WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.600 Welcome to The Deep Dive, the show that extracts 00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:04.540 the most vital insights from the information 00:00:04.540 --> 00:00:07.379 you need to conquer your world. Today, we're 00:00:07.379 --> 00:00:09.480 plunging into a topic that resonates deeply with 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:11.580 nearly everyone, regardless of their profession 00:00:11.580 --> 00:00:14.800 or life stage. From a demanding medical practice 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:17.920 to corporate leadership, the universal aspiration 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:21.190 for greatness, this ambition... Well, it seems 00:00:21.190 --> 00:00:24.030 ingrained in us. But in our demanding professional 00:00:24.030 --> 00:00:26.489 lives, what does true greatness actually look 00:00:26.489 --> 00:00:29.690 like? And importantly, how can we actively pursue 00:00:29.690 --> 00:00:32.640 it? Our mission in this deep dive is to explore 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:35.640 a clear, yet perhaps surprisingly counterintuitive 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:38.200 pathway to achieving profound impact and purpose. 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:40.719 Not just in your career, mind you, but across 00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:42.820 every area of your life. We'll be looking at 00:00:42.820 --> 00:00:45.020 a framework for living, one rooted in profound 00:00:45.020 --> 00:00:47.299 Christian wisdom and principles. It draws from 00:00:47.299 --> 00:00:49.539 patterns observed in biblical figures and spiritual 00:00:49.539 --> 00:00:51.520 leaders who achieved quite extraordinary impact. 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:53.920 It's about transforming those aspirations from 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:57.200 abstract ideals into, well, tangible realities, 00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:00.039 no matter the challenges you face daily. To navigate 00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:02.359 this fascinating landscape, we're joined by someone 00:01:02.359 --> 00:01:04.760 uniquely equipped to synthesize complex ideas 00:01:04.760 --> 00:01:06.700 and connect them to their broader implications. 00:01:06.900 --> 00:01:09.319 Professor Mo Imam, welcome. Thank you. It's a 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:11.840 real pleasure to be here and delve into such 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:13.980 a pivotal topic. OK, let's unpack this then. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:16.560 It really does seem that a desire for greatness 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:19.579 is almost universal. Corporate leaders, medical 00:01:19.579 --> 00:01:21.939 professionals, doctors, surgeons, researchers, 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:24.859 nurses, everyone aims for excellence, for impact. 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:27.480 It's just there. But when it comes to personal 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:30.140 growth, especially know, in our inner lives, 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:33.739 this ambition can sometimes feel, well, complicated. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:36.340 We might even worry it's arrogant, perhaps, or 00:01:36.340 --> 00:01:38.340 self -centered. Why do you think that is? That's 00:01:38.340 --> 00:01:40.299 an excellent observation, actually, and it cuts 00:01:40.299 --> 00:01:42.920 right to the heart of the matter. You're absolutely 00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:45.459 right that mediocrity is almost no one's ambition. 00:01:46.060 --> 00:01:48.620 A scholar wants to be a great thinker, an artist, 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:52.200 a great creator, a surgeon, a great healer. Definitely. 00:01:52.700 --> 00:01:55.120 But as you say, when we ask individuals, especially 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.579 those of faith, if they want to be great Christians 00:01:57.579 --> 00:02:00.019 or profoundly impactful in their personal lives, 00:02:00.540 --> 00:02:02.920 there's often this hesitation, almost a fear 00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:05.599 of sounding prideful. Yet if we look back at 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:07.359 the earliest accounts of spiritual journeys, 00:02:07.739 --> 00:02:10.460 even figures like Jesus' own disciples, they 00:02:10.460 --> 00:02:13.270 wrestled with this desire to be great. And what's 00:02:13.270 --> 00:02:15.349 fascinating is that Jesus didn't scold them for 00:02:15.349 --> 00:02:18.569 this ambition. Not at all. Instead, he redefined 00:02:18.569 --> 00:02:20.669 greatness for them. He laid out a completely 00:02:20.669 --> 00:02:23.289 new paradigm, a different set of metrics entirely. 00:02:23.349 --> 00:02:25.930 A different way of measuring it, precisely. So 00:02:25.930 --> 00:02:28.729 in this context, true greatness isn't measured 00:02:28.729 --> 00:02:32.710 by fame, money, position, or intellect, which 00:02:32.710 --> 00:02:34.810 are often the world's conventional markers of 00:02:34.810 --> 00:02:38.129 success in, say, a demanding medical career. 00:02:38.810 --> 00:02:41.050 It's measured by a different standard altogether. 00:02:41.310 --> 00:02:44.129 And when pursued, these counterintuitive metrics 00:02:44.129 --> 00:02:46.229 are said to have literally turned the world upside 00:02:46.229 --> 00:02:48.909 down in less than a century. So this desire, 00:02:49.050 --> 00:02:50.990 it isn't a spiritual problem, it's actually a 00:02:50.990 --> 00:02:54.000 God -given desire. So it's about aligning our 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:56.500 deep -seated professional drive for excellence, 00:02:56.680 --> 00:02:58.919 the kind you see in medicine all the time, with 00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:01.639 a more expansive, purposeful vision for our lives, 00:03:01.699 --> 00:03:03.699 one that goes beyond traditional markers like 00:03:03.699 --> 00:03:07.020 career advancement or accolades. It's about integrating 00:03:07.020 --> 00:03:08.680 that ambition with a deeper sense of meaning 00:03:08.680 --> 00:03:11.520 and contribution. That's a really powerful reframing, 00:03:11.580 --> 00:03:13.620 particularly for professionals who often feel 00:03:13.620 --> 00:03:16.520 immense pressure to conform to those conventional 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:18.740 success metrics. Exactly. It's about channeling 00:03:18.740 --> 00:03:21.319 that inherent desire for impact into something 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:24.379 that transcends the purely material reputational, 00:03:24.580 --> 00:03:27.680 transforming it into a desire for, well, kingdom 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:29.860 impact. You mentioned that transformation begins 00:03:29.860 --> 00:03:32.439 fundamentally with what we allow into our minds. 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:36.159 I find that concept fascinating and almost challenging 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:39.219 perhaps. How profoundly do our daily thoughts 00:03:39.219 --> 00:03:41.699 actually shape our reality and our capacity for 00:03:41.699 --> 00:03:44.680 impact, especially when we're constantly bombarded 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:47.840 with information, good and bad. The influence 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:51.580 of our thought life is frankly profound. It's 00:03:51.580 --> 00:03:53.300 really not an overstatement to say that what 00:03:53.300 --> 00:03:55.979 we entertain in our minds ultimately guides our 00:03:55.979 --> 00:03:58.830 lives. For better or worse, there's a compelling 00:03:58.830 --> 00:04:01.090 study by Haskins that looked at the impact of 00:04:01.090 --> 00:04:03.969 just five minutes of daily negative news. Just 00:04:03.969 --> 00:04:06.810 five minutes. Only five minutes. Yes. Participants 00:04:06.810 --> 00:04:09.349 listened to programs filled with stories of disasters, 00:04:09.770 --> 00:04:12.550 violence, despair. After evaluating them, Haskins 00:04:12.550 --> 00:04:15.310 discovered four quite discernible effects. They 00:04:15.310 --> 00:04:17.250 became more depressed. They developed a more 00:04:17.250 --> 00:04:18.970 negative worldview. They were less likely to 00:04:18.970 --> 00:04:22.350 help others. And perhaps most strikingly, they 00:04:22.350 --> 00:04:24.009 even started to believe that the negative things 00:04:24.009 --> 00:04:26.550 they heard would soon happen to them. Their perception 00:04:26.550 --> 00:04:28.470 of reality was directly shaped by those five 00:04:28.470 --> 00:04:31.069 minutes of negative thoughts Wow That's quite 00:04:31.069 --> 00:04:33.670 something it really highlights a core principle 00:04:33.670 --> 00:04:37.410 a mind filled with flawed pessimistic or cynical 00:04:37.410 --> 00:04:40.970 thinking Simply cannot live an influential fruitful 00:04:40.970 --> 00:04:43.750 life Transformation the kind we're talking about 00:04:43.750 --> 00:04:46.410 for true greatness begins fundamentally with 00:04:46.410 --> 00:04:49.209 what we allow into our minds It's the root of 00:04:49.209 --> 00:04:50.949 our thinking that determines the fruit of our 00:04:50.949 --> 00:04:54.470 lives if you feed your mind mental junk food 00:04:54.470 --> 00:04:56.920 as it were your spiritual and emotional health 00:04:56.920 --> 00:05:00.060 will reflect it. But if you feed it eternal truths, 00:05:00.540 --> 00:05:02.240 your health will become stronger and more consistent 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.240 over time. That makes perfect sense. It's like 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:06.439 a mental equivalent of you are what you eat, 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:08.980 isn't it? Which raises an important question, 00:05:09.220 --> 00:05:11.639 then. If our thoughts are so powerful, what should 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:14.610 we be thinking? The wisdom tradition we're exploring 00:05:14.610 --> 00:05:16.930 points to specific qualities for great thoughts. 00:05:17.290 --> 00:05:19.730 Can you elaborate on these? And how can we apply 00:05:19.730 --> 00:05:21.850 them to our often chaotic mental landscapes, 00:05:22.110 --> 00:05:24.129 especially in high -pressure medical environments 00:05:24.129 --> 00:05:26.730 where critical thinking can sometimes, perhaps 00:05:26.730 --> 00:05:29.889 easily, lean towards cynicism? Certainly. The 00:05:29.889 --> 00:05:31.449 Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, 00:05:31.449 --> 00:05:34.069 chapter 4 verse 8, gives us a very clear directive. 00:05:34.709 --> 00:05:37.540 He says to dwell on Whatever is true, whatever 00:05:37.540 --> 00:05:39.879 is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:42.000 pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.120 repute, if there is any excellence and if anything 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:47.420 worthy of praise. Now this isn't casual thinking. 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:50.959 The Greek word for dwell here is logizomai. It 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:53.819 means to deduce, to reason, to calculate, to 00:05:53.819 --> 00:05:56.860 ponder, to deliberate, to subject to protracted 00:05:56.860 --> 00:05:59.720 analysis or thought. It implies active meditation, 00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:01.699 you see. Thinking about something long enough 00:06:01.699 --> 00:06:03.930 to grasp its implications for your life. Active 00:06:03.930 --> 00:06:06.589 meditation not just letting thoughts drift by 00:06:06.589 --> 00:06:09.110 exactly. Yeah now for professionals in high -pressure 00:06:09.110 --> 00:06:12.370 fields like medicine two attributes often prove 00:06:12.370 --> 00:06:16.329 most challenging yet perhaps most impactful first 00:06:16.329 --> 00:06:19.329 Honorable this means things that are grave worthy 00:06:19.329 --> 00:06:22.129 of respect It refers to things that reflect the 00:06:22.129 --> 00:06:24.569 serious purposes of your life and honor a higher 00:06:24.569 --> 00:06:28.000 purpose In medicine, where the stakes are incredibly 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:30.639 high, it's about ensuring your thoughts align 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:32.740 with the profound calling of healing and caring 00:06:32.740 --> 00:06:35.480 for life, not just the technical or administrative 00:06:35.480 --> 00:06:38.819 demands. Asking yourself, does this thought align 00:06:38.819 --> 00:06:41.379 with the gravitas and divine purpose of my work? 00:06:41.500 --> 00:06:45.610 Okay. Second, of good repute, commendable. This 00:06:45.610 --> 00:06:47.470 is something that speaks well of others or is 00:06:47.470 --> 00:06:49.750 praiseworthy. In an environment often focused 00:06:49.750 --> 00:06:51.829 on problem solving or identifying flaws, which 00:06:51.829 --> 00:06:54.069 is necessary, of course, it's easy for thoughts 00:06:54.069 --> 00:06:56.709 to drift towards cynicism about colleagues, systems, 00:06:57.170 --> 00:06:59.509 perhaps even patients sometimes. Cultivating 00:06:59.509 --> 00:07:01.649 thoughts of good repute means intentionally looking 00:07:01.649 --> 00:07:04.230 for the praiseworthy, building up rather than 00:07:04.230 --> 00:07:05.970 tearing down in your mind. That's a conscious 00:07:05.970 --> 00:07:08.610 effort, then. It really is. Paul is essentially 00:07:08.610 --> 00:07:11.649 saying, get your thoughts right and the emotions, 00:07:11.769 --> 00:07:14.170 behaviors and consequences like peace will follow. 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:17.040 A spiritually trained mind aligns everything 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:19.699 else. It revolves emotional issues and guides 00:07:19.699 --> 00:07:22.939 behavior. This dynamic is consistently reinforced 00:07:22.939 --> 00:07:26.040 throughout scripture. For example, Romans 12 00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:29.779 .2 urges us to be transformed by the renewing 00:07:29.779 --> 00:07:32.959 of our mind. If we're habitually feeding our 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:35.860 minds on that mental junk food, our spiritual 00:07:35.860 --> 00:07:38.579 health will suffer. But if we consistently feed 00:07:38.579 --> 00:07:41.220 it eternal truths, our health can become stronger 00:07:41.220 --> 00:07:43.199 and more consistent than we might have thought 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:45.160 possible. It's like creating a mental filter, 00:07:45.319 --> 00:07:47.139 isn't it? Ensuring what comes in aligns with 00:07:47.139 --> 00:07:49.759 our highest values and purpose. So where do we 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:52.480 find these great thoughts in a world that's constantly 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:54.439 bombarding us with everything else? What are 00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:57.079 the practical sources for this vital mental diet? 00:07:57.420 --> 00:07:59.459 Excellent question. The first and most foundational 00:07:59.459 --> 00:08:02.120 source is undoubtedly scripture. And here I'm 00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:04.139 not just talking about a sort of checklist -driven 00:08:04.139 --> 00:08:06.379 Bible reading plan. Right, not just ticking a 00:08:06.379 --> 00:08:09.649 box. No. As the renowned preacher Charles Spurgeon 00:08:09.649 --> 00:08:12.389 urged, we should lie as soak in my text, let 00:08:12.389 --> 00:08:15.490 the truth soak into me. This means saturating 00:08:15.490 --> 00:08:18.230 your mind with truth, pondering it, allowing 00:08:18.230 --> 00:08:20.870 it to marinate. This deep absorption of God's 00:08:20.870 --> 00:08:23.470 word saturates the mind with truth. And as John 00:08:23.470 --> 00:08:26.490 8 .32 promises, you will know the truth and the 00:08:26.490 --> 00:08:29.370 truth will set you free. Free from anxiety, fear, 00:08:29.529 --> 00:08:31.569 the expectations of others, those habits that 00:08:31.569 --> 00:08:34.370 enslave us. Another powerful source is creation. 