Episodes

When will you start living the BEST life? You have the ability, but will you start? Starting is 50 percent of any action. The 8 steps of 2 Peter 1:5-7 are your responsibility, no one else. God provides everything for you and it is now your choice to start your transformation. What is your decision - live the BEST life or not?

The ABUNDANT LIFE that Jesus talks about (John 10:10) is the same as the Apostle Peter talks about in 2 Peter 1. It is the motive for us to pursue transformation into the image of Christ. When Peter says "For this very reason..." (2 Peter 1:5), he refers back to the previous 4 verses. He tells us what we have been given; a precious faith like the apostles, all things for life and godliness, exceedingly great and precious promises, partake in the divine nature, and escape from corruption in this ...

If you are a child of God and you are trying to find the abundant life you have heard people talk about - STOP LOOKING! You ALREADY have it!! "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness..." (2 Peter 1:3). That is just like our PERFECT God - He does everything for us, yet we act and live as if He hasn't done anything for us.

So, slow yourself down and picture a life better than you have now. Make the picture as detailed as possible. Be honest with yourself about what you think is better. What do you see? What are you doing? What do you have? What are you thinking? How are you acting? Take your time to look at a vivid mental picture or video of your better life.

Leadership may not be that interesting to you right now, but remember, everyone leads in some area of their life. Since that is true, consider how to apply these promises to those leadership situations.

There is a POWERFUL (Separate) element, but the power is not from us, it is from God. He is the authority and He uses leaders as a channel of His authority. Just like God's power, leaders are to use power to free others, not control them. The power is used to serve others not be served. The RELATIONAL (Belonging) element of leadership is utilized when leaders rely on God's power, because that allows a leader to relate. You can be gentle and serving when you rely on God's power, but if you try to...

Leadership is not what you might think it is. Most people have the stereo-type of leaders needing to be "large and in charge". While some good leaders are that way, that is not what makes them good or even great (GR8!).

Yep, that's what I said. Your mind is geared for pictures more than words and, if you want to understand someone, really listen to them - turn their words into pictures. Yes, I understand that you still need to hear them, but the phrase "turn off the sound" gets you to focus more on what pictures you are seeing rather than trying to hear individual words.

Think about it, humility is the most underrated attribute, so it makes sense that humility would be tied to the most underrated skill. The formula for listening starts with a simple question, "Will I make this about them, and not about me?"

Good definitions make a big difference. When you read the definition of humility in a dictionary, it may help, but most likely not. So, let's use this simple 3 word definition - strength under control. That's often used to define "meek" and it's appropriate for "humble" also.

God allows us to participate in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3) and He is not only good, He is PERFECT! Everything that He does has no spot or blemish - even those times where we are struggling with pain and wondering how this can be best for us.

I remember back in the 1960's and '70's how a number of Christian writers and thinkers were pushing Jesus' command of "love your neighbor as yourself". You might be thinking, "That's great", but actually it wasn't. They were promoting the incorrect thinking that you needed to love yourself before you could love others.

Ever wondered what marriage was like when Paul wrote the classic letter to the Ephesian believers? How did "wives, submit to your own husband" and "husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church" sound to the women and men in Ephesus?

You might say, “God does not provide details on every thought or action of my life in His Word, so how can I know if a thought or action is self-absorbed or not?”

It's one or the other! If you are sensitive at all to the Holy Spirit, you will know which. AND, my speculation is 95% or more of the time, thoughts about "ME" are self-absorbed. (That's based on personal experience and I admit that I am probably more self-absorbed and self-sufficient than you.)

What we DO NOT DO has a profound impact on what happens. Consider what each of the four primary characters DID and DIDN'T DO at the time of the original sin in Genesis 3:1-14.

The first three chapters of Genesis provide the foundation for relationships and marriage. The design of men and women, the foundation of their design, their purpose, their roles, their judgments and the contract of marriage are all given to us in those three chapters.

When you make the Dictator mistake you may be blatantly trying to do things your way or you are a "good person up to no good". The second approach is seldom seen as bad, because you believe that if you are not the "Jr. Holy Spirit" in their life, they will never change or much worse they "will die lonely and sad", if you are not diligent in pointing out their bad behavior.

Go to the self-help section of a bookstore and you will find books promoting the "Actor" mistake. You will find authors stating, “If you want to win their heart you need to be someone they want. So if they like football, but you don’t, it’s time to become football fan.”

The past cripples relationships, because people do not live in reality about the past. What's the reality? The past is OVER! Even though it's over, it's still controlling the thoughts, actions and feelings of so many people. Consider how many countries, as well as individuals, are currently developing strategies, setting goals and taking actions, because of past events that have not been resolved!

Observe and describe this picture.Try it before reading further. Almost all people tell a story about the picture rather than observing and describing it. “A man is getting ready for an important meeting…” or something like that. Observing and describing is different - “A coat, tie, vest, hand, cuff, shirt, appears to be a watch, surface…” What drives the story telling behavior? Our minds can't stand not knowing something, so it is very common for us to "fill in the blanks" with an opinion, gues...

Our self-absorbed sin nature is the energy that causes our "ME" to flash. These "ME" flashing moments, days, months and even years, cripple relationships. This lifestyle is living in the Left Circle—reacting and responding, but not choosing to live wisely. It is a life driven by appetites, impulses and pleasures, because it is constantly asking "What's in it for ME?"

Autopilot for the sin nature leaves us living in the Left Circle—a React/Respond, Slave, Victim lifestyle. Life is an endless chain of events that we just react or respond to and then figure out what to do when life, circumstances and people "happen" to us.

The men's and women's judgments provide fuel for your "Flashing ME" moments. For the woman, her design is all about relating and now her judgment makes her closest relationships with her children and husband painful and unfulfilling. And, for the man, his design is about work and now his judgment makes his work painful and unfulfilling.