Fear

Fear is the one thing that I believe can hold a person (and a church and groups of people) back more than anything else. They say the opposite of fear is faith. How can we please God without it? We are actually told in scriptures to not be afraid and to cast our cares on him. This takes practice, but it works-- we get through it and end up closer to the Shepherd.

I think a study on these books would be great:

The Silence of Adam, by Lawrence J. Crabb
Synopsis from Powells.com:
"Larry Crabb challenges men to move beyond their fear of failure that paralyzes them in spiritual matters and relationships to bold risk-taking, action, deep spirituality, and full-hearted living."



Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul, by John Eldredge
Description from Amazon.com:
"God designed men to be dangerous, says John Eldredge. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: To be a hero, to be a warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk. Sadly, most men abandon those dreams and desires-aided by a Christianity that feels like nothing more than pressure to be a "nice guy." It is no wonder that many men avoid church, and those who go are often passive and bored to death. In this provocative book, Eldredge gives women a look inside the true heart of a man and gives men permission to be what God designed them to be-dangerous, passionate, alive, and free."

Also, this article (which I SWEAR my pastor wrote under a pseudonym) is fantastic (and long, but worth it):
Kingdom Leadership in the Postmodern Era, by Leonard Hjalmarson
"Our conception of leadership is changing. We need leadership cultures and we need meaning makers."