Phil Hardin

A Man Embraces Her Emotion! – Part II

philhardin — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:07:27 +0000

6/25/2009 - SERIES: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN: understanding the Beauty and Mystery of God through the women in your life

TOPIC: A Man will grow in his ability to embrace, contain, and hold her emotion - Part II

BIBLE VERSES

Genesis 2:21-25
God put the Man into a deep sleep. As he slept he removed one of his ribs and replaced it with flesh. God then used the rib that he had taken from the Man to make Woman and presented her to the Man.

The Man said,
“Finally! Bone of my bone,
flesh of my flesh!
Name her Woman
for she was made from Man.”
Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh.
The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame.

Romans 8:22-23
All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

BIBLE VERSES

Isaiah 47:8
Now, then, hear this, you sensual one, Who dwells securely, Who says in your heart, I am, and there is no one besides me I will not sit as a widow, Nor know loss of children.

Revelation 18:7
To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

Nell - Chapter 9 – Patient Observation

RESOURCES

For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

A Man Embraces Her Emotion

philhardin — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:47:20 +0000

6/18/2009 - SERIES: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN: understanding the Beauty and Mystery of God through the women in your life

TOPIC: A Man will grow in his ability to embrace, contain, and hold her emotion.

BIBLE VERSES

VIDEO CLIPS

Nell - I’m scared, She’s scared Chapter 3

RESOURCES

For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

When a Man Loves a Woman - He Acts Like a Man

philhardin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:43:34 +0000

Talk by John Nordan on 6-4-2009

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

A Man Knows the Keys to Her Heart!

philhardin — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:37:03 +0000

5/28/2009 - SERIES: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN: understanding the Beauty and Mystery of God through the women in your life

TOPIC: A Man is willing to grow in his knowledge and understanding of the keys to a woman’s heart.

BIBLE VERSES

Jeremiah 17:10
“The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.”

BIBLE VERSES

II Corinthians 13:5
Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won’t show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we’d rather the test showed our failure than yours. We’re rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn’t possibly do otherwise.

We don’t just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives.

Psalm 139:23-24
Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Proverbs 15:31-32
Listen to good advice if you want to live well, an honored guest among wise men and women. An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny; an obedient, God-willed life is spacious

I Peter 3:7
The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground.

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

Alive Day(HBO) http://www.hbo.com/aliveday/bios/davis.html

RESOURCES

For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

A Man will fight for her

philhardin — Fri, 22 May 2009 02:34:03 +0000

5/21/2009 - SERIES: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN: understanding the Beauty and Mystery of God through the women in your life

TOPIC: A Man will fight to allow her full beauty to be realized

BIBLE VERSES

Matthew 1:19
The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

BIBLE VERSES

Isaiah 61:3; 62:1,5; 63:1-4
To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness,
And her salvation like a torch that is burning.

For as a young man marries a virgin,
So your sons will marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.

Who is this who comes from Edom,
With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah,
This One who is majestic in His apparel,
Marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?
“I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And from the peoples there was no man with Me
I also trod them in My anger
And trampled them in My wrath;
And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I stained all My raiment.
“For the day of vengeance was in My heart,
And My year of redemption has come.

Song of Solomon 7:1,2; 6-8
How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
O prince’s daughter!
The curves of your hips are like jewels,
The work of the hands of an artist.

Your navel is like a round goblet
Which never lacks mixed wine;
Your belly is like a heap of wheat
Fenced about with lilies

“How beautiful and how delightful you are,
My love, with all your charms!
“Your stature is like a palm tree,
And your breasts are like its clusters.
“I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree,
I will take hold of its fruit stalks.’
Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
And the fragrance of your breath like apples,

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS
Alive Day: Crystal Davis (HBO) http://www.hbo.com/aliveday/bios/davis.html

RESOURCES

For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

A Weak Man Uses Her

philhardin — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:34:52 +0000

5/14/2009 - SERIES: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN - Understanding the Beauty and Mystery of God through the women in your life

TOPIC: A Weak Man Uses Her - A Weak Man will use a woman to get a feeling that he is a man

BIBLE VERSES

Genesis 38
About that time, Judah separated from his brothers and hooked up with a man in Adullam named Hirah. While there, Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua. He married her, they went to bed, she became pregnant and had a son named Er. She got pregnant again and had a son named Onan. She had still another son; she named this one Shelah. They were living at Kezib when she had him.

