Author: sagmoe

Husband, Father of 2, Business owner, Pastor, and Life Coach. I love helping people and organizations discover why they were created

Making an Impact: Beyond Achievement and Status

What are we supposed to do with our lives?
That is a question that has pestered men and women for thousands of years.
If you really sit down and think about it the answer should be simple but it’s not.

How we answer the question of purpose shapes how we live. When life becomes only about achievement, status, or control, it often leaves us exhausted, disappointed, and competing with others instead of loving them. If life isn’t just survival and self-interest, then we have to ask who gets to define our purpose?

If you look at life from a totally human perspective, then the answer is quite easy. Conquer and control everything—relationships, business, culture, even the world. That becomes a survival-of-the-fittest mentality. That mindset can leave us exhausted and discouraged because eventually we realize we aren’t the strongest, smartest, most successful, or most admired. Too often, we take that frustration out on ourselves and those around us.
What if there’s another way? What if there’s something deeper than just our own primal desires? Often, we don’t take time to sit down, reflect, and ask what we’re really supposed to be doing.

Because this is just a blog and not a book, let me share with you a different perspective. What I’m talking about is a perspective looking through the lens of God, a creator, the creator of you, the creator of me the creator of everything that we deal with and live with. God the Father didn’t just give us rules to follow—He gave us Jesus to show us what life with Him looks like. Jesus spent a little over 30 years of his life showing us that there’s more to life than just our primal instincts. He shows us a roadmap of life. First, He shows us how to spend eternity in heaven with God versus an eternity without God. Second, He gives us a picture of how life on earth can be lived with purpose, fulfillment, and obedience to God.

The Bible is filled with history and insight when it comes to the life of Jesus. One of the clearest things we see—especially in the final three years of His ministry—is that Jesus invested in people. He mentored. He handpicked 12 ordinary guys—and honestly, if I had been choosing, I probably would’ve picked differently. Yet Jesus changed the world through ordinary people.

I meet with a group of guys early every Wednesday morning at a restaurant around a cup of coffee, a Diet Coke, and even a breakfast sandwich and I want to spend the summer talking about how we invest in the people God has placed directly in our lives.

In the Bible, the book of Matthew chapter 28, as Jesus’ time here in his earthly form was coming to an end he gave us disciples a charge. Jesus didn’t tell us to collect followers, gain influence, or simply live comfortably. He told us to make disciples

So what does this have to do with what we are supposed to do with our lives?
First, as Christ followers, we are called to tell others who Jesus is and what He’s about. Discipleship isn’t just something pastors do—it’s the normal Christian life.
Secondly, we are to live with purpose. That’s what I want to touch on today.

The real question isn’t how we make an impact in our culture and among those around us—it’s how we make the right impact. We will make an impact whether it’s negative or one that is positive. So how do we make the right impact?

Author Regi Campbell wrote “Jesus is one of the most admired figures in all of human history. A majority of Americans admire Jesus, whether they believe that He was God’s Son or not. Almost no one will say anything bad about Jesus. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists. Everyone thinks well of Jesus. Why?… He lived a somewhat normal life as a child and then became a significant historical and religious figure in the last three years of His life.”

As we go through this summer, I want us to discover that influence isn’t measured by how many people know us—it’s measured by how faithfully we invest in those God has placed around us. I want to highlight 11 things that will impact us not just in our lives, but in our influence as we mentor those around us.

So the questions for this week, then are these…
Who has God already placed in your path?
Do you feel the desire to mentor anyone?
How do you pick someone to mentor?
Are you paying attention for anyone around you that needs mentoring?

I’m looking forward to our discussion Wednesday.

Have a great day!
Bryan

Aligning Heart and Mind with God’s Commands

Jesus sits on a hillside in Matthew 5 and begins speaking to what I imagine are a few thousand people. He starts with what we call the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And it continues from there.

In the next part of His message, Jesus talks about our Christian life and being salt and light.

