Church

Bernard Baruch was an adviser to two presidents, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt.  He owned a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.  A college in the state system of New York is named after him. On his 94th birthday, he was interviewed by a journalist who wanted to discuss his perspective on the changes he had seen in his lifetime.  The reporter asked, "Who do you consider the great­est man of this age?" That's a great question to ask a man who has floated in the highest circles of business and government, not too mention one who has lived 94 years. His answer?  "Who is the greatest man of this age?  The fellow that does his job every day.  The mother who has children and gets breakfast and keeps them clean and sends them off to school.  The fellow who keeps the streets clean--without him we wouldn't have any…

Just in case you're wondering ... In a speech given to the TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) conference, Bill Gates spoke about how values can often get often out of whack.  For example, did you know that more money is spent on baldness drugs than on drugs for malaria?  This is in spite of the fact that millions of people die each year from malaria ... while not too many die from baldness.

Psychology Today magazine surveyed high school students and found that 39% thought they would be famous when they grew up.  Famous for what, I’m not sure. Our culture is fascinated with celebrities.  We follow them on Twitter, pay money to watch their movies, and imitate their fashion.  And then we make them our heroes. One week after 9-11, Peggy Noonan drove to Ground Zero.  Watching the first-responders march in and out of buildings, she called the ever-moving firefighters the “parade of the not-so-famous.” God defines greatness differently than our culture and his definition doesn’t include the spotlight.  It involves humility and serving. This weekend I will be kicking off our new series, “The Pursuit of Greatness.”  I believe you will be challenged, encouraged, and inspired to think about success differently.  Bring a friend and let’s have a great weekend!

"When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.  For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." This is how Nehemiah responds to the news that Jerusalem is in shambles.  Even though he is far-removed from where the walls are broken and the gates have been burned, Nehemiah is deeply moved nonetheless. He really shouldn't be. He has a prime job as the king's cupbearer.  He eats and drinks better than most of his fellow countrymen.  He has access to the king.  Life is pretty good for Nehemiah. Except for one thing: God's agenda is in jeopardy.  Even though Nehemiah and his fellow Jews have been in exile for many, many years, his heart is still back in Jerusalem.  Upon his return, Nehemiah says this: "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with…

Dave Dravecky, former San Francisco Giants pitcher and founder of Outreach of Hope said, “I’ll never forget the day I gave my son a blessing in third grade, and I had the opportunity to read that letter in front of his class. It was one of the most precious moments of my life, and one that I will never forget.” Dr. Ken Canfield, National Center for Fathering, writes, “Do you have a letter of blessing from your father? If you’re like me you don’t, but if you did there would be only one word to describe it: priceless. There’s a new movement emerging that is capturing the hearts of fathers throughout the country. It’s called Letters from Dad. Men, it will change your life!”