Ron...thanks for reposting. Earlier this year I posted my story and what I've discovered about forgiveness. The first words you used in your first point sum it up: LETTING GO! It's much harder than one would expect (unless you've been hurt!), but it's so powerful.

Here's the link to my first post on the subject: http://unsolicitedhope.com/forgiveness-1

I'm with you on keeping discipleship simple. As a practitioner, however, I believe the things you note "don't matter," do tend to matter to many...and for good reason.

When leaders believe the "speed of growth" and "distance down the pathway" doesn't matter, they've left people to inch along on their own...decade after tedious decade. One reason many are departing the "organized church" is that too many leaders are satisfied with people simply "showing up" to services, and don't exhibit any urgency to get them ready to actually engage in ministry. People tire of the Sunday-after-Sunday show. That's not what disciples were designed for.

So, while disciples are those whose feet are pointed (and moving) toward Jesus -- Jesus quickly gets those feet pointed outward toward a needy and broken world. As disciple makers we have to take this seriously, and should understand that part of our responsibility is to help facilitate this in days/weeks/years...not decades.

Solid list that I'll be sharing AND saving for personal reference! If I had to pick the TOP 3 from this list, I'd go with #3, 7 & 9, which particularly focus on the "being" of the leader. What we know and what we can do are important, but remain substantially less critical to who we "are" as leaders.