Tag: Experiential Dynamics

The Bible says that wisdom is worth more than gold, and understanding worth more than silver (Prov. 16:16). David learned many wise lessons during his more than 20 years in music and worship-leading ministry and shares them here to encourage serious introspection.

Imagine the following scene. You take your car into a repair shop because it is not running well. After a thorough check your mechanic...

By definition, leaders have too many responsibilities on their plate. This is what distinguishes leaders from non-leaders – the ability to think it through...

What started as a romantic bike ride had become a small intimate adventure. I had inadvertently awed her with my relaxed trust in her steering. And boy did I reap the benefits, scoring big points with my new wife. Not a bad idea on your honeymoon.

Fall follows Summer, which follows Spring and time marches on just as God designed. He limited time for us in set hours in a day, and set days in a week. We think there are not enough hours in a day, but God knew before He created time how mankind would use it. Scott discusses some poignant points about time management, and notes that pride may be the greatest weakness regarding the use of our time.

Humans make dumb mistakes. With more than 33 years in ministry, Charles has committed his share of dumb mistakes, as have we all, without ill will or an evil heart. Even so, these mistakes are … well, just dumb.

Demands for our time seem to clamor endlessly. When was the last time you had a peaceful moment when you were not thinking about that next thing to do? Usually the decision to commit to too many things is because we can’t seem to say “no.” How do you say “no” in these busy times? Is “no” being selfish, or is “yes” being selfish when you do not have the time to do well the thing to which you said “yes?”

Transformation of a caterpillar into a gorgeous butterfly is biologically amazing. Transforming fishermen, shepherds, and tax collectors into mighty men of faith and leadership was the intentional act of Jesus. The results were obvious, turning the world upside down. Such should be the results of our own discipleship. God freely gives this ability of building leaders to anyone who will answer His call.

Just a little rain transforms an arid desert into a magnificent blooming garden. That rain changes the arid environment and draws life from dormant seeds. The same can happen when we face changes in our lives. Sam experienced not one, but four painful organizational changes in his 24 years with World Vision. He said, “I was laid off once, resigned once and ‘stormed out’ once.” Sam outlines some growing lessons from Psalm 37.

Trust is having strong conviction in the evidence of something, or agreeing the evidence is true. That is why no one trusts a bridge they can plainly see is broken. Building trust depends upon actions that are the evidence that a person is trustworthy. Here are ways leaders can ensure the trust bridges are strong and true within a team.

Demands for our time seem to clamor endlessly. When was the last time you had a peaceful moment when you were not thinking about that next thing to do? Usually the decision to commit to too many things is because we can’t seem to say “no.” How do you say “no” in these busy times? Is “no” being selfish, or is “yes” being selfish when you do not have the time to do well the thing to which you said “yes?”

Which kind of leader are you – a banana tree or a mango tree? There are those leaders who are like banana trees: everywhere they go, they replicate. They mentor others so that others can exercise their leadership abilities and their gifts, they open up conversations for others to join and give their opinion, and they are in the business of growing leaders. And there are leaders like the mango tree – they serve a great purpose, they are strong and persuasive, but emerging leaders don’t seem to grow as leaders under them.

In Revelation 3:8 God told the church at Philadelphia that He had set an open door before them even though they had “little power.” Many times God opens a door for leaders who doubt their leadership abilities. How could I be considered a leader or have anything to offer leaders? Julie had to do some rethinking about leadership and asks several important questions.

Sometimes, God will tell you to do things that make no sense in the short distance between your nose and the rocks of obstacles and defeats. Once in a while we can get a glimpse of the big picture and see how it makes perfect sense.

Wouldn’t it be great if life had a delete button? We could easily erase all of our mistakes. Then again, would it be so great? How would we experience the Father’s great love and mercy?

It is not a question of which way the wind blows. Theological education must be reconceived again and again in order for it to remain relevant and on the cutting edge. There are no magical solutions or formulas that give us the answers, but some pointers to spur the discussion are suggested here. Paul Cornelius argues for a reinvention that demands changes in how curriculum is viewed and developed.

Solomon told us that for everything there is a season. There are times that we need comforting, times that we need to comfort others, and times for growth when we are called to step out of our comfort zones. Kris describes what this means and the blessings God has in store for us when we do.

Learn how to turn a difficult situation into an empowering one through collaborative leading. Who says you should feel drained and defeated by the people you work with?