The Prodigal son Bible Story is more than just a parable Jesus taught during his ministry. Here are four lessons the prodigal son Bible story teaches us today.
THE PRODIGAL SON BIBLE STORY TEACHES THAT GOD LETS YOU ACCEPT OR REJECT HIM
The prodigal son Bible story is a parable Jesus told describing God as a loving father. Like the story, God has a rich, spiritual inheritance waiting for you as a faithful son or daughter. And gives you the free will to accept or reject it.
But the son in the story was impatient. And demanded immediate gratification. To pursue his personal pleasure rather than the goodness God had for him. So he asked for his inheritance in advance and the father gave it to him.
The point is, God wants you to seek Him willingly. To trust His goodness as your father and walk with Him in relationship. And ultimately, enjoy the divine rewards that it brings. But it’s your choice.
THE PRODIGAL SON BIBLE STORY TEACHES THAT GOD LETS YOU SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF BAD CHOICES
In the story, the son takes off after receiving his inheritance. And everything is great while the money lasts. But when it runs out, so do the good times and so do his friends.
He realizes he made some bad choices. Which is not unusual. We all do that. But bad decisions multiply when they are made out of a sinful, selfish heart. And the prodigal son was all about himself.
So he plunges into bankruptcy and in desperation takes the only job available. Feeding pigs. At this point in the story, some people misunderstand God. They think because He’s a loving father, He should run to the rescue. Instead, He lets the son suffer the consequences of his bad choices. That’s tough love. A hard lesson for the son. And we should understand God often does the same with us.
THE PRODIGAL SON BIBLE STORY TEACHES THAT RESTORATION WITH THE FATHER BEGINS WITH HUMILITY
Finally, the son reaches rock bottom. He’s so hungry the pig’s food looks good. And he comes to his senses. Even his father’s servants have it better. Why not go back home?
But now, the brashness is gone. He accepts responsibility for his bad choices. Acknowledges he no longer deserves to be called a son. But is willing to accept the position of servant. And with this change of heart, he returns to his father.
Today, we are restored in the same manner. By humbling ourselves before the Father, owning our sin and seeking His forgiveness with a change of heart.
THE PRODIGAL SON BIBLE STORY TEACHES THAT GOD CELEBRATES YOUR RETURN
In the story, the father saw his son a long way off and ran to meet him.
In other words, the father had not forgotten his son at all. Yes, he let the son suffer the consequences of his choices. But his love never wavered. He kept daily vigilance. Watching and hoping for his son’s return. Ran to meet him when he did. Fully restored him as a son. And spared no expense in celebrating his return.
It’s the picture of God that Jesus wants us to see. A heavenly father full of love and grace. Who lets you reject Him if you choose. But waits, hopes and watches for your return.
And when you make a move back to God. With an attitude of humility and a change of heart. God runs to meet you. Restores you as a son or daughter. And extravagantly celebrates your return home.
A Biblically mastered mind intentionally manages what thoughts get in and stay. It’s active rather than reactive. Because it’s amazing what happens when you put your mind to it. Here are three attributes of a Biblically mastered mind.
A BIBLICALLY MASTERED MIND IS GOSPEL CENTERED
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the central message of the Bible. It’s the good news of Christ’s redeeming sacrifice and gift of eternal life. And everything in the life of a Christ-follower revolves around it.
So a Biblically mastered mind remains centered on it. Because it’s the key to freedom, joy and transformation.
Yes. Life on earth can still be tough. Hard. Unfair. Ugly. And sin will always tempt to lead you astray.
But the Gospel settles your mind with the certainty of God’s sovereignty. And creates calm in the middle of chaos as you manage the challenges of daily life with an eternal perspective. Where God’s will is ultimately fulfilled.
A BIBLICALLY MASTERED MIND IS PURPOSEFULLY DIRECTED
Behavior is seldom completely random and impulsive. It begins with a thought. And those thoughts stew in your mind as rehearsals for actions.
But a Biblically mastered mind recognizes that your will controls the mind and not the other way around. So you can direct those mental rehearsals in a positive manner by…
Taking your thoughts captive
Thoughts enter your mind in a variety of ways. Some positive. Some negative. And you can’t always control what comes in. But you can control whether or not you let them dwell. And for how long. Rather than trying NOT to think about them. Replace them with other thoughts.
Renewing your mind
God’s Spirit will renew your mind as you turn it over to Him. And He accomplishes that best when you saturate your mind with His word. Spending regular time reading and meditating on the Bible makes a huge difference in managing your thought life.