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn. Her name was Tamar. But Judah’s firstborn, Er, grievously offended God and God took his life.

So Judah told Onan, “Go and sleep with your brother’s widow; it’s the duty of a brother-in-law to keep your brother’s line alive.” But Onan knew that the child wouldn’t be his, so whenever he slept with his brother’s widow he spilled his semen on the ground so he wouldn’t produce a child for his brother. God was much offended by what he did and also took his life.

So Judah stepped in and told his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow at home with your father until my son Shelah grows up.” He was worried that Shelah would also end up dead, just like his brothers. So Tamar went to live with her father.

Time passed. Judah’s wife, Shua’s daughter, died. When the time of mourning was over, Judah with his friend Hirah of Adullam went to Timnah for the sheep shearing.

Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law has gone to Timnah to shear his sheep.” She took off her widow’s clothes, put on a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the road to Timnah. She realized by now that even though Shelah was grown up, she wasn’t going to be married to him.

Judah saw her and assumed she was a prostitute since she had veiled her face. He left the road and went over to her. He said, “Let me sleep with you.” He had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law.

She said, “What will you pay me?”

“I’ll send you,” he said, “a kid goat from the flock.”

She said, “Not unless you give me a pledge until you send it.”

“So what would you want in the way of a pledge?”

She said, “Your personal seal-and-cord and the staff you carry.”

He handed them over to her and slept with her. And she got pregnant.

She then left and went home. She removed her veil and put her widow’s clothes back on.

Judah sent the kid goat by his friend from Adullam to recover the pledge from the woman. But he couldn’t find her. He asked the men of that place, “Where’s the prostitute that used to sit by the road here near Enaim?”

They said, “There’s never been a prostitute here.”

He went back to Judah and said, “I couldn’t find her. The men there said there never has been a prostitute there.”

Judah said, “Let her have it then. If we keep looking, everyone will be poking fun at us. I kept my part of the bargain—I sent the kid goat but you couldn’t find her.”

Three months or so later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law has been playing the whore—and now she’s a pregnant whore.”

Judah yelled, “Get her out here. Burn her up!”

As they brought her out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, “I’m pregnant by the man who owns these things. Identify them, please. Who’s the owner of the seal-and-cord and the staff?”

Judah saw they were his. He said, “She’s in the right; I’m in the wrong— I wouldn’t let her marry my son Shelah.” He never slept with her again.

When her time came to give birth, it turned out that there were twins in her womb. As she was giving birth, one put his hand out; the midwife tied a red thread on his hand, saying, “This one came first.” But then he pulled it back and his brother came out. She said, “Oh! A breakout!” So she named him Perez (Breakout). Then his brother came out with the red thread on his hand. They named him Zerah (Bright).

BIBLE VERSES

James 1:12-18
Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.

So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

RESOURCES

For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

The WOW of a Woman!

philhardin — Sun, 10 May 2009 02:40:01 +0000

5/7/2009 - A Man truly understands the WOW of a woman

BIBLE VERSES

VIDEO CLIPS

How to Tell if You are NOT a Morning Person and Susan Boyle – April 11, 2009

RESOURCES

For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

Trust: The Results – A Life Fulfilled

philhardin — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:10:12 +0000

4/30/2009 - The results of a life lived in Trust will be a life fulfilled.

BIBLE VERSES

I Kings 18:3-19
Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah feared God—he was very devout. Earlier, when Jezebel had tried to kill off all the prophets of God, Obadiah had hidden away a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in a cave, and then supplied them with food and water.

