A few years back I made one simple change in the way I pray — asking Questions for Jesus — and my percentage of answered prayer went up about 1000%. After 35 years as a Christian, 25 as a ministry leader and 15 of coaching pastors about how to meet God (irony alert!), I was still asking Him all the wrong questions. When I finally figured out how to change the subject to what He wanted to talk about, it was like our communication went from snail mail to instant messaging—and got way more intimate and revelatory in the process. Continue reading “Questions for Jesus: Praying Prayers God Answers”
The Coaching Approach to Growth
A while back I was agonizing over how to fund a new venture. Do I raise money, and spend the added time to form a board and do books for a non-profit? Do I enlist investors and give up ownership in the organization? Or do I take out a personal loan (which I find distasteful) and run it as a business? Several self-imposed deadlines had come and gone, and I still couldn’t decide. Finally I sat down with my friend Tim, a successful businessman who also uses the coaching approach, and asked for help. Continue reading “The Coaching Approach to Growth”
The Facets of Life Calling
Your life calling is: a message you embody to a specific audience for an ultimate impact through a unique task.
You have a message that impacts others as you do your mission—your life calling. The message is Christ embodied in you in some particular way for the world. It’s the unique way Jesus shines through you because of how he has shaped your identify. Continue reading “The Facets of Life Calling”
Coaching Relationships and The Power of Unconditional Love
There is power in simple, unconditional love to transform people’s lives. The simple act of listening and withholding judgment is a compelling way to love people. Coaching relationships have special boundaries that free the coach to offer this kind of unconditional belief and support. The first of those boundaries is illustrated in the story above: the coaching relationship focuses solely on the issues of the client, not those of the coach. We say it like this: It’s about the client, not about you. Continue reading “Coaching Relationships and The Power of Unconditional Love”