"If you wish to enrich days, plant flowers; if you wish to enrich years, plant trees; if you wish to enrich eternity, plant ideals in the lives of others." -- S. Truett Cathy, founder Chick-fil-A
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"For a leader, communication is connection and inspiration – not just transmission of information." -- Gary Burnison, The Twelve Absolutes of Leadership Most of may remember the basic definition of communication we learned in school: you have a sender and a receiver and information flows between the two. Communication has occurred if the transmission was successful. Along the way, we recognize the deficiencies in such a definition. If the receiver doesn't understand what the sender has said, no matter how often he or she says it, communication has not occurred. If the sender isn't listening, communication has not occurred. And, according to Gary Burnison, if the transmission of information is the only goal, communication has not occurred. Good leaders understand that one role of communication is to forge a connection with the listener. A good speech or conversation reinforces what the sender and receiver have in common. Leaders (or preachers or teachers) use…
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Came across this great article on the Letters of Note blog. It's a letter C.S. Lewis wrote to a young fan, sharing Lewis' advice on how to write. This one applies whether you are writing or speaking: "Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don't implement promises, but keep them." As a writer or speaker, you must be clear about your goal: Is it to impress your audience or to communicate an idea to them? In the realm of preaching, our aim is to see lives transformed. This happens when people are given the best possible chance to hear and understand the truth of God's Word. The direct route is preferable to the long, vague one. If you do much writing or speaking (or are considering doing more), I'd encourage to read this article. ---------------------- If you've never seen the movie about C.S. Lewis, I'd recommend it. Click the picture…
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I shared this past weekend the story of a fellow who traveled to Latin America to deliver a speech. Since he spoke only English, they had arranged for a translator to translate his speech into Spanish. Wanting to create a connection with his audience, he decided to open with "Good evening ladies and gentlemen" in Spanish. Only one problem: he didn't know the Spanish words for ladies and gentlemen. To solve the problem, he arrived early and went looking for the restrooms -- knowing that the names for men and women would be used to distinguish the rooms. And so he began, "Good evening ladies and gentleman." The audience was silent, almost shocked. Thinking they must not have heard him, he said again, even louder: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen." A ripple of laughter spread across the crowd. Finally, someone shouted, "You just said, 'Good evening bathrooms and broom closet.'"…
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Of the seven statements that Jesus makes from the cross, the most bland appears to be "I am thirsty" (John 19:28-29). It sits among others such as "Father, forgive them" and "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This last weekend I had the privilege of preaching on this text. In these three words, we are reminded of a great truth: Jesus was human, too. I'm glad, because I get thirsty, too. And tired, and weary, and worn out. I understand what Jesus meant when he said the "spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). Our thirst will either kill us or motivate us. Thanks to Jesus, it can actually move us closer to God.
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