An Effective Family Devotion Strategy

No guilt trip here, guys. 

Here's a simple approach to family devotions that works.  Review with them what God is teaching you from your daily time in the Word and prayer.  (You'll find it's easier to do that yourself when you're teaching your family from it!)

Doesn't have to be complicated or very long.  Read a few verses, share an insight you had or a point you feel is worth emphasizing, and facilitate some discussion.  Pray. You can even do this during mealtime. 

Try it out!

Personal MBA Reading List

Some of you might be considering getting an MBA degree.  Before you do that, consider an alternative approach: the personal MBA reading list. It still takes a lot of discipline, but you will get most of the benefits with much less cost and time away from your family.

Biographies Worth Your Time

It's important to learn from history and biographies.  Here are a few biographies of great men which have helped me enormously, in no particular order:

Athanasius
John Adams
Harry Truman
Theodore Roosevelt
Martin Luther
Glady Alward
John Paton
Robert E. Lee
Winston Churchill

Do you have some recommendations?

Note: there are some great biographical documentary films and movies worth watching, but nothing quite matches a biographical book.

Class of 2014

Check out this list of characteristics for the college freshman class of 2014.  Wow, I feel really old.

Dealing with Offenses

Excellent video from Michael Hyatt on dealing with offenses.  This important for leaders and role models like you, men!

He covers four truths:

Offenses are inevitable.
Satan intends offenses for our destruction.
God intends offenses for our good.
Being offended is a choice.

Marching Orders for Men (That's You)

Marching orders for men  (from 1 Cor 16:13-14):

Be on your guard
stand firm in the faith
be courageous
be strong.
Do everything in love.

How's that Bible Reading Plan Going?

Time for a check-in -- how are you doing with your Bible reading plan?  If you dropped the habit, today is the day to restart.  Don't worry about yesterday.  Just restart today.  It's been said of Marines that they get knocked down six times and get up seven.  Be like that!

This Echo Chamber May Be Dangerous

We have MANY channels and sources for news and commentary now -- let's talk about the good and potentially bad aspects of this.

As a kid you could get your news on TV from three networks (where I grew up, only two, because the antenna wasn't that good).  There were only a couple of options for newspapers in any region.  Radio stations didn't carry a lot of news.  Someone else pretty much dictated what you saw and heard.

With blogs, websites, multiple news channels and their derivatives available on cable and radio, almost every newspaper is online, even automated news aggregators from multiple sources -- there are millions of sources and avenues to get news and commentary, from every conceivable perspective and worldview. 

The plus side of this is that you are limited by what a few people decide is newsworthy, or how they choose to present it.  You can gain access to multiple perspectives on the same events, and get a more complete picture of what's going on...if you choose to.

The downside is that if you aren't diligent, you can spend hours daily in a news stream and never hear or read something that contradicts your preferred perspective. It's been said of several presidents "How did he get elected?  No one I know voted for him!" 

I believe it's important for you, men, because you are leaders in your families, to be well-informed and work with multiple perspectives.  That takes some energy, some discipline.  This situation is only going to get more complicated in the future, so it is important to train your children about these things. 

Ground everything in reliable Scripture, and be discerning, but don't limit your intake to one preferred perspective. 

"There's a Signal In This Home Somewhere"

A little humor -- with a point -- for Monday morning.

We Don't Get to Rebuke the Lord

(This is from a short devotion I led recently. -- Glenn)

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.


28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Matthew 16:21-28

Observations to apply in our lives:

• We don’t get to rebuke the Lord. We don’t get to say “No, Lord.”

• Geographic orientation – don’t get between me and my destination (Jerusalem)

• Personal orientation – we are to follow Jesus

• Top of mind concerns should be the concerns of God

• May we be small or non-existent stumbling blocks to Jesus!

Future of Business Models

I've spent considerable time in the past two years studying and thinking about the future of business models, managing, product value, gathering communities, and leadership.

I watch a lot of men looking backwards with nostalgia for how it use to be.  Those days are gone, and they aren't coming back again.

It's important to think clearly and courageously about moving forward, and especially about helping our children move forward into the future economic realities.  So I encourage you to watch this short video and start considering these ideas.

Exclusive interview with Seth Godin from GiANT Impact on Vimeo.

Teach Your Girls to Look for Men

It doesn't require more than cursory review of pop culture to conclude that we've moved to celebrating prolonged adolescence.  Consider how many popular music and TV and sports figures are 25-35 years old but acting like irresponsible teenagers. 

I don't have a simple remedy, but here's a starting point, men: teach your your ladies what real men act like, what they say, how they handle themselves, how they take on responsibility -- and then encourage them to skip the goofy, immature, irresponsible "boys" of any chronological age. 

When boys see that young ladies are interested in men, they're much more likely to become men. 

Christians Actually Have Lower Divorce Rates

This article looks carefully at some data and concludes that -- contrary to what is often said -- American Christians who are serious about their faith actually have a lower divorce rate than secular marriages.

While encouraging, the rate remains too high!

I like what our senior pastor says: "There are only two kinds of marriages: those being worked on, and those that aren't."

Interesting Sign of the Times

Things My Grandfathers Said

My two grandfathers were very different men, and I loved them both dearly. As a boy I treasured time with them, looked up to them, paid attention to what they said – which was often surprising. Here are a few things I heard them say that made a deep impression on me. I won’t distinguish which grandfather said what, because that’s not important to a general audience. But I write in hopes my grandfathers will inspire you, and also to encourage men to be good teaching grandfathers for future generations.

One time I was watching my grandfather pruning rose bushes. I was startled at how much he cut them back! “If you ask the rose bushes, they don’t like to be pruned,” he replied.

“Don’t argue with idiots. They like it too much.” I probably should have followed this advice more frequently in my life.

I could tie my shoelaces as a youngster, but my shoes were often loose enough to come off my feet. My strategy was to keep tying more knots in the laces until I didn’t have any shoelace left to work with. My grandfather said to me, “Glenn, if the first knot isn’t tight, it doesn’t matter how many more knots you tie on top.” I’ve found a lot of ways to apply that insight over the years!

A simple framework for determining what’s wrong: “Don’t do things that make the devil happy.”

Whenever I expressed that I was a little tired of working on a chore, I heard my grandfather’s classic response was classic: “The work isn’t done yet.” Learning about the rhythm of work is more caught than taught.

When I rationalized that he cut wood better because he had a sharper axe: "It's the workman, not the tool."  Even at age 15 I knew he was right. 

