As a teenager, I worked on my uncle’s farm. In his small town there was a grocery store, a gas station, a lumber yard, a grain elevator, a restaurant, and three churches. This town only has 130 people now with no downtown businesses remaining. There is hope, however. My cousin breeds a specialty type of cattle and has leveraged ...
According to a Wall Street Journal expose, Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos, self-destructed and died from abusing drugs, while his team stood by and watched. After selling Zappos for more than $1 billion, Tony began paying a team of followers to help him pursue spiritual enlightenment and heavy drug use. Even though some family members attempted to intervene, Tony’s ...
A friend of mine recently expressed concern for the young adults who work for him. My friend’s business is seeing significant turnover as many young adults are giving up and moving home due to their COVID related anxiety and depression. A November 23rd National Center for Health Statistics study revealed that almost 50% of 18-29 year-olds are experiencing significant anxiety ...
In America, October frequently brings political or financial surprises! In October 2008 we hosted a large Christian business event in Dallas. During that week, the stock market collapsed! A room full of business leaders were anxious about the surprises awaiting them. Our wrap-up speaker, Henry Blackaby, wisely pivoted his scheduled message to provide a historical context of what God had ...
Our circumstances sometimes are so bleak that we can’t see the possibilities God has in mind for us. Moses told the Hebrew slaves that despite being in slavery for 400 years, God was about to release them. But Moses’ first attempt to reason with Pharaoh resulted in Pharaoh punishing the slaves by making their work even harder. The Israelites became ...
Nehemiah’s vision for rebuilding Jerusalem is only two verses long, but it identifies four elements helpful in casting vision to others. The fourth and final element is “sharing your reason for hope.” Nehemiah was a newcomer to Jerusalem tackling a project that had been tried multiple times over a period of 93 years unsuccessfully. Nehemiah, however, had great hope because ...
Dr. Evelyn Hill, a Kansas City, Kansas, school district board member, shared at a “Caring for Kids” banquet that most of her students are on public assistance. Dr. Hill has discovered that these students need what she calls IHOP; Individualized Hope from Other People. She encouraged the audience to share words of hope and encouragement with the children in their ...
One of Satan’s favorite tools is discouragement. If the enemy can deprive you of courage or hope, you’re more likely to quit God’s work. Nehemiah understood how to stand against Satan’s deception. His enemies tried ridicule, threats, and fear to stop his work on Jerusalem’s wall. Their attempt to rob him, and his people, of courage and hope was relentless, ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