Experiencing God’s mercy
We’ll never reach perfection in this life. So we will win some sinful thought battles and lose others. But when we confess our sin and ask for God’s forgiveness, He covers us with His mercy.
Our minds can reset. And start over with each new day.
A BIBLICALLY MASTERED MIND IS AT PEACE
Peace in a Biblical worldview is more than inner tranquility or lack of conflict. It is based in right relationships. So a Biblically mastered mind doesn’t reach within for peace. It reaches up to God. Because Biblical peace is not an ideology you attain. It is the spiritual presence of God in your life.
You begin by recognizing your relationship with God is out of whack because of sin. And it is mended through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s what puts you right with God. This in turn, promotes better relationships with other people. And leads to a real and lasting peace.
About Chip Tudor:
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and professional writer. He publishes books, humorous Christian drama, and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview.This blog is originally published here.
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When God says fish are biting on the right side of the boat, there’s a reason for it. And maybe not what you think. But you can be sure of one thing. He’s up to something. Here are four things God might be doing.
When God Says Fish Are Biting On The Right Side Of The Boat He might Be Planning A Miracle
In John 21 after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Simon Peter and several other disciples went fishing all night and caught nothing.
In the morning, Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them to cast their net on the right side of the boat.
You can imagine what went through their minds: Really? That’s it? That’s all you got?
No special technique? Secret bait. Exclusive fishing spot? Just the right side of the boat?
And Jesus didn’t tell them what would happen if they did. “Hey guys, do what I say and you’ll have more than a boat load of fish!”
Instead, they simply had to trust him and follow his directions.
Easier said than done, right? But that is often how God works. No announcements. Or fanfare. Hey, watch me do something amazing! It’s simply, follow my directions. Which is what the disciples did. And caught more fish than they could haul in.
Should we trust God? Yes! Should we pray? Yes! Should we expect God to follow-through? Yes!
But first, it requires our obedience.
When God Says Fish Are Biting On The Right Side Of The Boat He might Be Expecting You To Act On Faith
Theses guys were professional fisherman. Don’t you think they already knew the best fishing techniques? The right bait to use? All the exclusive spots where the fish hung out?
Why should they listen to a guy on the beach telling them what to do? How could he possibly know more than them?
And yet, something about Jesus compelled them. Was it the authority in his voice? His self-confidence? Or did they just want to prove to him they knew what they were doing and he didn’t?
Whatever the reason, they acted on faith. And that’s the key thing about faith. It’s always active. That is exactly what James, the half-brother of Jesus said later in his New Testament book.
To profess faith in God is wonderful. But God expects you to put that faith into action. That’s when God will amaze you.
When God Says Fish Are Biting On The Right Side Of The Boat He might Be Planning To Bless You Abundantly
When the disciples let the nets down on the right side of the boat the catch of fish was almost too much for them to physically manage. Jesus didn’t just bless them. He blessed them abundantly.
It was a fisherman’s haul of hauls. A financial windfall. But it wasn’t the real blessing. Accumulating money and material possessions never are. And it wasn’t the point Jesus was making.
It was about his lordship. That the universe is at his command. And that God’s abundant blessings are profoundly experienced through a personal relationship with him and in community with others who respond to him. And it leads to purpose, meaning and a mission with eternal significance.
It’s a spiritual and eternal community that makes no sense from a worldly point of view. But only when combined with faith and obedience.
When God Says Fish Are Biting On The Right Side Of The Boat He Might Be Calling You To Follow Him
The miracle had nothing to do with helping the men succeed their fishing business. Jesus called them to follow him as disciples. As fishers of men.
And God calls you and me to follow him in the same manner. To proclaim and build His Kingdom. That’s the point of this story.
None of Jesus’ twelve disciples became rich and famous. Most were martyred for their faith. Probably won’t recruit a lot of followers with that as one of your benefit bullet points.
Yet, they left everything to follow Jesus. Even to their death. Because something about Jesus compelled them to. Something about Jesus made it worth it. To obey him. To demonstrate faith.
And it is still true today. For those who will listen to him. And respond in faith by tossing their nets on the right side of the boat.
About Chip Tudor:
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and professional writer. He publishes books, humorous Christian drama, and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview.This blog is originally published here.
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Business can seem like a rat race. But don’t outpace yourself at work.
Instead, think of your life and leadership like a pace car. So you can ramp up to race speed quickly and safely, but regroup when faced with danger.
Some of us race ahead believing that victory comes to the swiftest, but forgetting that undisciplined speed kills. Here are three helpful hints for leaders who want to pace themselves appropriately.