00:08:34.570 --> 00:08:37.129 Just reflecting on the grandeur of the natural 00:08:37.129 --> 00:08:39.929 world provides immense perspective and humility. 00:08:40.139 --> 00:08:42.559 I remember living in Santa Cruz, seeing the ocean 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:44.539 from my house, being able to quickly access the 00:08:44.539 --> 00:08:47.399 mountains with these enormous trees. Sometimes 00:08:47.399 --> 00:08:49.299 if my sermon preparation felt ready in terms 00:08:49.299 --> 00:08:52.080 of notes, but my heart wasn't quite there, you 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:54.059 know, I'd take a coffee, sit overlooking the 00:08:54.059 --> 00:08:56.139 bay, and just stare at the crashing waves. Get 00:08:56.139 --> 00:08:59.220 some perspective. Exactly. I'd think about how 00:08:59.220 --> 00:09:01.200 tiny I was in the grand scheme of the universe. 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:04.000 Yet here I was, uptight about what people might 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:06.980 think of my sermon. The heavens truly declare 00:09:06.980 --> 00:09:10.720 the glory of God. Such contemplation is energizing. 00:09:10.919 --> 00:09:13.259 It can pull you out of an emotional pit and provide 00:09:13.259 --> 00:09:15.860 a high view of God that elevates his words and 00:09:15.860 --> 00:09:18.879 builds faith. That's a wonderful image. And finally, 00:09:19.419 --> 00:09:21.500 spiritual insights. Those personal light bulb 00:09:21.500 --> 00:09:24.320 moments God gives you from life experience. For 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:26.700 instance, years ago I had this profound realization 00:09:26.700 --> 00:09:28.940 that I am not the only person in the world who 00:09:28.940 --> 00:09:32.639 is desperately insecure. Actually, everyone is. 00:09:32.789 --> 00:09:35.809 to some degree. Really, everyone? Fundamentally, 00:09:35.889 --> 00:09:38.230 yes. This insight lifted immense pressure. It 00:09:38.230 --> 00:09:40.129 freed me from worrying about impressing others 00:09:40.129 --> 00:09:42.549 or positioning myself in meetings. It allowed 00:09:42.549 --> 00:09:45.090 me to be authentic and find my security in Christ. 00:09:45.850 --> 00:09:48.070 Another insight that continuously liberates me 00:09:48.070 --> 00:09:50.169 is that God loves me right now as much as he 00:09:50.169 --> 00:09:52.870 ever has and ever will. My performance doesn't 00:09:52.870 --> 00:09:55.429 change that fundamental truth. These profound 00:09:55.429 --> 00:09:57.690 truths when deeply pondered and internalized 00:09:57.690 --> 00:09:59.830 become life -changing. They relieve the knots 00:09:59.830 --> 00:10:01.809 in your stomach, allow you to make difficult 00:10:01.809 --> 00:10:04.129 but right decisions, and lead to true security. 00:10:04.350 --> 00:10:07.289 Those are incredibly practical sources. It's 00:10:07.289 --> 00:10:09.929 not about just passively consuming information, 00:10:09.950 --> 00:10:13.009 as you say, but actively meditating on it. So 00:10:13.009 --> 00:10:15.750 how can busy professionals, perhaps those working 00:10:15.750 --> 00:10:18.269 long shifts or on call in the medical field, 00:10:18.889 --> 00:10:21.330 practically cultivate these great thoughts daily 00:10:21.330 --> 00:10:24.129 amidst demanding schedules? It sounds challenging. 00:10:24.470 --> 00:10:26.529 Absolutely. It requires intentionality. It won't 00:10:26.529 --> 00:10:30.009 just happen. Here are a few practical tips. Firstly, 00:10:30.750 --> 00:10:33.509 memorize and meditate on scripture. This isn't 00:10:33.509 --> 00:10:36.450 an obligation, it's an opportunity. Write down 00:10:36.450 --> 00:10:38.629 verses that resonate with you on index cards. 00:10:38.990 --> 00:10:41.230 Keep them in your pocket or on your phone. Read 00:10:41.230 --> 00:10:43.669 them during downtime, waiting in line, between 00:10:43.669 --> 00:10:45.769 patients, between meetings, or even just before 00:10:45.769 --> 00:10:47.549 bed and first thing in the morning. Make them 00:10:47.549 --> 00:10:49.190 the first and last thing that goes into your 00:10:49.190 --> 00:10:52.070 mind. Using those small pockets of time. Precisely. 00:10:52.370 --> 00:10:55.149 Secondly, use your commute time wisely. Do you 00:10:55.149 --> 00:10:57.549 really need to listen to talk radio or just general 00:10:57.549 --> 00:11:00.610 music all the time? Consider audio versions of 00:11:00.610 --> 00:11:03.289 the Bible, or uplifting teaching, or simply embrace 00:11:03.289 --> 00:11:05.789 silence for reflection and pondering deep truths. 00:11:06.110 --> 00:11:08.289 That seemingly unproductive time can become a 00:11:08.289 --> 00:11:10.389 powerful period of mental renewal. Turn the car 00:11:10.389 --> 00:11:13.750 into a sort of sanctuary. Kind of, yes. Thirdly, 00:11:14.129 --> 00:11:17.129 listen to uplifting music. There's an undeniable 00:11:17.129 --> 00:11:20.750 connection between music and our emotions. Refreshing 00:11:20.750 --> 00:11:22.850 and uplifting music can set a positive course 00:11:22.850 --> 00:11:25.289 for your mind, steering it away from negativity 00:11:25.289 --> 00:11:28.389 and toward peace. And finally, create visual 00:11:28.389 --> 00:11:31.190 reminders. Put a key passage on your computer 00:11:31.190 --> 00:11:33.950 screensaver or on your phone lock screen. Set 00:11:33.950 --> 00:11:36.669 up reminders. These subtle nudges can help keep 00:11:36.669 --> 00:11:38.549 truth at the forefront of your mind throughout 00:11:38.549 --> 00:11:41.809 the day. Simple things, but consistent. Yes. 00:11:42.370 --> 00:11:44.409 Thinking great thoughts is the critical first 00:11:44.409 --> 00:11:46.720 step in a radically changed life. When truth 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:48.899 resonates with your heart, your emotions begin 00:11:48.899 --> 00:11:51.179 to change, and you find yourself motivated to 00:11:51.179 --> 00:11:53.720 act in surprising ways, aligning your emotions 00:11:53.720 --> 00:11:56.179 and behavior for profound impact. You've made 00:11:56.179 --> 00:11:57.980 a compelling case that thinking great thoughts 00:11:57.980 --> 00:12:00.500 is foundational. What's fascinating now is the 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:02.740 role that reading great books plays in expanding 00:12:02.740 --> 00:12:04.740 our mental landscape and fostering spiritual 00:12:04.740 --> 00:12:07.919 growth. Why is external input like this so crucial, 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:10.559 especially for those in demanding knowledge -intensive 00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:12.779 fields like medicine or staying updated clinically 00:12:12.779 --> 00:12:15.100 as paramount, but this is about a different kind 00:12:15.100 --> 00:12:17.539 of update, isn't it? It is, yes. Written words 00:12:17.539 --> 00:12:20.179 possess an inherent power to shape our perspectives, 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:23.259 much like our own thoughts do. It's interesting, 00:12:23.340 --> 00:12:25.500 God in the Old Testament even commanded the kings 00:12:25.500 --> 00:12:28.580 of Israel to personally write out and scrutinize 00:12:28.580 --> 00:12:31.460 every word of the law. Not just read it, but 00:12:31.460 --> 00:12:34.360 write it out themselves. Really? Write it out? 00:12:34.379 --> 00:12:36.740 Yes, because He wanted them to be ruled by men 00:12:36.740 --> 00:12:40.179 who deeply understood His written word. This 00:12:40.179 --> 00:12:42.379 demonstrates the profound impact of absorbing 00:12:42.379 --> 00:12:45.580 truth. from written sources. It's how we learn 00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:47.559 from those who have experienced God's truth in 00:12:47.559 --> 00:12:49.919 the past, how we stand on the shoulders of giants 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:53.159 as it were. My own life has been profoundly impacted 00:12:53.159 --> 00:12:56.340 by specific books. One seminal work was The Knowledge 00:12:56.340 --> 00:12:59.279 of the Holy by A .W. Tozer. A missionary handed 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:01.460 it to me years ago in Hong Kong and his opening 00:13:01.460 --> 00:13:04.100 line just stunned me. What comes into our minds 00:13:04.100 --> 00:13:05.679 when we think about God is the most important 00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:08.639 thing about us. That's quite a statement. It 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:11.330 is. This book radically changed my perception 00:13:11.330 --> 00:13:14.190 of God. I think I grew up viewing him as a sort 00:13:14.190 --> 00:13:16.870 of cosmic policeman, always ready with a club 00:13:16.870 --> 00:13:20.250 looking for mistakes. Tozer revealed a God who 00:13:20.250 --> 00:13:22.490 takes holy pleasure in the happiness of his people, 00:13:22.909 --> 00:13:25.789 who has a good plan, and who sees me as the object 00:13:25.789 --> 00:13:28.960 of his affection. It was so foreign to my previous 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:31.580 understanding that I had to reread sections multiple 00:13:31.580 --> 00:13:34.399 times for it to actually sink in. I've kept that 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:37.460 book and its updated edition for over 26 years 00:13:37.460 --> 00:13:40.620 now, revisiting it often. It continues to shape 00:13:40.620 --> 00:13:43.120 me. That's a powerful personal testimony to the 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:45.519 transformative power of a single book. Beyond 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:47.539 your own spiritual journey, then, what types 00:13:47.539 --> 00:13:49.559 of books or genres would you recommend for listeners 00:13:49.559 --> 00:13:52.299 looking to cultivate similar shifts? Shifts in 00:13:52.299 --> 00:13:54.960 their worldview or perhaps practical skills relevant 00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:57.259 to their professional and personal lives? Excellent 00:13:57.259 --> 00:13:59.980 question. Beyond purely theological works, I 00:13:59.980 --> 00:14:02.559 found biographies of impactful figures incredibly 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:05.179 shaping. Reading Dawes, the story of Dawes and 00:14:05.179 --> 00:14:06.960 Trotman, founder of the Navigators, for instance, 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:09.139 it showed me that an ordinary chap with just 00:14:09.139 --> 00:14:11.299 a high school education but deeply rooted in 00:14:11.299 --> 00:14:13.799 scripture memory could impact millions worldwide. 00:14:14.220 --> 00:14:17.039 So it's not about academic brilliance, necessarily. 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:20.379 Not at all. Yeah. It removed the pressure to 00:14:20.379 --> 00:14:22.480 be some kind of brilliant scholar or wealthy 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:25.100 individual. It demonstrated that passion for 00:14:25.100 --> 00:14:27.919 Christ and belief in God's word were the real 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:30.840 prerequisites for world changing impact. These 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:33.120 books really illustrate God's ability to use 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:36.340 improbable people to do impossible things. which 00:14:36.340 --> 00:14:38.379 is very encouraging. Later, when I was leading 00:14:38.379 --> 00:14:40.620 a college ministry, I faced intellectual challenges 00:14:40.620 --> 00:14:42.759 from professors and graduate students who questioned 00:14:42.759 --> 00:14:45.460 my faith. I remember feeling quite small, even 00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:48.000 inadequate, wondering if I had to throw my brains 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.679 in the trash to follow Christ. A common struggle, 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:53.539 I think. Very common. Then I discovered the works 00:14:53.539 --> 00:14:56.059 of Francis Schaeffer, specifically books like 00:14:56.059 --> 00:14:59.240 Escape from Reason and The God Who is There. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:02.740 Schaeffer provided such a robust framework for 00:15:02.740 --> 00:15:04.960 intellectual Christians to reconcile faith with 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:07.620 reason. He showed that faith wasn't irrational 00:15:07.620 --> 00:15:10.080 or anti -intellectual. He also helped me understand 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.279 grace more deeply, moving beyond a performance 00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:14.759 -based faith to a genuine relationship with God. 00:15:15.580 --> 00:15:18.019 So in summary, reading great books has profoundly 00:15:18.019 --> 00:15:20.240 shaped my perception of God, my confidence in 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:22.539 faith, my marriage, my ministry, my relationships. 00:15:23.179 --> 00:15:25.120 They've provided significant life lessons and 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:27.200 breakthroughs. It's a practice that truly pays 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:29.779 eternal dividends. If our thoughts are shaped 00:15:29.779 --> 00:15:32.440 by what we consume and what we read, then it 00:15:32.440 --> 00:15:34.139 stands to reason, doesn't it, that the people 00:15:34.139 --> 00:15:36.980 we surround ourselves with also profoundly influence 00:15:36.980 --> 00:15:40.279 us. How does pursuing great people work as a 00:15:40.279 --> 00:15:42.220 catalyst for growth, and what does that actually 00:15:42.220 --> 00:15:45.059 entail for us today in our busy lives? The principle 00:15:45.059 --> 00:15:47.419 is beautifully illustrated by the relationship 00:15:47.419 --> 00:15:49.720 between Elijah and Elisha in the Old Testament. 