Last week we talked about being salt and light to those around us. We need to add value to the people around us. But just as important as adding value is paying attention to how we add that value. Too much salt or too little salt can ruin a meal.

In the next portion of the passage, Jesus begins to break down the deeper meaning behind the blessings He mentioned earlier. He is speaking to people who are very familiar with the Jewish customs and laws God had given them over the previous 2,000 years. And this is where things probably started to feel strange to the crowd. Jesus takes the laws they already know and brings them to the next level. Not by adding more rules, but by moving beyond the outward actions and getting to the heart behind the law.

Take a look at this “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 5:17–20 NIV

By doing this, Jesus begins leading people down a path that not only brings them closer to God, but also disrupts the status quo the religious leaders had become comfortable with. I won’t go too far down that rabbit hole today, but it should make us stop and think about our own lives and leadership.

When we follow Jesus, He wants us to use our minds to understand and follow God’s commands, but He also wants our hearts to fully align with them.

For example, the law says not to murder. Jesus takes it deeper and says that even if we haven’t committed the physical act, hatred toward someone can still become sin within our hearts.

Wow. That’s an entirely different level.

Jesus wasn’t lowering the standard. He was revealing the true standard all along.

Another example is the commandment that says we are to have no other gods before the one true God. In ancient times, that often meant physical idols carved from wood, stone, or metal.

But after Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5, we begin to realize an idol can be anything that gets in the way of our relationship with God.

Work can become an idol.
Money can become an idol.
Pride can become an idol.

Even good things can become idols when they take God’s place in our hearts. Jesus continually points us past outward appearances and into inward transformation.

That’s what makes His teaching both challenging and freeing at the same time. It’s challenging because Jesus cares about more than behavior—He cares about our motives, attitudes, and hearts.

But it’s also freeing because following Jesus is not about pretending to look righteous on the outside while falling apart on the inside. He wants to transform us from the inside out.

A question to ponder today:

As you follow Jesus in your daily life, are there areas where you follow the rules to the letter of the law, but your heart and mind are not fully aligned with God?

Are there places where outward obedience has replaced inward surrender?

Most of the time, this shows up not in whether we are breaking laws, but in how we treat people.

How we speak.
How we forgive.
How we love.
How we respond when we are hurt.

Just something to think about…

Is there such a thing as too much salt?

I love to cook. The two things that I love to cook most are eggs for breakfast and BBQ. Come to think about it, that’s all one really needs in life. A good breakfast and a whole lot of BBQ. Well, maybe coffee, we definitely  need coffee as well. A good cup of black coffee or a latte does set off the perfect breakfast. I have a sign hanging on the wall in my coffee room that says “All I need is a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus” How true is that!

Whether or not you love to cook, everyone loves to eat. Think about a time when you sat down and had the perfect meal. Now answer these questions. Were you alone, with someone or with a group? Were you inside or outside in a perfect setting? What time of day was it what was the lighting like? Now that you’re there, what did you have to eat?

When we have a great meal, the eggs are just right and the bacon is the perfect crispness or maybe the brisket has the perfect smoke ring and the texture of the bark is perfectly pliable and it is has been kissed by smoke for over 12 hours. If you’re not drooling just a bit I think there may be something wrong with you at this point.

Now think about the worst meal you have ever had. Was it the atmosphere, the company, or was it in fact the food?

When I think back to some of my worst meals. It’s easier to think about the ones that I’ve cooked then the ones I’ve had eating out. They usually get off track by the seasonings. I can’t tell you how many dishes have been ruined by bad seasonings. If a dish is not seasoned enough, that’s a pretty easy fix. You can add some salt pepper or whatever you like, but if a dish is too salty, you can wreck the flavor and the evening in an instant. There are very very few ways to come back from a dish that’s too salty.

The same goes for our relationships and our lives. take a look at this passage out of Matthew chapter 5.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever wondered why Jesus wrote this? This passage is taken out of what’s called the sermon on the mount. It’s probably one of the most famous messages that Jesus gave and it’s chock full with important things we need live a productive daily life, and a productive Christian life. Because of the society that we live in and the culture that we are apart of, if you are a Christ follower, we will want to pay attention to what this small section of Jesus’ message teaches us.

