Years ago, at a loan committee meeting, a colleague presented a loan request that looked excellent. The borrower appeared to have great excess collateral and a strong financial statement. I, like many others, was shocked when our CEO said, “Something doesn’t smell right. Let’s pass on this one.” Months later we learned another bank had made the loan and regretted ...
As many businesses rebuild from the pandemic, some are looking for new talented leaders. In Deuteronomy 1:13, God told Moses to select wise, discerning and experienced leaders. Today let’s focus on discernment. The original Hebrew word describes discerners as those who can separate mentally or distinguish different concepts or ideas. Some translations use the word “understanding.” Discerning people are gifted ...
When I was 25 years old, I started a faddish used car rental agency. Shortly after taking out a small business loan at 21% interest, unemployment skyrocketed to 13%. My business prospects became bleaker each month. As I was nearing the end of my loan proceeds and cash flow, I asked a friend for advice. When he encouraged me to ...
Prudence is not an inviting word. Perhaps that’s because most people connect the idea of “prudence” with being a “prude.” And yet, that connection couldn’t be further from the truth. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, prudence is “the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason, shrewdness in the management of affairs, the skill of good judgment ...
In 1968, Paul Ehrlich’s book, The Population Bomb, proclaimed that overpopulation was going to cause a worldwide famine. Ehrlich wrote, “By 1985 enough millions will have died to reduce the earth’s population to an acceptable level, like 1.5 billion people.” His urgings of mandatory population control resulted in millions of unborn and aborted babies. Despite Ehrlich’s flawed predictions, he still ...
In a Harvard Business Review article, Mike Erwin identified six reasons that can lead to poor decisions. Our final reason is analysis paralysis. In today’s Information Age, we don’t lack for information. More information typically leads to many taking longer to make decisions, especially if you want to have all the facts before making decisions. Since one Google search can ...
In Nehemiah 6, we obtain a glimpse into the amazing discernment of Nehemiah. In this series we’ve been discussing three elements that can be helpful for us to become more discerning. The Third Element is to Listen to the Holy Spirit. As followers of Jesus under the New Covenant we have a benefit that even Nehemiah didn’t have, the Holy ...
In Nehemiah 6, we discover Nehemiah’s remarkable discernment. In this series we’re discussing three elements to help us learn to be more discerning like Nehemiah. The first element was to know God’s Word. The second is Spiritual Maturity. Spiritual maturity requires us to not only know God’s Word, but also to grow more discerning through constant use and interaction with ...
In Nehemiah 6, we discover that Nehemiah was a leader with great discernment. In order to acquire discernment like Nehemiah, I believe there are three elements that may be helpful for us to consider in this series. The First is to Know God’s Word. In Nehemiah 6, the prophet Shemaiah was hired to lure Nehemiah inside the temple. But Nehemiah ...
In Nehemiah Chapter 6, Nehemiah’s enemies shifted their strategy from ridiculing and threatening the Jewish people to personal attacks on Nehemiah. On four occasions Sanballat tries unsuccessfully to lure Nehemiah into a trap. On one occasion Sanballat uses rumors and lies to try snaring Nehemiah, and next he hires prophets to deceive Nehemiah. Most men would have succumbed to at ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
