morningstarmen

Every Father Needs to Know. Part 2 Work

One important part of raising up young adults who are ready to launch is helping them to understand both the value and purposes for work. Every human should make a contribution to the betterment of many. Every young adult should be fully mindful of the "fist in the water" principle. Place your fist in a bucket of water and pull it out. The water looks no different for the influence of  your fist. Leave the fist in the water for a very long time before pulling it out. Still looks the same. The water gives no evidence of your fist having ever been there. Arriving at the end of a life well lived should never place us in the position of the fist and the water. We want to know that in some or even many ways, people, places and things are noticeably different as the result of our extend presence.

We were created for relationship

In this first of a 6 part series entitled "Every Father Needs to Know" we'll explore one of the things every young adult should know before leaving home. We can sum it up with this single sentence: "Almost everything which you do in this life will be done with, for, or through other people".  Because that statement is both true and obvious, and because it passes careful scrutiny, it is one of a handful of things which are central to the success of any adult.  Let's dig deeper in this topic today.

Dad, You Should Know This!

This recording was made at the kick-off to the new fall series "Every Father Needs to Know". There are important ideas which every father should be thinking about.

Life Reset Part 1

Have you ever paused for a couple of minutes one day only to discover that you were going through the motions of life but without any clear purpose or reason? Have you ever been caught in a funk of daily life and been disappointed with the gap between who you wanted to be as a person and how you were living in the moments of life?  Today, we'll begin a new several part series in which we explore how that happens to all of us a Christ-Followers, and how we may be able to break out of those traps.

 

Wisdom & Leadership

Is great leadership a scarce commodity? Or are there other things at work which seem to undermine the potential effectiveness and accomplishments of those who lead in any area of life? If it possible that solid leadership would or could co-exist with large and complex problems?  If that could be true, then what does leadership really accomplish, or why does it not achieve the resolution of great dilemmas?

Let's consider why it might be possible for great leadership to be undermined. Let's also consider why problems may not vanish when confronted by a forceful leader with a great vision.

Opportunity and Opportunity Cost Part 1

What SHOULD I be doing? Whenever someone poses a question such as "What does God want me to do?", there is an underlying assumption. Whatever I'm doing right now, is something I'm either dissatisfied with or something which I am convinced doesn't really matter that much. First let me say that I'm very thankful for thousands of people who don't just stop doing what they're doing only because they feel it doesn't matter or because they don't like what they're doing. Much of civilized and advanced society would crumble in hours if there were not people out there doing the millions of essential things each day which make an advanced and inter-dependent society possible. Thank you all for doing what you do.

But no one in an "advanced" society should be perpetually consigned to an unfulfilled life. And no one should be segregated into corral of the "your life's work really doesn't matter" herd. So let's take a look - in two parts -  at discerning a direction for your life which is in alignment with God's larger and also individualized plans.

Keeping Your Most Important Teams Together

Effective teams are those that can stay together and produce the most good for the longest period of time. We all want to be part of great teams. Yet over time, we become jaded and cynical. We feign indifference. We become bitter. We doubt that great is possible. Let's look at what a team is and what it takes for a team to be great for the long haul.

One Man's Journey of Discovery

Wisdom. It's something we all want. It's certainly something that the Scriptures speak about frequently. With those thoughts as a backdrop, would it then be possible to find in the Scriptures human stories of growth in wisdom, discernment and understanding? Are there examples contained in the pages of the Bible which can reveal individual journeys toward wisdom?  Let's dig in and find out.

Understanding the process of Understanding...The Wisdom Supply-Chain

This week we'll break down the process of how general information becomes the material from which you make decisions about life and living. We'll see how those of us who feel the call to be influencers can better understand the process by which we all become wise. We'll also look at ways to evaluate where we struggle in living wisely and how to overcome those breaks in reason.  Sound confusing? It won't be once you jump into the process with us.

Why is Wisdom so hard to acquire and so long in the getting?

Ambition. When you read that word, what thoughts come to mind? How about desire? Any thoughts there? Today we'll explore how our personal pursuits of getting what we want can actually stand in the way of our acquiring wisdom. Sometimes we're least likely to hear or follow wisdom when we need it the most. There's another phrase we often hear. "Blind Ambition". We understand that to mean ambition which isn't tempered by reason. But could it also mean ambition which refuses to see wisdom? Let's take a closer look.