I’m sure you’re aware of todays political climate (if you’re not then you’ve been living in a cave or under a rock) but you know that there is no shortage of opinions, facts, noise, and passion to just about any topic you want to bring up.

The question for the day is…….

If you are a Christ follower, what do you do with the information you have and where you live? Especially when just about any conversation you have is seasoned with political policy or opinion in one way or another. I need you to stay with me now. I am not talking about any policy or any opinion you may have no matter where you stand. I want to warn you, no encourage you, that in any relationship or conversation you have today or in the next month. The most important thing you have to watch for is the seasoning. The seasoning of Jesus in your attitude, opinion, and what you say to others.

I’ve talked a lot about salt but we are also light. When you think about light there are a couple of things to know. First, there is no such thing as dark. Dark does not exist. It is only the absence of light. You cannot add more dark to make a room darker but instead you take the light away. Think back to the great meal you had or a great conversation you had with a friend. Whether you realized it or not, light had a lot to do with it. If the light is right, say a candle lit romantic dinner then the mood is set. Sometimes a bright arena is brightly lit so the perfect pass can be seen and is caught for a touchdown. Lighting is very important. When you’re having a conversation or an important business deal you need to see the facial reactions to the one you are talking to. If it’s to dark you are left searching for what their reaction is and if you are talking to someone and there is a laser pointer in your eyes you are so distracted that the words of the conversation no longer matter. Right?

You know where I’m going here. The same goes for the light of your relationship with Jesus. If you’re too dim, the conversation the passion, and the point can often get missed. However, if you are too bright like a laser pointer, it doesn’t matter what you have to say or what you are about, the encounter will be ruined. Jesus is the light of the world and it is your job to adjust the brightness of your bulb in each relationship and conversation you are a part of. The bulb is not the light it is the carrier of the light. It’s not so people can see you but so they can see the light.

The same goes for food. Jesus is the salt of the world and you are the carrier. You may want to be the steak, the brisket, the soup, or the sauce. But really you are the chief of the flavor not the flavor itself. If you don’t have enough salt the conversation….oh excuse me, the soup will be bland and no one will want to listen to it or eat of it. The same is true if you come on too strong, the salt may be the perfect substance and there is nothing wrong with it but if you bring it on too strong it will ruin a dish and no one will care if your a great chef or not, you’ve lost a customer.

Be aware of your seasoning. Remember that you are only adding seasoning. Let it work for you and not against you. 

By the way, if your soup gets too salty you only have two choices. Throw it out or add a little sugar. That will counter act something that is too salty. Oh boy, you may have to be sweet to counter act your salty disposition. That sounds an awful lot like love……but that is for another time. 

The question for the day. 

Do you tend to be too bright and salty or too dim and bland when it comes to how others see Jesus in you?

Have a great day!

-Bryan

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What Do You Want? A Journey to Spiritual Growth

Often times as men, we move through life just fine. We have work to do, we have time to play, hunt, fish, and golf. But there are also times when we get to the end of whatever list we have made for ourselves or perhaps we just want to go off script and set the “To do” list aside.

It is times like these that we have trouble turning off the part of us that is the problem solver. As you may well know, men are very see a problem, solve the problem group of people. We are the type that when we are on the road and we put the destination into the gps and it says we are 4 hours and 36 minutes away, we don’t view that as just information but a challenge to be met and crushed at all costs. When we had small kids, my wife Joan and our kids Lauren and Jaron knew that it was a good idea to make sure you went to the bathroom and had water and snacks in the car. There were very few stops along the way because we had a challenge to beat. Who’s with me on this…

The same can be said for our spiritual lives. If you choose to follow the one true Christ, Jesus, you will find a new life that not only benefits you to a life forever with God but a new way to live that is not exactly natural. When we understand the free gift that God has given us we also can understand the relationship that also comes with it. As with any relationship we have, there are things that become our responsibility. When we care for our relationship with God we do so by giving it things like time, honor, dedication, and holiness.

