Purpose + Personal Strength + Passion = Destiny
Most everyone born in the later half of the 20th Century is familiar with the 1981 Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire (Best Picture, Best Original Music Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design + 3 additional nominations), featuring the story of runner Eric Liddell. The Olympic gold medal recipient has influenced many following his days on the track, leaving various quotes and statements in his interviews while also demonstrating them in his life of service. One such statement has proven to be a North Star, of sorts, for me, and the longer I work with industry professionals it proves itself over and over. Liddell said, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run I feel his pleasure.”
How to Win an Argument Like Jesus
Imagine arriving at the coffee pot to pour your morning coffee when, rather than receiving the traditional greeting, you are backed against the wall by some HDIs (highly disgruntled individuals) because you made a really unpopular decision, and now you’ve got to dig your way out… As executives and managers, and simply even spouses and parents, many find themselves in this very position at seemingly the most inopportune times, attempting to dodge the questions, stares, and proverbial knives in the back from once-trusting followers and supporters. Through it all, there’s a felt urgency to secure mutual understanding from sound reasoning.
Let me introduce you to one method (of many!) that Jesus incorporated
How to Destroy an Effective Meeting
Hey, you, sitting there wanting to trade your halo for some devilish horns, have you ever wanted to choke progress, maim effectiveness, and kill morale in a group or business meeting? If you have, this list is for you! …
If you are like most people who are interested in progress, you may simply be doing these things without noticing it, and through a few simple changes you can help your organization to move forward by demonstrating a positive & interested spirit. Believe it or not, your revealed interest can have a big impact on budget and planning dollars, along with project success.
Stage & Lighting Design: “On the Other Side of the Tracks”
I was fortunate to work with fellow creatives at Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida to create an eye-catching backdrop for a recent conference, specifically, handling the lighting aspect. Jonathan…
An Oracle on Life’s Problems from Psalm 74
Psalm 74 is a Maschil (or Maskil) Psalm, meaning that it was written for learning and instruction. Likely written around 578 B.C., it focuses on the lamenting of the people over the destruction of God’s temple and the great loss at not having access to God’s Word or to have a prophet in the land. That said, the ongoing oppression of the Jewish people during that time would have been immense. Certainly, their identity was in their religion. God gave them their land, and after hundreds of years of failing leadership and warning, the Lord allowed the people to fall under the ownership of the Babylonian Empire. Hence, the remnant begin to seek God’s face once again, knowing that it was their own failure, not God’s, that took them to their present condition.
Being a Psalm of instruction, one can certainly find truths about God and how he or she ought to live in the present day. Here are a few snippets I found in my own study:
Keeping Pace Spiritually in a Physical World
This morning I was drawn to Facebook, finding encouragement in a dear friend who is working out in California, trying to make an impact on lives for God’s glory. Just recently, he was rewarded with several joys as a result of his years of effort – years of hard work, discouragement, and even abandonment because of his non-standard approach. Instantly, I was reminded of Hebrews 12:1-2, which states, …“let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
What a shot to the solar plexus it was, knowing how often I get sidetracked and decide to sit on the sideline, rather than participating in the race. Well, here’s my internal contemplation put into words…
Standing at the Threshold: Finding Provision for Your God-Given Vision
“When God gives a vision, there will be provision for it” – Mark Batterson. “What you order you pay for. What God orders He pays for” – Tom Messer. The statements are true. The Creator leads His own and will always meet needs as they follow His will.
3 Keys to Promoting Your Work in the New Media Generation
I just viewed Phil Cooke’s video blog which was posted on vimeo in November, 2009. See it here. After listing several elements about the increasing changes in digital media, he promotes three ways to keep up with the trend and to promote a business or ministry. He calls it discovering “your brand.” Here are the questions you need to ask:
3 Keys for a Healthy Ministry or Business
What can you do to have a healthy ministry or business? How do you refuel to keep your edge? Just listened to a short interview of a church planter who has been at his work now for five years (sorry, I don’t recall his name). When asked how he keeps focused and fresh in his work, these are some of the points where he focused.
A Meeting with Jon Daggett
Attending the Innovate Conference at Thomas Road Baptist Church, I make it a point to meet up with as many people as possible to stretch myself. I’ll save some time later for two challenging messages from Jonathan Falwell and Chuck Swindoll (Mark Batterson is coming up in just a few minutes from this writing). One of the likely rarely unmentioned individuals at Thomas Road is Mr. Jon Daggett.