I love this video.  It’s beautifully done.  It asks two very important questions – questions worth grappling with until we discover the answers.

What if you were born for more?

Who Is The Prodigy In You?

Thank you Elevation Church for the video.

Chris Spradlin is a great friend and the author of today’s post.  Chris is the founder of EpicParent.  I regularly read his stuff and am always challenged by what he has to say.  Here’s one such post that also gave me some practical steps to respond.

Here’s Chris…..

In the Book of Luke, we see children running to get in the presence of Jesus, but His disciples strongly warned them to keep their space and give Jesus some breathing room.

Check out what Jesus thought about this deal as it was going down…

‘Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Luke 18:15-17

I believe this can also be taken as a strong warning to parents!!  DON’T get in the way of your kiddos coming to Jesus!!

Here are 5 things that I believe parents do that keep their kids from coming to Jesus…

HYPOCRISY: This morning on the way to school, Team Sprad, had a really interesting conversation regarding hypocrisy.  This could also be named the “do as I say – not as I do” syndrome.  Do you struggle with this?  Do you erupt in anger and coach your kids to walk in patience?  Do you yell at your kids or spouse and get on to your kiddos for disrespect.  There are a million examples we could talk through, but I encourage you to try this ACTION POINT. Sit down with your kids, talk through hypocrisy and give your kids permission to point out mom and dad’s areas of hypocrisy.  Yeah, this is a bit dangerous but it’s one way to get out of your kid’s way to experiencing the person of Jesus.

WHAT YOU DO SCREAMS SO LOUD I CAN’T HEAR WHAT YOU SAY: You can continue to train, teach and preach to your kids…but do they see you up early in the Word of God, do they know that you have specific time set aside for prayer, during church worship do they see you distracted or engaging in intimate worship?  Here is the point…I think parents should continue to train, teach and preach when it makes sense.  However, I also believe that kids will emulate and follow their parents when they see their parents actually practicing what they preach.  Parents, you can’t LEAD what your not living out.

UNBELIEF: There was a time in my life when I was really wrestling with the concept of tithes and offerings, therefore I didn’t teach my kids to give to God what was His first.  I think you get the idea.  My question for you is… do you really believe?  Do you really believe God is the healer, that God is present in pain, that God can be trusted in your leaps of faith, that God’s promises can be stood upon?  Parents, if you struggle with unbelief you WILL be a hindrance in your kids coming to Jesus.

THE SLIPPERY SLOPE OF OSMOSIS: Many of you have heard this from me before, but I believe that most parents try to deposit Jesus in their kids life by osmosis.  So many of us are so busy that we hope that our kids pick Jesus stuff up just by being around us.  I do believe that osmosis is a great way to communicate Jesus to our kids, but we must also spend strategic time teaching and training our kids about Jesus.  I received an email from someone this week that is reading Christian apologetics to their kids before school, doing a Beth Moore study with her daughter in the evening as well as memorizing scripture with her kids throughout the week.  Parents…set aside some time this week and create a calendar, write in specific days and times that you will teach and train your kids about Jesus.  I am sure you have heard the phrase… “fail to plan – plan to fail”.  I believe this is also true when passing Jesus on to our kids.

CHURCH: Seems simple, but I believe wholeheartedly in the power of and God’s mandate in the local church.  I have several great friends that have not made church a priority in their kids lives.  Now I don’t think kids should go to church for a check mark, but to experience the power of God and worship with their friends.  I strongly believe that parents that do not make the discipline of attending church a priority for their family…the chances are greater that their kids will walk away from their faith in the future.

What are your thoughts?  Is there anything that you are currently doing that serves as a hindrance to your kids coming to Jesus?

Last night our family was watching America’s Funniest Videos, otherwise known as ‘AFV’.  It’s always a laugh to see somebody else take a spill or commit a blunder.

Every episode of AFV has a winner for the funniest video.  They win $10,000.  One of the finalists on last night’s show was a group of people who had an encounter with a camel.

We’ve had a similar encounter.  In fact, we’re now thinking about sending this video to AFV because it’s funnier than one we saw on the show.

Should we send it in?

