“The thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices” – from the Christmas Hymn O Holy Night. There is a “thrill of hope” because someone entered our dark world from the outside. As C.S. Lewis said, “Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.” Christians have hope because we know that the present is not all there is, and humans are not the only ones involved in this world. I want you…
Watch the following video: Hunger Games – When you challenge or threaten the status quo, when you threaten power (which includes: self-sovereignty) your disturbance and your effort to cut things down will be like cutting down a hornet’s nest. Everybody was peaceful – until Katniss disturbed the nest, then all Hell broke loose. This is essentially what happens when Moses confronts Pharaoh in Exodus 5 -14. My Question: As a Leader – when you are called to take a stand,…
(Audio transcription below) Fear is a very complex human emotion: – It can be Practical….See a copperhead snake & decide to back up – It can be Paralyzing: Overpowered by stress or anxiety and we can’t get out of bed. What I want us to consider this morning are the common fears which cause us to get stuck from moving forward in a healthy manner, in a way which we know we should go. Indiana Jones – Leap of…
Are you a good employee or co-worker? When you show up at work or at home, are people glad you have arrived and are part of their team? Are you a good team player? Do you know how to play well with others? Do you know how to hire people who are solid team players? So much of our satisfaction at work is derived from who we work with as well as what we do. Working in a healthy team…
How to Raise Sons of Courage & Character Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know Raising Sons of Courage: We need all the wisdom we can get in this area. I also included a link to an excellent book about the importance of the relationship between fathers and daughters. Naturalist Traces The “Astounding Flyaways of Migratory Birds The Extraordinary Lives of Migratory Birds: I found this episode fascinating. I would understand if you listen and then conclude…
(Audio Transcription Below) RE-CASTING: Coming to grip with yourself – Exodus 2:16-22 Moses settled into his new life: He embraced his new career – shepherding, he got married & had children. The name of the child reveals something important in Moses. This was a profound admission. Moses finally acknowledged what was underneath his behavior. He was finally able to admit that all his life he had struggled with his identity. Moses was so accustomed to being unclear about his identity…
How long? It is a question that echoes throughout the ages and haunts the mind of mankind. The question is so universal that we are not surprised to find it scattered throughout the poems of every generation. The most prolific songwriter of the 10th century BC was King David. David expresses emotions we have all experienced, “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears…I am weak…My soul is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD,…
(Audio Transcription Below) Admiral William McRaven, Navy Seal – delivers commencement speech at the University of Texas titled, “What it Takes to Change the World”. Listen to just one of his points – what he calls “The Circus”. In his speech, McRaven says– “Everyone makes the Circus list, because of the Circus men built inner strength and resiliency, life is filled with Circus’ – you will fail, you will likely fail often, it will be painful, it will be discouraging,…
(Audio Transcription Below) Theme: Learning about then moving away from a False Self-Assessment & Faulty Operating System Before Moses can become an effective leader – he must see himself correctly. He can’t live under a False-Self Assessment – AND Moses must see that his current operating system and his current way of getting things done is faulty. Video:Poor Self-Assessment Background: Year 1500 BC – The Israelites are locked into slavery in Egypt (Exodus 1:12-16). The Israelites population became a concern for…
Maybe you are like me, foolishly thinking that as soon as I get something done, as soon as I check an item off my to-do list, as soon as I complete a project, as soon as I round this corner, then I can relax; I can finally achieve peace. Like a mirage, achieving peace often seems to be just within our reach when suddenly it’s gone, and we are back in the spin cycle of achievement. In his blog, Oliver…