00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:55.100 Essentially, who we choose to follow will determine 00:15:55.100 --> 00:15:58.090 to a large degree who we become. It's almost 00:15:58.090 --> 00:16:01.070 inevitable. If we want to become truly great, 00:16:01.309 --> 00:16:03.590 in the sense we're discussing, we need to pursue 00:16:03.590 --> 00:16:06.190 and learn from great people. We naturally take 00:16:06.190 --> 00:16:08.409 on the attributes, the perspectives, even the 00:16:08.409 --> 00:16:10.450 mannerisms of those we spend the most time with. 00:16:11.110 --> 00:16:13.090 Now, before we discuss the people we choose to 00:16:13.090 --> 00:16:15.330 influence us, it's important to acknowledge those 00:16:15.330 --> 00:16:18.009 we didn't choose. Our parents or parental figures 00:16:18.009 --> 00:16:20.370 are, undeniably, the most influential people 00:16:20.370 --> 00:16:22.769 in our lives, for better or worse. That's certainly 00:16:22.769 --> 00:16:24.929 true. We inherit both nature and nurture from 00:16:24.929 --> 00:16:27.799 them. And many of us carry baggage from our family 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:30.220 backgrounds. I've learned some important principles 00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:32.200 over the years for constructively dealing with 00:16:32.200 --> 00:16:35.139 this. First, no one had perfect parents. Only 00:16:35.139 --> 00:16:37.740 Jesus was perfect. We all grew up under the influence 00:16:37.740 --> 00:16:40.700 of imperfect people who made mistakes. Remembering 00:16:40.700 --> 00:16:43.340 this helps us let go of unrealistic expectations 00:16:43.340 --> 00:16:46.179 and perhaps lingering grudges. Oh, allows for 00:16:46.179 --> 00:16:49.279 grace. It does. Second, thank God for what you 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:51.960 did get rather than dwelling on what you didn't. 00:16:52.059 --> 00:16:54.159 It's so easy to lament what went wrong or what 00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:57.259 was missing. But focusing on the blessings received, 00:16:57.580 --> 00:17:00.139 however small they might seem, is vital for moving 00:17:00.139 --> 00:17:03.980 forward in a healthy way. And third, deal constructively 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:06.970 with the damage. Everyone has baggage, difficult 00:17:06.970 --> 00:17:09.369 experiences. The goal isn't to pretend they don't 00:17:09.369 --> 00:17:11.990 exist, but to proactively work through them and 00:17:11.990 --> 00:17:14.230 grow, rather than getting stuck or letting them 00:17:14.230 --> 00:17:16.890 define us. That's a very compassionate and practical 00:17:16.890 --> 00:17:19.789 approach to family history. So once we've processed 00:17:19.789 --> 00:17:23.029 those untozen influences, how do we then go about 00:17:23.029 --> 00:17:25.630 identifying and seeking out the chosen influences, 00:17:26.049 --> 00:17:28.690 the great people who can actively shape our future 00:17:28.690 --> 00:17:31.130 growth? That's where the concept of our spiritual 00:17:31.130 --> 00:17:33.150 Mount Rushmore, as I sometimes call it, comes 00:17:33.150 --> 00:17:35.130 in. The first step is to look in the rear view 00:17:35.130 --> 00:17:37.930 mirror. Take some time to identify four or five 00:17:37.930 --> 00:17:40.609 people who have most positively and indelibly 00:17:40.609 --> 00:17:42.910 impacted your life so far. Then reflect on how 00:17:42.910 --> 00:17:45.130 they shaped your character. What qualities did 00:17:45.130 --> 00:17:47.690 they model? What did you learn from them? Identify 00:17:47.690 --> 00:17:50.549 the patterns of need they met in your life. This 00:17:50.549 --> 00:17:52.609 gives you a really valuable glimpse into the 00:17:52.609 --> 00:17:54.210 kind of people you'll likely need in your life 00:17:54.210 --> 00:17:57.069 going forward. I can give you a couple of personal 00:17:57.069 --> 00:18:00.339 examples from my own life. Coach Lance, he was 00:18:00.339 --> 00:18:03.200 my first non -family role model back in junior 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:07.119 high. He was quite hard, demanding, but also 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:10.119 deeply caring. He looked past my rather arrogant 00:18:10.119 --> 00:18:12.279 surface behavior to see potential underneath. 00:18:12.819 --> 00:18:15.680 He taught me teachability, a huge lesson. He 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:18.380 invested individual time in me daily, playing 00:18:18.380 --> 00:18:20.980 basketball, and continued to offer blunt challenges 00:18:20.980 --> 00:18:23.579 and wisdom for years after. He really taught 00:18:23.579 --> 00:18:25.559 me to be strong and authentic. That sounds like 00:18:25.559 --> 00:18:27.900 a key relationship. It was foundational. Another 00:18:27.900 --> 00:18:30.019 was Howard Hendricks, a renowned professor at 00:18:30.019 --> 00:18:32.460 Dallas Seminary. I pursued him persistently for 00:18:32.460 --> 00:18:34.660 mentorship. Initially, I was rejected because 00:18:34.660 --> 00:18:36.779 his schedule was just packed. So you had to be 00:18:36.779 --> 00:18:39.660 persistent. Very persistent. The mentorship eventually 00:18:39.660 --> 00:18:42.000 evolved from just being in his large classes 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:44.619 to informal gatherings at his home. And then 00:18:44.619 --> 00:18:46.900 later, I assisted him with travel. He taught 00:18:46.900 --> 00:18:49.579 me that powerful communication stems from a genuine 00:18:49.579 --> 00:18:51.839 passion for God. We actually prayed together 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:54.299 every night on those trips. He also provided 00:18:54.299 --> 00:18:56.519 profound personal counsel during some of my own 00:18:56.519 --> 00:18:59.180 struggles, emphasizing our shared human insecurity. 00:18:59.660 --> 00:19:02.000 He once told me everyone, including himself, 00:19:02.839 --> 00:19:05.599 battles insecurity. That was incredibly freeing. 00:19:05.720 --> 00:19:08.539 Those are vivid examples, showcasing the diverse 00:19:08.539 --> 00:19:11.400 ways different individuals can shape us. So having 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:13.299 looked in the rear view mirror, how do we then, 00:19:13.299 --> 00:19:15.240 as you put it, look out the windshield? How do 00:19:15.240 --> 00:19:18.079 we identify and pursue future mentors and influences? 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:20.920 What's the strategic approach for someone in 00:19:20.920 --> 00:19:23.220 perhaps a complex professional network, like 00:19:23.220 --> 00:19:26.319 a busy medical practice or hospital? The apostle 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:28.880 Paul's model of relationships with Barnabas and 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:31.660 Timothy is incredibly insightful here, I think. 00:19:31.720 --> 00:19:34.400 We can break it down. First, you need a Paul 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:37.559 mentor. to you, someone who is further along 00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:40.339 in their journey, a spiritual elder who can guide 00:19:40.339 --> 00:19:43.319 you. In a medical context, this could be a senior 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:45.559 consultant who exemplifies not just clinical 00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:48.200 excellence, but deep character and spiritual 00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:50.819 maturity, someone you look up to in multiple 00:19:50.819 --> 00:19:53.220 dimensions. Someone who's walked the path. Exactly. 00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:57.170 Second, you need a Barnabas. peer mentor. This 00:19:57.170 --> 00:19:59.390 is a peer who encourages, challenges, and walks 00:19:59.390 --> 00:20:01.730 alongside you. Perhaps a colleague at the same 00:20:01.730 --> 00:20:03.869 stage of your career, with whom you can openly 00:20:03.869 --> 00:20:05.930 share struggles and victories. Someone who gets 00:20:05.930 --> 00:20:08.630 it because they're in it too. A trusted colleague. 00:20:09.029 --> 00:20:13.109 Yes. And third, you need a Timothy Minty. We 00:20:13.109 --> 00:20:15.230 also need someone we are actively investing in, 00:20:15.329 --> 00:20:17.769 helping them grow. This might be a junior doctor, 00:20:17.930 --> 00:20:20.150 a medical student, or even someone outside your 00:20:20.150 --> 00:20:23.259 immediate professional sphere. The act of mentoring 00:20:23.259 --> 00:20:25.559 others solidifies our own learning and keeps 00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:28.140 us growing. Now, it's really important not to 00:20:28.140 --> 00:20:30.720 expect one perfect person to meet all these needs. 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:33.539 God uses a variety of people, none of them perfect, 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:35.980 at different seasons of your life. And if you 00:20:35.980 --> 00:20:38.380 find yourself being appalled to others, remember 00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:40.599 not to constantly give without receiving. You 00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:43.779 need very encouraging people, VEPs as I call 00:20:43.779 --> 00:20:46.059 them in your life, who pour back into you and 00:20:46.059 --> 00:20:48.319 offer relationships without an agenda. That's 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:50.819 a great point, replenishing the well. Absolutely. 00:20:51.259 --> 00:20:53.220 God puts different people in our lives to play 00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:55.460 different roles, father figures, cheerleaders, 00:20:55.819 --> 00:20:58.359 confidants, prophets, sponsors, experts, counselors. 00:20:58.940 --> 00:21:01.160 Understanding these roles helps us receive from 00:21:01.160 --> 00:21:03.779 them appropriately and avoid offense or unrealistic 00:21:03.779 --> 00:21:07.700 expectations. Ultimately, who we align with relationally 00:21:07.700 --> 00:21:10.019 profoundly shapes our trajectory toward greatness. 00:21:10.460 --> 00:21:12.380 It's quite simple. If you want to be an average 00:21:12.380 --> 00:21:14.500 Christian surround yourself with average Christians, 00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:17.220 but if you want to go from good to great in God's 00:21:17.220 --> 00:21:19.640 eyes intentionally surround yourself with great 00:21:19.640 --> 00:21:23.059 people, okay, so if our thoughts are the foundation 00:21:23.059 --> 00:21:25.819 and our relationships are a key influence, then 00:21:25.819 --> 00:21:27.559 dreaming great dreams seems like the natural 00:21:27.559 --> 00:21:29.859 next step, doesn't it? What exactly does it mean 00:21:29.859 --> 00:21:32.400 to have a God -sized dream? And how does that 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:35.460 differ from just personal ambition or, you know, 00:21:35.640 --> 00:21:37.940 typical career goals within, say, a demanding 00:21:37.940 --> 00:21:41.380 medical practice, aiming for professorship or 00:21:41.380 --> 00:21:43.880 leading a department, for example? That's a crucial 00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:47.720 distinction, yes. Sanctified, God -honoring dreaming, 00:21:47.900 --> 00:21:50.930 as I think of it, isn't primarily about self 00:21:50.930 --> 00:21:53.589 -fulfillment or personal fame or even just professional 00:21:53.589 --> 00:21:55.210 advancement though those things might happen. 00:21:55.410 --> 00:21:58.390 It's about being so captivated by a vision to 00:21:58.390 --> 00:22:00.670 serve God and accomplish something significant 00:22:00.670 --> 00:22:02.710 for his kingdom that the dream would be utterly 00:22:02.710 --> 00:22:05.029 impossible without him stepping in. Impossible 00:22:05.029 --> 00:22:07.869 without God. Yes. It's a dream so great that 00:22:07.869 --> 00:22:10.329 human effort and energy alone simply couldn't 00:22:10.329 --> 00:22:13.329 bring it to fruition. Think about the impossible 00:22:13.329 --> 00:22:16.710 dream given to Jesus's 12 disciples. Ordinary, 00:22:16.849 --> 00:22:20.230 mostly uneducated men, their task. Go reach the 00:22:20.230 --> 00:22:23.009 entire planet. Seems utterly audacious. Completely. 00:22:23.450 --> 00:22:26.049 This audacious mission, without printing presses, 00:22:26.650 --> 00:22:29.509 TVs, or the internet, literally turned the world 00:22:29.509 --> 00:22:32.730 upside down in less than a century. It demonstrates 00:22:32.730 --> 00:22:35.829 God's absolute delight in doing impossible things 00:22:35.829 --> 00:22:39.769 through improbable people, and importantly, imparting 00:22:39.769 --> 00:22:42.650 exceeding grace to undeserving recipients. This 00:22:42.650 --> 00:22:44.650 means your dreams aren't too unlikely for God, 00:22:44.849 --> 00:22:46.890 and you're not too improbable for him to use. 00:22:47.130 --> 00:22:50.029 He especially delights in accomplishing his purposes 00:22:50.029 --> 00:22:52.750 through people who, by faith, don't consider 00:22:52.750 --> 00:22:54.809 their dreams impossible at all. because they 00:22:54.809 --> 00:22:57.789 know he is involved. That's incredibly liberating, 00:22:57.789 --> 00:23:00.450 actually. It pushes us way beyond our self -imposed 00:23:00.450 --> 00:23:03.390 limitations. So what are the core beliefs that 00:23:03.390 --> 00:23:06.309 underpin this capacity for dreaming God -sized 00:23:06.309 --> 00:23:08.410 dreams? What do we need to truly believe? There 00:23:08.410 --> 00:23:10.450 are two core beliefs that are absolutely fundamental, 00:23:10.730 --> 00:23:13.190 foundational, really. First, God is able, as 00:23:13.190 --> 00:23:15.410 the prophet Jeremiah declared in chapter 32, 00:23:15.509 --> 00:23:18.049 verse 17. Ah, sovereign Lord, you have made the 00:23:18.049 --> 00:23:19.869 heavens and the earth by your great power and 00:23:19.869 --> 00:23:22.190 outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. 00:23:22.450 --> 00:23:24.750 Nothing. Nothing is too hard. Think about the 00:23:24.750 --> 00:23:27.130 vastness of the universe, billions of galaxies, 00:23:27.410 --> 00:23:29.650 each with billions of stars, all held together 00:23:29.650 --> 00:23:32.490 by his command. If you can do all that, then 00:23:32.490 --> 00:23:34.789 your most difficult problem, your most audacious 00:23:34.789 --> 00:23:37.430 dream. It's not even mildly difficult for him. 00:23:37.470 --> 00:23:41.650 We need to grasp his scale. Second, God is desirous. 00:23:41.970 --> 00:23:44.170 Not only is he able, but he's actually willing. 00:23:44.410 --> 00:23:47.329 He wants to do great things. 1 Corinthians 2 00:23:47.329 --> 00:23:49.809 .9 says God wants to do, "...things which eye 00:23:49.809 --> 00:23:52.390 has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which 00:23:52.390 --> 00:23:54.430 have not entered the human heart, all that God 00:23:54.430 --> 00:23:57.490 has prepared for those who love him." Our biggest 00:23:57.490 --> 00:23:59.170 problem isn't usually that our dreams are too 00:23:59.170 --> 00:24:02.329 big. It's often that they're far too small. Limited 00:24:02.329 --> 00:24:04.630 by our self -imposed beliefs about what God could 00:24:04.630 --> 00:24:06.789 or would actually do through us, He wants us 00:24:06.789 --> 00:24:08.750 to lift our eyes beyond our daily to -do list 00:24:08.750 --> 00:24:11.519 and just survival mode. That reframes our challenges 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:13.680 entirely, shifting the focus from an issue of 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:16.299 our capability to one of God's ability and desire. 