world and one of the greatest challenges involves love. Without understanding God’s love we face an insurmountable obstacle.

God’s love is unconditional and therein lies the challenge.

Paul writes that God demonstrates His love toward us (Rom. 5:8).

Notice Paul did not say demonstrated, i.e. past tense. The word is present active. God demonstrates His love now and there is no assessment of it ever ending.

To lead others to the love of God, we must demonstrate the nature of God’s love toward them. We must show love even when they are not always the easiest to love.

Now What?

Now that the festivities of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are behind us, we consider “Now What?”

For some, it is back to the norm. Back to the grind. For others, it is time to focus on the vision. Fulfill our goals.

No matter which side we find ourselves, leadership demands we grow. We continue to work on ourselves, improve our ability to connect with others, and influence the lives of each person God beautiful orchestrates into our lives.

As a reminder, 2020 is the perfect year to focus on where we are headed and who we plan to become. 

Make this the best year EVER.

Happy New Year

From all of us at SALT

HAPPY NEW YEAR

May this be the best year of your life in relationship to God
and your service within the Kingdom.

Role of the Shepherd…#8

The final statement is perhaps the most beautiful part of this prayer. Jesus says, “I have given them the glory that you gave me.” 

Ultimately, the role of the shepherd is to give sheep the glory God.

The glory Jesus received from the Father is of epic proportions. The reason he gave it was so that the apostles would be united, one as he was one with the Father.

Shepherds, it is the glory of God given to the sheep that provides a basis for unity, that we might all be one.

What a fitting way to conclude the role of the shepherd from Jesus’ prayer.

Role of the Shepherd…#4

The second statement closely follows yesterday’s thought. Jesus says, “I gave them the words you gave me.” He repeats the idea by saying, “I have given them your word.”

Shepherds are responsible for spiritually feeding the sheep and the spiritual food required for God’s sheep is His word.

In Psalm 23, David relates a similar thought, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Shepherds know where to lead sheep that they might eat what is best for them. 

Today, the idea rests upon providing the spiritual food that strengthens and sustains the sheep. Know the word of God and use its nutrition to help the sheep grow.

Role of the Shepherd…#3

The first statement Jesus makes is emphasized twice in John 17. He says, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.” Although slightly different, Jesus goes on to later say, “I have made you known to them.”

The thought expressed is significant. Shepherds are responsible for revealing or making God known to those who follow.

God has given a flock and He wants His shepherds to make Him known to the sheep. Jesus did this for the disciples, living how to do the same today. Read through the gospels and highlight His example.

Improving our Leadership…

Drastic changes have occurred in the weather recently. While meteorologists may not always get the forecast right, as technology improves so does the accuracy of their predictions.

The same is true in leadership. There are tools available that improve our ability to lead.

Are we learning to use these tools correctly? 
How are we using them to improve our leadership?
Do we make excuses because we lack the desire to use them?

One day we will give an account for all that God has entrusted to us. We cannot excuse ourselves by thinking we did not want to learn how to use the tools He provided.