Ahab ordered Obadiah, “Go through the country; locate every spring and every stream. Let’s see if we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules from dying.” So they divided the country between them for the search—Ahab went one way, Obadiah the other.

Obadiah went his way and suddenly there he was—Elijah! Obadiah fell on his knees, bowing in reverence, and exclaimed, “Is it really you—my master Elijah?”

“Yes,” said Elijah, “the real me. Now go and tell your boss, ‘I’ve seen Elijah.’”

Obadiah said, “But what have I done to deserve this? Ahab will kill me. As surely as your God lives, there isn’t a country or kingdom where my master hasn’t sent out search parties looking for you. And if they said, ‘We can’t find him; we’ve looked high and low,’ he would make that country or kingdom swear that you were not to be found. And now you’re telling me, ‘Go and tell your master Elijah’s found!’ The minute I leave you the Spirit of God will whisk you away to who knows where. Then when I report to Ahab, you’ll have disappeared and Ahab will kill me. And I’ve served God devoutly since I was a boy! Hasn’t anyone told you what I did when Jezebel was out to kill the prophets of God, how I risked my life by hiding a hundred of them, fifty to a cave, and made sure they got food and water? And now you’re telling me to draw attention to myself by announcing to my master, ‘Elijah’s been found.’ Why, he’ll kill me for sure.”

Elijah said, “As surely as God-of-the-Angel-Armies lives, and before whom I take my stand, I’ll meet with your master face-to-face this very day.”

So Obadiah went straight to Ahab and told him. And Ahab went out to meet Elijah.

The moment Ahab saw Elijah he said, “So it’s you, old troublemaker!”

Hebrews 11:6; 32-40
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more— Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets….Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn’t deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.

Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.

Proverbs 27:23-27
So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

Ephesians 2:10
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

Amazing Grace – the story of William Wilberforce. Clip = Chapter 23 – It is No More.

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

Trust: Relating to People with Style and Respect

philhardin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:13:35 +0000

4/16/2009 - A man who trusts is a man who knows how to relate to people with appropriate style and respect.

BIBLE VERSES

Jeremiah 26:20-23
At another time there had been a man, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim, who had preached similarly in the name of God. He preached against this same city and country just as Jeremiah did. When King Jehoiakim and his royal court heard his sermon, they determined to kill him. Uriah, afraid for his life, went into hiding in Egypt. King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Achbor with a posse of men after him. They brought him back from Egypt and presented him to the king. And the king had him killed. They dumped his body unceremoniously outside the city.

Hebrews 11:6; 32-40
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

I Thess. 5:14
Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.

Phil. 3:12-14
I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

II Cor. 1:8
We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don’t want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God’s deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part.

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

Amazing Grace – the story of William Wilberforce. Clip = Chapter 19 – Confession and Chapter 20 – A New Strategy.

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

Trust: Are You Effective?

philhardin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:10:30 +0000

4/9/2009 - A man who trusts is a man who knows how to be effective by truly knowing himself.

BIBLE VERSES

I Kings 21:10-15
She wrote letters over Ahab’s signature, stamped them with his official seal, and sent them to the elders in Naboth’s city and to the civic leaders. She wrote “Call for a fast day and put Naboth at the head table. Then seat a couple of stool pigeons across from him who, in front of everybody will say, ‘You! You blasphemed God and the king!’ Then they’ll throw him out and stone him to death.”

And they did it. The men of the city—the elders and civic leaders— followed Jezebel’s instructions that she wrote in the letters sent to them. They called for a fast day and seated Naboth at the head table. Then they brought in two stool pigeons and seated them opposite Naboth. In front of everybody the two degenerates accused him, “He blasphemed God and the king!” The company threw him out in the street, stoned him mercilessly, and he died.

When Jezebel got word that Naboth had been stoned to death, she told Ahab, “Go for it, Ahab—take the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for your own, the vineyard he refused to sell you. Naboth is no more; Naboth is dead.”