00:24:16.980 --> 00:24:19.160 Can you give us some examples of how God actually 00:24:19.160 --> 00:24:22.519 births these impossible dreams in people, drawing 00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:24.640 perhaps from biblical narratives? It seems it's 00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:27.140 not always a straightforward, easy process. You're 00:24:27.140 --> 00:24:28.920 absolutely right. It's rarely straightforward. 00:24:29.500 --> 00:24:31.799 And God often works in surprising, sometimes 00:24:31.799 --> 00:24:35.079 even difficult ways to birth these dreams. Consider 00:24:35.079 --> 00:24:37.819 Abraham. God commanded him to leave his comfort 00:24:37.819 --> 00:24:40.359 zone, his home, his family, and go to an unknown 00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:43.400 place first. Only after Abraham stepped out in 00:24:43.400 --> 00:24:45.960 obedience did God burst the dream of innumerable 00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:48.640 descendants. The principle here seems to be that 00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:51.039 God often begins by asking us to step out of 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:53.500 our comfort zone into the unknown. Obedience 00:24:53.500 --> 00:24:56.339 first, then the dream. Often, yes. Then look 00:24:56.339 --> 00:24:59.460 at Moses. God led him to fail spectacularly in 00:24:59.460 --> 00:25:01.680 his own strength. Remember him killing the Egyptian? 00:25:01.859 --> 00:25:04.380 He had to flee into exile for decades. This was 00:25:04.380 --> 00:25:06.880 preparation, allowing him to learn reliance solely 00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:09.380 on divine power for the immense task of delivering 00:25:09.380 --> 00:25:12.279 Israel. This teaches us that God sometimes allows 00:25:12.279 --> 00:25:14.960 us to fail in our own power to prepare us for 00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:17.259 his supernatural accomplishment. He needs us 00:25:17.259 --> 00:25:19.720 to realize it's impossible without him. Failure 00:25:19.720 --> 00:25:22.180 is preparation. That's counterintuitive. It is. 00:25:22.460 --> 00:25:25.079 Think also of Paul. His defining calling was 00:25:25.079 --> 00:25:27.519 clarified in a moment of profound personal crisis 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:30.740 on the Damascus road. It shifted him from persecutor 00:25:30.740 --> 00:25:34.140 to missionary literally overnight. God often 00:25:34.140 --> 00:25:36.720 clarifies our calling in times of crisis, providing 00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:39.559 a platform to speak clearly when we are desperate 00:25:39.559 --> 00:25:41.799 and our lives feel like they're in disarray. 00:25:42.119 --> 00:25:45.140 And closer to home, my own wife, Teresa. Her 00:25:45.140 --> 00:25:47.480 crisis of abandonment by her first husband became 00:25:47.480 --> 00:25:50.599 the very platform God used. Her pain and brokenness 00:25:50.599 --> 00:25:52.819 were transformed into a powerful means for God 00:25:52.819 --> 00:25:55.220 to teach and give hope to other single mothers, 00:25:55.619 --> 00:25:57.579 helping them reclaim their identity as daughters 00:25:57.579 --> 00:26:00.039 of God. This shows that failures, difficulties, 00:26:00.180 --> 00:26:02.720 pain, brokenness. These can be the very platform 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:04.960 God uses to fulfill his dreams through us. Turning 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:07.539 points out of pain. Precisely. In my own life, 00:26:07.539 --> 00:26:09.599 I experienced this quite vividly. I received 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:11.900 a specific clear directive while sitting in a 00:26:11.900 --> 00:26:14.420 field at a retreat many years ago. It wasn't 00:26:14.420 --> 00:26:16.960 an audible voice, but a powerful, unmistakable 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:19.779 sense that God wanted me to be a catalyst to 00:26:19.779 --> 00:26:22.200 transform how Americans think about God, how 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:24.400 pastors think about preaching, how churches think 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:26.460 about their communities, and how everyday believers 00:26:26.460 --> 00:26:28.779 live out their faith. That's a huge vision. It 00:26:28.779 --> 00:26:31.660 felt audacious, almost overwhelming, especially 00:26:31.660 --> 00:26:33.380 when our radio program was only on two local 00:26:33.380 --> 00:26:35.880 stations at the time. But we stepped out. And 00:26:35.880 --> 00:26:38.099 within five years, it expanded to 600 stations 00:26:38.099 --> 00:26:41.599 across the country. Only God could do that. God 00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:44.180 accomplishes big goals, but usually through people 00:26:44.180 --> 00:26:46.519 who have decided to actually pursue the dream. 00:26:46.990 --> 00:26:49.730 He's placed in their hearts. That's a truly awe 00:26:49.730 --> 00:26:51.970 -inspiring personal story. It really demonstrates 00:26:51.970 --> 00:26:54.470 God's capacity to use anyone who embraces his 00:26:54.470 --> 00:26:57.369 vision. So for those listening right now, what's 00:26:57.369 --> 00:27:00.109 a practical process to begin dreaming these God 00:27:00.109 --> 00:27:02.569 -sized dreams in their own lives? Where do they 00:27:02.569 --> 00:27:05.410 start? The practical process begins with intentionality. 00:27:05.970 --> 00:27:08.309 It requires setting aside time to think and pray 00:27:08.309 --> 00:27:11.309 differently. Firstly, write it down. I find it 00:27:11.309 --> 00:27:13.430 incredibly helpful to actually write down audacious 00:27:13.430 --> 00:27:16.069 dreams for specific areas of my life. My marriage, 00:27:16.289 --> 00:27:19.150 my children, my career, my ministry on simple 00:27:19.150 --> 00:27:21.750 three by five index cards. Then maybe break them 00:27:21.750 --> 00:27:24.990 down. Develop several smaller bite -sized steps 00:27:24.990 --> 00:27:27.049 that will lead you in the direction of that larger 00:27:27.049 --> 00:27:28.630 dream. You don't have to show them to anyone. 00:27:28.789 --> 00:27:31.029 Just the act of writing. Yes, the act of writing 00:27:31.029 --> 00:27:33.309 them down is like making a contract with yourself. 00:27:33.579 --> 00:27:36.480 It creates clear -cut objectives. And there's 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:38.220 something powerful about seeing it black and 00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:40.640 white. When you write down your life goals and 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:43.539 desires, you often find you unconsciously gravitate 00:27:43.539 --> 00:27:46.759 toward them over time. Secondly, pray over them, 00:27:47.079 --> 00:27:49.700 regularly. Pray over your dreams, asking God 00:27:49.700 --> 00:27:51.640 to check your motives. Are they truly aligned 00:27:51.640 --> 00:27:54.019 with His purposes? Ask for His intervention. 00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:57.119 his guidance, his power. He is your biggest supporter, 00:27:57.259 --> 00:27:59.420 remember. He wants to see his dreams fulfilled 00:27:59.420 --> 00:28:01.819 through you even more than you do. As long as 00:28:01.819 --> 00:28:03.339 they're birthed out of your fellowship with him, 00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:06.019 they're his business as well as yours. You can 00:28:06.019 --> 00:28:08.359 expect him to work them out in his way and in 00:28:08.359 --> 00:28:11.339 his timing. God invites you, invites all of us. 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:13.920 to dream great dreams, to know Him and to make 00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:16.539 Him known through your unique personality, your 00:28:16.539 --> 00:28:18.920 passions, your gifts, your experiences. He wants 00:28:18.920 --> 00:28:20.819 to do in you not just something good, not even 00:28:20.819 --> 00:28:22.900 something great by worldly standards, but something 00:28:22.900 --> 00:28:25.440 truly impossible by human standards. If we're 00:28:25.440 --> 00:28:27.920 talking about God -sized dreams, then praying 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:29.900 great prayers must be absolutely central to this 00:28:29.900 --> 00:28:32.779 whole process. What does it mean to pray great 00:28:32.779 --> 00:28:34.960 prayers? And how does this transform our ability 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:37.380 to actually see those dreams fulfilled? Praying 00:28:37.380 --> 00:28:39.619 great prayers is indeed central. It's the engine 00:28:39.619 --> 00:28:42.839 room, perhaps. It moves us onto holier ground, 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:45.380 as one writer put it. It's a sacred invitation 00:28:45.380 --> 00:28:48.180 to bring our thoughts, our hopes, our audacious 00:28:48.180 --> 00:28:50.799 dreams into God's very presence. Remember what 00:28:50.799 --> 00:28:54.039 Jesus said in John 16, ask and you will receive 00:28:54.039 --> 00:28:56.700 and your joy will be complete. Imagine if we 00:28:56.700 --> 00:28:59.160 truly believe that promise, even just to a small 00:28:59.160 --> 00:29:02.460 degree. The potential is enormous. Great prayers, 00:29:02.460 --> 00:29:05.059 I believe, have distinct characteristics. First, 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:07.960 they're deeply personal. Think of Moses seeking 00:29:07.960 --> 00:29:10.940 God's glory, not just guidance, or David desiring 00:29:10.940 --> 00:29:13.140 God's presence above all else to dwell in the 00:29:13.140 --> 00:29:15.539 house of the Lord, or Paul's intense passion 00:29:15.539 --> 00:29:18.180 to know Christ. And fundamentally, Jesus taught 00:29:18.180 --> 00:29:20.660 his disciples to call God Abba, an extremely 00:29:20.660 --> 00:29:23.380 familiar, intimate term, like daddy or papa. 00:29:23.579 --> 00:29:26.390 That intimacy is key. It challenges the idea 00:29:26.390 --> 00:29:29.569 of a formal distant God. It's about childlike 00:29:29.569 --> 00:29:32.529 dependency and deep intimacy, knowing you are 00:29:32.529 --> 00:29:34.569 deeply loved and nothing can come between you 00:29:34.569 --> 00:29:37.470 and your father. Second, great prayers are often 00:29:37.470 --> 00:29:39.430 birthed in brokenness. They frequently flow from 00:29:39.430 --> 00:29:41.890 a sense of spiritual bankruptcy, helplessness, 00:29:42.029 --> 00:29:44.390 utter desperation. When we come to God knowing 00:29:44.390 --> 00:29:46.670 we have absolutely no resources, no answers, 00:29:47.089 --> 00:29:49.269 no strength left to get ourselves out of a situation, 00:29:49.869 --> 00:29:51.849 God pays special attention then. When we're at 00:29:51.849 --> 00:29:54.470 the end of our rope. Exactly. Think of David's 00:29:54.470 --> 00:29:56.609 raw confession in Psalm 51 after his terrible 00:29:56.609 --> 00:29:59.750 sin. Or Nehemiah's profound prayer for Jerusalem's 00:29:59.750 --> 00:30:02.650 broken walls when he heard the news. This brokenness 00:30:02.650 --> 00:30:04.609 shifts the focus completely from our personal 00:30:04.609 --> 00:30:07.069 needs and limitations to God's infinite sufficiency. 00:30:07.730 --> 00:30:10.089 I recall a financial crisis in our ministry back 00:30:10.089 --> 00:30:13.410 in 2003. We had literally 15 days of cash left. 00:30:13.410 --> 00:30:15.329 I was crying out to God in my basement, completely 00:30:15.329 --> 00:30:17.730 broken, desperate. The next month, usually a 00:30:17.730 --> 00:30:19.609 summer drop -off financially, turned out to be 00:30:19.609 --> 00:30:21.950 our largest financial response ever up to that 00:30:21.950 --> 00:30:25.789 point. God delivered when we were utterly dependent. 00:30:26.190 --> 00:30:28.890 Third, great prayers champion God's agenda. They 00:30:28.890 --> 00:30:31.029 focus on God's will for the world, not just our 00:30:31.029 --> 00:30:33.170 personal needs or comfort. Of course, praying 00:30:33.170 --> 00:30:35.970 for our daily bread is good and necessary. But 00:30:35.970 --> 00:30:37.970 truly, great prayers seek to blaze a trail for 00:30:37.970 --> 00:30:40.099 what God wants done in the world. They align 00:30:40.099 --> 00:30:42.299 with Jesus' model prayer, your kingdom come, 00:30:42.759 --> 00:30:44.480 your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:30:44.920 --> 00:30:47.200 It's about asking big things of a big God for 00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:49.579 his glory, seeking to direct the course of history 00:30:49.579 --> 00:30:52.259 through prayer. That sounds like a complete reorientation 00:30:52.259 --> 00:30:54.940 of our prayer lives then, moving from a primary 00:30:54.940 --> 00:30:58.559 self -focus to God's broader purpose and kingdom. 00:30:59.400 --> 00:31:02.319 So what else characterizes these impactful prayers? 00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:05.619 How do we ensure we're praying effectively, not 00:31:05.619 --> 00:31:08.369 just wishfully? Crucially, Great prayers take 00:31:08.369 --> 00:31:11.170 God seriously. This means they are promise centered 00:31:11.170 --> 00:31:14.210 not problem centered. Why? Because God is sovereign. 00:31:14.509 --> 00:31:17.470 He's omniscient He is good and he cannot lie 00:31:17.470 --> 00:31:19.630 when he says he'll do something in his word He 00:31:19.630 --> 00:31:22.650 will think of promises like I will supply all 00:31:22.650 --> 00:31:24.690 your needs according to my glorious riches in 00:31:24.690 --> 00:31:27.710 Christ Jesus from Philippians 4 .19 Or my grace 00:31:27.710 --> 00:31:29.930 is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect 00:31:29.930 --> 00:31:33.230 in weakness from 2nd Corinthians 12 .9 Believing 00:31:33.230 --> 00:31:35.269 these promises truly banking on them changes 00:31:35.269 --> 00:31:37.930 everything in our prayers trusting his word implicitly 00:31:37.930 --> 00:31:40.329 However, there's a significant potential roadblock. 00:31:40.329 --> 00:31:43.089 We must address unforgiveness Matthew six point 00:31:43.089 --> 00:31:45.849 one teen is starkly clear for if you forgive 00:31:45.849 --> 00:31:47.829 other people when they sin against you your Heavenly 00:31:47.829 --> 00:31:50.289 Father will also forgive you But if you do not 00:31:50.289 --> 00:31:52.609 forgive others their sins your father will not 00:31:52.609 --> 00:31:54.789 forgive your sins That's quite challenging. It 00:31:54.789 --> 00:31:57.349 is it implies that if our horizontal relationships 00:31:57.349 --> 00:31:59.970 with people aren't right our vertical relationship 00:31:59.970 --> 00:32:03.220 with God suffers Unforgiveness harbors bitterness, 00:32:03.740 --> 00:32:06.819 resentment, and that poisons our prayers, hindering 00:32:06.819 --> 00:32:09.259 their effectiveness. This means being willing 00:32:09.259 --> 00:32:12.359 to ask God to do for others what we want Him 00:32:12.359 --> 00:32:15.740 to do for us. Be merciful and forgiving, even 00:32:15.740 --> 00:32:18.170 when it's incredibly difficult. Great prayers 00:32:18.170 --> 00:32:21.710 also display tenacious persistence, like Abraham 00:32:21.710 --> 00:32:24.549 bargaining with God for Sodom and Gomorrah, persisting 00:32:24.549 --> 00:32:27.049 even when feeling like mere dust and ashes, or 00:32:27.049 --> 00:32:29.369 Queen Esther risking her life by going uninvited 00:32:29.369 --> 00:32:31.230 before the king to intervene for her people. 