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IL 9/22/23: Embrace Your Purpose
(Audio Transcription Below) July 2024 is the Summer Olympics. You are all going to watch some part: track and field, basketball, rowing, swimming. Right now, the athletes who plan to compete in these games are on a training schedule which will land them in the best shape of their lives so they can compete for a gold medal. Challenge Yourself: Ten months from now, what two or three events do you want to be in peak shape for? Accountability: Write…
Actual vs. Aspirational
This year’s theme for Iron Leadership is: Run to Win. This phrase is lifted out of Paul’s exhortation to the people of Corinth in regard to their pursuit of an eternal reward. Paul urges the believers in Corinth to “make every effort.” I am sure Paul meant actual effort rather than aspirational effort. It’s easy to dream, but harder to do. Sometimes what makes our actual efforts more difficult is thinking we have to get everything done at once or…
IL 9/8/23: Run to Win
(Audio Transcription Below) What grade would you give yourself as the “keeper of your soul”? How does someone keep their soul? The question that we’ll try to answer this year is how to keep your soul. The answer to that question, I would suggest, is training. It’s not easy to figure out, but it’s something you can do. We will use the book Run to Win: The Lifelong Pursuits of a Godly Man to help us. The Summer Olympics will take…
Redwoods
Iron Leaders, One of the most memorable things I got to do this summer was travel to California and walk in the Redwood National Forest. It’s like visiting the Grand Canyon; you can talk about it and show pictures, but it’s not the same as being there. Redwood trees can grow as high as 350 feet and over 20 feet wide; some are 2,000 years old. Imagine a redwood sprouting in North America the day Christ was born! Mind-blowing! One…
IL 5/19/23: Moses Reaching the Summit
Watch the following video: 14 Peaks Video There are different seasons in everyone’s journey…sunny skies, blizzard conditions with no vision or progress, longer than anticipated hikes, and summits. Read: Psalm 90 – Moses at the Summit Bible scholars agree that Moses was in a reflective mood when he wrote this prayer. Most agree Moses penned Psalm 90 near the end of his life – soon after the events of last weeks topic (Failure – Numbers 20). Numbers 20 opens with…
Books and Podcasts
Iron Leaders, Thank you for participating in an outstanding year of Iron Leadership meetings. It was good for my soul and my leadership to walk through the year with Moses. Two books that helped me in preparation were Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton and Leaving Egypt by Chuck DeGroat. These are great books to read through to strengthen your soul and your leadership. Beginning May 22, I am taking an eight week sabbatical in order to…