Hebrews 11:6; 32-40
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he

exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more— Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the

prophets….Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were

protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women

received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring

something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who

were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless,

friendless, powerless—the world didn’t deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the

world.

Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a

better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not

complete apart from ours.

I Ephesians 4:15-19
No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.

And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

I Peter 4:10-11
Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

Amazing Grace – the story of William Wilberforce. Clip = Chapter 17 – After Night Comes Day and Chapter 18 – But Now I’m Found.

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

Trust Empowers Others

philhardin — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 04:01:30 +0000

4/2/2009 - A man who trusts is a man who empowers others to release their own passions and purpose.

BIBLE VERSES

II Kings 4:11-37
And so it happened that the next time Elisha came by he went to the room and lay down for a nap.

Then he said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the Shunammite woman I want to see her.” He called her and she came to him.

Through Gehazi Elisha said, “You’ve gone far beyond the call of duty in taking care of us; what can we do for you? Do you have a request we can bring to the king or to the commander of the army?”

She replied, “Nothing. I’m secure and satisfied in my family.”

Elisha conferred with Gehazi: “There’s got to be something we can do for her. But what?”

Gehazi said, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is an old man.”

“Call her in,” said Elisha. He called her and she stood at the open door.

Elisha said to her, “This time next year you’re going to be nursing an infant son.”

“O my master, O Holy Man,” she said, “don’t play games with me, teasing me with such fantasies!”

The woman conceived. A year later, just as Elisha had said, she had a son.

The child grew up. One day he went to his father, who was working with the harvest hands, complaining, “My head, my head!”

His father ordered a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

The servant took him in his arms and carried him to his mother. He lay on her lap until noon and died.

She took him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut him in alone, and left.

She then called her husband, “Get me a servant and a donkey so I can go to the Holy Man; I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“But why today? This isn’t a holy day—it’s neither New Moon nor Sabbath.”

She said, “Don’t ask questions; I need to go right now. Trust me.”

She went ahead and saddled the donkey, ordering her servant, “Take the lead—and go as fast as you can; I’ll tell you if

you’re going too fast.” And so off she went. She came to the Holy Man at Mount Carmel.

The Holy Man, spotting her while she was still a long way off, said to his servant Gehazi, “Look out there; why, it’s the

Shunammite woman! Quickly now. Ask her, ‘Is something wrong? Are you all right? Your husband? Your child?’”

She said, “Everything’s fine.”

But when she reached the Holy Man at the mountain, she threw herself at his feet and held tightly to him.

Gehazi came up to pull her away, but the Holy Man said, “Leave her alone—can’t you see that she’s in distress? But God hasn’t

let me in on why; I’m completely in the dark.”

Then she spoke up: “Did I ask for a son, master? Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t tease me with false hopes’?”

He ordered Gehazi, “Don’t lose a minute—grab my staff and run as fast as you can. If you meet anyone, don’t even take time to

greet him, and if anyone greets you, don’t even answer. Lay my staff across the boy’s face.”

The boy’s mother said, “As sure as God lives and you live, you’re not leaving me behind.” And so Gehazi let her take the

lead, and followed behind.

But Gehazi arrived first and laid the staff across the boy’s face. But there was no sound—no sign of life. Gehazi went back

to meet Elisha and said, “The boy hasn’t stirred.”

Elisha entered the house and found the boy stretched out on the bed dead. He went into the room and locked the door—just the

two of them in the room—and prayed to God. He then got into bed with the boy and covered him with his body, mouth on mouth,

eyes on eyes, hands on hands. As he was stretched out over him like that, the boy’s body became warm. Elisha got up and paced

back and forth in the room. Then he went back and stretched himself upon the boy again. The boy started sneezing—seven times

he sneezed!—and opened his eyes.

He called Gehazi and said, “Get the Shunammite woman in here!” He called her and she came in.

Elisha said, “Embrace your son!”

She fell at Elisha’s feet, face to the ground in reverent awe. Then she embraced her son and went out with him.

Hebrews 11:6; 32-40
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he

complete apart from ours.