There are several ways we can accomplish these things and today will only scratch the surface of what we could do.

For today let’s take a look at King David. One thing that has always stood out to me about David is that God calls him a man after his own heart. When we study David from his early days to fulfillment of his purpose, when he fell asleep (died), his life can be an encouragement, a warning, and even a roadmap to our destination. A life well lived.

The small piece of David’s life I want to look at is found in Psalm 51

1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

This part of the Psalm is attributed to David’s life after his affair with a married woman and the death of his son that came from it. David was a great warrior and a great king. And through all of this he still understands his relationship with God. That his relationship is not a one way street. David strives to do the will of God, he strives to follow God’s commandments and live a holy life. But he is also realistic of where he stands in life.

Later on in the psalm he says this

9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

This is a good place to be. When we’ve made a mistake in life or even make an active choice to go against God. We don’t just quit, we don’t just throw our relationship away. No, we remember who God is and who we are. We ask for forgiveness and seek to stay in the relationship we love. David is willing to do the hard work and live a life of service. Striving to follow God’s commandments and live a holy life.

Here’s the real takeaway:

When we mess up spiritually, we don’t have to quit and walk away. We can return. We can repent. We can seek forgiveness and ask God to restore what sin damaged.

As men, we’re often taught (sometimes without realizing it) that we shouldn’t ask for much for ourselves. We think about providing. We think about helping. We think about what others need.

So let me ask you directly:

What do you want?

Not selfishly. Intentionally.

What do you need from God right now?

  • Do you need healing—physically or spiritually?
  • Do you need to change some habits and “man up” in the right way?
  • Are you stuck in a rut and tired of pretending it’s fine?
  • Do you need your heart softened again toward God?

If any of that describes you, you’re not alone.

Take a step. Don’t do life alone. Ask God to work in you—and let the men around you help carry the burden too. Because iron sharpens iron, and God wants you strong in the places you’ve been weak.

See you Wednesday.

-Bryan

Words Matter: Speaking Life or Destruction?

James 3 tells us this
“Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”

From pastors to politicians, we all have something to say, and the power of our words can resonate deeply within our communities and beyond. What are you saying? Are you offering up encouragement, uplifting those around you with positive messages and hope, or are you teaching something that is not encouraging or helpful? In a world that often feels divided, the impact of our communication becomes even more critical. It’s essential to reflect on whether our contributions foster understanding and compassion or if they inadvertently sow seeds of discord and negativity. As we express our thoughts, let’s strive to be voices of reason and empathy, ensuring that our messages promote healing and growth rather than division and despair.

James starts off talking about pastors but because we are all part of the church we need to be aware of who we are and what we are teaching each other.

In society today we seem to have more talkers than listeners. Maybe it’s always been this way but with the added “benefit????” Of social media everyone has a voice. You don’t even have to identify yourself, you can just click away anonymously and say anything you want. We have all been affected by it.

The challenge for you as a Christ follower and a man is how you will use the information you have. Our words matter. Will you uplift someone or bring them down? In today’s political climate, it’s easy to take extreme positions. We witnessed another attempt on the president’s life over the weekend. Many believe that the way people express their opinions influences this. I tend to agree.

As a man of God, you have a profound responsibility to tame your tongue. A couple of reasons to tame your tongue are; one, so you don’t diminish your voice. We all see those who seem to have the ability to speak before they think, often leading to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. When you engage in hasty speech, you risk undermining your credibility and creating barriers between you and others. You don’t listen to what they have to say, so why would anyone listen to what you have to say? Instead, take the time to listen before you speak, and measure your words carefully. By doing this, you cultivate an atmosphere of respect and understanding, allowing meaningful dialogue to flourish. Two, leave room for God to work. It’s easy for men to be problem solvers, yet not every situation you come across requires a solution from you. We have talked before about the difference between a problem to solve and a tension to manage. Sometimes, the most powerful action is to step back and allow divine intervention; after all, does every challenge truly need a human remedy? If so, does it have to be you? By practicing restraint and patience, you open the door for God’s wisdom to guide you and others toward resolutions that may exceed your own understanding.

