Blog / Fear and Perspective

As a high school quarterback, I led the whole city of Dallas in two impressive stats: number of interceptions and number of times sacked! I was mainly to blame for our bust of a season because I would get so nervous, and my hands would shake so badly, that I developed a ritual of fumbling the first snap of every game! So terrified of messing up, I would literally sweat through my bed sheets the night before each game! The strange thing was after I got pummeled on that opening play, the game day jitters were behind me—and I was […]

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Definition of a myth: a widely held but mistaken belief 1. It takes everyone 12-24+ months—On one side of the road stand the naïve who unrealistically proclaim they can “knock out” their support in four weeks or less. There’s a much larger crowd, though, stuck in the other ditch, pessimistically “digging in for the long haul,” and predicting it will be a protracted and difficult journey. These folks heeded the horror stories of others who spent 2-3 years raising support. Don’t let those tapes play in your mind. Instead, trust God, work smarter and harder, and set a new “norm” […]

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Fears. We’ve all got ‘em. Some of us are willing to admit it; some of us aren’t. Author Larry Crabb in When Fear Seems Overwhelming writes that most of us live our lives based upon our fears. We move toward those things that are safe and comfortable and run from and avoid those things that are scary and intimidating. I don’t read his stuff though; it’s mainly for men in denial and that, of course, doesn’t apply to me! As believers, we have an enemy who uses fear to discourage and even destroy us if possible. The question isn’t IF […]

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One of my responsibilities is to help oversee the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement Study Program. This 15 week class in 210+ locations around the U.S. (plus 27 countries!) helps lay people, students, and yes, even Christian workers understand God’s heart for the nations and their most strategic role in completing the Great Commission. Over the years as I’ve interacted with a number of our 80,000 alumni, I’ve heard them say, “Perspectives ruined my life!” Normally, I would grieve and console them, but they offered their statement with a smile on their face and joy in their heart! When […]

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Jack felt sure numerous top-tier job offers would be banging on his door now that he completed his MBA. He had worked so hard packing his resume with good grades, service activities, previous jobs and internships, and of course, an all-star cast of references. He was also secretly counting on his network of fraternity brothers and his Tom Cruise good looks as “icing on the cake.” When no great offers came forth, he aggressively hit the phones and streets in pursuit of his fast track to the top. He was a tad embarrassed when he accepted a low-level sales job, […]

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Eric was at a crossroads in his life. He was a successful businessman with a growing family who had been persuaded to take a class about God’s heart for the nations called “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement”…and he was deeply touched. He wrestled for months with whether the Lord was calling him into missions before discussing it with his pastor and exploring opportunities with various agencies. Eric studied the mission websites and talked with reps from different ministries. He was drawn to apply to several organizations, except for one small detail in the fine print—almost all of them required […]

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Fresh out of seminary, I found myself encircled by a distinguished board of successful doctors, lawyers, and businessmen quizzing me about my expectations for my starting salary as a new staff member at their church. Taking the “spiritual” route, I said I wasn’t there for the money—so they paid me only 60% of what my contemporaries made! Looking back, I should have said, “I’m not here for the money. Just pay me a moderate salary. Why don’t we just take the average of everyone’s salary on this committee and pay me that? Not a penny more.” I would have given […]

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Even though my existence on this planet has been relatively brief, still I have observed that many organizations seem to budget in one of two ways: 1. The Typical Way The staff of many church and para church groups will show up to the annual planning meeting with this in mind: “Well, last year I was allotted this much for my ministry budget. If I jack it up about 10% and complain about all the shortages, maybe I’ll walk away with at least a 5% increase.” Their vision and thinking is limited by how much money they think might come […]

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