Hebrews 5:11-14
I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you’ve picked up this bad habit of not

listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go

over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby’s milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is

for beginners, inexperienced in God’s ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.

II Timothy 2:2
So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—the whole congregation saying Amen!— to

reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the

way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out

orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce.

Think it over. God will make it all plain.

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

Amazing Grace – the story of William Wilberforce. Clip = Chapter 10 – A Day Like No Other and Chapter 11 – First Step.

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

Trust Knows Passion and Purpose

philhardin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:17:13 +0000

3/26/2009 - A man who trusts is a man who has identified the passion and purpose of his life.

BIBLE VERSES

Joshua 10:12-13
The day God gave the Amorites up to Israel, Joshua spoke to God, with all Israel listening:
“Stop, Sun, over Gibeon;
Halt, Moon, over Aijalon Valley.”
And Sun stopped,
Moon stood stock still
Until he defeated his enemies.

(You can find this written in the Book of Jashar.) The sun stopped in its tracks in mid sky; just sat there all day. There’s never been a day like that before or since—God took orders from a human voice! Truly, God fought for Israel.

Hebrews 11:6; 32-40
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

Ezekiel 36:26
For here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God!

Jeremiah 31:33
This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them—write it on their hearts!—and be their God. And they will be my people. They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They’ll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I’ll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I’ll forget they ever sinned!” God’s Decree.

Psalms 37:4
Get insurance with God and do a good deed,
settle down and stick to your last.
Keep company with God,
get in on the best.

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

Amazing Grace – the story of William Wilberforce. Clip = Chapter 8 – Chosen.

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

A Man Who Trusts Reflects a Life of Integrity

philhardin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:22:17 +0000

3/12/2009 - A man who trusts is a man who integrates all aspects of his life so that he is true to himself in all settings.

BIBLE VERSES

II Chronicles 20:12
And now it’s happened: men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir have shown up. You didn’t let Israel touch them when we got here at first—we detoured around them and didn’t lay a hand on them. And now they’ve come to kick us out of the country you gave us. O dear God, won’t you take care of them? We’re helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us. We don’t know what to do; we’re looking to you.

Hebrews 11:6; 32-40
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

The evil of bad people leaves them out in the cold;
the integrity of good people creates a safe place for living.

Love and truth form a good leader;
sound leadership is founded on loving integrity.

Romans 12:1,2
Place Your Life Before God
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

Amazing Grace – the story of William Wilberforce. Clip = Chapter 5 – Planning the Impossible.

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

Build a Team You Trust

philhardin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:02:28 +0000

3/5/2009 - A man who trusts is a man who has a well defined support team and understands the danger of being alone.

BIBLE VERSES

Ezekiel 14:14
God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, when a country sins against me by living faithlessly and I reach out and destroy its food supply by bringing on a famine, wiping out humans and animals alike, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job—the Big Three—were alive at the time, it wouldn’t do the population any good. Their righteousness would only save their own lives.” Decree of God, the Master

Hebrews 11:6; 32-40
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

Two in a bed warm each other.
Alone, you shiver all night.

By yourself you’re unprotected.
With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

Colossians 2:2
I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God’s great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we’ve been shown the mystery! I’m telling you this because I don’t want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or “the Secret.”

Philippians 2:2
If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

I Samuel 18:1
By the time David had finished reporting to Saul, Jonathan was deeply impressed with David—an immediate bond was forged between them. He became totally committed to David. From that point on he would be David’s number-one advocate and friend.

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

(Video clip: Amazing Grace – the story of William Wilberforce – Clip = The Story of Amazing Grace)

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

What Motivates You to Trust?

philhardin — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:27:10 +0000

2/26/2009 - A man who trusts is one who understands his deepest motivations and is honest with himself about his capabilities.

BIBLE VERSES

Jeremiah 39
In the ninth year and tenth month of Zedekiah king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his entire army and laid siege to Jerusalem. In the eleventh year and fourth month, on the ninth day of Zedekiah’s reign, they broke through into the city.