00:32:31.710 --> 00:32:34.349 This willingness to stand in the gap, to press 00:32:34.349 --> 00:32:36.589 the issue even when scared or feeling unworthy, 00:32:37.009 --> 00:32:39.309 is what often makes ordinary people impact history. 00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:42.140 John Knox, the great Scottish reformer, famously 00:32:42.140 --> 00:32:44.960 prayed, give me Scotland or I die. And Mary, 00:32:45.079 --> 00:32:46.819 Queen of Scots, is said to have feared his prayers 00:32:46.819 --> 00:32:48.680 more than all the assembled armies of Europe. 00:32:49.119 --> 00:32:51.500 That's persistent prayer. Finally, and most importantly, 00:32:51.880 --> 00:32:55.079 great prayers. Always go back to Jesus. Our access 00:32:55.079 --> 00:32:58.279 to God, our standing before him, any power we 00:32:58.279 --> 00:33:00.940 have to move his heart. It's based solely on 00:33:00.940 --> 00:33:03.380 Jesus's finished work on the cross and his role 00:33:03.380 --> 00:33:05.500 as our great high priest as Hebrews 4 describes. 00:33:06.039 --> 00:33:08.940 His favor makes the impossible possible. It allows 00:33:08.940 --> 00:33:11.839 us to receive immeasurably more than all we ask 00:33:11.839 --> 00:33:15.200 or imagine as Ephesians 3 .20 puts it. He is 00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:17.140 the foundation, the reason we can dare to ask 00:33:17.140 --> 00:33:19.500 the improbable and expect the unthinkable. This 00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:22.119 kind of prayer, personal, broken, God agenda 00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:24.539 driven, promise centered, persistent, and Jesus 00:33:24.539 --> 00:33:26.500 centered transforms our ability to see those 00:33:26.500 --> 00:33:29.819 God -sized dreams fulfilled. It aligns us with 00:33:29.819 --> 00:33:32.680 his agenda and unleashes his power. Okay, so 00:33:32.680 --> 00:33:34.599 we've thought great thoughts, read great books, 00:33:34.980 --> 00:33:36.460 sought out great people, dreamt great dreams, 00:33:36.579 --> 00:33:38.440 and prayed great prayers. This really sounds 00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:40.240 like a powerful foundation for personal growth 00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:42.480 and effectiveness, but there's a vital element 00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:45.099 you address next, taking great risks. How does 00:33:45.099 --> 00:33:47.000 risk -taking play into this pursuit of greatness, 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:49.380 and crucially, what sets radical faith apart 00:33:49.380 --> 00:33:51.920 from mere recklessness, especially in professions 00:33:51.920 --> 00:33:53.940 like medicine where decisions carry immediate, 00:33:54.319 --> 00:33:56.799 often high -stakes consequences? Taking great 00:33:56.799 --> 00:33:59.490 risks is absolutely vital. It's often at the 00:33:59.490 --> 00:34:02.089 edge of a decision, as someone said, where obedience 00:34:02.089 --> 00:34:05.269 confronts our comfort or convenience. Breakthroughs, 00:34:05.269 --> 00:34:07.650 real spiritual breakthroughs, almost always require 00:34:07.650 --> 00:34:10.150 these risky steps of faith. As the writer of 00:34:10.150 --> 00:34:12.610 Hebrews states so clearly, without faith, it 00:34:12.610 --> 00:34:15.090 is impossible to please God. And where there 00:34:15.090 --> 00:34:17.150 is no risk involved, there is simply no faith 00:34:17.150 --> 00:34:19.630 being exercised. And without faith, there is 00:34:19.630 --> 00:34:22.070 no divine power, often little joy and diminished 00:34:22.070 --> 00:34:24.909 intimacy with God. So risk and faith are intrinsically 00:34:24.909 --> 00:34:27.579 linked. Inextricably linked, it's entirely possible 00:34:27.579 --> 00:34:29.679 to run a church, manage a department, lead a 00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:32.139 team, or even live your personal life without 00:34:32.139 --> 00:34:34.519 much real faith. You can implement programs, 00:34:34.679 --> 00:34:37.239 make sound decisions based on data, teach principles 00:34:37.239 --> 00:34:39.059 all without ever stepping out of your comfort 00:34:39.059 --> 00:34:41.420 zone and expecting God to do anything supernatural. 00:34:42.440 --> 00:34:44.960 Many organizations, even outwardly successful 00:34:44.960 --> 00:34:48.280 ones, can be spiritually hollow in God's eyes 00:34:48.280 --> 00:34:51.000 if they lack this element of radical, risk -taking 00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:54.019 faith. We need to expect a great outcome, not 00:34:54.019 --> 00:34:56.119 because of our own abilities, but because God 00:34:56.119 --> 00:34:59.239 has promised hope and a future, as Jeremiah 29 00:34:59.239 --> 00:35:02.960 .11 says. Our king wins. He's on our side. We 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:05.300 can afford to risk for him. The Bible, of course, 00:35:05.400 --> 00:35:08.159 is just full of risk takers. Abraham left everything 00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:10.539 familiar for an unknown destination, believing 00:35:10.539 --> 00:35:13.000 in tangible promises more than the visible reality 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:16.019 around him. Moses returned to Egypt, facing the 00:35:16.019 --> 00:35:18.420 most powerful ruler on earth, risking his life 00:35:18.420 --> 00:35:21.750 to demand freedom for slaves. David, just a young 00:35:21.750 --> 00:35:23.829 shepherd boy, risked his life against the giant 00:35:23.829 --> 00:35:26.369 Goliath, not out of bravado, but because he was 00:35:26.369 --> 00:35:28.250 offended by the giant slander against the living 00:35:28.250 --> 00:35:30.909 God. Esther risked her life by approaching the 00:35:30.909 --> 00:35:34.090 king uninvited, a capital offense to savior people. 00:35:34.349 --> 00:35:37.289 Incredible courage. Yes, and in the New Testament, 00:35:37.409 --> 00:35:39.590 Peter left his family, his fishing business, 00:35:39.750 --> 00:35:42.489 his security, everything, to follow Jesus as 00:35:42.489 --> 00:35:45.130 an itinerant preacher with no visible means of 00:35:45.130 --> 00:35:48.690 support. Paul, the former persecutor, became 00:35:48.690 --> 00:35:52.860 a missionary. enduring stoning, shipwrecks, imprisonments, 00:35:53.199 --> 00:35:55.739 yet kept returning to hostile cities because 00:35:55.739 --> 00:35:57.900 God's call was greater than his circumstances 00:35:57.900 --> 00:36:00.860 or his fear. These are powerful examples of stepping 00:36:00.860 --> 00:36:03.860 out despite fear, which leads us to your crucial 00:36:03.860 --> 00:36:06.300 distinction. How do we tell the difference between 00:36:06.300 --> 00:36:09.360 radical faith and mere recklessness? For medical 00:36:09.360 --> 00:36:10.960 professionals, for instance, this could mean 00:36:10.960 --> 00:36:13.960 discerning between innovative, bold interventions 00:36:13.960 --> 00:36:17.880 rooted in sound principles in prayer versus irresponsible 00:36:17.880 --> 00:36:20.139 ill -advised actions. That's a critical point, 00:36:20.239 --> 00:36:22.280 especially in high -stakes professions. The key 00:36:22.280 --> 00:36:24.900 distinction is this. Radical steps of faith involve 00:36:24.900 --> 00:36:27.659 risk, yes, but they also fit with God's clearly 00:36:27.659 --> 00:36:30.099 revealed will. They are not contradictory to 00:36:30.099 --> 00:36:32.579 his word. They are generally accompanied by wise 00:36:32.579 --> 00:36:35.099 counsel from trusted, godly people, and they 00:36:35.099 --> 00:36:37.380 are birthed in much prayer. So there's a process 00:36:37.380 --> 00:36:40.559 of discernment. Absolutely. Reckless steps, on 00:36:40.559 --> 00:36:42.940 the other hand, might involve risk, but they 00:36:42.940 --> 00:36:45.800 do not align with God's revealed will or wisdom. 00:36:46.139 --> 00:36:49.239 They might be impulsive, self -serving, or ignore 00:36:49.239 --> 00:36:51.619 clear scriptural principles or wise counsel. 00:36:52.119 --> 00:36:53.820 It's also really important to understand that 00:36:53.820 --> 00:36:57.920 fear and faith can, and often do, coexist. Risk 00:36:57.920 --> 00:36:59.820 -takers step out in spite of their fear, not 00:36:59.820 --> 00:37:02.159 in the absence of it. Esther was terrified when 00:37:02.159 --> 00:37:04.559 she approached the king. Peter undoubtedly felt 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:07.019 fear leaving his nets behind. God understands 00:37:07.019 --> 00:37:09.519 our fear, our sense of threat and security. But 00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:12.059 he doesn't offer us Diet Christianity, a safe, 00:37:12.239 --> 00:37:14.989 risk -free version. He rewards faith. Hebrews 00:37:14.989 --> 00:37:18.550 11 .6 is unequivocal. Without faith, it is impossible 00:37:18.550 --> 00:37:21.269 to please God. He rewards those who earnestly 00:37:21.269 --> 00:37:24.130 seek Him. That's incredibly insightful. So for 00:37:24.130 --> 00:37:26.170 those of us who might be naturally cautious or 00:37:26.170 --> 00:37:28.230 perhaps feel overwhelmed by the idea of such 00:37:28.230 --> 00:37:30.030 radical steps, what are the practical ways we 00:37:30.030 --> 00:37:32.070 can grow? How do we become great risk takers 00:37:32.070 --> 00:37:35.170 for God? It's a growth process for sure. To become 00:37:35.170 --> 00:37:37.590 a great risk taker, we need to focus on three 00:37:37.590 --> 00:37:41.909 key things. One, refocus your fear. This means 00:37:41.909 --> 00:37:44.130 fearing God in the sense of reverent awe and 00:37:44.130 --> 00:37:46.849 obedience more than you fear people or circumstances 00:37:46.849 --> 00:37:50.010 Psalm 111 point 10 says the fear of the Lord 00:37:50.010 --> 00:37:52.730 is the beginning of wisdom This isn't a cowering 00:37:52.730 --> 00:37:55.489 fear, but a perspective that prioritizes God's 00:37:55.489 --> 00:37:58.369 view above all others It leads to wise choices, 00:37:58.369 --> 00:38:01.519 even if they're unpopular or risky Think of Billy 00:38:01.519 --> 00:38:04.980 Graham in the 1950s amidst intense racial conflict 00:38:04.980 --> 00:38:07.639 in the American South. At his Jackson, Mississippi 00:38:07.639 --> 00:38:09.599 crusade, he personally went and pulled down the 00:38:09.599 --> 00:38:11.619 ropes, segregating the black and white attendees. 00:38:12.059 --> 00:38:14.239 He risked losing significant financial support, 00:38:14.619 --> 00:38:17.579 alienating powerful figures, damaging his reputation. 00:38:17.900 --> 00:38:20.179 But he chose obedience to God's clear command 00:38:20.179 --> 00:38:22.679 to love equally over the fear of man. That moment, 00:38:22.920 --> 00:38:25.119 born of fearing God more, became a major watershed 00:38:25.119 --> 00:38:27.300 in his ministry. Wow, that took real courage. 00:38:27.579 --> 00:38:30.719 Immense courage, rooted in the right fear. 2. 00:38:31.079 --> 00:38:33.719 Rejuvenate your faith. You build faith by practicing 00:38:33.719 --> 00:38:36.219 faithfulness in the little things. Many Christians, 00:38:36.219 --> 00:38:39.019 for example, hesitate to give even a tithe, doubting 00:38:39.019 --> 00:38:42.000 God's promise of provision. Yet giving consistently, 00:38:42.239 --> 00:38:44.539 even small amounts sacrificially, allows you 00:38:44.539 --> 00:38:46.519 to see God's supernatural work in meeting your 00:38:46.519 --> 00:38:48.920 needs. It builds your faith muscle. Remember 00:38:48.920 --> 00:38:51.900 Enoch in Genesis 5? The text simply says he walked 00:38:51.900 --> 00:38:54.559 faithfully with God. He did this so consistently, 00:38:54.760 --> 00:38:57.260 so intimately in his daily ordinary life that 00:38:57.260 --> 00:38:59.579 God took him away without him even experiencing 00:38:59.579 --> 00:39:02.059 fetal death. His consistent faithfulness and 00:39:02.059 --> 00:39:04.059 unseen moments built a faith that pleased God 00:39:04.059 --> 00:39:06.900 immensely. Start small, be faithful, and watch 00:39:06.900 --> 00:39:09.219 your faith grow. Consistency in the small things 00:39:09.219 --> 00:39:11.780 builds capacity for bigger risks. Precisely. 00:39:11.960 --> 00:39:16.070 3. Recall God's faithfulness. regularly, intentionally 00:39:16.070 --> 00:39:19.050 revisit instances of God's past faithfulness. 00:39:19.550 --> 00:39:21.849 Look back in scripture, Hebrews 11 is a fantastic 00:39:21.849 --> 00:39:24.190 resource, the hall of faith, reminding us of 00:39:24.190 --> 00:39:26.389 what God did through Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, 00:39:26.449 --> 00:39:29.510 and many others who took great risks. And also 00:39:29.510 --> 00:39:32.590 recall God's faithfulness in your own life. Personally, 00:39:32.730 --> 00:39:34.710 I keep journals where I write out my fears, my 00:39:34.710 --> 00:39:36.980 prayers, the challenges I'm facing. Then a few 00:39:36.980 --> 00:39:38.780 days or weeks or months later, I make a note 00:39:38.780 --> 00:39:40.780 of how God intervened, how He answered, how He 00:39:40.780 --> 00:39:43.139 provided. Looking back through stacks of these 00:39:43.139 --> 00:39:44.739 journals reminds me that what seemed utterly 00:39:44.739 --> 00:39:47.179 impossible on a Tuesday was often miraculously 00:39:47.179 --> 00:39:49.579 resolved by Thursday, or perhaps took longer, 00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:52.340 but was resolved nonetheless. My move to Atlanta 00:39:52.340 --> 00:39:54.880 back in 2002, leaving a beloved church and a 00:39:54.880 --> 00:39:56.679 secure life, was incredibly difficult for the 00:39:56.679 --> 00:39:58.860 first two years. My wife faced serious health 00:39:58.860 --> 00:40:01.300 issues. Finances were strained. Ministry felt 00:40:01.300 --> 00:40:03.780 challenging. But looking back, I can see how 00:40:03.780 --> 00:40:05.980 God used that time to refine my motives, deepen 00:40:05.980 --> 00:40:07.800 my dependence, and ultimately fulfill broader 00:40:07.800 --> 00:40:10.360 purposes I couldn't have foreseen. Faith is truly 00:40:10.360 --> 00:40:12.380 a verb. It's not just what you have as much as 00:40:12.380 --> 00:40:14.940 what you do. Great Christians don't play it safe. 00:40:15.900 --> 00:40:18.519 They act on what God has said. knowing it's true 00:40:18.519 --> 00:40:20.699 because of his character, even when there's a 00:40:20.699 --> 00:40:23.480 heavy cost involved. This idea of risk and the 00:40:23.480 --> 00:40:25.719 cost involved naturally leads us to the next 00:40:25.719 --> 00:40:28.960 practice, making great sacrifices. Now, the world 00:40:28.960 --> 00:40:32.300 often views sacrifice primarily as loss or depletion, 00:40:32.400 --> 00:40:34.860 but this framework seems to reframe it as an 00:40:34.860 --> 00:40:37.400 act of profound love. Can you explain that connection? 