It’s worldwide Lin-Sanity.  It’s Lin-Mania.  He’s a Lin-Sation.  It’s a Lin-derella story.

His name is Jeremy Lin.  He’s the new point guard for the New York Knicks.  Out of desperation, the Knicks went to the end of the bench and put in the unknown Lin.

Jeremy Lin was never drafted into the NBA.  He was a D-League player for the Reno Bighorn and the Erie BayHawk.  Having been previously waived, overlooked, and ready to be cut, he finally got his shot.  Not necessarily because of his talent, but because the Knicks were a train wreck going nowhere.

Jeremy Lin is killin’ it.  Ticket prices have soared.  Not only is Madison Square Garden selling out, arenas around the country are selling out when the Knicks are in town.  Two weeks ago, none of us had ever heard of this guy.  It’s a great Cinderella story.

Watching this unfold has made me think…..

• An overnight sensation is the result of lifelong dedication.
• When you’re counted out, don’t count yourself out.
• When you’re on the end of the bench, at least you’re still in the arena.  Believe!
• When your day comes, never forget where you came from.
• When you make it, work harder.  It takes more work to stay at the top than to get to the top.
• When you’re on the radar, you’re now a target.  Today’s lovers are tomorrow’s critics.  That’s ok, it comes with the territory.
• Popularity is a platform.  May your life’s message treat it responsibly.

Long live the Jeremy Lin’s of this world.

‘What makes a great leader?’  That’s the question Tim Kimberly from Credo House  recently asked me.

In a moment of quick witted high intelligence, my response to Tim was… ‘That’s a good question.  Well……’

I couldn’t easily express my thoughts.  His question challenged me because I believe leadership is just as much art as it is science.  The easy way out could have been to rattle off a response that was regurgitated from the latest book full of sound-bytes on leadership.  Knowing Tim, that wouldn’t suffice.

Because I so highly value the importance of leadership in any endeavor, in both the for-profit and the non-profit sector, I had to answer the question.  If not for Tim, for myself.

So, I’m taking a swing at synthesizing a complex response to a simple question.  Knowing there are a million iterations and other nuances to add, I’ve crunched my thoughts to what I would personally consider the irreducible minimum of what makes a great leader.

‘What makes a great leader?’

They’re Smokin’ What They’re Sellin’.  Whatever the cause or endeavor they are leading others to engage in, they’re living it themselves.  This is all about credibility, authenticity, and ultimately, authority.  When a leader isn’t smokin’ what they’re sellin’, their influence will be short lived – if it has any life at all.  Great leaders personally exude the mission.

They Broadcast The Picture In High-Def.  They articulate with clarity where the team or organization is going.  The vision is clear.  Great leaders help us envision ourselves in a better place.  Even in times of uncertainty, they remind us why we have chosen to journey together.  When a leader communicates clearly where we’re going and why, we jump on the train because it’s something we can believe in, something we can stand for.  Great leaders paint a compelling and realistic vision for the future.  

They Release The Tribe.  They inspire people to bring their best.  They engage the strengths of others.  When a leader engages and leverages the strengths and talents of their tribe,  creativity, innovation, and forward progress seems to take on a life of its own.  Great leaders believe in people and empower them to make a difference.

When it comes to great leadership, there’s more to it than this.  That being said, I’d suggest that leaders who don’t emulate these three characteristics may still lead, but will never be great.

Would you agree or disagree?

Today’s post is from Mark Verschueren.  Mark is a good personal friend.  He’s a pastor on staff at Resurrection Life Church – Cadillac, Michigan.

Mark’s passion is to help others experience the power of God’s Word in their everyday life.  He also can’t stop talking about the difference Christ makes in marriage and family relationships.

Last weekend, Mark facilitated The Chazown Experience at his church for the first time.  I had the privilege of introducing Mark to Chazown a year ago.  He went through The Chazown Experience online and it greatly impacted his life.  Here are some thoughts from Mark as he reflects on The Chazown Experience at his church.

From Mark:

When we first began looking at doing a Chazown Experience at our church, I had no doubt that it was something God wanted us to do.