Don’t Outpace Yourself At Work By Assuming You’re The Smartest Person In the Room
You may, in fact, be the smartest person in the room. But for many leaders, especially young leaders, their IQ outpaces their EQ. Effective leadership is not founded on brilliance alone. Leadership combines skills and character qualities that attract others to follow. Effective leaders often are not the smartest person in the room and the wisest ones are not only aware of this, but celebrate this fact. Ross Perot built a reputation and a fortune by surrounding himself with people who loved to win, many of whom knew more about the technical aspects of his business than he did. (If you want to read several interesting and inspiring quotes from Perot, click here.)
Relax. It’s great to be smart. It’s wiser to surround yourself with people who are inspired by your commitment to your mission, your love for your colleagues, and your drive to serve your customers. Develop your EQ. Combine a growing EQ with your inborn IQ and your influence will grow.
Don’t Outpace Yourself At Work By Worrying About Trust
To the midlevel leader caught in the midst of warring superiors – “It’s not about you.” It feels like it’s about you, but it isn’t.
I’ve fallen for this more than once. When superiors give conflicting guidance and set inconsistent expectations. It feels like they don’t trust me. It feels like I’m the issue and I want to ask them directly, “What do I need to do to be allowed to operate as though I’m trusted?”
The problem is that these leaders are fighting amongst themselves and I’m the pawn in their game. It’s not about me. Focus instead on providing a solution to these leaders. Lay out a path that allows each to share concerns while agreeing to a process enabling you to act. Focus on solving the log jam, not how it makes you feel. Slow down. It’s not about you.
Don’t Outpace Yourself At Work By Getting Carried Away By Enthusiasm
Some of us become enthusiastic when conversing with others. We get excited by ideas and opportunities and, if we are not careful, can express commitments in the moment that we are either unable or unwilling to fulfill.
I suggest two solutions to this challenge.
First, recognize and acknowledge momentary enthusiasms. “Derek, this is incredibly exciting and I am drawn to what you’re describing. Before I commit, however, I need to take some time to think about how this fits within my current priorities. Let’s talk again next week and I’ll be in a better position to let you know my answer.”
Second, don’t live in fear that you’re going to promise what you can’t deliver, but don’t promise when you don’t need to. In other words, don’t curb your enthusiasm to the point that you lose one of your attractive and influential qualities.
Take It Easy. What’s The Rush?
At the same time, don’t get ahead of yourself. Or give more than the situation asks for. Promise only when you are ready for your “yes” to be “yes.” Broaden the base of your appeal by growing your EQ. Recognize the difference between situations that feel like they are about you and those that really are. Choose to give yourself space to make wise decisions. Find the pace that works for you. Not only will you avoid hitting the wall, but you will enjoy the journey that is your race.
About Julian Consulting
Dr. Stephen Julian is President of Julian Consulting, a firm specializing in team health, effective communication, and leadership development. He has worked with leaders and their teams for nearly 30 years in a variety of settings – including Africa, South and Central America.
Bible lessons from the story of Samson. It’s more than a children’s Sunday School lesson. The story of Samson has lessons for all of us. Here are three of them.
Bible lessons from the story of Samson. God gives you Purpose
God made it clear even before his birth, that He had a special purpose for Samson. He told Samson’s parents to dedicate him as a Nazarite–one that was specially devoted to God.
As a Nazarite, Samson vowed to abstain from three things:
Cutting his hair
Drinking alcohol
Touching dead bodies
And scripture confirms in the book of Judges that God’s Spirit was with Samson. During this time period, Israel was not reigned by kings. They were led by Judges. And God picked Samson to be one of them. The problem is that Samson didn’t want to follow God’s lead. He wanted to do things his way.
And that’s where most of us mess up. We don’t trust God’s leadership. Or want to follow His plan. We want to do things our way. Follow our selfish desires. And Samson demonstrated a lot of selfish desires.
And that makes it impossible to find and follow God’s purpose for your life. Because you have to release control of your life. And Samson never did.
Bible lessons from the story of Samson. God Will Not Be Mocked
The word for mocked means to treat with contempt or disdain. Yes, God is full of love, grace and mercy. But He is equally righteous, holy and just. He calls us to those same ideals. And holds us to account for our actions.
Therefore, you can’t profane His name, ignore His commands, do whatever you want and think it’s okay. And that because of His love and grace, God is obligated to give you a free pass. He isn’t and doesn’t.
So what does that mean?
God is a petulant child? A mean, vengeful bully? If you don’t do what He wants He will throw a tantrum and get you back? Toss lightning bolts at you?
Not that either.
