The goal of reading the Bible is not to know the words, but the Word.

Can AI replace your business coach?

Can AI replace me? Can you get leadership coaching from AI? According to one of the top executive coaches in the world, the answer is… …yes. And that’s a good thing. Why? Because it forces coaches to be what they should be, with or without AI. I’ll get to all that in a minute. But first, the back story. Last year, I was on a conference call with Marshall Goldsmith, one of the world’s top…

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It's another presidential election year, which introduces all kinds of temptations for Christians to prioritize the kingdom of man over the Kingdom of God.

In this, my first ever sermon, I draw on the Old Testament story of Daniel to help Christians seek first the Kingdom of God, even in an election year.

If you are looking for a church to celebrate Easter, consider this your invitation.

A person who has no idea of goodness can have no good ideas.

Wendell Berry

Jesus came to help us, not holler at us.

A political movement by nature draws lines, makes distinctions, pronounces judgment; in contrast, Jesus' love cuts across lines, transcends distinctions, and dispenses grace. Regardless of the merits of a given issue--whether a pro-life lobby out of the Right or a peace-and-justice lobby out of the Left--political movements risk pulling onto themselves the mantle of power that smothers love. From Jesus I learn that, whatever activism I get involved in, it must not drive out love and humility, or otherwise I betray the kingdom of heaven.

Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew

Political Scientist Christopher Freiman explains it as the monopolization of our identity by politics. In our time, he argues, politics is rarely about how we cooperate to solve civic problems and is more about the expression of one's entire identity. Politics now is about whether you prefer Walmart Supercenters or Whole Foods Markets, whether you prefer stockcar racing or soccer. Whether you drive a clean energy electric vehicle or a pickup truck. And so on. This, he notes, is exhausting. It's exhausting to define ourselves, not by who and what we love, but by who and what we hate. And these partisan identities, he notes, “are increasingly anchored to hatred of the out-party rather than affection for the in-party.” Freiman writes, “We hate the other team more than we like our team. Why? We need to ramp up our animosity to the out-party to rationalize our continued dedication to our own party despite its obvious shortcomings. (‘I know my party can be spineless and ineffective but I’ve got to stick with them because the other side is downright evil.’).”  That’s why not just every election but every political conversation is so often posed in apocalyptic terms of existential threat."

― Russell Moore, Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America

“As one biblical scholar notes, Jesus here once again upended expectations of what a Messiah should do. The one who was expected to clear the temple of outsiders, aliens, and foreigners, instead ends up clearing out temple space for them.”

― Russell Moore, Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America

For better client experiences, start with your mindset

I had a chance to sit down with Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore, and I asked them where companies should start if they want to fully embrace the experience economy. Jim’s answer initially surprised me, until I thought about it some more. He said it starts with a shift in your mindset. You have to recognize the difference between experiences and services and that the service work has to be done…

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The Four Things we Learn from Saul’s Transformation in Acts 9

1. Jesus pursues us. Saul was looking for Jesus’ followers, not Jesus. Jesus always meets us where we’re at.

2. God uses people to help us throughout our journey. Sometimes it is people you don’t expect. Saul was with people who wanted to persecute Christians. Saul didn’t know Ananias, but he was perfectly suited for Saul. Who is the Ananias in your life? Who are you Ananias for?

3. No one is too far gone to reach. Ananias thought Saul was. God didn’t. Who do you think is too far gone? What if you looked at them and said that they were right on the edge of trusting Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:15.

4. We are all to be engaged in the mission. He immediately began to share his story and we should, too. When Jesus saved you, He also had someone else in mind. That’s why He gave us the Great Commission.

Make a Holy Shift to Win With People

The COVID-19 pandemic changed our relationship to work. We’ve seen some of it in our language: quiet quitting, remote work, the Great Resignation, etc. But the changes are deeper, and as my friend Dan Michelson pointed out in his new book, <a href="http://<a target="_blank"…

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Do you need a growth partner?

In 2022, after almost two decades in business, Vince Wuebker, founder and CEO of HotSpring Spas and Pool Tables 2, sensed that his company of 50 people had outgrown their current structure. But his leadership team wasn’t sure where to turn. Fortunately for Vince, a friend referred him to FiveFour and that was exactly what they needed. Of FiveFour, he said, “it’s like Traction, but even…

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Why the CRO position is growing so fast

Have you noticed more Chief Revenue Officers recently and wondered why this relatively new position the fastest growing title in America? It might not be what you think. I’ve read lots of opinions: CROs are there to break down silos, minimizing dropped handoffs between sales and fulfillment. CROs look at the full buyer journey, knowing the vital nature of recurring revenue to the modern…

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Richard Branson knows his lane

Leading a business is hard. Leading a group of more than 400 businesses? Probably harder. So, how did Richard Branson manage to do that for so many years and become one of the world’s most recognized entrepreneurs? He did it by knowing his role – by staying in his lane. I just finished reading his second autobiography, <a href="http://<a target="_blank"…

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“Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Imagine what the Church would look like if we actually behaved as if we believed this passage?

How to make leadership part of your culture

I talk to a lot of business owners, CEOs, and founders, and not one of them has ever told me: ‘You know what I need? Fewer leaders. There are just too many people leading in my company.’ In fact, it’s most often the opposite; they have a need for more leaders in their growing businesses. Many are struggling to develop mid-level leaders now that their business has grown beyond what the executive…

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