One day back in 2010, I was sharing some fear and anxiety about my career with a brother in the Lord. After listening to me and feeling my vibe, this guy quoted Jesus, from Matthew 11:28–30, Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, …
God often demonstrates in Scripture that the first people He wants us to share with are the groups we already belong to. For example, In the book of Acts, both Peter and Paul went to Jews first, sharing Jewish stories. In Acts 2, when Peter stood to give his first public sermon, he preached on the day of Pentecost, a …
Fear can be a powerful weapon against faith At the time of his death, Moses was the greatest leader in the history of Israel. God used him to deliver the Hebrew people from Egyptian captivity (Egypt was the dominant world power at that time). God performed amazing miracles through Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments. Moses was respected and …
Neuroscientists continue to discover the effect that storytelling has on our brains. Paul J. Zak is the founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and a professor of economics, psychology, and management at Claremont Graduate University. In an article published in the Harvard Business Review, he wrote about his laboratory’s attempts to “hack” the body’s oxytocin system to see …
Before you gave your life to Jesus, you were separated from God and marked as His enemy. You lived your life the way you wanted, with no regard for God’s plans and desires for you. Your spirit was diseased with sin. Think about a picture of a healthy lung versus a picture of a chain smoker’s lung, but instead of …
A long time ago, I read a quote somewhere that I’ve never been able to find again but that I’ve never forgotten either. It was one of those lines that so penetrates you, you only have to encounter it once. The quote went something like this: “Every time you preach, do so as if the eternity of men’s souls hangs …
Christianity needs intentional training. We need “veteran” Christians” (those who are experiencing the richness of life in the kingdom of God) to GO forth and invest in the lives of others, discipling them to maturity: disciples making disciples who make disciples. My book GO: Flex Your Story provides training for anyone willing and listening to our Father’s voice to share their unique story …
“Smile and dial” is a standard phrase in telesales. New salespeople are continually told that prospective customers can “hear your smile” through the phone, and three psychologists at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom proved it! They studied the effects of smiling on one’s tone of voice and whether listeners could tell the difference when they couldn’t see …
Testimonials have always been persuasive. According to researchers, when it comes to people’s purchasing decisions, “there is strong evidence . . . that consumers rely on customer [that’s you!] recommendations far more than advertising.” Understanding the enormous persuasive power of recommendation, why do we as devoted followers of Jesus so often hesitate to recommend Him? If you were to rate …