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:40.360 And why is it so fundamental to achieving spiritual 00:40:40.360 --> 00:40:43.760 greatness? Sacrifice at its very core is merely 00:40:43.760 --> 00:40:45.980 love with clothes on, as someone beautifully 00:40:45.980 --> 00:40:48.650 put it. The degree of our sacrifice directly 00:40:48.650 --> 00:40:51.630 corresponds to the degree of our love. You sacrifice 00:40:51.630 --> 00:40:55.369 more for what, or whom, you love more. This concept 00:40:55.369 --> 00:40:57.309 is deeply embedded in the biblical understanding 00:40:57.309 --> 00:40:59.849 of sacrifice and worship. In the Old Testament 00:40:59.849 --> 00:41:02.610 sacrificial system, detailed in Leviticus, access 00:41:02.610 --> 00:41:04.989 to God demanded compulsory sacrifices for sin 00:41:04.989 --> 00:41:08.630 and guilt. Those were required. But deeper fellowship, 00:41:08.760 --> 00:41:10.960 Communion with God grew through the voluntary 00:41:10.960 --> 00:41:13.539 offerings burned offerings expressing devotion 00:41:13.539 --> 00:41:16.280 grain offerings expressing gratitude peace offerings 00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:19.039 expressing celebration and fellowship These voluntary 00:41:19.039 --> 00:41:21.500 acts given freely from the heart express profound 00:41:21.500 --> 00:41:24.099 love and desire for God himself So there's required 00:41:24.099 --> 00:41:27.079 sacrifice and then voluntary sacrifice born of 00:41:27.079 --> 00:41:29.900 love exactly and the ultimate Old Testament example 00:41:29.900 --> 00:41:33.119 of this is Abraham and Isaac God tested Abraham's 00:41:33.119 --> 00:41:35.489 devotion his love by asking him to sacrifice 00:41:35.489 --> 00:41:37.550 Isaac his beloved son, the child of promise, 00:41:38.070 --> 00:41:40.050 the one through whom all God's future blessings 00:41:40.050 --> 00:41:42.829 were supposed to flow. Abraham's willingness 00:41:42.829 --> 00:41:45.489 to obey, to sacrifice his most precious possession, 00:41:46.050 --> 00:41:48.030 demonstrated unequivocally that he loved God 00:41:48.030 --> 00:41:50.989 above all else, even above God's promised blessings. 00:41:52.050 --> 00:41:54.150 Isaac was Abraham's most precious possession, 00:41:54.510 --> 00:41:56.960 the fulfillment of a long -awaited dream. This 00:41:56.960 --> 00:41:59.400 test, what I sometimes call the test of singularity 00:41:59.400 --> 00:42:01.840 of devotion, applies to everyone in different 00:42:01.840 --> 00:42:05.099 ways. Every significant relationship, every cherished 00:42:05.099 --> 00:42:07.860 possession, every deeply held dream will, from 00:42:07.860 --> 00:42:10.079 time to time, be asked to go to the altar. It's 00:42:10.079 --> 00:42:12.239 not that God wants to take them away necessarily, 00:42:12.380 --> 00:42:14.440 but he wants to know if we love him, the giver, 00:42:14.599 --> 00:42:16.579 more than the gifts. It's a merciful requirement, 00:42:16.920 --> 00:42:18.860 actually, keeping us close to God and revealing 00:42:18.860 --> 00:42:21.199 where our true love and allegiance rest. I find 00:42:21.199 --> 00:42:23.420 the analogy you use elsewhere of plastic pearls 00:42:23.420 --> 00:42:26.280 particularly insightful. It vividly illustrates 00:42:26.280 --> 00:42:28.559 how we can cling to things of lesser value, not 00:42:28.559 --> 00:42:30.739 realizing the far greater treasure God offers 00:42:30.739 --> 00:42:34.019 in exchange. How does this cost everything principle 00:42:34.019 --> 00:42:36.679 apply to our lives today, especially for busy 00:42:36.679 --> 00:42:38.920 professionals who have invested so much time 00:42:38.920 --> 00:42:41.110 and are and identity into their careers, their 00:42:41.110 --> 00:42:43.769 families, their financial security. The plastic 00:42:43.769 --> 00:42:46.309 pearls analogy is very apt, isn't it? Imagine 00:42:46.309 --> 00:42:48.710 a small child clinging tightly to a string of 00:42:48.710 --> 00:42:51.630 cheap plastic beads. You offer her a string of 00:42:51.630 --> 00:42:54.250 real, lustrous, incredibly valuable pearls in 00:42:54.250 --> 00:42:57.250 exchange. But she refuses, crying, no, they're 00:42:57.250 --> 00:42:59.989 mine. To us, her attachment makes no logical 00:42:59.989 --> 00:43:02.389 sense. She would lose practically nothing and 00:43:02.389 --> 00:43:04.769 gain something immensely more valuable. But in 00:43:04.769 --> 00:43:07.510 her childish naivety, she doesn't grasp the true 00:43:07.510 --> 00:43:09.940 value of the real pearls. We can be like that 00:43:09.940 --> 00:43:13.239 child. We can, yes. We often resist sacrificing 00:43:13.239 --> 00:43:16.340 our toys, our careers, our families, in the sense 00:43:16.340 --> 00:43:18.619 of holding them too tightly, our income, our 00:43:18.619 --> 00:43:20.840 comfort, our reputation, our plans, because we 00:43:20.840 --> 00:43:23.260 don't fully grasp their relative value compared 00:43:23.260 --> 00:43:25.340 to intimacy with God and His eternal promises. 00:43:25.679 --> 00:43:28.860 We cling to the plastic pearls. Jesus's radical 00:43:28.860 --> 00:43:31.519 call in Luke 14 is startling. If anyone comes 00:43:31.519 --> 00:43:33.880 to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife, 00:43:33.940 --> 00:43:36.280 and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even 00:43:36.280 --> 00:43:38.460 their own life. Such a person cannot be my disciple. 00:43:38.670 --> 00:43:40.650 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow 00:43:40.650 --> 00:43:43.690 me cannot be my disciple. That word hate is so 00:43:43.690 --> 00:43:46.710 strong. It is. It doesn't mean literal emotional 00:43:46.710 --> 00:43:48.670 hatred, of course. It's a Semitic idiom meaning 00:43:48.670 --> 00:43:51.789 to love less by comparison. It means prioritizing 00:43:51.789 --> 00:43:54.630 Jesus, our relationship with him, above all other 00:43:54.630 --> 00:43:57.010 relationships, and even our own self -preservation 00:43:57.010 --> 00:43:59.610 or agenda. It means a complete surrender of ownership 00:43:59.610 --> 00:44:02.630 and control to God. Letting our personal agenda 00:44:02.630 --> 00:44:05.210 die that's carrying our cross. This is the paradox 00:44:05.210 --> 00:44:07.760 of sacrifice. It caused everything. in terms 00:44:07.760 --> 00:44:10.599 of surrender. But not offering yourself fully, 00:44:10.760 --> 00:44:13.239 holding back, ultimately costs even more a life 00:44:13.239 --> 00:44:16.019 of unfulfillment, missed potential, shallow impact. 00:44:16.440 --> 00:44:18.719 Presenting yourself as a living sacrifice, as 00:44:18.719 --> 00:44:21.320 Romans 12 urges, is meant to be the normal Christian 00:44:21.320 --> 00:44:23.679 life, though sadly, it's perhaps not the typical 00:44:23.679 --> 00:44:26.760 one. That's a profound, challenging truth. So 00:44:26.760 --> 00:44:28.940 what specifically motivates great Christians 00:44:28.940 --> 00:44:31.599 historically and today to embrace such significant 00:44:31.599 --> 00:44:33.920 sacrifices? What are the underlying convictions 00:44:33.920 --> 00:44:35.719 that propel them forward when the cost seems 00:44:35.719 --> 00:44:38.039 so high? I believe there are four key convictions 00:44:38.039 --> 00:44:40.260 that consistently motivate great Christians to 00:44:40.260 --> 00:44:44.260 make great sacrifices. First, they grasp God's 00:44:44.260 --> 00:44:46.820 unconditional love, like the sinful woman in 00:44:46.820 --> 00:44:49.260 Luke 7 who anointed Jesus' feet with expensive 00:44:49.260 --> 00:44:51.800 perfume and washed them with her tears. Jesus 00:44:51.800 --> 00:44:53.679 pointed out that because she recognized how much 00:44:53.679 --> 00:44:56.739 she had been forgiven, she loved much. When you 00:44:56.739 --> 00:44:58.860 truly grasp the depth of God's love for you, 00:44:58.920 --> 00:45:01.300 the immensity of His forgiveness, it naturally 00:45:01.300 --> 00:45:03.519 motivates an extravagant, unreserved devotion 00:45:03.519 --> 00:45:06.260 in return. It's not about earning His love, but 00:45:06.260 --> 00:45:08.400 responding freely to the love already given. 00:45:08.659 --> 00:45:12.079 Love motivates sacrifice. Absolutely. Second, 00:45:12.559 --> 00:45:15.920 they embrace God's relational economy. God measures 00:45:15.920 --> 00:45:18.300 love and sacrifice differently than the world 00:45:18.300 --> 00:45:21.199 does. He looks not at the size of the gift in 00:45:21.199 --> 00:45:23.619 absolute terms, but the size of the sacrifice 00:45:23.619 --> 00:45:26.429 relative to what the giver possesses. Remember 00:45:26.429 --> 00:45:28.289 the story of the poor widow's offering compared 00:45:28.289 --> 00:45:30.570 to the rich man's large donations in Luke 21? 00:45:31.130 --> 00:45:33.110 Jesus said she gave more because she gave all 00:45:33.110 --> 00:45:36.630 she had out of her poverty. A tithe from a high 00:45:36.630 --> 00:45:38.809 income might be a very generous offering, but 00:45:38.809 --> 00:45:40.530 it's not necessarily a sacrifice if it doesn't 00:45:40.530 --> 00:45:42.289 truly cost you anything significant in terms 00:45:42.289 --> 00:45:44.949 of lifestyle or security. True sacrifice involves 00:45:44.949 --> 00:45:46.889 giving up something that genuinely costs you. 00:45:47.010 --> 00:45:48.750 It's about the heart and the cost, not just the 00:45:48.750 --> 00:45:52.090 amount. Precisely. Third, they believe in eternal 00:45:52.090 --> 00:45:55.500 rewards. Jesus promised tangible rewards a hundred 00:45:55.500 --> 00:45:57.860 times as much in this present age, and in the 00:45:57.860 --> 00:46:00.639 age to come, eternal life. For those who sacrifice 00:46:00.639 --> 00:46:03.119 homes, family, or possessions, pour me in the 00:46:03.119 --> 00:46:06.920 gospel. Mark 10 .29 -30. Paul echoed this powerfully 00:46:06.920 --> 00:46:09.239 in Romans 8 .18 stating that our present sufferings 00:46:09.239 --> 00:46:11.360 are not worth comparing with the glory that will 00:46:11.360 --> 00:46:14.320 be revealed in us. This eternal perspective elevates 00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:17.280 eternal value far above temporal gains. It helps 00:46:17.280 --> 00:46:19.639 us let go of our plastic pearls because we glimpse 00:46:19.639 --> 00:46:21.980 the value of the real ones God offers. Keeps 00:46:21.980 --> 00:46:24.960 the temporary in perspective. Yes. And fourth, 00:46:25.139 --> 00:46:27.980 they recognize God's sovereign ownership. Ultimately, 00:46:28.219 --> 00:46:30.119 sacrifice is not praiseworthy in itself, but 00:46:30.119 --> 00:46:32.599 a profound privilege. Because as King David prayed 00:46:32.599 --> 00:46:34.679 when dedicating to the temple offerings, everything 00:46:34.679 --> 00:46:36.440 comes from you, and we have given you only what 00:46:36.440 --> 00:46:39.119 comes from your hand. First Chronicles 29 .14. 00:46:39.659 --> 00:46:41.119 We're simply giving back to God what already 00:46:41.119 --> 00:46:43.630 belongs to him. its stewardship. This perspective 00:46:43.630 --> 00:46:46.070 was exemplified by individuals like David Brainerd, 00:46:46.409 --> 00:46:48.250 a missionary to Native Americans who died young 00:46:48.250 --> 00:46:50.909 from tuberculosis, or William Borden, heir to 00:46:50.909 --> 00:46:52.510 a fortune, who gave it all away for missions 00:46:52.510 --> 00:46:55.150 and also died young. By worldly standards, their 00:46:55.150 --> 00:46:58.070 lives seemed like tragic wastes. But their sacrifices 00:46:58.380 --> 00:47:00.119 rooted in this conviction of God's ownership 00:47:00.119 --> 00:47:02.760 had massive delayed eternal impact, inspiring 00:47:02.760 --> 00:47:05.000 thousands to follow in their footsteps. So the 00:47:05.000 --> 00:47:06.940 level of love we have for God is directly seen 00:47:06.940 --> 00:47:09.519 in our willingness to sacrifice for him. It's 00:47:09.519 --> 00:47:11.179 an act of worship. If you aspire to be a great 00:47:11.179 --> 00:47:12.940 Christian, be prepared to sacrifice everything 00:47:12.940 --> 00:47:15.599 with passion, holding nothing back. Right. After 00:47:15.599 --> 00:47:17.860 discussing the intensity of risks and sacrifices, 00:47:18.099 --> 00:47:20.059 one might almost expect the path to greatness 00:47:20.059 --> 00:47:22.940 to be one of grim austerity. But surprisingly, 00:47:23.480 --> 00:47:26.019 this framework includes enjoying great moments. 00:47:26.519 --> 00:47:29.510 This seems particular. relevant, perhaps counterintuitive 00:47:29.510 --> 00:47:31.449 for high -stress professionals like those in 00:47:31.449 --> 00:47:34.050 the medical field who often grapple with burnout 00:47:34.050 --> 00:47:37.349 and find joy hard to come by. How does joy and 00:47:37.349 --> 00:47:39.389 actively experiencing it fit into this picture 00:47:39.389 --> 00:47:41.829 of greatness and sustained impact? It's a vital 00:47:41.829 --> 00:47:44.869 and often tragically overlooked component. Great 00:47:44.869 --> 00:47:47.110 Christians don't just endure life, they enjoy 00:47:47.110 --> 00:47:49.889 it. They find satisfaction and happiness not 00:47:49.889 --> 00:47:52.250 as the ultimate goal but as gifts from a good 00:47:52.250 --> 00:47:55.440 God. As the writer of Ecclesiastes observed, 00:47:55.719 --> 00:47:57.179 there is nothing better for a person than to 00:47:57.179 --> 00:47:59.699 rejoice and do good as long as they live. This 00:47:59.699 --> 00:48:03.619 is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3 .1213. Joy 00:48:03.619 --> 00:48:06.119 is, as C .S. Lewis put it, the serious business 00:48:06.119 --> 00:48:08.699 of heaven. Many good Christians are busy, dedicated, 00:48:08.940 --> 00:48:11.119 perhaps even stressed. But I don't think there 00:48:11.119 --> 00:48:13.500 are any truly great Christians, those with deep 00:48:13.500 --> 00:48:16.820 impact, who lack fundamental joy. The New Testament 00:48:16.820 --> 00:48:19.300 just overflows with reasons to rejoice, even 00:48:19.300 --> 00:48:22.500 amidst difficulties. So joy isn't frivolous, 00:48:22.579 --> 00:48:25.059 it's important to God. Why? Yes, joy matters 00:48:25.059 --> 00:48:28.039 deeply to God for several reasons. One, it honors 00:48:28.039 --> 00:48:31.260 God. When we genuinely enjoy his gifts, a beautiful 00:48:31.260 --> 00:48:33.599 sunset, a good meal, laughter with loved ones, 00:48:33.860 --> 00:48:35.820 success in our work, it reminds us, and potentially 00:48:35.820 --> 00:48:38.400 others, that all good things come from him and 00:48:38.400 --> 00:48:40.940 that he is fundamentally good. We can take his 00:48:40.940 --> 00:48:43.000 blessings for granted if we don't pause to actually 00:48:43.000 --> 00:48:46.440 enjoy them. Two, it sustains in adversity. Remember 00:48:46.440 --> 00:48:49.760 Nehemiah 8 .10, the joy of the Lord is your strength. 00:48:50.190 --> 00:48:52.909 This deep, God -given joy provides resilience. 00:48:53.389 --> 00:48:55.250 It allows us to find strength and perspective 00:48:55.250 --> 00:48:57.750 even in the midst of incredibly challenging circumstances, 00:48:58.170 --> 00:49:01.190 like those faced daily in medicine. Three, it 00:49:01.190 --> 00:49:04.269 renews hearts. Proverbs 17 .22 famously states, 00:49:04.590 --> 00:49:07.070 a cheerful heart is good medicine. Modern science 00:49:07.070 --> 00:49:09.570 even backs this up. Laughter builds the immune 00:49:09.570 --> 00:49:11.570 system, reduces stress hormones, and restores 00:49:11.570 --> 00:49:14.190 health. God literally designed us to enjoy life. 00:49:14.429 --> 00:49:17.360 It's good for us, body and soul. And four, it 00:49:17.360 --> 00:49:19.579 renews us through rest. God designed Sabbath 00:49:19.579 --> 00:49:21.559 rest not primarily as a list of prohibitions, 00:49:21.619 --> 00:49:24.099 but as a gift, a required vacation day, if you 00:49:24.099 --> 00:49:26.079 will. It's an invitation to stop our striving, 00:49:26.239 --> 00:49:28.559 to reflect, and to actively enjoy God's gifts, 00:49:28.960 --> 00:49:31.059 His creation, our relationships, His presence. 