“Every driver thinks they’re above average.” One of my earliest insights into the fact that self-perception is unreliable.

“You have a belly button, Glenn, so you’re entitled to your opinion. That’s about all you’re entitled to.” Needless to say, my grandfather was not keen on entitlement programs and people who thought they deserved this or that.

Commentary on a local figure who was caught in adultery: “He threw a lot away for a few minutes of fun with a zip at the end. A man does well to keep his pants on.”

One time I asked my grandfather why he shaved in the morning and the evening before bed. He just looked at me, smiled, and continued shaving. (It was several years before I figured this one out!)

Sometimes these men showed ignorance or stereotyping. Here’s an example: “Those foreigners have a different word for everything. If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it’s good enough for me!” I suspect my grandfather was a little surprised in heaven to find that blue-eyed English-speaking Caucasians were the minority population in heaven. He was convinced that Jesus spoke King James English, and that the apostles switched to the red ink quill when recording his words.

What did you learn from your grandfathers?

Colin Powell's 13 Rules of Leadership

Worth pondering, and then discussing with your older children. Make every effort to help them become leaders! (That includes modeling it.)

COLIN POWELL’S 13 RULES OF LEADERSHIP

1. It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
2. Get mad, then get over it.
3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that, when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
4. It can be done!
5. Be careful what you choose, you may get it.
6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
7. You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
8. Check small things.
9. Share credit.
10. Remain calm. Be kind.
11. Have a vision. Be demanding.
12. Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

Insights on Idolatry

"Shining Like the Sun"

This is pretty cool! A few thoughts, as a comparison with we as believers:

The power is from the Son, not from us.
The power is focused as there are more of us working in concert and unity.
The power is focused at a close-by focal point. We need to be close to the not-yet believers to have intense effect.

Who Can Speak Into Your Chest?

Guys, here's an important question: how many men have permission to speak into your chest, and really get to you?

[Go ahead, think about it. I'll wait a moment.]

There's no "right" number, but you need these men. You need them desperately! Cultivate these kinds of relationships. Learn from their experiences. Consider their counsel carefully. You aren't the first person to have faced difficulties.

Take note: these guys don't all have to be alive. There are wonderful books and journals from men of old that can inform and guide and challenge you.

Got a sense of something that needs more attention here? What will you do about that?

Lessons from Ben Franklin

I highly recommend this Orrin Woodward article, "Ben Franklin's Passive Income Stream," for three reasons:

1. He describes a little-told aspect of Ben Franklin's success -- franchising printing operations to provide him income and freedom to work on other things.
2. Franklin wasn't lazy, but very disciplined as a young man. This is worth talking about with our children.
3. It inspires thoughts about what you could do with your time if you had passive income? Franklin worked on an amazing array of interests and service. You can do this, too!

By the way, if you're interested in Leadership Development, you can do a lot worse than paying attention to Orrin Woodward.

Football Trick Shots

Change of pace -- I'm not a football fanatic or anything, but these trick shots are fun!

“By the grace of God I am what I am”

From John Newton:

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I am not what I ought to be.
Ah! how imperfect and deficient.

Not what I might be,
considering my privileges and opportunities.

Not what I wish to be.
God, who knows my heart, knows I wish to be like him.

I am not what I hope to be;
ere long to drop this clay tabernacle, to be like him and see him as He is.

Not what I once was,
a child of sin, and slave of the devil.

Thought not all these,

not what I ought to be,
not what I might be,
not what I wish or hope to be, and
not what once was,

I think I can truly say with the apostle,

“By the grace of God I am what I am.”

Fortitude With Our Faith

Two powerful phrases in Daniel have stuck out to me recently:

“But Daniel resolved…” (Daniel 1:8)
“But even if He does not [deliver us]…” (Daniel 3:18)

We learn from Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to exhibit fortitude with our faith in God. We’re to speak of this even to not-yet believers!

As leaders we’re called-upon to model this fortitude and faith to others, and foster it amongst those in our sphere of influence. (“Example isn’t the main way to influence others, it’s the only way.”) This is particularly true for our boys and young men. “The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.” (Prov. 20:29)

We need to model this as Jesus did – toughness and tenderness, boldness and gentleness. Strength, assurance, confidence – all under self-control.

The best avenue to living with this kind of fortitude and faith is to enlarge our view of what God is doing, both now and in the future. Small men choose to focus on goofy, little stuff – we’re not called to be small men, but great and godly men. As the hymn says,

“Rise up, O Men of God! Have done with lesser things.
Give heart and hands and voice to serve the King of Kings!”

Worth memorizing:

“But Daniel resolved…” (Daniel 1:8)
“But even if He does not [deliver us]…” (Daniel 3:18)

Reagan's 1964 Speech

Great speech -- amazingly timely.

Why Don't They Watch TV on TV?

Typical American families have televisions turned on many hours each day (there are various numbers). Here's a question to ponder:

Why do you seldom see the people in television programs sitting around watching TV?

Teach Your Boys to Shovel the Driveway

Tim Challies had a good dad that we need to emulate:

"I remember being a rebellious, listless teenager. I remember how little I wanted to do much of anything for anyone else. I remember our elderly next-door neighbor had a heart attack and was unable to do any strenuous labor. We had a good snowfall one day and I was enjoying the day in the refuge of my basement bedroom, lying across my bed reading a book and listening to some music. My father came down and told me in no uncertain terms that I was to go upstairs, get my winter gear on and get outside to shovel the neighbor’s driveway. He gave me a figurative (and perhaps literal—my memory is a little hazy) kick in the rear-end and sent me on my way. I went outside and there was my neighbor’s wife, shoveling the drive. I pitched in and soon had it cleared. The lesson has stuck.

"Dad had high expectations of me, but reasonable, biblical ones. He wanted me to be active and proactive in service to others; he wanted me to be looking for opportunities to serve and for opportunities to serve as a man serves; he wanted me to use my growing (and now diminishing) strength to serve other people.

"I have a boy of my own now and I can see that some of what was in me is in him. He is a good kid, a kind soul. Yet he is sometimes as reluctant to serve as I was when I was young. I am seeking to teach him that he is to use his strength, his ability to serve others and especially to serve those who are weaker or less able than he is. It will not be long before my son is stronger than my wife. Already when they goof around together I can see that she does not have a whole lot on him. What becomes of a mom when she has children who are bigger than she is, stronger than she is, and yet with so little maturity, so little restraint? What happens when there is no one to mentor the boy, to teach him that his strength must be used to serve others?