All the officers of the king of Babylon came and set themselves up as a ruling council from the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Simmagar, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, along with all the other officials of the king of Babylon.

When Zedekiah king of Judah and his remaining soldiers saw this, they ran for their lives. They slipped out at night on a path in the king’s garden through the gate between two walls and headed for the wilderness, toward the Jordan Valley. The Babylonian army chased them and caught Zedekiah in the wilderness of Jericho. They seized him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the country of Hamath. Nebuchadnezzar decided his fate. The king of Babylon killed all the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah right before his eyes and then killed all the nobles of Judah. After Zedekiah had seen the slaughter, Nebuchadnezzar blinded him, chained him up, and then took him off to Babylon.

Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned down the royal palace, the Temple, and all the homes of the people. They leveled the walls of Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan, commander of the king’s bodyguard, rounded up everyone left in the city, along with those who had surrendered to him, and herded them off to exile in Babylon. He didn’t bother taking the few poor people who had nothing. He left them in the land of Judah to eke out a living as best they could in the vineyards and fields.

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave Nebuzaradan captain of the king’s bodyguard special orders regarding Jeremiah: “Look out for him. Make sure nothing bad happens to him. Give him anything he wants.”

So Nebuzaradan, chief of the king’s bodyguard, along with Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon, sent for Jeremiah, taking him from the courtyard of the royal guards and putting him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be taken home. And so he was able to live with the people.

Earlier, while Jeremiah was still in custody in the courtyard of the royal guards, God’s Message came to him: “Go and speak with Ebed-melek the Ethiopian. Tell him, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, Listen carefully: I will do exactly what I said I would do to this city—bad news, not good news. When it happens, you will be there to see it. But I’ll deliver you on that doomsday. You won’t be handed over to those men whom you have good reason to fear. Yes, I’ll most certainly save you. You won’t be killed. You’ll walk out of there safe and sound because you trusted me.’” God’s Decree.

Hebrews 11:6; 32-40
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.

Romans 12
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.

If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

1 Corinthians 4:1-4
Don’t imagine us leaders to be something we aren’t. We are servants of Christ, not his masters. We are guides into God’s most sublime secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don’t even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. I’m not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good guide for you, but that doesn’t mean much. The Master makes that judgment.

So don’t get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of—inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the “Well done!” of God.

WHITEBOARD DIAGRAMS

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

(Video clip: Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Chapter #18 – Execution)

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

Dr. Billy Mink: Listening in the Secret

philhardin — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:20:20 +0000

2/19/2009 - God is present, attentive and rewarding in the quiet place of the heart.

BIBLE VERSES

Matthew 6
Pure-hearted Giving

6:1 “Be 1 careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. 2 Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, 3 do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues 4 and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, 5 they have their reward. 6:3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 6:4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 6

Private Prayer

6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues 7 and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. 6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, 8 close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 9 6:7 When 10 you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. 6:8 Do 11 not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 6:9 So pray this way: 12

Our Father 13 in heaven, may your name be honored, 14

6:10 may your kingdom come, 15

may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

6:11 Give us today our daily bread, 16

6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves 17 have forgiven our debtors.

6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, 18 but deliver us from the evil one. 19

6:14 “For if you forgive others 20 their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

Proper Fasting

6:16 “When 21 you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive 22 so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, 23 they have their reward. 6:17 When 24 you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 6:18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

Trust – Practice Values & Principles

philhardin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:57:26 +0000

2/12/2009 - A man who trusts is one who understands his values and is guided by his principles.

BIBLE VERSES

Daniel 3:17-27
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar, his face purple with anger, cut off Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. He ordered some strong men from the army to tie them up, hands and feet, and throw them into the roaring furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire. Because the king was in such a hurry and the furnace was so hot, flames from the furnace killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it, while the fire raged around Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?”

“That’s right, O king,” they said.

“But look!” he said. “I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!”

Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire.