00:49:31.289 --> 00:49:33.690 This renews our bodies and hearts. It's about 00:49:33.690 --> 00:49:35.849 breaking free from the relentless modern -day 00:49:35.849 --> 00:49:38.469 assumption that we must work seven days a week 00:49:38.469 --> 00:49:41.050 just to keep up or be sustained. What's fascinating 00:49:41.050 --> 00:49:43.909 here is how the story of the prodigal son's older 00:49:43.909 --> 00:49:46.869 brother illuminates what you call a warped theology 00:49:46.869 --> 00:49:50.210 of pleasure. How does focusing solely on performance 00:49:50.210 --> 00:49:53.050 or duty prevent us from experiencing the joy 00:49:53.050 --> 00:49:56.210 that's already available to us? This feels very 00:49:56.210 --> 00:49:58.130 relatable to many high achieving professionals 00:49:58.130 --> 00:50:00.449 who perhaps tie their self -worth entirely to 00:50:00.449 --> 00:50:02.309 their productivity or accomplishment. The older 00:50:02.309 --> 00:50:04.170 brother in that parable is such a poignant figure, 00:50:04.369 --> 00:50:06.769 isn't he? He was focused entirely on earning 00:50:06.769 --> 00:50:09.309 his father's favor through dutiful, flawless 00:50:09.309 --> 00:50:11.849 performance. He worked hard in the fields, obeyed 00:50:11.849 --> 00:50:14.530 all the rules, but he was so absorbed in his 00:50:14.530 --> 00:50:16.929 good behavior, his performance, that he missed 00:50:16.929 --> 00:50:19.150 the profound truth his father revealed to him. 00:50:19.690 --> 00:50:21.730 My son, you are always with me and everything 00:50:21.730 --> 00:50:25.719 I have is yours. Luke 15 .31 he already had access 00:50:25.719 --> 00:50:27.980 to everything everything he could have killed 00:50:27.980 --> 00:50:30.239 the fattened calf and thrown a party anytime 00:50:30.239 --> 00:50:32.300 he wanted he didn't need to earn it but he was 00:50:32.300 --> 00:50:35.260 so driven by performance so focused on his own 00:50:35.260 --> 00:50:37.639 righteousness that he couldn't enjoy the life 00:50:37.639 --> 00:50:40.000 the relationship the inheritance he already possessed 00:50:40.000 --> 00:50:43.019 many sincere believers fall into this performance 00:50:43.019 --> 00:50:45.719 trap they were zealous diligent they work incredibly 00:50:45.719 --> 00:50:49.179 hard for god but they lack genuine joy this drivenness 00:50:49.309 --> 00:50:52.429 as opposed to healthy God -given drive, is often 00:50:52.429 --> 00:50:55.210 subtly rooted in self -righteousness, perhaps 00:50:55.210 --> 00:50:57.570 even arrogance, and certainly a warped theology 00:50:57.570 --> 00:51:00.929 of pleasure. How so, warped theology? Well, many 00:51:00.929 --> 00:51:03.610 people, consciously or unconsciously, equate 00:51:03.610 --> 00:51:06.150 pleasure with sin, or at least view it with deep 00:51:06.150 --> 00:51:08.639 suspicion. This leads to either feeling guilty 00:51:08.639 --> 00:51:12.659 about enjoying things, guilty pleasures, or avoiding 00:51:12.659 --> 00:51:15.280 legitimate enjoyment altogether. C .S. Lewis, 00:51:15.340 --> 00:51:17.679 again, hit the nail on the head when he remarked, 00:51:33.800 --> 00:51:36.280 Suppressing genuine God -ordained pleasure can 00:51:36.280 --> 00:51:38.880 lead to frustration, burnout, depression, and 00:51:38.880 --> 00:51:42.119 sometimes, sadly, very ungodly outcomes, like 00:51:42.119 --> 00:51:44.840 midlife crises born from years of denying legitimate 00:51:44.840 --> 00:51:47.260 internal desires for joy and connection. That 00:51:47.260 --> 00:51:49.480 resonates deeply, especially for professionals 00:51:49.480 --> 00:51:51.940 often operating under immense pressure to perform, 00:51:52.000 --> 00:51:53.719 and perhaps neglecting their own well -being. 00:51:54.260 --> 00:51:56.860 So what are some practical tips for busy individuals? 00:51:56.980 --> 00:51:59.239 How can they actively cultivate and even plan 00:51:59.239 --> 00:52:01.460 for these great moments of joy amidst the demands? 00:52:01.800 --> 00:52:04.980 It absolutely requires intentionality, and often 00:52:04.980 --> 00:52:07.420 a retraining of our ingrained habits. Here are 00:52:07.420 --> 00:52:11.099 a few practical things. One, slow down. As the 00:52:11.099 --> 00:52:13.239 author John Ortberry was once advised by a mentor, 00:52:13.619 --> 00:52:15.579 you must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your 00:52:15.579 --> 00:52:47.019 life. That takes discipline. It does. Slim down. 00:52:47.320 --> 00:52:48.980 This isn't literal weight loss, though that might 00:52:48.980 --> 00:52:51.159 be relevant for some. It means simplifying your 00:52:51.159 --> 00:52:53.219 schedule, your commitments, your relentless goals. 00:52:53.639 --> 00:52:55.940 Don't get overextended. Remember Mary and Martha. 00:52:56.280 --> 00:52:58.519 Martha was praised for her diligent service, 00:52:58.980 --> 00:53:01.300 but Mary was commended for choosing the better 00:53:01.300 --> 00:53:04.420 part, prioritizing simply being with Jesus, Luke 00:53:04.420 --> 00:53:08.059 10 .3842. Your primary calling is a relationship 00:53:08.059 --> 00:53:10.119 with Christ, not just an endless agenda for Him. 00:53:10.380 --> 00:53:12.920 Focus more on being than just doing. Quality 00:53:12.920 --> 00:53:15.800 over quantity and commitments. Exactly. Three, 00:53:16.360 --> 00:53:19.630 live now. Don't constantly postpone joy for some 00:53:19.630 --> 00:53:21.869 future state when I retire, when I get the right 00:53:21.869 --> 00:53:23.989 job, when the kids are older, when this project 00:53:23.989 --> 00:53:26.769 is finished. Don't dwell excessively on past 00:53:26.769 --> 00:53:29.869 regrets or future anxieties. The present moment 00:53:29.869 --> 00:53:32.510 is the only one you truly have stewardship over. 00:53:33.190 --> 00:53:35.730 Learn to be present and find joy in the now. 00:53:38.639 --> 00:53:40.739 Intentionally notice and celebrate small blessings, 00:53:41.280 --> 00:53:43.800 small moments of beauty or grace. For years I 00:53:43.800 --> 00:53:45.599 lived near the ocean but rarely actually saw 00:53:45.599 --> 00:53:48.039 it. I started making myself get up early occasionally 00:53:48.039 --> 00:53:50.460 just to watch the sunrise over the Pacific, taking 00:53:50.460 --> 00:53:52.400 a moment to appreciate a bird singing outside 00:53:52.400 --> 00:53:54.599 the hospital window, or the intricate design 00:53:54.599 --> 00:53:56.920 of a flyer, or the smile of a patient or colleague. 00:53:57.420 --> 00:53:59.360 These moments of appreciating creation's beauty 00:53:59.360 --> 00:54:01.800 or simple human connection are gifts from God, 00:54:02.139 --> 00:54:03.980 readily available if you just take the time to 00:54:03.980 --> 00:54:07.280 look to notice. Cultivating awareness. Yes. And 00:54:07.280 --> 00:54:11.019 five. Plan in. This might sound unspiritual, 00:54:11.400 --> 00:54:13.579 but schedule enjoyable activities, family time, 00:54:13.619 --> 00:54:16.340 personal worship, and rest into your daily, weekly, 00:54:16.420 --> 00:54:19.199 and annual calendar. If it's not planned, especially 00:54:19.199 --> 00:54:21.460 for busy people, it often simply won't happen. 00:54:22.130 --> 00:54:25.369 Critically, try prioritizing the B items, things 00:54:25.369 --> 00:54:28.409 related to relationships, rest, prayer, reflection, 00:54:28.869 --> 00:54:30.730 before you fill the calendar with all the do 00:54:30.730 --> 00:54:32.949 items like phone calls, meetings, and tasks. 00:54:33.369 --> 00:54:35.690 This ensures the essential aspects of life and 00:54:35.690 --> 00:54:37.889 relationship are not consistently neglected, 00:54:38.489 --> 00:54:40.349 fostering a closer relationship with God, and 00:54:40.349 --> 00:54:42.909 ultimately a more joyful and sustainable life. 00:54:43.349 --> 00:54:45.409 By integrating these practices, you can cultivate 00:54:45.409 --> 00:54:48.070 a joyful, winsome testimony, even amidst the 00:54:48.070 --> 00:54:50.460 pressures of a demanding life or career. If we 00:54:50.460 --> 00:54:52.179 are seeking greatness ourselves in the way we've 00:54:52.179 --> 00:54:54.579 defined it, then empowering great people must 00:54:54.579 --> 00:54:57.000 be a natural outflow, mustn't it? What does it 00:54:57.000 --> 00:54:59.400 mean to leave a lasting legacy for others? And 00:54:59.400 --> 00:55:01.420 how can we be intentional about it, particularly 00:55:01.420 --> 00:55:03.500 for those already in positions of leadership 00:55:03.500 --> 00:55:05.699 or mentorship in their fields, such as senior 00:55:05.699 --> 00:55:08.340 medical staff training the next generation? Absolutely. 00:55:08.840 --> 00:55:11.840 True greatness, as Jesus redefined it, culminates 00:55:11.840 --> 00:55:14.539 in serving others for God's glory. And specifically, 00:55:14.719 --> 00:55:17.039 it involves equipping others to become all God 00:55:17.039 --> 00:55:20.099 intends for them to be. Great Christians, those 00:55:20.099 --> 00:55:23.539 with lasting impact, end their lives with a comma, 00:55:23.760 --> 00:55:26.199 not a period, because they have multiplied themselves 00:55:26.199 --> 00:55:28.940 in others. Paul's instruction to Timothy in 2 00:55:28.940 --> 00:55:32.059 Timothy 2 .2 is the classic model. The things 00:55:32.059 --> 00:55:33.420 which you have heard from me in the presence 00:55:33.420 --> 00:55:36.099 of many witnesses entrust these to faithful men 00:55:36.099 --> 00:55:38.699 who will be able to teach others also. Notice 00:55:38.699 --> 00:55:41.579 the four generations mentioned there. Paul, Timothy, 00:55:41.800 --> 00:55:44.119 faithful men, and others also. That's the power 00:55:44.119 --> 00:55:46.460 of reproduction. Multiplication, not just addition. 00:55:46.820 --> 00:55:49.780 Exactly. There's a key principle here. Productivity 00:55:49.780 --> 00:55:52.719 is no substitute for reproduction. You can be 00:55:52.719 --> 00:55:54.880 incredibly busy, productive, achieve great things 00:55:54.880 --> 00:55:57.320 yourself. But if you haven't intentionally reproduced 00:55:57.320 --> 00:55:59.340 your life, your faith, your skills, and others 00:55:59.340 --> 00:56:01.400 who can then reproduce them again, your impact 00:56:01.400 --> 00:56:03.960 is limited. Sadly, relatively few Christians 00:56:03.960 --> 00:56:06.400 intentionally develop a spiritual lineage by 00:56:06.400 --> 00:56:09.000 investing deeply in others this way. So how do 00:56:09.000 --> 00:56:11.320 we practically go about leaving this kind of 00:56:11.320 --> 00:56:13.559 legacy? How do we empower others effectively? 00:56:13.880 --> 00:56:16.679 There are several key steps. First, help many. 00:56:16.809 --> 00:56:19.409 train a few. Jesus ministered to multitudes, 00:56:19.550 --> 00:56:22.389 he healed many, taught thousands. But he deeply 00:56:22.389 --> 00:56:24.849 trained, mentored, and invested his life into 00:56:24.849 --> 00:56:27.610 a select few, the 12 disciples who would then 00:56:27.610 --> 00:56:30.070 go on to change the world. You can and should 00:56:30.070 --> 00:56:32.650 contribute broadly to many lives. But you must 00:56:32.650 --> 00:56:35.150 invest deeply, disproportionately, in only a 00:56:35.150 --> 00:56:37.389 few key individuals whom God brings across your 00:56:37.389 --> 00:56:39.210 path. How do you choose who to invest in? That 00:56:39.210 --> 00:56:41.269 requires prayer and discernment. Look beyond 00:56:41.269 --> 00:56:44.250 just personality, charisma, or raw talent. Look 00:56:44.250 --> 00:56:46.980 for faithfulness in small things. Availability, 00:56:47.340 --> 00:56:49.699 are they willing to make time? And teachability, 00:56:49.980 --> 00:56:52.920 are they humble and eager to learn? Those qualities, 00:56:53.699 --> 00:56:56.280 faithfulness, availability, teachability, F -A 00:56:56.280 --> 00:56:58.679 -T as some call it, are often better indicators 00:56:58.679 --> 00:57:02.219 of future impact than raw giftedness alone. Second, 00:57:02.760 --> 00:57:05.860 look under your own roof. Legacy building, spiritual 00:57:05.860 --> 00:57:07.960 empowerment, starts with those for whom you have 00:57:07.960 --> 00:57:11.360 direct moral responsibility, your family, your 00:57:11.360 --> 00:57:13.699 spouse, your children. Paul is very clear in 00:57:13.699 --> 00:57:16.579 1 Timothy 3 that a key qualification for leadership 00:57:16.579 --> 00:57:18.880 in the church is managing one's own family well. 00:57:19.539 --> 00:57:21.699 Sadly, history is littered with examples of leaders 00:57:21.699 --> 00:57:24.179 in ministry and business who achieved great public 00:57:24.179 --> 00:57:25.760 success while neglecting their own families, 00:57:26.199 --> 00:57:27.960 leading to heartbreaking consequences, struggles 00:57:27.960 --> 00:57:30.139 with faith, addiction, broken relationships for 00:57:30.139 --> 00:57:32.039 their children and spouses. If you want to empower 00:57:32.039 --> 00:57:34.179 great people, start at home. That's your first 00:57:34.179 --> 00:57:36.159 and arguably most important sphere of influence. 00:57:36.420 --> 00:57:39.280 A crucial reminder. Third, bring them in. You 00:57:39.280 --> 00:57:41.420 can't effectively mentor or disciple people from 00:57:41.420 --> 00:57:43.699 a distance just by giving instructions or information. 00:57:44.360 --> 00:57:47.000 You need to model the message by living authentically 00:57:47.000 --> 00:57:49.820 alongside them. Jesus lived with his disciples 00:57:49.820 --> 00:57:53.360 2047 for three years. He allowed them to smell 00:57:53.360 --> 00:57:56.000 and taste and see the Christian life in action, 00:57:56.199 --> 00:57:58.300 the good, the bad, the struggles, the triumphs. 00:57:58.420 --> 00:58:00.820 This builds genuine relationship which is far 00:58:00.820 --> 00:58:03.579 more powerful for transformation than just imparting 00:58:03.579 --> 00:58:05.539 knowledge. You show them what it means to be 00:58:05.539 --> 00:58:07.880 a follower of Christ, living out the truth daily 00:58:07.880 --> 00:58:11.340 in real life. Riving it out together. Yes. And 00:58:11.340 --> 00:58:14.079 fourth, build them up. This involves more than 00:58:14.079 --> 00:58:16.760 just encouragement, though that's vital. It means 00:58:16.760 --> 00:58:19.539 affirming their strengths and potential, inspiring 00:58:19.539 --> 00:58:22.019 them to dream God -sized dreams for themselves, 00:58:22.440 --> 00:58:24.860 but also having the courage to lovingly confront 00:58:24.860 --> 00:58:28.059 their flaws, blind spots, and areas needing growth. 00:58:28.730 --> 00:58:31.489 Equipping involves training their head, imparting 00:58:31.489 --> 00:58:34.170 knowledge and understanding, their heart, shaping 00:58:34.170 --> 00:58:37.190 character and motives, and their hands, developing 00:58:37.190 --> 00:58:39.449 practical skills. It's holistic development. 