So how do you tame your tongue? What do you do?

I would like to see what would happen if we started to say less. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you don’t speak up to things that are wrong, of course you do, but I want to encourage you to see if you speak less where God will speak for you.

Looking forward to our conversations!

-Bryan

Help me in my unbelief

In Mark 9 we read this

20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.

He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

I have been thinking about this phrase that a desperate dad blurts out when Jesus tells him, if you believe it will happen……

All you have to do is believe

What I hear is alright, be a man, believe. But I do believe and I still have this problem.

I don’t know what your problem is but I know that a group of men I meet with on Wednesday mornings have problems. I don’t say this to call anyone out but to show the reality that no matter where we are we have problems. No matter where we have come from we have problems. No matter where we go tomorrow, we will have problems.

So my question for you today is this. When you come to the end of yourself, what are you going to do? Or what do you do now?

Do you man up and try to figure it out? Good

Do you man up and gut it out not letting anything get in your way? Good

But there is a time or will come a time when what you man up to do will not be enough. That’s my question for today.

What will it take to get past yourself and go to Jesus? If you read back in the chapter the disciples are arguing amongst themselves because they can’t get this demon to leave the boy. Jesus shows up and kicks out the demon and changes the life of this boy for the rest of his life. I wonder where he is now.

All of you are in one of two positions. You are either a disciple with a question because everything you’ve tried in your Christian faith doesn’t seem to produce the results you wanted.

Or, you are the father that can plainly see God at work in your life and there is a problem that you want to or have given to God but yet it doesn’t seem to change.

I invite you to talk to Jesus, give him the problem, listen like you have never listened before, (that includes prayer, fasting, reading your Bible, and listening/waiting)

It’s the praying, fasting, reading the Bible that is the easy part. It fits with who we are as men, action and results. It’s the waiting that we hate. Well at least I do.

I challenge you to this: Get better at the listening and waiting part. A part of this is in your manly relationships. First, if you don’t have a good manly friend get one (they need to be a Jesus follower). Second, as you spend time with God verbalize it with this friend, third, hang out with a group of godly guys.

Why do I say this? It will have the time go faster, it will help you sift out the bad ideas, and it will help you clarify what God is saying. As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.

So, what’s your problem?

I look forward to seeing you all and talking with you because I know one thing. God is on the move and it is happing through you!

-Bryan

Stars and stuff

This week we sang a song called Stars by Skillet. Its a good song and a thought provoker. It starts with “You spoke a word and life began.” Ok, I have no issues with that for it falls in line with my thinking about God. It goes on to say “If you can hold the stars in place, you can hold my heart the same.” This is where my mind starts to wander.

For me, I don’t really struggle with the whole God created the universe thing. Even if I had to choose between a creator of everything and everything just banging into existence, the creator takes less faith to believe. For you and I were created with an inner wonder and the seeking of a creator. But that’s not where I’m going today.

Where my eggs start to scramble is when I think of a God that holds the stars in place and wants to know me in a personal way, not in the same way some people know us as someone they work with or someone they know from from the bar type of thing. But instead the way our closest friend knows us. Even more than that, someone who knows the things we don’t even tell our closest friends. That’s what I struggle with.

In Psalms 147:1-4 NLT it reads “How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting! The LORD is rebuilding Jerusalem and brining the exiles back to Israel. He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name.” There is a lot going on here by my account. I believe it is good to sing praises to my God. That is a direct reflection of my faith in Christ. It is also interesting to read about Jerusalem and all the implications that has wrapped up in it (for another time) but the part that hits me hardest right now is God will heal my broken heart and in the same breath not only counts the stars but has them all named.

That’s where I’m landing today.