"This is a lesson a father needs to pass to his son. It’s a lesson that no one has taught to so many of the boys who live around me. A little while ago I saw a mother struggling with a load of groceries while her boys pushed past one another and past her to get into the house. I stopped them and told them to get back to the car to help their mother. They looked at me blankly and walked into their house, mumbling an excuse. Mom struggled down the walkway she had shoveled with the groceries she was forced to carry. Dad is long gone. There is no one to give these boys the good, swift kick to the posterior that would get them acting like men."

What are you doing to teach your boys (and helping to teach all boys in your sphere of influence) to shovel the driveway, mow the yard, carry groceries, do the heavy lifting, etc?

My Needs, Her Needs

This one is for you married guys...or guys who want to be married someday.

Lot of wisdom in this article: "Mine are Needs! Yours are Nice-to-haves!"

Print it off, read it twice, mark it up.

Important Valentine's Day Tip

Intentional Parenting

I highly recommend this book from Cruciform Press: Intentional Parenting. Terrific for dads. Inexpensive, and you can get it in multiple formats.

From the description:

"There are literally thousands of books available on how to live various aspects of the Christian life. Of these, at least a couple of dozen pertaining to family life and child training are well worth reading.

This is not one of those books.

This book is designed to help you take those other books, as well as all the sermons, teachings, and exhortations you have received on child training and leadership in the home, and make sense of it all.

Pastor Tad Thompson has assembled a biblical approach to effective family discipleship. Let him share it with you in this clear, encouraging, accessible book.

This is not another book of tactics and techniques. It is a book of strategy for parents who want to be intentional about discipleship in the home."

Interested? Get the Table of Contents and an excerpt free here.

Learning from a Dog Named Life

Even non-dog lovers will appreciate this story of Zoe, "A Dog Named Life."

Dads, there are good reminders for us in this story of redemption.

For Math and Biology Wonks

Let us celebrate and praise the sheer elegance of God's creation, right down to the mathematics of DNA!

Privacy in Plain Sight

The people who have the most to fear by sharing information online are not disciples of Jesus. Christians can live exactly the kind of life that can tolerate public scrutiny better than any other. Let's look at why:

• Your yes is yes, and your no is no. (Matthew 5:37)
  
• You speak the truth, and speak it in love. (Ephesians 4:15)
  
• You build others up, not tear them down. (Ephesians 4:29)
  
• You guard that which is precious about people, because they are made in the image of God.
• You don't give in to temptations.
• Your motives are pure, and rooted in love, even if you are sometimes misunderstood.
• Your words and actions glorify God.
• Your suffering (and we all do/will suffer) is under the loving hands of our Sovereign God.
• You are as shrewd as a snake and as innocent as a dove (Matthew 10:16)
  

Yes, I know you don't live up to these standards -- and neither do I. But this is what Christ-in-us looks like.

Live, speak, and write for the King -- and you need not fear public scrutiny.

Three Step Mentoring

We desperately need to mentor those coming along beside and behind us! I'm saying that selfishly, guys -- you and I need to mentor others, because it's the key to our own continued growth and learning. And it's God's design for training and developing others.

As I encourage men to mentor others, I find that often people get hung because they make it complicated and formal. To get you past this, I recommend this approach from Mac Lake:

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Three Easy Steps for Mentoring

EXPLORE – The first thing you want to do is get your mentee to THINK about a specific leadership skill or principle. You can do this by giving them something to read, watch, research or listen to. Give them some time to explore and think about the material you’ve given them.
EXPERIENCE – Next you want the mentee to TRY it. Just reading about a leadership principle doesn’t mean you really get it. We learn best by putting something into practice. So take one of the leadership principles they learned from their reading or listening (Explore) and give them a challenging assignment that will give them the opportunity to put that prnciple into practice.
EVALUATE – Finally you want the mentee to TALK about their experience. Once they have tried the new skill they need the opportunity to discuss how it felt, how it went, what they learned. Ask them questions like: What did you do well? What would you do differently? What kind of response did you get from others? What did you learn from the experience?

This process is so powerful because it’s more than dispensing information, it actually produces transformation.

EXPLORE + EXPERIENCE + EVALUATE = TRANSFORMATION

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Try it!

Butchering English

Words do have meaning, and are important. I often feel great empathy for my friends from other countries who struggle to understand our English. This guy points out that we really need to laugh at our inconsistencies!

Ending Self-Inflicted Castration

Long ago a man told me that my mission would be to "speak into the chests of other men and stir their hearts."

That's what Orrin Woodward does in this talk. An excerpt:

"So many men, checked out of their marriages, checked out on their children, complete the dismal triple crown by checking out of leadership. You cannot be a bum in one area of your life, while being a star in another. Either, leadership will grow all areas, or lack of leadership, will stunt them. Men must lead their homes, learning the principles of leadership necessary to serve within society. Because of our warped understanding of leadership, many assume leadership means dictatorship, but nothing could be further from the truth. Leadership is based upon servanthood, a willingness to serve others, while holding the bar high on themselves and the community. When a man gets the leadership right in his home, he can then step forward to lead in his community, having the confidence engendered by a stable home. In order to have men to lead in the homes and society, we must raise up a group of leaders, who accept responsibility. Males must stop hiding from Goliath, instead, stepping forward to conquer Goliath, moving on to their God given destiny. We have plenty of males, but not enough true men. As C. S. Lewis wrote in his classic chapter in Abolition of Man, called Men Without Chest, “We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful.”

A vital part in the resurgence of North America, is the restoration of American manhood, ending the self-inflicted castration of the male. True servant leadership, based upon character, courage, and convictions, are still alive in a remnant of men. This remnant has hibernated long enough. The year 2011, is a call to arms for that remnant. We can no longer remain inactive. We can no longer allow our wives and children to be damaged by our lack of leadership. We can no longer pass the buck. It’s time to step to the plate. This is the year, the year that millions of males became men."

-=-=-=-=-
Read the whole thing. Let is stir your heart!

Boys Adrift

Tim Challies' review of the book "Boys Adrift" is well-worth your time. Certainly gives me much to ponder.

Steps Away from Internet Distractions

Men, we’re vulnerable to distractions and the Internet fuels many of them.

So here is a tool you might consider: Freedom. It works for either Mac or PC, and – for the number of minutes you specify – blocks access to the Internet from that machine. Bingo, there go some of the distractions. $10. This could really help your productivity and keep you (or some members of your family) out of trouble.