The event was amazing!  Craig Groeschel and the team at LifeChurch.tv did an excellent job in putting this experience together.  Going through the exercise on PAST EXPERIENCES is, in my opinion, without a doubt, the most significant part of the day.  It was also the most difficult for some as they processed through their painful experiences.  Another session we also got a lot of comments on were the FIVE SPOKES and how we set goals for each.

In fact, here are some of the comments we heard and received…..

‘More people need to do this…’

‘I got so much revelation today it is going to take me weeks to process…’

‘Thank you so much for inviting me to this…’

‘Chazown was a journey through new memories and discovering their significance. It helped me look objectively at my jumbled mess of thoughts, emotions, good intentions, aspirations, passions and dreams. I am challenged to end up somewhere on purpose, therefore my Chazown was the beginning of a new way of looking at life.’

‘Okay, so just wanted to get back to you about The Chazown Experience.  It was excellent! I love the concept of the spokes on the wheel.  It makes so much sense.  I really needed to evaluate those different areas of my life.’

Mark goes on to say, ‘After The Chazown Experience, people are more open to God’s plan for their life.  God was showing them how they could live life on purpose!’

If you’d like to be a part of The Chazown Experience this Friday night and Saturday morning @TheMETChurch, you can get all the details HERE.  Come on out and join us.

Everyone ends up somewhere.  But few people end up somewhere on purpose.  – Craig Groeschel

This upcoming Friday night we kick off another Chazown Experience at TheMET.  Last year, over five-hundred people went through the Chazown Experience at TheMET.

What is the Chazown Experience?  Scripture says in Proverbs 29:18 ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish…’  Another translation reads, ‘Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.’  The Hebrew word for ‘vision’ in this text is CHAZOWN.  

The Chazown Experience is an effective way to gain greater clarity on your contribution to this world.  What has God created you for?  What is His plan for your life?  How do we live that out?  Those are some of the questions the Chazown Experience helps us to find answers to.

During the Chazown Experience we take a close, prayerful look at our PAST EXPERIENCES – both the good and the bad.  We then create a ‘timeline’ of those experiences to get a ‘fly over’ of our life up to this point.  When we do, we suddenly discover ways in which God was at work in our past – helping us, shaping us, preparing us for our future.

We then look at our CORE VALUES; the non-negotiable convictions we have that drive much of our behavior and form what we’re passionate about.

A glimpse at our SPIRITUAL GIFTS then helps us to apply ourselves in a productive way on a daily basis.

If you’d like to join us at The Chazown Experience, you can register HERE.  Going through Chazown with a group of people is really fun.  You can also go through The Chazown Experience anytime absolutely free online at Chazown.com.

‘Why is everyone dragging their feet? Where’s the log jam? It seems as if we’re trudging through the mud.‘

‘That was fast.  That was fun.’

Every organization has what I’d call their ‘pace of progress’ – the speed at which a great idea becomes a reality.  Or, at least the idea is given every opportunity to succeed or fail.

As a leader, manager, or team member, how do we create high performance teams at our workplace, church, or volunteer organization?

We know what mud is.  Let me introduce you to Mondo Super X.  Mondo Super X is the running track surface for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.  It’s the benchmark for performance tracks.

What’s the difference between an organization who’s pace of progress is like trudging through mud and one that’s like running on Mondo Super X?

I certainly haven’t figured out the whole answer to that question.  I have, however, observed some key ingredients that contribute to either the Mud or the Mondo.  Here they are…

Mondo – Collaboration.  We foster dialogue, encourage others to share unfinished work, dream together, solicit input, and own each others success.

• Mud – Self-Preservation.  We keep our work to ourself, reveal nothing until we unveil the finished product because we want all the credit.

Mondo – Delegate.  We delegate leadership, not tasks.  We empower team members to ideate, develop their own strategies, and give them the authority to execute.

• Mud – Micro Manage.  We may listen to their ideas but then tell them how to get it done.  We create frustration.  Of course, it’s because of our ‘vast experience’.

Mondo – Invigorate.  We infuse energy and passion throughout the team.  We articulate with clarity where we’re going, why we’re going there, and to enjoy the journey.

• Mud – Drain.  We drain the team of energy, excitement, and vision because we lack it ourselves.