I am so far from perfect that if I had to count up all my failings, I don’t have enough fingers and toes to even count up this past week. I have a feeling I’m not alone there either. God wants us to do our best at following what Jesus said. What he would like for us to do as it all boils down to Love God, Love Others. (And yourself too) Jesus wants us to be realistic in our daily lives and take care of one another.

See if you can relate to this or not. I was working on a project far from home and trying to build something that I don’t know if I should have taken on or not but my help consisted of my wife, my son, and me. Let me preface this with the fact that 20 years ago there would have been no issues with anything. For 20 years ago I could lift the world with one hand, fly to the height I needed to work and do it all without breaking a sweat before noon. But today, I get out of bed wrong and my back is sore, my knees hurt, and may attitude goes in the trash so fast it surprises even me. I know old people suffer from this but not me of course. How about you?

Something as simple as growing older can cause us to struggle in many areas. Yes, our bodies seem to show the signs first but the mind is what really can cause us the most trouble. If we have worked like I have over the past 30 years in construction, it’s no wonder stuff doesn’t work like it used to. It’s our mind that get us, or I should say me, in trouble. I don’t allow myself the grace to slow down or heaven forbid realize I can’t do what I used to anymore. I can talk myself down from the ledge of slowing down but my problem this time was I was working with people that didn’t have the same background I did. I quickly became frustrated by the fact that others were not as intuitive about the project as I was. That’s where my mind led me off the path of greatness and down the ravine of trouble and sorrow. I started to offer up help in ways that were, let’s say not real constructive. I of course don’t want to throw myself under the bus but at the end of the week on my drive home it nailed me pretty hard that my life long experience of construction has taken me down a path that would rather choose production over relationships, Or that’s the way it seemed anyway. So what am I going to do?

Well, that may be a little to raw or personal for some but it’s causing me to wrestle with things that are going to take me into the next stage of life. That next stage of life for me is going to be survival of the mind over the body. My mind goes at the 30 year old pace in thinking about production and my body says “hey, wait a minute, you’re in your fifties and stuff don’t work the same anymore.” Let alone having to understand the changing culture of the workplace.

Construction is a different culture than almost any other job there is as sometimes it doesn’t really matter how much you try or want to do your best you have to do it right or there is no gain. I know that sounds harsh but it’s one of the only industries that is pass fail and not based on a degree of effort. This is what I’m having to move up to the front of my mind and eventually into actions. I have been in some sort of leadership most all of my life; from businesses to volunteer boards and teaching of churches and small groups but until know I was able to get away with a style of leadership where if I did it myself and I could make it all work. Now, I’m not saying I was always right or always wrong but I could make it work.

Today is the start of the realization that I need to put into practice something I heard a business coach say. Take care of your people so they can take care of your business. This is becoming more and more real for me every day. As I make this transition from being able to do it all to having other people do it for me there is a real disconnect for people like me. Most people are smarter than me and figure this out right away but not me. I’m a proud Scandinavian with a think headed nature. But by the grace of God I too may be able to figure out a way to do a better job at taking care of the people around me in such a way that they will flourish and therefore I can flourish. For me this will be a real adventure. I will struggle with not being able to do the things as fast, as well, or even at all, the things I once was able to do. That pokes my pride. But if I am going to believe that God cares enough to name all the stars and yet still take an interest in me then maybe I can do the same for others. That’s really getting back to the heart of loving God and loving others anyway doesn’t it.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week I want to challenge you to take a moment to think about ourselves first. I know that seems wrong at first but if we don’t take a personal perspective of life we will lose it. For me, I have some people I need to make some things right with, how about you? That doesn’t’ mean everything will get fixed overnight but it will be the first step in letting a God who “heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds.” Start to work in us and on us.

This holiday season why don’t you join me in starting to live life a different way. One where we take care of our own mind first and put the priority on relationships as we move forward in business, church, and life in general. Know that God wants to have a relationship with you like he wants us to have with others. Let him walk life with you and let’s see what happens. Love ya, have a great day and Happy Thanksgiving!