Anti-Social is a Mac-only app that blocks access to social media sites, but not everything on the Internet. $15.

Train Yourself to Ask These Questions

My mind is very active, frequently wandering off to unhealthy places. I've developed some thought questions and reminders to help me stay on track:

"Does this thought make Satan happy, or God?"

"I am not my own, I was bought at a price, for His purpose."

"Does that whisper sound like something God would say? Or someone else?"

"Being tired is never an excuse or rationalization."

"And if that was the lead story on the local news...?"

"There is nothing anonymous in this universe."

"Backbone!"

"I am commanded not to fear but to put my trust in God."

What's on your list?

Husbands, Protect Your Wife!

Sad Anniversary

Today is the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade...

More prayer needed!

Changing Educational Paradigms

Dads, this is a challenging/shocking video -- brilliantly presented -- sobering content. We need to be thinking about how we educate our children, and the consequences of the systems we accept as "normal." I'm not advocating everyone switch to homeschooling, or that public schooling is all bad. I am advocating we think about what's going on, trendlines, what data tells us, and the responsibilities we have as dads to help children (and not just our own children).

Parenting by Prepared Spontaneity

I really appreciate this insight from Paul David Tripp on parenting:

“Parenting is all about living by the principle of prepared spontaneity. You don’t really know what’s going to happen next. You don’t really know when you’ll have to enforce a command, intervene in an argument, confront a wrong, hold out for a better way, remind someone of a truth, call for forgiveness, lead someone to confession, point to Jesus, restore peace, hold someone accountable, explain a wisdom principle, give a hug of love, laugh in the face of adversity, help someone complete a task, mediate an argument, stop with someone and pray, assist someone to see his heart, or talk once again about what it means to live together in a community of love.”

I believe part of the reason we get so tired at parenting and want to escape is because we prefer to believe the untruth that parenting can be done predictably, conveniently, and with ease.

A Different Way to Honor MLK

Today in the US we take time to remember Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here's a way to honor the man and the movement: [re]read Letter from a Birmingham Jail. It's not as widely known as some other texts, and is worth pondering.

And then take some time to ponder this: what injustices exist today in your sphere of influence? What can you do about this? How could you take this before the Lord in prayer?

Elijah, You, and the Power of God

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” (1 Kings 17:1, NIV)

That's how Elijah is introduced.

May I ask you a question: What do you know about Elijah?

How old was he?
Was he wealthy? Or poor?
Was he tall and handsome? Popular with others?
Was he a rebellious boy or a model son?
Did he come from a godly family or good pedigree?

Did he have sisters or brothers or cousins?

Was he married or single? Divorced? A widower, maybe?

What were his skills and talents? Did he have a trade?
What were his past experiences?
Was he an extrovert or an introvert?
Did he have a high IQ?

We simply aren't told. Because Elijah's past doesn't matter to God's ability to use him now.

Elijah is very intentionally presented to us as Everyman. Because it's not about Elijah, it's about God working through Elijah. In fact the name Elijah means "God is my Lord."

James reinforces this understanding as he calls people to pray:

The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't—not a drop for three and a half years. (James 5:16-17, The Message translation)

So I encourage you not to get hung up on your past. Don't let Satan whisper to you about your inadequacies and hypocrisies. (Of course you're inadequate! Of course you've been a hypocrite! It's not about you, it's about Jesus!) Be Elijah today for everyone in the sphere of influence that God has granted you, and pray confidently.

Reminder -- special day is coming

Husbands, quick reminder: Valentine's day is just a month away.

Any jerk can get a last minute gift. Take some time, be thoughtful, be a man.

15 Things

John Piper relates 15 things his father learned. Outstanding! Print this off, talk about it with your kids.

"Why Do You Blog?"

A friend recently asked me, "Why do you blog?"

Simple answer, echoing John Wesley: I write blog posts to myself; if others want to listen in, great.

Blogging is good personal discipline. It causes me to pray, "Lord, make me a large and clean conduit of your love and grace to others." I strongly believe that under the sovereignty of God these blog posts are useful for encouraging and building up others, including people I will never meet or who outlive me. Blogging also helps me overcome fears.

Be bold, be gentle.

Show Up. Work Hard.

Ok, husbands and fathers, check out this Seth Godin blog post (12/21/2010):

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Go to work on a regular basis.
Art is hard. Selling is hard. Writing is hard. Making a difference is hard.
When you're doing hard work, getting rejected, failing, working it out--this is a dumb time to make a situational decision about whether it's time for a nap or a day off or a coffee break.
Zig taught me this twenty years ago. Make your schedule before you start. Don't allow setbacks or blocks or anxiety to push you to say, "hey, maybe I should check my email for a while, or you know, I could use a nap." If you do that, the lizard brain is quickly trained to use that escape hatch again and again.
Isaac Asimov wrote and published 400 (!) books using this technique.
The first five years of my solo business, when the struggle seemed neverending, I never missed a day, never took a nap. (I also committed to ending the day at a certain time and not working on the weekends. It cuts both ways.)
In short: show up.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Now: apply this mentality to being the husband and father God calls you to be. Show up. Work hard. "Making a difference is hard."

Put the Seat Down

Wish I had this when I was engaged to my beloved...recommended, even if you've been married a while. Would be an excellent book to use with any pre-married man you are mentoring.

Put the Seat Down and Other Brilliant Insights for an Awesome First Year of Marriage

Disconnects?

Ponder this message:



Now, what might God be saying to you (ya-hum, YOU)?

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year, everyone! May God make His Name glorious in your life, and bless you.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

I'm noticing a pattern for myself:

I have so many things I want to do that I'm overwhelmed, and don't get very much of any of them completed. The temptation to "go do something else" (usually not as hard) is very strong.

(I thought I'd share it here in hopes it's a helpful observation for you.)

Here's a hypothesis: I feel the overwhelm because I lack confidence in my planning. I feel the overwhelm because of fears (looking foolish, getting into 'unsafe' territory, fear of failure, etc.). I feel...

Hey, maybe that's at the heart of the issue? I'm focusing too much on my feelings!

What about you?

