Tweet I have traveled a fair amount the last few weeks and I’ve been thankful for the opportunities to speak at various conferences and events. When I’m on the road,…
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Recently I was reposted my parenting model I’ve called “Grace Parenting”. You can read the article HERE.
One of the principles in my model is to Major on the Majors, Not on the Minors and I stated that there are certain non-negotiables I think a parent should enforce in their parenting. A reader commented on the post, asking, “What are the non-negotiables?”
Great question! For my family, these were mostly Biblical characteristics I wanted my boys to possess as adults, things most people would agree are a part of having a good, moral character.
Things such as:
There is one missing step that many teams forget…
You’ll find it in meetings…
In planning…
In goal-setting…
The missing step?
Asking “Who’s responsible?”
Who is the one person who will be help accountable for each task?
Many teams brainstorm wonderfully…
They come up with awesome plans…
But they never assign the person responsible…
For anything to be successful…
I see a growing interest in encouragement to sacrifice everything for the sake of the Gospel. I love that kind of passion. We see so many examples of it in Scripture and many are listed in the chronicles of faith in Hebrews Chapter 11. There have been a few times in my life where I’ve sensed a specific call to do something so drastic, so seemingly bizarre, so faith-stretching, that even thinking about those decisions today seems scary.
I wonder, however, if that expectation is unrealistic when applied to all of us at all times. Is it okay, should God allow it, to live a “normal” faith at times…to not feel like everything is on the line…but rather feel like you’re in a safe place…depending on a regular paycheck, in a steady job, with a healthy church…for example? Would that be considered okay and still be considered radical in your faith?
Just asking…
Recently I was reading John 7:1,
In an organizational setting, when little issues arise, I try to consider the bigger issue at stake. Not everything has a bigger context worth considering, but strategic leaders consistently consider if there is one.
For example, if a staff member makes an awkward, unusually negative comment during a meeting, I try to consider the bigger issue. Was he or she reflecting in the moment about something in their personal life, was the comment limited to the meeting, or is there something unspoken going on that could point to a bigger issue in the person’s life or the organization? I’ll most likely question this after the meeting.
If I receive criticism from someone I trust, is it limited to the matter being criticized, or is there a bigger, unspoken issue of concern? I’ll always try to discern what isn’t clear.
As a leader, I have learned that I don’t always get the full story. As much as I try to lead around that fact, some are afraid of hurting my feelings, are intimidated, or just fearful of speaking up with their true feelings.
I discipline myself to question or consider:
Tweet I read recently that the creators of Google weren’t looking to create Google when they discovered the complex way of indexing pages. They were working on a research project…
Tweet Recently, I shared with Grace Community Church the purpose of the church. I’m not sure we always get it right. What do you think the purpose of the church…
Tweet This week I encountered several people living in the bondage of the law. They were beating themselves up for not being able to maintain every rule, many of which…
A recent college graduate from our church sent me an email recently. She’s struggled with her spiritual past. She became a believer early in life, got off track for a while, and now she’s on fire for God, Her dilemma is whether she lost her salvation during that time. She wonders what would have happened to her eternally had she died during her time of wandering. She wanted to know why I believe in eternal security.
I realize I’m stepping in dangerous territory with this discussion question. This issue divides people theologically as much as any other. Some of my closest believing friends would disagree with me here, believing that one can lose their salvation, but I believe in eternal security.
Here is my quick answer to my friend:
I’ve only made 7 bad decisions in my life…
Or something like that…
The problem is I’ve just multiplied the same bad decisions over and over again..
Here are my 7 bad decisions:
Someone needs to read this…
I sense it…
The Psalmist wrote:
Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?
(Psalm 77:7-9)
Have you ever felt like this before?
I have a basic policy…
I’ve held it almost as long as I’ve been in a management/leadership type of role…
If you come to me ready to resign…
Keep reading…
There are some things we can’t change and some things we can. Learning the difference and adjusting accordingly is in large part one of the secret’s of a happy life. Let me list a few and you’ll see what I mean.
My friend Casey Graham is a game changer. When he passionate about something, he doesn’t just talk about it, he does something. This past week, Casey’s home state of Alabama was devastated by one of the worst tornado disasters in history. Â Knowing that in any disaster, the greatest need is always money. Money allows the team on the ground to do what is necessary to address the greatest needs. In just 24 hours, this effort has raised over $75,000. Â You can read more about it HERE. Casey is working through Cross Point Church in Decatur, Alabama.
Casey has set up a leadership team to oversee this process. He’s asked me to be a part of that team. You can read about that HERE.
He’s challenging churches and others to be a part. Read the latest challenge HERE.
There are many great efforts out there. Americans show their generosity during times like this. Casey is attempting to assist people without insurance or under insured. If you’d like to help, click HERE.
What other ways are people helping? Feel free to point people to those ways to support by leaving a comment.
Have you ever been curious about the 10 Commandments, specifically how we can implement them into our life today? A couple years ago, I wrote a series about each one.
Here’s a repost of all of them together: