People of the Promise

by Andy Wood on March 31, 2014

in Executing Your Plan, Five LV Laws, Insight, Life Currency, LV Cycle, Principle of Increase, Waiting

Leap of Faith

One of the most charming words in the English language is the word “promise.”  Do you realize that so much of what we experience, of what we know about God, of our spiritual maturity, and of our success or failure in the Christian life has something to do with how we respond to the promises of God? Check this out:

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God (2 Corinthians 7:1, NLT)

We do not want any of you to grow slack, but to follow the example of those who through sheer patient faith came to possess the promises (Hebrews 6:12, Phillips).

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires (2 Peter 1:4, NLT).

To put it simply, we are People of the Promise.  So let me get nosey a minute.  What are you trusting God to do today that only He can do?  Where is the evidence in your life that God is keeping His word to you?  What is there about your life that can only be explained by the faithfulness of a loving God?

The original card-carrier for People of the Promise was a man named Abraham.  And we can learn some things from his example.  [click to continue…]

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Before the Gaze of God

by Andy Wood on March 28, 2014

in Five LV Laws, Life Currency, LV Cycle, Principle of Freedom, Protecting Your Investment

Dark and Light

“For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light” (Mark 4:22).

It’s amazing how much we live with the quiet assumption that we can have secret lives.  There’s no such thing.  There are only those secrets that are known today, and those that are discovered later.

The illusion of secrecy springs from the illusion of control and avoidance of consequences.  I want to do what I want to do, without having to face the consequences of my actions should they be negative.  I also want to hold on to my insecurities my false beliefs – those things that keep me tethered to a fear of failure or a fear of rejection.

Good luck with that. [click to continue…]

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Six MORE Signs of a Life-Giving Leader

by Andy Wood on March 26, 2014

in Five LV Laws, Hoarders, Leadership, Life Currency, LV Alter-egos, Principle of Abundance

Leadership Light

In the last post I shared six signs of a leader who breathes life into organizations and followers, as opposed to those who have a way of sucking the life out of them.  Definitely worth a review if you missed it.  My guess is, you have probably experienced both types on a personal level, whether it’s in your workplace, your church, or your community.  We’ve certainly seen both types on a global or national scale as well.

What I’m more concerned about, however, is the leadership you show, even if you don’t think of yourself as a leader.  Everybody influences somebody, and you’re no exception.  And all of us can learn from the example of the ultimate life-giving leader, the Lord Jesus.  Here are six more signs of a life-giving leader. [click to continue…]

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Six Signs of a Life-Giving Leader

by Andy Wood on March 24, 2014

in Leadership, Life Currency

Firstborn

I didn’t know how to describe it at the time. I was only in the eighth grade, for crying out loud, and a “lost church member” at that.  But on that February day so long ago a new leader – a new pastor – showed up at my church.  And for the first time in my life a preacher held my attention throughout his message.

I didn’t know that the adults in the church had been argumentative and divisive.

I didn’t know that we had been through months of spiritual lethargy, coldness and conflict.

All I knew was that there was something completely different about this man, this preacher, who to this day I consider my pastor.  What I know now is that he was and is a life-giving leader.

Compare that to a Christmas card I received from a church a few years ago.  This church had also had a new leader come to town.  And the impact was just the opposite.  For months people on the staff of this megachurch had jumped ship at the first opportunity.  And those who remained were desperate to be the next.  I’ll never forget is the hollowed eyes and prisoner-of-war expressions on the faces of the staff and employees of this church – not just one or two, mind you, but the entire staff.  The message was clear:  Merry Christmas! Sweet Baby Jesus, get me outta here!

What I suspected then, and know now, was that this church was being led by a life-sucking leader.

Regardless of the venue – Church World, Business World, even Disney World – every person in a position of authority or leadership has a choice. You can be a life-giving leader or a life-sucking leader.  Life-giving leaders create energy, enthusiasm, passion, and loyalty.  They have a contagious way of infusing a sense of purpose, motivation, and confidence in those who follow them.

Life-sucking leaders?  Just the opposite. In their wake you’ll find dispirited, defeated, discouraged people, divided organizations, and a general spirit of fear or powerlessness.  What’s scary is that on the surface, many of these leaders and the organizations they front appear successful, at least for a season.

How can you tell the difference? How can you know to what degree you are a life-giving leader?  The best way I know is to turn to the ultimate life-giving leader – the Lord Jesus Himself.  Based on His impact and leadership, I have discovered twelve ways to recognize a life-giving leader when you see one.   Here are the first six. [click to continue…]

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To the Ends of the Earth

by Andy Wood on March 19, 2014

in Life Currency, Love

Leaning on Cross at Sunset

How alone would you stand against a threatening environment or a hostile world to embrace someone who doesn’t stand a chance against it?  I’ve met Someone who loves you like that. And He’d go to the ends of the earth to show it.

How patiently would you wait while shadows lengthen and sorrows deepen to hold someone who has nothing left to offer but brokenness and tears?  I’ve experienced Someone who loves you like that. And He’d go to the ends of the earth to show it. [click to continue…]

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A Day in the Life of a Boy

by Andy Wood on March 17, 2014

in 100 Words, Photos

To forge the skills of teamwork, timing, and synchronized face planting…

http://youtu.be/GcFCMYEUj_4

To turn the most ordinary of fixtures into an adventure in the making…

Boys in Dryer

[click to continue…]

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Crawling Over Your Failures

by Andy Wood on March 10, 2014

in Five LV Laws, Following Your Passion, Life Currency, Love, LV Cycle, Principle of Freedom

(Get Out of the Boat, Part 3)

Empty Boat

(Note: Today is a very special day for me. It was 40 years ago today that the Lord made it clear to a young high school sophomore’s heart that He had a call and gifts for vocational service for me. All I had asked for is clarity, and on this night He did that in no uncertain terms.  There are many things I wish I could have done differently in the last 40 years.  But if I had one thing I could say – one lesson learned that surpasses all others during this time – what follows is a pretty good expression of it.  Hope you enjoy…)

How long are you going to wear that?

How long are you going to treat that uniform as if it’s a tattoo?

How long are you going to assume that past results are a guarantee of future disappointment?

How long are you going to treat failure as if it is a person – namely you – and not an event?

How long will you believe that people who love Jesus never blow it?  And people who blow it could never love Jesus again?

How long – how long – will you assume that forgiveness couldn’t possibly mean restoration?

Maybe you’re the one who needs to get out of the boat. [click to continue…]

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That Once-in-a-Lifetime Kind of Day

by Andy Wood on March 7, 2014

in Ability, Enlarging Your Capacity, Five LV Laws, Hoarders, Life Currency, LV Alter-egos, LV Cycle, Principle of Increase

(Get Out of the Boat, Part 2)

Boat in storm

There’s a 92% chance that nobody will ever criticize you for playing it safe.

There’s an 11 out of 12 probability that when all hell’s breaking loose, it won’t be advisable for you to throw yourself headlong into something even more stressful.

There’s only an 8% likelihood the circumstances, life, people or even God would ever ask you to do something completely unprecedented, electrifyingly dangerous, or humanly impossible.

So you can probably just skip this post and resume your normal activities.

Unless…

Unless today’s that one-in-twelve – or once-in-a-lifetime – kind of day. [click to continue…]

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Get Out of the Boat!

by Andy Wood on March 5, 2014

in Five LV Laws, Following Your Passion, Insight, Life Currency, LV Cycle, Principle of Increase

(Part 1)

Abandoned Boat

There come those times in the life of every Christ follower when we are faced with a set of choices.  These aren’t salvation issues – far from it. But they are faith issues.  Growth issues.  Issues of maturity and usefulness and power.

One of those choices has to do with your strengths, or areas of confidence.  It has to do with whether you will acknowledge that even in the places where you’re an outright genius, God may have a better idea.  That maybe – just maybe – He’s even smarter than you are.

Another has to do with just the opposite – your areas of fear or insecurity.  Will you be willing to leave the predictable, the safe, and the orderly to do something completely unprecedented if Jesus calls you there?  Even if the people closest to you are telling you you’re a complete fool?

Still another has to do with having courage in the wake of failure.  Will you believe the testimony of grace that Jesus declares over you, or will you give failure the final say in your life?

It all comes down, friends, to what you do with your boat. [click to continue…]

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Into Eternity

by Andy Wood on March 3, 2014

in Executing Your Plan, Five LV Laws, Life Currency, Love, LV Cycle, Principle of Eternity

Advenure

To a world He referred to as dark, and to people He said were distressed and dispirited, like sheep without a shepherd (that’s you and me), the Son of God appeared on the scene, moving at what must have appeared to some at times to be the speed of light.  Unlike any preacher or prophet, rabbi or rabble-rouser they had seen before, He came with a different call – a different invitation.

“Join me,” He said. “Follow me.”

This was not a call for religious people to be more religious. It was not an invitation for unrighteous people to behave righteously.  The stakes were and are far higher than that.  The deep, abiding happiness He offers (“blessed” He called it) are an invitation to move from time Into Eternity. [click to continue…]

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