influence

God Thinks Long Term

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:3,4 Culture and civilization have always been greatly influenced by Christianity. Faith has been so important in art, education, humanity, and philosophy. And as Christians, we believe we will receive consideration for our deeds when we transition to eternity. Although most of us won’t ever be famous or experience public recognition, we will know the impact of our decisions when we stand before God. There are many of us who make significant sacrifices for others without receiving recognition or credit. Your admirable deeds may not have found an audience or weren’t photographed and posted on social media by anyone, but God saw you. There will be a

January 18, 2023 1 Comment

Your Best Life

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” – James 1:19,20 We need to move from being ego-driven people who are always first to judge or call people out, to becoming a listening, humble, and life-giving presence in the world. Of course, this can be a challenge when people are cruel, unfair, unkind, and rude. However, life in the Kingdom of God enables us to be a force of mercy and healing, even in an increasingly angry and hostile society. Our best life doesn’t come when we get really good at finding out what’s wrong with the world and pointing it out, but rather when we become the kind of people who are unoffendable, relaxed, and walking in the easy rhythms of grace. This

November 13, 2022 No Comments

Renewal and Restoration Bring Joy

“Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ ” – Nehemiah 8:10 Today I want to share the story of joy experienced in a season of restoration. The Book of Nehemiah, Chapter 8, tells the story of the Jewish people chosen by God to be a force of renewal, restoration, covenant life, joy, and love in a world swallowed up by evil. Unfortunately, during this time, society was experiencing child sacrifice, human violations, and slavery. God’s people were meant to bring freedom and exemplify God’s character. But because the influence of the world seduced them, they were punished by God and exiled to Babylon. After being exiled for 50-plus years, they returned to the Promised Land. Once the temple was

October 20, 2022 1 Comment

You are a Leader!

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” – Hebrews 13:7 Did you know that you are a leader? Regardless of whether or not leadership is implied in your title, if you are a Christian, you are called to lead. No matter where you are today and how insignificant you think your title is, because you are empowered by the Holy Spirit, you have influence! As we continue talking about our workplaces and how we handle professional relationships, my challenge to you is this: Don’t worry so much about the perfections or imperfections of your employer, but instead focus on transforming your organization’s culture one relationship at a time. Rather than trying to find a perfect boss or a workplace that’s known for being joyful and productive, work to cultivate the atmosphere you seek in

April 27, 2022 No Comments

Loftiness Doesn’t Equal Leadership

“Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.” – 1 Kings 16:33 No conversation about Jezebel (who we looked at yesterday) would be complete without an examination of Ahab, her husband, who turned out to be one of Israel’s most wicked kings. Though he ascended to power in the land that the Lord gave to His people as a sign of covenant love, his pride and arrogance led him down a path of corruption that ultimately impacted everyone under his rule. In spite of being given the title of “king,” his foolishness in allowing his wife to influence an entire nation by willfully promoting the worship of Baal proved that he was not suited for the job. He had a place of position but a total lack of wisdom.

February 27, 2022 No Comments

Guarding Against Bad Yeast

“‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them. ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.’” – Mark 8:15 There’s a Biblical principle that Jesus speaks about using the analogy of yeast, which is an agent that causes bread to rise. Interestingly, it only takes a small amount of this substance to spread through an entire batch of dough. In life, this speaks to the power of one person or spirit to affect an entire group, whether for better or worse. I think about the Old Testament figure of Jezebel, who was married to King Ahab, known to be Israel’s most evil ruler. Queen Jezebel was from Sidon, and when she moved to her new home, she brought with her the worship of two prominent idols – Baal and Asherah. Even worse, she began to train the Isrealites to worship these pagan gods, which represented child sacrifice, greed, and

February 26, 2022 1 Comment

A Blessing in the Desert

“Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.” – 1 Samuel 24:14,15 We discussed King David’s wilderness experience between the time he was called and the fulfillment of his anointing yesterday. Today, I want to share with you another significant life lesson gained by this young leader as he observed a great man collapse during the winter season. King Saul used to be a perfect model of a leader. He was Israel’s and Judah’s first king, and he witnessed the Hebrew nation grow from a tribe to a state. Yet, from a clever, noble, and fearless ruler, he deteriorated into a jealous, spiteful, and insane commander who spent years following a shepherd

January 20, 2022 No Comments

Lay Down Your Cross

“The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: ‘This one was born in Zion.’ As they make music they will sing, ‘All my fountains are in you.’” – Psalm 87:6,7 Are you aware that you are the ruler of your own personal kingdom? Every human being has a sphere of influence or an area where their will and power are exerted in a way that influences those around them for better or worse, as weird as that may sound. I have a “Bobby-dom,” and I am the ruler of my realm without supernatural intervention. I will make decisions that favor me and give me more power; I am inherently self-serving. This, I believe, is why Jesus’ thesis — the most important thing He spoke about — was the Kingdom of God. When He arrived, He brought the principles and characteristics of Heaven to earth, providing a far superior

January 6, 2022 No Comments

What Does it Mean to be a Leader?

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” – Hebrews 13:7 Do you consider yourself to be a leader? If you replied no, I urge you to reconsider your answer. It’s common to think of leaders as people who have been granted a job or a title that gives them control in a specific region or over a specific group. However, the truth is that all Christians are supposed to be leaders. How? In the same way that Jesus did, by serving others. Simply put, leadership is influence, and our objective as we plant ideas and deeds into the world is to make the Lord apparent to others so that they want to learn more about Him and receive His life into theirs. Our innate human drive to control is in direct opposition to servant

October 26, 2021 No Comments

The Salt of the Earth

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” – Matthew 5:13 What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? As we consider our response to this question, we can easily lose the significance of the analogy because we don’t understand the historical context. Unlike today, when salt is cheap and common, there was a time when it was considered precious and valuable. In fact, 800 years before Jesus, there was a town in Italy that had its own salt mine. Because that mine was so important, they built a road to it called the Via Salaria (which means view of salt), and it became the first in a network of roads that would ultimately comprise the Roman Empire, one

June 12, 2021 No Comments

God Thinks Long Term

Your Best Life

Renewal and Restoration Bring Joy

You are a Leader!

Loftiness Doesn’t Equal Leadership

Guarding Against Bad Yeast

A Blessing in the Desert

Lay Down Your Cross

What Does it Mean to be a Leader?

The Salt of the Earth

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