All the important people, the government leaders and king’s counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn’t so much as touched the three men—not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!

Hebrews 11:6; 32-40
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Romans 12
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

VIDEO CLIPS

(Video clip: Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Chapter #15 – Cannot Leave)

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

TRUST: Know Your Self

philhardin — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:28:30 +0000

2/5/2009 - Knowing your self empowers you to trust God and move away from the false self that promises to protect you.

BIBLE VERSES

I Chronicles 11:22
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a Mighty Man from Kabzeel with many exploits to his credit: he killed two famous Moabites; he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day; and he killed an Egyptian, a giant seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian had a spear like a ship’s boom but Benaiah went at him with a mere club, tore the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with it. These are some of the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. But he was never included with the Three. He was highly honored among the Thirty, but didn’t measure up to the Three. David put him in charge of his personal bodyguard.

Hebrews 11:6; 32-40
It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

VIDEO CLIPS
VIDEO COMING SOON
Video clip: Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Chapter #14 – Who Am I?

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

Trust - Move from I to We

philhardin — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:18:44 +0000

01/29/2009 - Learning how to trust involves moving from “I” – only concerned for your needs to “We” – empowering others to reach their goals.

BIBLE VERSES

Joshua 14:6-14
The people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite spoke: “You’ll remember what God said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me back at Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of God sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. And I brought back an honest and accurate report. My companions who went with me discouraged the people, but I stuck to my guns, totally with God, my God. That was the day that Moses solemnly promised, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance, you and your children’s, forever. Yes, you have lived totally for God.’ Now look at me: God has kept me alive, as he promised. It is now forty-five years since God spoke this word to Moses, years in which Israel wandered in the wilderness. And here I am today, eighty-five years old! I’m as strong as I was the day Moses sent me out. I’m as strong as ever in battle, whether coming or going. So give me this hill country that God promised me. You yourself heard the report, that the Anakim were there with their great fortress cities. If God goes with me, I will drive them out, just as God said.”

Joshua blessed him. He gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite still today, because he gave himself totally to God, the God of Israel.

Numbers 13:30-33
Caleb interrupted, called for silence before Moses and said, “Let’s go up and take the land—now. We can do it.”

But the others said, “We can’t attack those people; they’re way stronger than we are.” They spread scary rumors among the People of Israel. They said, “We scouted out the land from one end to the other—it’s a land that swallows people whole. Everybody we saw was huge. Why, we even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim). Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers.”

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

(Video clip: Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Chapter #9 – Cell Prayer

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO

Why You Fail to Trust

philhardin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:42:12 +0000

01/22/2009 - Learning how to trust involves understanding the reasons why you fail to trust God.

BIBLE VERSES

Romans 10:14-17
But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims,

A sight to take your breath away!
Grand processions of people
telling all the good things of God!

But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: “Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?” The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ’s Word is preached, there’s nothing to listen to.

II Chronicles 34
Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. He behaved well before God. He kept straight on the path blazed by his ancestor David, not one step to the left or right.

When he had been king for eight years—he was still only a teenager— he began to seek the God of David his ancestor. Four years later, the twelfth year of his reign, he set out to cleanse the neighborhood of sex-and-religion shrines, and get rid of the sacred Asherah groves and the god and goddess figurines, whether carved or cast, from Judah. He wrecked the Baal shrines, tore down the altars connected with them, and scattered the debris and ashes over the graves of those who had worshiped at them. He burned the bones of the priests on the same altars they had used when alive. He scrubbed the place clean, Judah and Jerusalem, clean inside and out. The cleanup campaign ranged outward to the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and the surrounding neighborhoods—as far north as Naphtali. Throughout Israel he demolished the altars and Asherah groves, pulverized the god and goddess figures, chopped up the neighborhood shrines into firewood. With Israel once more intact, he returned to Jerusalem.

PRESENTATION SLIDES

VIDEO CLIPS

(Video clip: Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Chapter #7 – Hidden Files & False Letter)

RESOURCES

True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO AUDIO