Defining Spiritual Leadership

Excellent thoughts here from David Murray about spiritual leadership. I've recently been rereading Oswald Sanders' Spiritual Leadership and this hit home as well.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I like Joel Beeke's definition: "Spiritual leadership is moving people by biblical means, in dependency upon the Holy Spirit, to do God's will." Here's my own: "A Christian leader serves God and His people by exemplifying godly character and conduct; by communicating God's Word to everyone with wisdom and love; by excelling in vocational responsibilities; by uniting, equipping and inspiring God's people for worship and works of service; and by preparing them for eternal life." It's a bit of a mouthful and probably still doesn't cover all the bases. Let me expound it a little.

1. He serves God and His people
The Christian leader sees himself primarily as a servant not a ruler. And he is a servant of God first, then of His people.

2. He exemplifies godly character and conduct
The internal life comes first. Without a Christ-like core, everything else will eventually decay and rot. But character does issue in external conduct. Modeling holiness of life is perhaps the most powerful and yet most neglected element of spiritual leadership.

3. He communicates God's Word
Christian leaders read and study God's Word in order to communicate it wisely and lovingly to Christian and non-Christian alike, as opportunity arises. He is concerned to speak God's Word more than his own and to make sure all his own are consistent with God's.

4. He excels in vocational responsibilities
He does not over-spiritualize leadership by thinking that prayer and Bible study will cover a multitude of incompetencies and inefficiencies in everyday life. He recognizes his duty to be organized, to be efficient, to keep appointments, to prepare for meetings, to inspire trust and respect by wise financial stewardship, etc.

5. He unites, equips, and inspires God's people for worship
He unites God's people in thoughtful, orderly, reverent and Word-centered worship. But He also leads and directs worship so that it reaches and inspires the heart and the emotions. Like the Father, he wants worship to be full of Truth and Spirit.

6. He equips and inspires God's people for works of service
While prioritizing worship, he also teaches, trains, organizes, and enables God's people to serve Him, His Church, and His World as their talents and opportunities permit.

7. He prepares God's people for eternal life
Eternity is ever before him. However busy his life or his church's life, however much he and God's people serve here below, the spiritual leader is ever mindful that all this is all-too short preparation for the long world to come.

Source:

When Fathers Go to Church...

This study seems consistent with my observation -- when fathers attend church regularly, their adult children are much more likely to be regular worshippers.

Here's an excerpt:

"In short, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife’s devotions, only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular). If a father goes but irregularly to church, regardless of his wife’s devotion, between a half and two-thirds of their offspring will find themselves coming to church regularly or occasionally.

A non-practicing mother with a regular father will see a minimum of two-thirds of her children ending up at church. In contrast, a non-practicing father with a regular mother will see two-thirds of his children never darken the church door. If his wife is similarly negligent that figure rises to 80 percent!

The results are shocking, but they should not be surprising. They are about as politically incorrect as it is possible to be; but they simply confirm what psychologists, criminologists, educationalists, and traditional Christians know. You cannot buck the biology of the created order. Father’s influence, from the determination of a child’s sex by the implantation of his seed to the funerary rites surrounding his passing, is out of all proportion to his allotted, and severely diminished role, in Western liberal society."

Read the whole essay.

Merry Christmas!

Have a blessed day, everyone!

Fathers and Sons

The first part of this video is from the terrific film "Secondhand Lions"

Rerun: How I Use Blogs, Twitter, and Facebook to Encourage People

Except for using Hootsuite instead of SocialOoomph, this is still the way I encourage people through blogs and social media.

Kill Kids by Destroying Their Imagination

Haven't read it, but the theme sounds excellent. Dad's need to pay attention to these issues for our children and grandchildren.

TEN WAYS TO DESTROY THE IMAGINATION OF YOUR CHILD

Studying Books -- the New Old Mantra

New mantra for men: it's not enough to read. You must study.

I wrote earlier this week lamenting that men weren't readers. Ok. I'm not going to whine or cajole or plead. I will call you to a high standard, and challenge you to step up to your God-given responsibilities and challenges.

Simply passing your eyeballs over the pages of a book will not do. Invest yourself into books (that are worth it) and study, in order to strengthen your mind and thinking.

Some suggestions for study:

1. Select good book, challenging books -- the ones that help you become a better man, husband, father, leader.

2. Write the month and date you start reading a book inside the cover. You'll be amazed when you come back to books later and see how God brought that into your life at that time for a reason.

3. Read in 2 or 3 books at a time. You're less likely to get bored, and the cross-fertilization of ideas and disciplines will turbocharge your learning.

4. Write in your books. Really mark 'em up, make 'em yours. Studying means reading with pen in hand and interacting with the text.

5. Plan to pass along the best material you find, with an explanation of why you recommend it. This forces you to summarize the key ideas and place the book in the context of other books, topics, etc.

Study, men.

I have a whole course on learning faster, if you're interested.

3 Steps Forward -- Fit in Hard Thinking in Your Busy Schedule

I know you're scrambling, busy with MANY things going simultaneously. It's difficult to write, create, think clearly about complex problems, and complete projects.

Here's a three-step process towards being more fruitful (meaning, creating value for yourself and others):

1. Print off this article:
"Getting Creative Things Done: How to Fit Hard Thinking Into a Busy Schedule"

2. Read it, study it.

3. Get your calendar out and start implementing this strategy.

Start on step 1 now.

Lion Chaser's Manifesto

I have this on my bathroom mirror and read it regularly. I commend it to you!

Lion Chaser's Manifesto

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Grab life by the mane. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion.

(Mark Batterson)

Men, But Not Readers

"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the one who cant read them." - Mark Twain

Why is that so few men read books?

There are lists of recommended books (here's one from The "art of manliness" website -- takes a while to load all the pictures...hmmm... maybe that tells us something about men?).

Perhaps we're too easily distracted by things which are less work than reading.

Perhaps we think we've done all our reading in school.

Perhaps we're just lazy.

My counsel: buck the trends, be a man who reads.

Parenting: Preparation, Persistence, and Prayer

I recommend Rebecca Hagelin's short article, "The Myth of Experts." We dads (less so than moms) are inundated with how-to information on parenting from 'experts,' with the net effect that our confidence in how to parent is being rattled left and right.

An excerpt:
-=-=-=-=-=-

"It takes three basic stones to build the foundation for raising a child of character —preparation, persistence, and prayer.

First, prepare for the journey of raising a child (or if you are starting late, a teen) by having a vision for him or her. My young friend’s parenting confusion, like so many parents I hear from, stems from the dizzying number of child-rearing theories thrown at her that have one thing in common: mom isn’t good or smart enough to figure it out herself. The first step is simple: shut out the experts and focus on the kind of young woman you want your daughter to become. Keeping that vision in mind, it becomes much easier to know who should be shaping her heart and what type of relationships will give her life meaning. Our vision for the adults our children will become offers a coherent set of principles and values that will guide our childrearing.

