Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book, Crazy Faith.  (p. 4). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Michael continues this thought, "(Okay, sometimes more than five minutes. But a lot can change in a very short amount of time.) Once we recognize that, it’s reasonable to acknowledge that many things that seem crazy to us right now could be normal in the future. Your student loan debt erased or your six-figure mortgage paid off seems crazy. Doctors going up to the ICU to tell the uncle you’ve been praying for that he’s cancer free and can go home seems crazy. The thought of your entire family accepting salvation and living for Christ sounds crazy. Getting your ten-year sobriety chip after abusing substances for decades sounds crazy. Leaving an inheritance of wealth for your great-grandchildren after you grew up in poverty seems crazy. Recovering from what seems like an unending downward spiral of depression to w...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, from his book,  The Genius of Jesus   (p. 45). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that is important to know. Erwin continues, "Genius is a form of stewardship. To unlock your genius, you must choose to bear the weight of great responsibility. When Mary asked Jesus why he had gone to the Temple, his answer reflected a nonnegotiable intention: 'Did you not know that I must be in my father’s house?' He must be there. He must do this. This was not optional. This was his purpose." Erwin says, "There were many things Jesus did not come to do. He did not solve all the world’s problems or remove corrupt leaders from their positions. There were many things, too, that Jesus did, but that were not his purpose. He did heal the sick, but he did not heal all the sick. He came to save humanity from itself. He came to do what no one else could do. In this way, all manifes...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, from his book,  The Genius of Jesus   (p. 42). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) We always, it seems, want to give answers but it's in our questions where we really find ourselves and learn? Erwin says, "For three days Jesus sat there, deep in conversation with experts on the Torah and the teachers of the Law. These men had spent their entire lives studying the ancient text we know as the scriptures. They were also the stewards of the over 613 laws that had been added to the Law and the Prophets, dictating the Israelites’ behavior and everyday lives. We are told that Jesus sat among these great teachers for days, listening to them and asking them questions. It is one thing for a twelve-year-old to have information memorized by rote repetition. It’s quite another for him to understand the complexity of the material well enough to ask meaningful questions." He continues...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, from his book,  The Genius of Jesus   (p. 32). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)  That is a very interesting and challenging thought. Erwin continues, "The question that demands to be answered is: Where did it go, and what would you be willing to do to reawaken the genius within you?" He says, "I’ve interviewed countless people and taken hundreds of informal surveys while speaking to audiences around the world. When I ask a room, 'How many of you would describe yourselves as creative geniuses?' the number of people who answer affirmatively is usually less than 1 percent. Ninety-nine percent of the room consider themselves uncreative, and at best wish they were creative like those they admire. "I usually ask a follow-up question: 'How many of you would consider yourselves linguistic savants?' The number who say they do is even less than 1 percent....

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, from his book,  The Genius of Jesus   (p. 26). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) So that is a necessary place to start. Erwin continues this thought, "If we can understand the origins of genius, we might discover how to replicate it for ourselves. Put another way, we can ask: What does a genius do instinctively that we could begin to do intentionally?" They can do it! He says, "I discovered the critical relationship of the loss of divergent thinking in adulthood and its detrimental impact in every discipline of life while working with universities to develop master’s and doctoral programs, consulting with CEOs and entrepreneurs, doing life coaching with professional athletes and sports leagues, and consulting with churches and denominations. According to one study, at least 95 percent of children are divergent thinkers before the age of twelve. In other words, we are...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, from his book,  The Genius of Jesus   (p. 26). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) So true, so very true. Erwin says, "It is one thing when genius gives us new music, a new art form or technology, or a great advancement in science or medicine. But while genius can give us a better world to live in, it almost never makes us better, kinder, more compassionate, more honorable, more courageous, more humane." He continues, "I think of the phrase we often use as an excuse for our worst behavior: 'Well, I’m only human.' Our history as a species is riddled with love and hate, with compassion and violence, with betrayal and loyalty, with bitterness and forgiveness. All these are equally the human story. The tragedy is that somewhere along the line, the worst expressions of our nature became the norm and the best of us became lost in ideals. Religion told us we were all ...

  A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, from his book,  The Genius of Jesus   (p. 24). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Maybe this is true of you. Erwin continues, "Frankly, a huge reason I am compelled to believe is because of who I was, who I have become, and who I am still becoming. My high school English literature teacher told me not to bother going to college because I would never make it. Forty years later I am the author of ten books, have won awards as a writer, and have received a doctorate in humane letters. I didn’t have a future before my encounter with Jesus. Now, for more than thirty-five years, I have traveled the world and made a living as a futurist consulting with corporations and coaching CEOs, entrepreneurs, and leaders from the business world, professional sports, and higher education." A caterpillar to a butterfly He then says, "I am convinced that my life is the outcome of th...