(Catalyst'08) unloading some great thoughts [+] Tuesday E-Devotion

Yesterday I confessed on twitter that I had a "Catalyst hangover hangover. That means I'm tired but excited. God is good. Opportunities ahead!!!"

So, I've got to unload some great thoughts for you in the next few days.  I have to tell you first that I really get a charge out of these few days in Atlanta.  I get to be with my brother and some other people that I really enjoy.  Further, I get to be around some of the best worship leaders and speakers in the world.  Then, I bring it home.  Lets unload some of it:

Andy Stanley , maybe the best of all the speakers and pastor of North Point Community Church, talked about our moral authority using the life of Nehemiah found in Nehemiah 6:5-18. It is my thought that Nehemiah may just have been one of the most powerful and successful leaders talked about in the Bible.  It was due to the fact that God's hand was on his life, yet at the same time, Nehemiah's walk matched his talk (that's moral leadership).

SOME QUOTES: Moral authority is what we have when people see that our creeds match our deeds–that we are living what we say we believe ... Moral authority takes a long time to gain and can be lost in an instant ... (To church leaders) Our message is forgiveness–we should be the first to forgive.

Those are HUGE ideas.  The reason why this man was success is because he would not ask anyone to do something that he was not willing to do himself.  He also would not take advantage of his position for personal gain (there is a note that leaders of our day, including myself, need to hear often).

Our influence will grow more and more when our creeds match our deeds.  Stanley talked about aligning our beliefs with forgiveness, family and finances.  The church has to model, not just teach, forgiveness.  At leaders we cannot sacrifice our families for the sack of the cause or church we serve (like our job).  We can only lead people to be generous when we are generous.

Stanley used a simple thought to teach about finances.  He said we ought to Give, Save and Live on the Rest.  Again, that is huge.  It is time that we regain our moral authority by practicing what we preach!