Secondly, be persistent in holding onto that vision no matter what the culture throws at you. Part of never giving up means finding allies in the battle. Identify others you trust – mentors, if you will – who have been there before; and people in your faith group who will enforce what you are teaching at home. Surround yourself with people who understand that it is God who chose you to be the father of that particular son.

Third, but most importantly, pray for your child and for your own wisdom in parenting. A humble heart before our God opens our ears to hear His guidance. Pray for a heart that will love unconditionally—and then practice the virtues that express that love: generosity, patience, kindness, forgiveness."

If You Could Get Some Leadership Coaching...

I believe God is calling me to do more to develop the next generations of leaders. I'm curious for your input: if the best possible leadership coaching were available to you on an ongoing basis,

What would you learn more about?
How would you like to interact?
What would be different than your current situation?

Comment or email me, I'm very interested to hear your thoughts on this.

Don't Make This Choice

Men, I have a gut-level truth for you to process today:

We choose to procrastinate.

No one makes us procrastinate. No circumstances compel us to procrastinate. There's no one else to blame. We get to make choices in how to spend our time, our energy, and the focus of our thinking.

If you procrastinate, it's because you choose to.

Don't like it? Make a different choice.

A New Definition for M & M's

I recommend this talk about effective work, from Jason Fried. (And his book, Re-work.) Prepare to be jolted. You'll find a whole new definition for M & Ms.




Why do I post this on a blog for husbands and fathers? First, most of you are working in some environment where you experience interruptions. Second, you're in leadership roles -- and leaders need to always be thinking about effectiveness. Third, this might spark some thoughts about how you manage your family time and relationships.

How Jesus Dealt with Legalists Outside the Kingdom

One of the great persistent dangers for the Church is legalism. In several letters, Paul dealt with legalism inside the churches. Here let's look at a time when Jesus dealt with rabbinical legalism.

1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother' and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.”

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” (Matt 15:1-13, emphasis added)

This quote from Isaiah 19:13 is an excellent summary of legalism, isn't it?

8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.”

God wants our words to be authentic expression of love from our hearts, which are (through His power) close to Him. And we are not to teach "merely human rules," but the commandments of God.

Jesus commandment to the disciples is simple: "Leave them" (the ESV has it "Let them alone"). Don't seek them out for confrontation. Don't follow them. Don't participate with them, but leave them behind as we follow Jesus.

Please note that Jesus didn't go after the Pharisees unless they came to him first and confronted Him. He didn't campaign against them or seek them out. And I believe the disciples got the instruction clearly because we never see the disciples going after the rabbinical leaders to confront them.

(By the way, verse 12 has to be one of the funniest verses in the Bible.)

Comedy Break!

Three of my favorite skits all time!

Ignorarrogance

Add this new word to your vocabulary: ignorarrogance.

"ig·nor·ar·ro·gance: [ ig-ner-ar-uh-guhns] –noun– offensive display of superiority or self-importance due to one’s lack of knowledge, learning, information, etc.

•Arrogance is being 90% right and 100% certain.
•Ignorarrogance is being 90% oblivious and 100% certain."


HT: Alan Danielson

Happy Thanksgiving!

For my brothers and sisters in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! If you're not in the US, I hope that you, too, will take some time to express your gratitude to God today.

Leadship Trends

If you read this blog, you're probably in a leadership role -- family, church, community, workplace.

There are some very exciting trends in church and business leadership. I keep up with dozens of blogs on leadership and management and innovation, and read 2-3 books per week. I push myself to learn more so that I can be a better leader and help others more.

If you'd like to skip a lot of the books and blogs and get the executive summary, check out this Steve Denning article, The Death-- and Reinvention of Management. This has the gist of a whole bunch of recent books and blogs. I believe God is doing something wonderful in these days!

Keeping Up with Blogs

I'm occasionally asked how I keep up with so many blogs and authors. RSS feeds are wonderful things! Instead of me clicking through to a long list of websites, I set up the feed so that every time something new is available, it's provided to me at one place.

To do this you need an RSS feed reader tool. Google Reader works very well. Michael Hyatt wrote up a nice how-to article explaining how to set it up. Easy, free, effective!

Refresh Your Bible Reading Plan

This is the time of year when I have the highest likelihood of getting off my Bible reading plans.

So just a word of encouragement: rededicate yourself to this life-giving discipline of systematic reading, study, and meditation on God's Word.

Family Devotions Resource

Dads, this looks like a terrific resource for short family devotions. Comes well-recommended.

"I Will Pray For You"

We're pretty good at saying to one another "I will pray for you."

Let's be real: our batting average is poor. We say that much more than we do it. And since we know that about ourselves, at times when other people say this to us, we think "maybe."

But Jesus is our faithful advocate:

"Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." (Romans 8:34)

You can count in Jesus praying for you! This is a good way to encourage our own hearts and our families.

How Would You Caption This Video?

Africa is a BIG Continent!

I love maps. I have a big world map over my office desk and enjoy using it to ponder and pray. Many people fail to understand the size of the African continent -- check out this representation to help you get it!

Source

I Missed Reformation Day!

I completely forgot to blog about Reformation Day (Oct 30), but recommend this short video clip from the film Luther for your enjoyment. How would you handle yourself in this situation?



One more thing -- I rather doubt Luther spoke this quietly!

How Scientific News Gets Distorted

I've long been troubled by the poor reporting on scientific studies by various news outlets. There is far too much truth in this cartoon!

Books I Re-Read

I recently mentioned that some books are on my "re-read regularly" list, because they are so influential and deep that I continue to gain wisdom and insight from them over a period of years.

Here are some of those books (in no particular order) which I heartily recommend to you:

• Spiritual Leadership (J. Oswald Sanders)
• Life Together (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
• In Search of Guidance (Dallas Willard)
• A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (William Law)
• Celebration of Discipline (Richard Foster)
• Knowing God (J. Packer)
• With Christ in the School of Prayer (Andrew Murray)
• The Pursuit of God (A. W. Tozer)
• Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices (Thomas Brooks)
• Thoughts for Young Men (J. C. Ryle)

I honestly don't read a lot of fiction, but I do have two titles on my re-read list:

• The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R.Tolkien). I've read this every year since 1978.
• The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis). Great messages for children of all ages!