Brayn

What’s Joy got to do with it

Good morning, It is my sincere hope that this finds you with a bit of joy in your heart as we wake up on a Monday morning. I think that waking up on a Monday morning can be the least joyful thing we do. The weekend is over and the real work week starts. I hope you can find at least one thing that you can say to yourself “Hey, I like that. I’m looking forward to that today.” If you’re like me, I find it easier to say on a Friday than on a Monday but here we are. So we might as well make the best of it.

This part of the book of Matthew in the Bible was part of my devotions the other day.

“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬


For me, living in the Midwest of the good ol’ USA I have to admit that being persecuted for doing right is not a problem. I identify as Christian and so do a lot of people around me. I will have to admit that I live in a community that largely thinks politically along the lines I do. I live in a community that puts a high value on God, family, and country. So when I think about being persecuted it’s usually just a notch above being picked on. I don’t have a perspective on what it means to be persecuted like it talks about in the Bible.

As I turned on the news this morning they were talking about a plane that landed in Russia and was being surrounded by an angry mob. My first thought was “ok, that’s in Russia, big deal” Well it is a big deal. It’s a big deal because the plane had taken off from Tel Aviv Israel. There was a group of people wanting to see the passports of all the people on the plane to see who was a Jew. Does that ring any bells with anyone to a part of history that is just long enough ago that it is on the edge of the memories of those old enough to remember?

For those of you who may not know and are way too young to remember, like me, a little group of people led by a little man wanted to see who was a Jew. Yes, those people in the 1930s-40s’. In 2023 there is a group of people that want to try and rid the world again of the Jews. So yes, I’m shocked but not surprised, that the evil in the world is once again trying to raise its evil head.

This post is meant to awaken us to action. I’m not calling for violence in the streets but better yet to wake us up to the reality that we are living in. I’m convinced that we have always been living in a time of evil but there are times in history when we get lulled into a false sense of security and we think that peaceful times are possible long term.

I hate to burst your bubble but we need to wake up and pay attention. I do believe that the end of our time here on this earth is one day closer than it was yesterday but I have no idea what day that all will come to a close. I do know the one that is ultimately in control loves you and me. It’s not a matter of does God loves you (because he does) but a matter of whether are you willing to listen to the one who loves you. No matter where you live on this planet, you can choose to follow Jesus and spread the good news that Jesus wants all to choose him and keep our focus on an eternity of life in Heaven. In doing so, the devil and his side hate God so much that the only way he can hope to hurt God is by taking his creation (that’s you and me) down with him.

So, what’s joy got to do with it? The only way you and I can have joy in a time like this, in a place like this is to put our hope in Jesus. Persecution will come and for some is already here. If you are on a plane and people are ready to take your life because of the God you serve. Your time is here. When you are in a classroom and your teacher tells you there is no god and the world is billions of years old, your time is here. When you live in a place that says it is okay to kill babies because they are an inconvenience or will be born too poor to live a “good” life. Your time is here!

It is time to stand up and be counted. It is time to show this world what love truly is. It is the love of Jesus lived out through your life. It is time for you to pray. Pray like your life depends on it. Pray that you will see God and that you will be able to hear the voice of God in your decisions, your relationships, your spouse, your kids, and your community. As you hit your knees in prayer, stand up.

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!!! And love like Jesus today

Pray for those around you who are truly being persecuted today. From the war in Israel to those trapped on a plane in Russia. Pray for those in school trying to find their way in life. Pray for the moms and dads trying to raise kids in a culture that wants their destruction.
Today remember, take joy in being persecuted for the right thing. An eternal joy awaits us. God loves you and I do too!

Have a great Monday!

The Timeline

Last week I asked you what you would do if money wasn’t a factor. What did you come up with? My hope is that it started to spark something inside of you. Ultimately my hope is that it would start to unlock the chains we sometimes put ourselves in. It usually starts early in life when we get scared of our dreams. We all have had dreams at one time or another. Whether it was wanting to be a doctor or firefighter when we were kids all the way until later in life when we wanted to be a difference maker in this world. That usually comes about the time we get out of high school. If you went to college, why did you go? What did you want to make a difference doing?