He will, however, withdraw His presence from you. And leave you to the consequences of your decisions. Sin does that. It always separates you from God. And that’s what happened to Samson. He openly rebelled against God and broke his Nazarite vows. So God withdrew His presence. And with the loss of God’s presence went Samson’s great strength.
God wanted more from Samson than just his strength. Actually didn’t need Samson’s strength because He already had unlimited power at His command. What God really wanted was Samson’s heart. Which is what He wants from you and me. He can’t take it. We have to give it.
Bible lessons from the story of Samson. God gives you second chances.
It’s not clear if Samson had a true change of heart. If he decided to serve God with real devotion. And completely fulfill the purpose God had for him. But as he stood with his eyes gouged out between two support pillars in a building full of his Philistine enemies, he asked God to strengthen him one last time.
And in a final act of vengeance he toppled the pillars and brought the building down killing himself and more Philistines in that one act than during his life time.
Although Samson let his immature emotions drive his behavior, God still used him to save Israel from the Philistines. And gave him another chance to fulfill his purpose.
The point is, God offers second chances and new opportunities for those willing to renew their commitment to Him. But to experience it fully you must give God your heart and devote your life to Him.
About Chip Tudor:
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and professional writer. He publishes books, humorous Christian drama, and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview.This blog is originally published here.
By now you might be suffering from zoom meeting blues. Ready to call it quits on zoom meetings? You’re not alone.
How One Worker Beat His Company Zoom Meeting
I watched a fascinating video where a young man employed in a tech company decided to automate his participation video conference team meetings. He explains how for one week he never participated live but only used prerecorded clips of himself to fool his colleagues (and boss) into thinking he was in the meeting. He concluded that his approach didn’t save time and he was nervous as he waited to see if his automated responses were convincing.
Why He Succeeded In Disappearing From The Zoom Meeting
He was successful, in large part, because there were several people in the meetings and the expectation of his involvement was minimal. His most impressive feats were automating his pitch of a proposal to his boss, his apology to his teammates at the end of the week, and his prerecorded response to their surprise.
Further, he noted that he was successful, in large part, because there were several people in the meetings and the expectation of his involvement was minimal. His most impressive feats were automating his pitch of a proposal to his boss, his apology to his teammates at the end of the week, and his prerecorded response to their surprise. What fascinated me was how no one picked up on his technical glitches. In order to fill time, he looped one five-minute video backward and forward. This meant that repeatedly he was “unsipping” his coffee. Then there was the accidental inclusion of a black frame that popped up from time to time. In both cases, his deception went unnoticed.
What does this mean for your zoom meeting?
First, recognize that if one person was able to do this and post about his success, others will build on his techniques to further automate virtual participation in virtual meetings. Second, virtual participation is already happening in numerous low-tech ways. “Participants” dial in but don’t turn on video or keep themselves muted throughout the meeting. They may be texting just out of sight of the camera or checking e-mail on another portion of their large monitors.
Questions To Ask About Holding A Zoom Meeting
Does this team member need to be included in this meeting? How should each team member prepare before the meeting so that it is maximally productive? Is there a purpose to the meeting? What do you plan to accomplish? How will you know if it is a success?
If you can’t answer these questions before the meeting, then you’re not ready to proceed. You are in danger of having a meeting to plan another meeting. One team told me they hadn’t met for months, virtually or in-person, during much of last year. Not surprisingly, their business and team cohesion was suffering.
When teams maintain regularly scheduled, interactive check-in calls
Their business grows and team cohesion remains strong. Team members need to interact regularly. I’d even encourage you to “strategically waste time together” – something I learned from an early mentor. Time invested in sharing about personal interests and lives outside of work can be healthy. You’re already up against some significant challenges with virtual meetings. Participants are “always on.”
Normally, Beth can scratch her nose, knowing that everyone is looking at Chad who is presenting from the other end of the conference room. On Zoom, Beth is always visible to everyone on the call. This is part of why she chooses to not share her video. Participants can’t have side conversations that build comradery and relieve tension. They can’t lean over and whisper, “I hope your kids made it to school today despite the weather.”
There is no whispering on Zoom – instead, team members are often texting behind the scenes to each other. Make sure your meetings are consistently scheduled, properly attended, and interactive. If most of your meetings involve everyone listening to a talking head, then don’t be surprised to discover a “participant” is a prerecorded image of himself. Sadly, to a poorly planned and executed meeting, virtual or actual attendance may make no difference!
About Julian Consulting
Dr. Stephen Julian is President of Julian Consulting, a firm specializing in team health, effective communication, and leadership development. He has worked with leaders and their teams for nearly 30 years in a variety of settings – including Africa, South and Central America.
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