What's on your list?

Some Books You Read and Re-Read

There are a number of classic books that are worth reading, re-reading, devouring, and drawing upon again and again.

One of those books for me is Oswald Sander's Spiritual Leadership. If you check the Amazon review site you'll see why it's on the must-read list. If you haven't read this book, get it in your reading pile soon -- you'll be blessed. If you have, dust it off and find some new insights.

Next post: I'll share some more of my "re-read regularly" list. Some books have been very influential in my thinking at a critical point in time, but I don't go back to them. The ones I go back to are those which speak to me in new and refreshing ways as I get older and gain more experience.

Who Are You Mentoring?

Men, here's a short exercise for you: get a sheet of paper, and write down a list of younger men and peers that you are influencing. Who asks you questions? Who hangs around you? Whom do you help with projects, or just engage in conversation?

Two more questions:
(1) Whom do I need to invest in more?
(2) What can I do [today, or in the next week] to more intentionally mentor someone on this list?

Bonus question: What can I do to add more men to my list?

Operation World

Recommended resource: New version of Operation World (The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation).

Dad's, this is great for meal time with your family. Teach the family a little bit about new countries, and give them a world perspective.

Use Stories and Logic

If you want to influence people, you must use stories and logic. God has wired us to respond powerfully to stories, drama, hints, and discovery. But he also wants us to think wisely, including using logic carefully.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8

A Halloween Thought

I encourage you to develop strong convictions about "secular" holidays like Halloween. If you believe your family should not participate or celebrate, lead your family appropriately. If you don't object to sending your children around in costumes to "plunder the Egyptians" of their candy, lead your family appropriately.

One thought I had last night (which was the official "Beggar's Night" in our community): Many of the darkened Christian homes were missing opportunities to connect with neighbors and be seen as a warm, loving adult by the children.

Again, I know families that have strong no-Halloween convictions, and I respect that. I'm not going to break fellowship with them over a disputable matter like Halloween.

The Debt We Owe Hebrew Scribes

You will encounter people who are concerned about the authenticity of the Bible. There are many articles explaining why today's Bible accurately reflects the original texts. But this information from Parchment and Pen was new to me:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Tradition tells us the Hebrew people were meticulous copyists of Scripture. Scribes were so aware of their task they would go to great lengths to make sure their hand-written copy of Scripture was free from error. Hebrew scribes were bound to the following rules:

1. They could only use clean animal skins, both to write on, and even to bind manuscripts.
2. Each column of writing could have no less than forty-eight, and no more than sixty lines.
3. The ink must be black, and of a special recipe.
4. They must verbalize each word aloud while they were writing.
5. They must wipe the pen and wash their entire bodies every time before writing God’s name.
6. There must be a review within thirty days, and if as many as three pages required corrections, the entire manuscript had to be redone.
7. The letters, words, and paragraphs had to be counted, and the document became invalid if two letters touched each other. The middle paragraph, word and letter must correspond to those of the original document.
8. The documents could be stored only in sacred places (synagogues, etc.).

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Wow! He goes on to tell the story of some famous manuscripts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. Recommended! Let this information add to your confidence level!

One more thought to ponder: the scribes carefully copied everything over the centuries --even those things which probably made no sense to them at all.

I Hadn't Thought About Ironing Boards This Way

Of course many things we consider ordinary and natural wouldn't pass muster with today's mentality. The FDA would ban nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine consumption if these were new products.

Ready to Steer the World?

I love this little poem by Shel Silverstein:

God says to me with a kind of smile,
"Hey how would you like to be God awhile
And steer the world?"
"Okay," says I, "I'll give it a try.
Where do I set?
How much do I get?
What time is lunch?
When can I quit?"
"Gimme back that wheel," says God.
"I don't think you're quite ready yet."

One key thing we MUST work at, dads, is helping our families get past entitlement thinking. We don't deserve things. We are children of grace. We should seek and accept responsibilities without asking questions about "what's in it for me?" This is maturity.

And it must start with me and you.

Repost: What Fathers Should Teach Their Sons

What Fathers Should Teach Their Sons -- it's been amazing to see how this has been picked up by others and used. I trust it will be helpful to you, also.

Encouragement for Dads

For all you dads:

Stand firm.
Love deeply, and sacrificially.
The days are long, but the years are short.

God is doing important work in you and through you.

Beware the Me Monster!

Servant-Up!

You know that wonderful promise in Luke 17 where Jesus says "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed"? This devotion isn't about that. It's about what Jesus told his disciples right after that. Listen closely:

7"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' " (Luke 17:7-10)

These verses aren't covered in many sermons, I suspect, because they're…well…uncomfortable.
"Unworthy servants" and "only doing our duty"- that's how Jesus says we should realistically view ourselves.

But wait, perhaps you're thinking of that phrase we love to quote, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" That's what we are, right? Good and faithful, not unworthy.

Let's look at that Luke 19 passage again, carefully:

15"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. 16"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 17" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' (Luke 19:15-17)

The parallel passage is from Matthew 25:
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

Think carefully, now. There is no conflict between being unworthy and being a good servant. We are unworthy, because we don't deserve the grace that our Lord shows us by calling us to be servants. With His help (see John 15:5 - we don't do anything apart from Him), we accomplish amazing things, but they are simply our duty. We're following His commands.

There is a key message that we as individuals and we as a church need to hear in Luke 19:17: the reward for accomplishment for Christ is greater responsibility! "Take charge of ten cities" is a much larger responsibility than being a steward of a mina (which was about 3 months' wages).

As I have read and reread the New Testament I have noticed that there is something missing. No where does Jesus ever tell someone that their current level of service is fine and they can just coast, slide comfortably the rest of the way. Jesus recognizes good service and rewards it, but short of heaven we will continue to have increasing opportunities for service - which is the grand adventure of following Christ!

I believe God has already planned great things for us to accomplish in His strength and by His sovereign direction. (See Ephesians 2:10) God loves us far too much to let us sit on our past accomplishments, or wallow in our current state of sanctification. There are larger and greater steps that we will take to fulfill the Great Commission, our standing orders.

It's become popular today to challenge a person, saying "Man up!" My challenge to us is that we say - with joy, entering our Master's happiness, doing our duty - "Servant up!"

May God bless you, and bless us, for the glory of Jesus.

