How do we choose our heroes?
Rather than desiring to do big things for God, perhaps we should just focus on being obedient in the small things and let God worry about the rest. We can be encouraged in this obedience by the example of Joseph.
Mark McIntyre
Fulfill what you vow
Our culture wants to tell us that it is OK to walk away from something that was vowed. In our society, we are no longer astonished by how often marriage vows are broken, even among church leaders. We have too much evidence that a pattern of seeing vows as non-binding has crept into the church.
Shepherd vs. Leader
This is, after all, what the word pastor means. A pastor is a shepherd, or at least, is supposed to be a shepherd. Shepherds care for their flock, not just as a group, but as individuals.
Meek and humble?
Can we please have a little bit more of the Apostle Paul and a little less of the flashy, hip, bringer of sermonettes? Can we have the humble servant instead of the CEO? Can we have a shepherd and not a vision caster?
No wicked scales
The broader issue is that God hates double standards. When we hold someone else to a higher standard than we are willing to obey, then we are violating this principle. This is what Jesus was talking about in the opening verses of Matthew chapter 7.
On a lost golden age
Rather than be nostalgic for something that never was, we can participate with God in responding correctly to the time in which we find ourselves.
On Abuse of Power
This should be instructive to use as we look as to how the church should be structured. We have too many examples of how celebrity pastors have gone astray by assuming power that was never theirs to assume.
The right to believe anything
We Christians should acknowledge that the church has often gotten it wrong concerning the proper application of tolerance. At times we have deserved the criticism that we are intolerant because of the way we have behaved toward those with whom we disagree.