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 …
A straw poll is an unofficial measure of public opinion. The first known straw poll, which spawned the modern polling industry, was taken in 1824 and showed that Andrew Jack- son would beat John Quincy Adams for the presidency of the United States. In 1936, George Gallup applied more scientific means to polling and correctly predicted Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidential …
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 …
What loftiness of soul, what purity and elevation of motive, what unselfishness, what self-sacrifice, what exhaustive toil, what ardor of spirit, what divine tact are requisite to be an intercessor for men! When we watch or read mystery or detective stories, the police are always looking for the motive that caused the person to do the crime. In these stories, …
Jesus’ Passion for People Our heavenly Father has always had a passion for people. His main reason for creating human beings was so that we could freely enjoy fellowship and life with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God gave the first humans, Adam and Eve, certain instructions. They had a choice. They could trust God and not eat from …
