Wuss – weakling or wimp – Dictionary.com Unabridged, Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010. If you cannot bench press 1075 lbs., climb Mt. Everest without bottled oxygen, or score the decisive goal at the World Cup, some may refer to you as a “wuss.” The truth is, only a minority have actually pulled one of…
I love duct tape! My philosophy is “If you cannot fix it with duct tape…then throw it away.” Oh, and by the way, multi-colored duct tape is for sissies. I’ve been told it was created for heating/air condition vents but it did not work. So duct tape works on just about everything except what it was invented to do. I…
If my spiritual growth is more about “what I do” than “who I am,” I find myself in danger of becoming “weary in well doing!” When our Christianity is relegated to an event, it often grows sterile and perfunctory. Our goal should be to keep our spiritual lives fresh and our relationship with Jesus intimate. Working on the “inner man”…
What is the secret to living a powerful life? Fitness gurus would answer by telling us exercising and healthy eating, while motivational speakers assure us it is all about positive thinking. I support healthy eating and exercise (as long as it does not completely rule out French fries) but even adding a positive outlook on life may not produce the…
Leadership by nature can be demanding, time consuming, draining and stretching; and that’s on a good day. It takes a special type of person to love leadership enough to give this type of effort. Leaders don’t march to the beat of a different drummer; they are in an entirely different band. Usually people do not get selected for leadership because…
Matt’s eyes were huge as he entered the conference. The sea of youth leaders in one location exceeded his expectations. He felt confident this would be the place to discover the qualities of the "Perfect Leader for Student Ministry." The plan had been to interview enough student leaders in three days to build a profile of the “Perfect Leader.” His…
Authenticity is when who we really are matches the image we portray to others. “Esse guam videra,” means, “to be rather than to seem.” Look up the word authentic in a dictionary and you will find clarifiers like real, genuine, credible, dependable, faithful, reliable or trustworthy. The Bible uses some of the same words in reference to a steward’s (worker/leader)…
For over four decades I have studied the DNA of leadership. Yes, I have read books and attended seminars but primarily I have just closely watched as leaders did life. These leaders were intergenerational, representing multiple leadership styles, personalities, experiences and language groups. It is no coincidence they share some of the same “DNA” traits or that they are consistently…
Matt quickly realized not everyone in his Youth Ministry Philosophy 101 class shared the same burden for students. This became crystal clear as he sat sipping his latte with several new friends after class in the school coffee shop. The conversation concerning future ministry opportunities was enlightening. Steve, one of the more animated students in the class, began the conversation.…
One of the following scenarios may provide the key to understanding the struggle we all face with choices. Scenario #1: The P.O.W’s had been in captivity for months and were malnourished. Their hunger pains were so severe the roaches and rats freely roaming the prison cells were looked upon as delicacies. Scenario #2: Your favorite dessert is anything chocolate! Dinner…