In I and Thou Martin Buber writes of the freedom each of us has to pursue our destiny. If you’re paying attention, the longer you live the better you understand the unique contribution you are. I say, “if you’re paying attention” because God is communicating. Those endeavors where you’ve had success, failure, frustration, satisfaction, the […]
Which Will? (part four) Read More »
We’re examining destiny. You have one. Waiting for you. As Buber says, you must pursue it with your whole being, not knowing where it waits. You have a ‘great will’ that wants to live a noble, heroic, God-honoring, and history-impacting life. And, you have a ‘little will’ that above all desires to: Look good. Feel
Which Will? (part three) Read More »
You have been called. By God. Not just to be good. And not to be religious. To be the ‘you’ God intended. To have the impact for which Christ has given you life. You’re destined. Which is to say, there’s a destination for you. A unique, God-honoring difference that you’re the ideal person to provide
Which Will? (part two) Read More »
We’re considering the importance of sustained commitment; commitment to vision borne of God though impossible to be actualized in the here and now. Our example is the Duomo di Firenze: an architect’s vision of a majestic cathedral with a dome so immense that it could not have been built when he conceived it. At 142
The Long View (part two) Read More »
We’re considering the idea that each of us is an invitation. We’re always inviting people toward us. They come for what we offer. Many times, we have no idea what that is. For the last four segments, I’ve invited you to examine what you invite, to decide if it’s what you want. If not, you
The Invitation (part five) Read More »
The concept we’re examining is being an invitation. Everyone you’ve ever met is an invitation. So are you. For pastors and Christian influencers it’s a great advantage to determine: what is the invitation that you will be, from now on. In other words, what do you intend to invite? The clearer you are, the more
The Invitation (part four) Read More »
Have you noticed that some people consistently attract what they don’t want? Maybe it’s true for you, too. It’s as if you’re wearing one of those sandwich boards — visible to others, but not to you. And, the distinction between what you invite and what you want may be subtle. Years ago I attended a
The Invitation (part one) Read More »
A friend challenged me once: “Kirk, you think you’re planting tomatoes, but you’re harvesting beets. And, when you don’t get tomatoes, you just work harder and harder planting and watering and fertilizing those same seeds. Beet seeds.” Derek wasn’t taking about vegetables; he was taking about my marriage. Unwilling to examine the seed I’d been
The Game You’re In (part four) Read More »
Look, I don’t mean to criticize pastors all the time. Many of my best friends are pastors. I’ve given my life to help pastors lead and live well. It’s just that most of what the Church does doesn’t have anything to do with what Christ’s followers are supposed to be about. It’s not that we’re
The Game You’re In (part three) Read More »
Last time I suggested that the “game” you’re in determines how you play in life. At the end, we considered two married couples. To shift the nature and quality of their relationship, both spouses need to examine the game they’re in, in the marriage as they’ve designed it. There are moments when we have little
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