Usually at this point in life is where we start to get scared of the future. We start to listen to the wrong voices, some are inside voices and some are outside voices of others that may not know what we desire or what we even want to learn and get better at doing. Often times, we don’t give ourselves credit for the things we are learning or what we have learned in our past.

When you sit in a quiet place and think about your life, what comes to mind. If you’re like me, I can remember both good times and bad. I can remember the wins I have had in life and the mistakes I wish I wouldn’t have made. Can you remember the awards you won and the achievements you made happen or won? Let’s call these things markers.

Our past, I will call it our timeline, is one of the keys we can use to help unlock our future. Take a piece of paper and draw a line on it from left to right. The far left side is when you were born and the far right is today. Now, think back as far as you can in the past an make a mark on your timeline for how old you were and what that memory marker was. One more thing, was that first memory marker a positive or negative thought? And on a scale from one to ten how positive or negative was it? Put down the major memory markers in your life and how positive or negative they were. It will take a little time and if you allow yourself to think about it during the day, you will find yourself remembering things you had only thought you forgot about.

There is a reason it is helpful for us to do this exercise. I will talk more about it soon but for now, see if you can start to see any patterns in your life. Look for threads through your own life and see if you can connect any of the dots.

I want to help you see what your past has to do with your future and how it can help you unlock your dreams. In the journey of life, and you’ve heard this before, you never get anywhere unless you are willing to take that fist step. Through the Bible we see that God created people for a purpose on purpose. When he told Jeremiah that he wanted him to be a profit to the nations or when King David had accomplished what God put before him then he died.

God has a plan for you!! Sometimes we just gave up on our dreams or what God has put in our hearts and desires.

Have a great day and we will talk soon!

Bryan

Carpe Diem

Well for us in South Dakota, everyday in October that it isn’t snowing is a blessing. Yesterday was one of those days. It was 70 degrees and light wind, the trees are in beautiful color and the road was calling.

I called up some friends and we hit the road for a fun filled day in the sun. We put about 175 miles on the bikes through the Iron Mountian Road in the Black Hills of South Dakota and even managed to get a little sunburned. What a great day!

Carpe Diem!

They say seize the day and all that comes with it. So, what does that mean to you? And, are you seizing it? Do you even know what it means to seize this day?

Our culture has gotten so busy that I’m not sure we know how to do it or if we’d even have time to do it. I always think back to the old Robin Williams movie Dead Poets Society, where he taught a class of young men how to do just that, – seize the day.

I think we fall into the same trap these young men did. We live life each day going about our business but we never get past the point of just living life in a rut of routines. You get up, go to work, come home, have dinner, go to bed, repeat the cycle. Then on Friday or Saturday night maybe go out and get hammered and see if you can find love, even if only for the night. You may have gotten into a cycle that you don’t even question it. We don’t see life flying by us day by day and we never hang onto all that it has to offer or who it has to offer that are right in front of us.

You don’t have to be single to live this kind of life, married people do it too. Whether its your job or your marriage we have been blinded by busyness. I have found over the years that busy is the true killer of dreams. And without dreams we can never really live the life we were created for. God has put inside of you a wonderful gift of life and hope. You know deep down inside that without hope you never really live life either.

As I read in my devotions today Peter gives us a way to uncover a piece of Carpe Diem. When you realize that when you live out the gifts that only God has given you then the blessing of living life to the fullest will present itself to you.

“Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What are your gifts?

A question I ask my students that take my ETHOS class is… “If money or time was not an issue, what would you be doing right now?”

This is after of course you say, “Take a year off” “Travel the world” stuff like that. When you get past that, what is it your thinking of right now that you would love to do because it not only brings you joy but it brings you fulfillment. That, is where the dreams and hope of God really lives. We’ll talk more about that later, but for today, act out on something that God has put inside of you for the benefit of others and see what just a little bit of Carpe Diem will do for you today.

Have a great day!!!

Bryan