Leading to Change the Status Quo

If you're reading this God has put you in position to lead, to change the status quo, to create movements that change the world. There are some terrific insights in this 17 min video from Seth Godin. As you watch it think about your God-given talents and opportunities. (Bonus learning: study how Seth presents ideas and challenges -- this is not your typical boring PowerPoint!)



I recommend Seth's book on Tribes, too.

Three questions Seth poses for you:

1. Who are you upsetting? If you aren’t upsetting someone, you aren’t changing the status quo.
2. Who are you connecting? Connecting with other like minded people.
3. Who are you leading? Tribes are leadership led, not management led.

Defining Love -- a Child's Approach

We have a lot to learn from children! A group of children were once asked, "What does 'love' mean?" Listen to some of their answers:

Rebekah, 8, said, "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time—even when his hands got arthritis, too. That's love."
Billy, 4, said, "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Bobby, 7, says, "Love is what's in the room at Christmas, if you stop opening presents and listen."
Nikka, 6, says, "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with someone you hate."
Tommy, 6, says, "Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Cindy, 8, says, "During my piano recital, I was on a stage, and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me, and I saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. And I wasn't scared anymore."
Jessica, 8, says, "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot."

What would your kids say about love?


Source

How the Truth Sets You Free

Note: This is from a short devotion I did recently. I've been helping some people who are fond of quoting "the truth will set you free" understand the real context for that statement from Jesus -- Glenn

31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

33They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants[a] and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

34Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father."

39"Abraham is our father," they answered.

"If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would[c] do the things Abraham did. 40As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.

John 8:31-40 (NIV)

Putting “the truth will set you free” in its biblical context:

“to the Jews who believed him” (v31)

“if you hold to my teachings” (v31)

Those things come before: “THEN, you will know the truth” (v32)

Obedience issues!


They go back to their default state in v33: “we’re children of Abraham” (under the Abrahamic covenant)

Saying they have never been slaves is fantasy, revisionist history: They have been slaves – under Egypt, conquered by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, now effectively slaves under the Roman Empire. This is why they were eagerly anticipating a political Messiah!

But Jesus takes them to the real issue: slavery to sin in v34. One’s political situation is irrelevant to this heart issue.

There is no path to freedom apart from Christ (v36).

Abraham believed God (Genesis 15:6) – literally Abram Amen JHWH in the Hebrew.

Plenty of people in the world misunderstand the phrase “the truth will set you free.” Let’s help our congregation and the people in our sphere of influence to understand the real context of truth and freedom – centered in Christ.

Answering Pro-Choice Arguments about Abortion

Long-time readers of this blog know that I consistently advocate for clear and wise thinking. That's why I highly recommend you check out Stand to Reason's excellent blog post "Answer Every Defense for Abortion."

Smart, straightforward, clear, wise, and easy to put into practice. Recommended.

Boys and Reading and Videogames

Do your boys read books?

What books do they read?

Thomas Spence writes a nice column deploring the state of boys' reading. Except for homeschooled boys, they read much less (and less well) than girls. He provides a strong recommendation:

"The secret to raising boys who read, I submit, is pretty simple—keep electronic media, especially video games and recreational Internet, under control (that is to say, almost completely absent). Then fill your shelves with good books."

For most families, there will be some videogames and TV and Internet. In fact, it's important in a way to help your kids learn discipline around media while they are at home with you. Put serious limits on the videogames, and know what your boys are playing. Your boys will be better men because of it.

Dads, I know this is tough -- your kids love videogames, and they're addictive. Do not leave this discipline to mom. YOU have to be rigorous on it. And don't expect your boys to say, "Oh, thanks, Dad, saving me from my addictive tendencies towards videogames." I'm not writing this as a dad who always succeeded and did this right, either, ok? I know how challenging this is.

Make sure your boys have good books to read. Biographies of great men are good. History, written well, is captivating stuff. Challenging novels with deep characters in difficult places. These teach boys that life will be an adventure, and the difficulties are worth it.

I have another strong recommendation: make sure your kids see YOU reading books. Talk with your boys about what you're learning. The Bible should be first and foremost, but read other books as well.

If you have ideas on how to restrain videogame time, and good books to recommend, comment away to help us all.

Hanging from a Cable, Reaching Out to Save Lives

This event happened in Des Moines last year. A woman was caught in the backflow below a low dam. Construction workers were building a pedestrian bridge nearby, and quickly lowered one of their men from a crane on a steel cable down to her. He successfully rescued her from certain death, was hailed a hero, and the photographer won a Pulitzer. The only sad part of the story was that the woman's husband did not survive.

This is a great picture of how God is using you in rescue missions, reaching out to desperate, hurting, lonely people. We're safely secured by God's love, far stronger than any steel cable and chest harness, and can fearlessly reach out to those He has put in our sphere of influence. You and I are operating in God's rescue mission -- just yards and heartbeats from hell.

Let us be fearless! There is something far better than a Pulitzer in our future: to hear our Master say, "Well done!"

A 10 Question Devotion Opportunity

Perry Noble writes up a list of 10 Personal Growth Questions -- this would be a great devotion with your family, dad! (#9 hit me between the eyes!)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

#1 – Am I reading my Bible for information or transformation? (James 1:22-25)

#2 – Am I allowing people or circumstances to steal the joy that Jesus promised to me? (John 10:10)

#3 – Is there anything in my life that God is consistently dealing with that I am trying to ignore? (Ezekiel 14:1-5)

#4 – Who are the people in my life that God has placed around me for the purpose of me sharing Christ with them and/or inviting them to church? (II Corinthians 5:16-21)

#5 – Is there anyone I need to apologize to? (Ephesians 4:25:27)

#6 – Is there anyone I need to forgive? (Ephesians 4:32)

#7 – Is there a sin I need to confess to others and ask for help? (James 5:16)

#8 – Am I fully utilizing the gifts and abilities that God has blessed me with…or am I simply choosing to waste my life? (I Peter 4:10)

#9 – Do I know more lines from the movies that I love than verse from the Bible that I read? (Psalm 119:11)

#10 – Is there anything going on in my life privately that, if it became public, would cause me and/or the body of Christ to be embarrassed? (I John 1:9, James 5:16)

Managing Work and Home from...Home

I know a number of my readers are working from home. And nearly all of us need to use computers with Internet access for ministry, but we're easily distracted. I heartily recommend this article for some ideas: Take Back Your Free Time

I'm going to try setting up virtual desktops, for example -- I know about these, but didn't think to apply them this way!