Mondo – Cultivate.  We cultivate a culture of all the above ‘Mondo’ going on all the time. And, we shovel the mud out of the way when it seeps in.

Do you find yourself more in the Mud or the Mondo in your workplace?  What can you do to shovel away the Mud and lay down the Mondo for your team?

2 Children.

Chad Cargill is one of those guys.  Compassionate.  Passionate.  Energetic.  Magnetic.  Memorable.  I had the pleasure of getting to know Chad on our recent trip together to Nairobi, Kenya.  He is a huge advocate for Compassion International.  He’s one of those guys you just don’t forget.

Chad is the founder and CEO of Cargill Consulting.  He trains students how to increase their ACT scores.  He actually took the ACT 18 times before graduating from high school.  So, he knows his stuff.

6 Children.

Chad stands out to me as someone who has effectively integrated his love for Christ with his business, and, his desire to make a difference in this world.

Chad takes about ten minutes at the beginning of each of his training sessions and shares his love for Compassion International and their cause of releasing children from poverty in Jesus Name.  He encourages the students to get involved in what is called their ‘Cheetah Awards‘.  This school year alone, through the Cheetah Awards, over 300 students have gotten involved and together they have raised over $38,000 for Compassion’s ‘Water Of Life’ initiative.

10 Children.

Chad’s family and his church also fund the Child Survival Program at the Kamangu Child Development Center.  The infant mortality rate in the developing world is horrifying.  Worldwide, over 8 million children under 5 die each year.  4.5 million of those children are from sub-saharan Africa.  As a comparison, in the industrialized world (that’s you and me), about 100,000 children die each year.

12 Children.

The video above is Chad sharing his heart.  The video below is the reception we received at the Kamangu Child Development Center from the mothers and some of the children who are the direct recipients of the Child Survival Program.  I’d say they’re a bit thankful.

Chad, hats off to you, my friend.  Thanks for being so inspiring to everyone around you.  If anyone is traveling through East Africa and sees some locals wearing Oklahoma State orange, they’ll know Chad Cargill has been there ‘sharin’ the love’.

15 children

Sadly, that’s approximately how many children died from mostly preventable causes while you read this short post.  Chad, his family, and his church are doing something about it.

Be different.  Make a difference.

I have a personal ‘board of directors’.  Not for our church.  Not for my chain of frozen yogurt stores.  I don’t actually own any frozen yogurt stores but I’m thinking about it.  Why?  Not sure.  It just sounds fun. 

My personal board of directors are men who regularly speak into my life.  Their primary purpose is to provide counsel that helps me stay on course with what I believe God has created me for.  They coach me.  They challenge me.  They’re also a sounding board for some of my high risk ideas.

Proverbs 11:14 says, ‘Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.’  We rarely come to clarity alone.  We’ll never reach our potential without someone else challenging us to bring our best, day in and day out.

Here’s what I look for in my board of directors:

1.  I trust them.  I need to be transparent and speak honestly with these guys.  Bottom line, I know they have my back.  I trust them.

2.  They add value.  Who they are adds value to who I am.  They have strengths and characteristics I can learn from and strive to emulate.

3.  They speak the truth.  They tell it like it is because they know that’s what I need to hear.  Also, they don’t rescue me from my struggles.  They know God is at work and realize that intervention may abort God’s development plan.

4.  They ask the right questions.  Asking the right questions is key in developing others who are hungry to grow.  Their questions help me to increase self-awareness.

5.  They bring perspective.  They see things from a different angle or a different altitude altogether.

6.  They believe in me.  If they didn’t believe in me, they wouldn’t waste their time.  We all need someone who genuinely wants us to succeed and is willing to cheer us on.

Could you benefit from having a personal board of directors?  Even if you’re Mr. or Mrs. Awesomeness, there’s more in you.  Invite someone in to help bring it out.

How do you go about assembling your personal board of directors?  You recruit them.  They’re likely already too busy to help.  That’s exactly who you want.  Recruit people who you have a hard time keeping up with.  They’re faster, smarter, more creative, more resourceful, and maybe just plain more successful than you.  They pull you up toward greater things.