Master Mind

My great friend Dr. Tom Siems is a brilliant thinker. Tom has for years taught advanced engineering and economic mathematics. He served as a senior economist in the Federal Reserve. And he really enjoys studying the Bible. Years ago, he and I were learning through Colossians when Tom hit upon a marvelous summary for the book. He said, “This is all about developing a Master mind.”

He’s right! The 1:9 prayer says it all:

• filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That is how one develops a Master mind – you let God’s revealed will fill your thoughts. You think and act with all wisdom and understanding.
• so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him. He is the preeminent Master! Mastery is found only by accepting His leadership, walking in His ways.
• bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. The Master mind – growing in knowledge of the Lord God – is fruitful. The one who grows up in God is productive to the point of (you guessed it) mastery.

Our prayer for the current podcast and radio series is the same as Paul’s. We pray for each of us to grow in productive mastery as we develop under Jesus, the Master.

God bless,

Wayne

New series!

This week, All The Difference radio and podcast begin a study of Colossians. This magnificent book teaches us all about the pre-eminence of Jesus the Lord. To assist us in getting the most from Colossians, I have made my personal study notes available. Just click HERE to access some background on the city, book, author, and main issues.

God bless,

Wayne

Greed and the polis

Rereading some Greek histories [from the fantastic Landmark series], I was struck by an amazing example of the destruction caused by greed. 2400 years ago, Corinth and Athens became embroiled in a conflict that played a large role in the diminishment of their respective states and the entire Greek civilization.

The problem exploded because a bunch of people in Corinth were very concerned about the Athenian’s greedy desire for control – to expand their government reach over more and more of life. On the opposite side, the big-government Athenians worried that the greedy libertarians in Corinth would not do what was best for all.

In the margin of my book, I scribbled: “Greed drives much political division. It’s not our own gluttony that divides as much as our fear of others’ appetite. Blind to my own rapacious gluttony, I am nonetheless wildly aware of yours. The outcomes of unchecked greed are deadly and hellacious. There is a reason Solomon & Hezekiah used ‘Sheol’ (the place of the dead) and ‘Abaddon’ (Hell) to describe greediness.”

And the problem didn’t end with the Peloponnesian War. Our own country is living out a very similar scenario. The Greeks reveal that the answer to the problem isn’t to defeat those who think differently. The answer is to work together in battling greed in all its forms.

God bless,

Wayne

Scripture changes lives!

The lessons we are currently studying together in Proverbs are transformational. I just finished teaching a version of them at the Pine Cove Woods, a wonderful family camp. Here’s a note that speaks to what God does in our heart as we receive His wisdom:

Wayne, what a blessing Hezekiah’s Proverb collection was to my family at Pine Cove! Our college daughter has had a very tough year and made some huge sacrifices to pay her way to the Woods. She was unsure if the sacrifices were going to be worth it. This spoke truth into her life, and – along with some of the staff – God used her time at camp to begin some healing.

God bless,

Wayne

Practice determines performance

This Friday, ATD radio and podcast will release a new series based on Proverbs 25-29. These are Solomonic proverbs that were dusted off and republished hundreds of years after they were penned. Hezekiah’s scholars selected wonderful truths according to 10 great categories:
• Learning from the past to establish the present & future. 25:1; 27:12-13; 29:18
• Humility. 25:6-10; 27:1-2; 28:26; 29:13, 23
• Dealing with authority. 25:2-5; 27:18; 28:2-3; 29:2, 4, 12, 25-26
• Words/Speech. 25:11-16, 25; 26:20-28; 27:21; 28:23; 29:5
• Community. 25:17-20; 26:18-19; 27:9-11, 14, 17
• Conflict. 25:21-24; 26:17; 27:4-6, 15-16; 29:25
• Self-control. 25:26-28; 27:8, 19-20; 29:1, 3, 8-9, 11, 15, 17, 20
• Fools. 26:1-12; 27:3, 22 (slackers covered in 26:13-16; 29:21)
• Righteous use of money. 27:7, 23-27; 28:19-22, 24-25, 27; 29:7, 14
• Trouble-makers/wickedness. 28:1, 4-18, 28; 29:6, 10, 16, 24, 27

We will study each of these themes, drawing from every verse in the collection. As we do so, please remember that these are not about instant transmogrification. They instead show us how to slowly and steadily grow in the Lord. Hezekiah’s collection reveals that how we practice determines how we perform. This assemblage of Solomon’s greatest hits takes a mature approach to life, anticipating great legacies achieved through regular wisdom.

It’s an honor to study with you, and I pray for you and your legacy as we grow up together. Please let us know specifically how you are applying these practices in order to make your positive impact permanent.

God bless,

Wayne

Why the delay?
That was the question a young man recently posed to me. “Why does God let this world go on in suffering and pain?” he wondered. And this guy was not mere spouting pessimistic jargon. During his nineteen years this fellow has endured more agony than most experience over a long lifetime.

This week, All The Difference podcast and radio begins our study of 2 Peter, which holds a brilliant and multi-faceted answer to that question. On image we will examine is related very well by my old boss, Dan Bolin. Dan tells the story of a ferry he had boarded, a people-and-vehicle mover between an island and the mainland. Passengers were becoming restless, because the ferry was still at the island dock though the time for departure was past. Just when the crowd reached a grumpy peak with folks complaining about missed appointments on the mainland, an ambulance came racing to the docks. Sirens blaring and lights flashing, Dan says the ambulance roared across the ramp, after which the crew quickly pushed off. Suddenly, everyone understood why the ferry captain had delayed. Dan wraps the story by saying:

As we look at a world full of turmoil, abuse, disease and conflict, it is easy to wonder why God is delaying Christ’s return. From God’s vantage point, he sees one more ambulance with one more needy person heading for the boat.
– Dan Bolin

God bless,

Wayne