00:58:39.789 --> 00:58:41.730 You challenge them to become better, like my 00:58:41.730 --> 00:58:43.750 mentor Bill Lawrence challenging my preaching 00:58:43.750 --> 00:58:46.869 laziness because he saw potential. Our goal for 00:58:46.869 --> 00:58:49.090 those we empower should be to help them become 00:58:49.090 --> 00:58:52.070 truly great, perhaps even exceeding our own impact 00:58:52.070 --> 00:58:54.309 for God's glory. It's quite striking, though, 00:58:54.369 --> 00:58:56.889 that despite this clear pathway for multiplication, 00:58:57.389 --> 00:58:59.670 you suggest that relatively few people truly 00:58:59.670 --> 00:59:01.789 leave a lasting legacy in this way. Professor 00:59:01.789 --> 00:59:03.829 Howard Hendricks, your own mentor, identified 00:59:03.829 --> 00:59:05.769 three common reasons for this failure. Can you 00:59:05.769 --> 00:59:07.630 elaborate on those? Why do so many fall short 00:59:07.630 --> 00:59:10.269 here? Yes. Professor Hendricks, who is a master 00:59:10.269 --> 00:59:12.889 equipper himself, often highlighted three critical 00:59:12.889 --> 00:59:15.289 reasons why so few leave a lasting multiplying 00:59:15.289 --> 00:59:18.949 legacy. First, lack of discipline. Simply put, 00:59:19.190 --> 00:59:21.789 you cannot impart what you do not possess. Paul 00:59:21.789 --> 00:59:24.630 could confidently tell people to imitate me as 00:59:24.630 --> 00:59:27.750 I imitate Christ, 1 Corinthians 11 .1 also 4 00:59:27.750 --> 00:59:31.309 .1617, because his own life was exemplary, disciplined, 00:59:31.469 --> 00:59:33.969 and aligned with his message. Leaving a legacy 00:59:33.969 --> 00:59:35.949 requires personal discipline, being willing to 00:59:35.949 --> 00:59:38.369 do the hard work ourselves, to turn off the TV, 00:59:38.610 --> 00:59:40.610 break bad habits, wake up earlier, prioritize 00:59:40.610 --> 00:59:43.050 prayer and study in order to cultivate the qualities 00:59:43.050 --> 00:59:45.389 and skills we hope to pass on. If you want to 00:59:45.389 --> 00:59:47.670 empower great people, you must first commit to 00:59:47.670 --> 00:59:49.929 becoming exemplary yourself. There are no shortcuts. 00:59:50.250 --> 00:59:52.690 Leading by example, fundamentally. Fundamentally. 00:59:53.050 --> 00:59:56.309 Second, lack of vision. This is often a failure 00:59:56.309 --> 00:59:58.909 to see beyond one's own lifespan or one's own 00:59:58.909 --> 01:00:01.860 immediate ministry or career. Hendricks himself, 01:00:01.860 --> 01:00:04.239 as I mentioned, didn't focus primarily on building 01:00:04.239 --> 01:00:06.760 a huge personal media ministry or writing countless 01:00:06.760 --> 01:00:09.739 bestsellers, though he could have. Instead, he 01:00:09.739 --> 01:00:12.019 strategically invested deeply in a few key leaders. 01:00:12.300 --> 01:00:15.139 Men like Tony Evans, Chuck Swindle, David Jeremiah, 01:00:15.579 --> 01:00:17.780 who in turn went on to lead massive ministries 01:00:17.780 --> 01:00:20.619 and impact millions globally. His legacy isn't 01:00:20.619 --> 01:00:22.599 just in what he did directly, but in who he produced 01:00:22.599 --> 01:00:25.219 and equipped. It's about focusing on multiplication 01:00:25.219 --> 01:00:27.739 over mere addition or personal platform building, 01:00:28.219 --> 01:00:30.920 seeing the bigger, longer term picture. thinking 01:00:30.920 --> 01:00:34.300 generationally. Precisely. And third, lack of 01:00:34.300 --> 01:00:36.659 focus. This relates to the help many train a 01:00:36.659 --> 01:00:38.980 few principle. Trying to help everyone equally, 01:00:39.260 --> 01:00:41.300 spreading oneself thin across too many commitments 01:00:41.300 --> 01:00:44.239 or superficial relationships inevitably hinders 01:00:44.239 --> 01:00:47.320 deep, transformative investment in anyone. The 01:00:47.320 --> 01:00:50.039 principle requires strategic focus and selectivity 01:00:50.039 --> 01:00:52.739 guided by prayer. Without that focus you risk 01:00:52.739 --> 01:00:55.500 ending up with a diffuse shallow impact and perhaps 01:00:55.500 --> 01:00:57.340 looking back at the end of your life wondering 01:00:57.340 --> 01:00:59.619 how it slipped away without leaving a significant 01:00:59.619 --> 01:01:02.460 lasting multiplying imprint on others. Our own 01:01:02.460 --> 01:01:04.820 greatness in this kingdom sense is deeply connected 01:01:04.820 --> 01:01:06.820 to our genuine interest in seeing other Christians 01:01:06.820 --> 01:01:09.300 become great. It's realized as we serve them 01:01:09.300 --> 01:01:11.639 by equipping them to hopefully exceed our own 01:01:11.639 --> 01:01:14.079 impact for the sake of the gospel. Finally then, 01:01:14.119 --> 01:01:17.159 you emphasize developing great habits as the 01:01:17.159 --> 01:01:19.400 thread that ties all these other practices together. 01:01:19.539 --> 01:01:21.300 Now habits can sometimes sound less spiritual 01:01:21.300 --> 01:01:24.500 and more like, well, self -improvement techniques 01:01:24.500 --> 01:01:27.800 or productivity hacks. How are habits so crucial 01:01:27.800 --> 01:01:30.179 for living out a truly great Christian life? 01:01:30.519 --> 01:01:32.880 And how can we realistically cultivate them amidst 01:01:32.880 --> 01:01:34.860 our already packed schedules, particularly for 01:01:34.860 --> 01:01:36.539 those in demanding professions like medicine 01:01:36.539 --> 01:01:38.840 with unpredictable hours and constant pressure? 01:01:39.059 --> 01:01:41.199 It's a brilliant connection actually, and far 01:01:41.199 --> 01:01:43.059 more spiritual than it might initially seem. 01:01:43.119 --> 01:01:45.679 Habits are indeed the thread that integrates 01:01:45.679 --> 01:01:48.159 all these other practices we've discussed. Thinking 01:01:48.159 --> 01:01:50.059 great thoughts, reading great books, pursuing 01:01:50.059 --> 01:01:52.440 great people, dreaming great dreams, praying 01:01:52.440 --> 01:01:55.219 great prayers, taking risks, making sacrifices, 01:01:55.460 --> 01:01:58.760 enjoying moments into a fluid, consistent, integrated 01:01:58.760 --> 01:02:01.239 lifestyle. They are what make these principles 01:02:01.239 --> 01:02:03.840 part of who we are, not just things we occasionally 01:02:03.840 --> 01:02:07.099 do. Ultimately, our habits dictate who we become 01:02:07.099 --> 01:02:09.909 over time. Discipline, cultivated through habits, 01:02:10.070 --> 01:02:12.449 is described in Scripture as a godly means of 01:02:12.449 --> 01:02:15.369 grace. Habits create the structure, the highway, 01:02:15.550 --> 01:02:17.530 as Dallas Willard put it, on which the grace 01:02:17.530 --> 01:02:20.010 of God is delivered into our lives. Spiritual 01:02:20.010 --> 01:02:22.150 maturity doesn't just happen. It comes through 01:02:22.150 --> 01:02:24.309 training, through practice, through developing 01:02:24.309 --> 01:02:27.289 trained senses to discern good from evil, as 01:02:27.289 --> 01:02:29.829 Hebrews 5 puts it. That training happens through 01:02:29.829 --> 01:02:32.030 consistent habits. So habits create the channels 01:02:32.030 --> 01:02:35.050 for growth. Exactly. We all operate largely on 01:02:35.050 --> 01:02:37.900 autopilot. run by unconscious routines and habits, 01:02:38.159 --> 01:02:41.260 both good and bad. True transformation, moving 01:02:41.260 --> 01:02:43.679 towards greatness, requires consciously examining 01:02:43.679 --> 01:02:46.639 these deeply ingrained patterns and often intentionally 01:02:46.639 --> 01:02:49.360 breaking the negative ones and establishing positive 01:02:49.360 --> 01:02:52.579 ones. For instance, years ago, I realized I had 01:02:52.579 --> 01:02:54.940 a habit of watching the late night news. I felt 01:02:54.940 --> 01:02:56.820 the world wasn't quite right until I knew the 01:02:56.820 --> 01:02:59.079 latest bad news, but it kept me from getting 01:02:59.079 --> 01:03:02.039 up early for time with God. So I broke that habit. 01:03:02.679 --> 01:03:04.579 Concurrently, as a family, we did a six week 01:03:04.579 --> 01:03:07.300 experiment. Absolutely no television on school 01:03:07.300 --> 01:03:10.559 nights. The first few days were, frankly, bedlam. 01:03:11.320 --> 01:03:12.739 The kids didn't know what to do with themselves. 01:03:12.760 --> 01:03:14.820 I can imagine. But by the fourth or fifth day, 01:03:15.000 --> 01:03:17.199 something shifted. We started playing board games 01:03:17.199 --> 01:03:18.980 together. Later, the kids started developing 01:03:18.980 --> 01:03:21.059 musical talents, reading more, building stronger 01:03:21.059 --> 01:03:23.300 family relationships. And personally, I gained 01:03:23.300 --> 01:03:26.340 about 2 .5 hours back in my day. That's the power 01:03:26.340 --> 01:03:28.860 of intentionally changing just one habit. That's 01:03:28.860 --> 01:03:31.519 a fantastic example of how a relatively small 01:03:31.519 --> 01:03:34.099 change can have such a significant ripple effect. 01:03:34.320 --> 01:03:38.340 You also use a powerful, perhaps slightly uncomfortable 01:03:38.340 --> 01:03:41.500 metaphor comparing some detrimental spiritual 01:03:41.500 --> 01:03:44.659 habits to a stench. Can you explain that? And 01:03:44.659 --> 01:03:47.199 how it applies to how Christians might unknowingly 01:03:47.199 --> 01:03:49.739 conform to worldly patterns without even realizing 01:03:49.739 --> 01:03:52.510 it? Yes, the stench metaphor comes from a real 01:03:52.510 --> 01:03:54.489 experience I had visiting a home where the living 01:03:54.489 --> 01:03:56.809 conditions were filled with such squalor and 01:03:56.809 --> 01:03:59.449 filth that the smell was genuinely nauseating 01:03:59.449 --> 01:04:02.389 to me as an outsider. But the inhabitants, having 01:04:02.389 --> 01:04:04.130 lived in it for so long, had become completely 01:04:04.130 --> 01:04:05.949 accustomed to it. It seemed normal to them. They 01:04:05.949 --> 01:04:08.030 couldn't smell it anymore. Acclimatized to it. 01:04:08.369 --> 01:04:11.030 Completely. Spiritually, I fear many Christians 01:04:11.030 --> 01:04:13.190 have allowed their minds and lives to be filled 01:04:13.190 --> 01:04:16.150 with so much garbage from the surrounding culture. 01:04:16.760 --> 01:04:20.019 unholy attitudes, unethical choices, negative 01:04:20.019 --> 01:04:23.420 or impure media, constant comparison, materialism, 01:04:23.780 --> 01:04:25.619 that no longer seems like garbage to them, it 01:04:25.619 --> 01:04:28.219 feels normal. They then wonder why their lives 01:04:28.219 --> 01:04:30.579 aren't changing, why they don't experience more 01:04:30.579 --> 01:04:33.440 joy or victory, yet they're unconsciously being 01:04:33.440 --> 01:04:36.039 conformed to the pattern of this world, as Romans 01:04:36.039 --> 01:04:39.369 12 .2 warns against. This might be why public 01:04:39.369 --> 01:04:41.829 opinion polls often show almost identical statistics 01:04:41.829 --> 01:04:44.369 between self -professed Christians and non -Christians 01:04:44.369 --> 01:04:47.250 on critical issues like marital fidelity, financial 01:04:47.250 --> 01:04:49.750 honesty, attitudes towards the poor, or even 01:04:49.750 --> 01:04:52.590 rates of addiction. Real transformation requires 01:04:52.590 --> 01:04:54.889 consciously separating ourselves from this worldly 01:04:54.889 --> 01:04:57.550 conformity, bringing those unhealthy mental and 01:04:57.550 --> 01:04:59.809 behavioral habits that we've perhaps become numb 01:04:59.809 --> 01:05:02.949 to. That's a sobering thought indeed. So for 01:05:02.949 --> 01:05:05.030 those listening who want to actively cultivate 01:05:05.030 --> 01:05:07.070 great habits and break free from negative patterns, 01:05:07.590 --> 01:05:09.530 what are some practical actionable habits we 01:05:09.530 --> 01:05:11.409 can start developing today? Where should they 01:05:11.409 --> 01:05:14.289 begin? Let's focus on three practical foundational 01:05:14.289 --> 01:05:17.570 habits for transformation. First, give God the 01:05:17.570 --> 01:05:20.670 best. This typically means prioritizing God first 01:05:20.670 --> 01:05:23.349 in your day, most often through a dedicated morning 01:05:23.349 --> 01:05:26.280 quiet time for prayer and scripture. This is 01:05:26.280 --> 01:05:28.900 often the single most difficult habit to establish 01:05:28.900 --> 01:05:31.679 and maintain consistently, especially with demanding 01:05:31.679 --> 01:05:34.699 schedules. It requires real self -discipline 01:05:34.699 --> 01:05:38.159 and sometimes external accountability. Early 01:05:38.159 --> 01:05:40.260 in my own Christian life, I really struggled 01:05:40.260 --> 01:05:42.400 with consistency until I asked my college roommate, 01:05:42.760 --> 01:05:45.139 Bob, to literally hold me accountable. When my 01:05:45.139 --> 01:05:47.079 alarm went off and I inevitably hit the snooze 01:05:47.079 --> 01:05:50.059 button, he had permission, which he used, to 01:05:50.059 --> 01:05:52.119 physically get me out of bed, reminding me of 01:05:52.119 --> 01:05:54.219 my commitment. It sounds drastic, but it worked. 01:05:54.360 --> 01:05:56.360 It's about finding whatever system helps you 01:05:56.360 --> 01:05:58.599 make your relationship with God the genuine priority, 01:05:58.940 --> 01:06:00.900 not just an afterthought. Whatever it takes. 01:06:01.280 --> 01:06:03.800 Whatever it takes. Second, do your own dishes. 01:06:04.280 --> 01:06:06.539 This is a metaphor, obviously, for taking personal 01:06:06.539 --> 01:06:08.400 responsibility for your actions, your mistakes, 01:06:08.519 --> 01:06:11.179 your messes, rather than making excuses, blaming 01:06:11.179 --> 01:06:14.360 others or playing the victim. There's a temptation, 01:06:14.619 --> 01:06:16.679 especially in affluent cultures, towards what 01:06:16.679 --> 01:06:19.900 some call affluenza, a sense of entitlement or 01:06:19.900 --> 01:06:22.760 lack of responsibility. A true disciple aims 01:06:22.760 --> 01:06:24.820 to leave things better than they found them. 01:06:25.820 --> 01:06:27.619 I remember a mentor telling a story about seeing 01:06:27.619 --> 01:06:29.679 another respected leader picking up stray bits 01:06:29.679 --> 01:06:32.139 of paper at a petrol station forecourt. When 01:06:32.139 --> 01:06:34.860 asked why, he simply said, a disciple of Christ 01:06:34.860 --> 01:06:37.159 leaves things better than he found them. That 01:06:37.159 --> 01:06:39.760 applies spiritually, too. Internalizing God's 01:06:39.760 --> 01:06:42.119 grace doesn't mean excusing sin or laziness. 01:06:42.519 --> 01:06:44.860 It means taking responsibility for our own growth 01:06:44.860 --> 01:06:47.940 and impact. Owning our part. Exactly. Third, 01:06:48.159 --> 01:06:52.019 get it done now. This is about fighting procrastination, 01:06:52.519 --> 01:06:54.699 especially on important but difficult tasks. 01:06:55.340 --> 01:06:57.159 Try to address the hardest, most challenging, 01:06:57.320 --> 01:06:59.940 or most dreaded tasks early in the day, if possible. 01:07:00.300 --> 01:07:02.940 For me, back in seminary, this meant tackling 01:07:02.940 --> 01:07:05.400 Greek and Hebrew homework at 4 a .m. in an all 01:07:05.400 --> 01:07:07.699 -night coffee shop. Because I knew if I didn't 01:07:07.699 --> 01:07:10.300 do it then, with a clear head, it simply wouldn't 01:07:10.300 --> 01:07:13.099 get done later when I was tired. Postponing difficult 01:07:13.099 --> 01:07:15.579 things creates background stress and robs present 01:07:15.579 --> 01:07:18.260 joy. Cultivating the habit of tackling small 01:07:18.260 --> 01:07:20.539 hard things upfront builds immense discipline 01:07:20.539 --> 01:07:23.000 and effectiveness over time. Those are powerful, 01:07:23.179 --> 01:07:25.760 tangible steps. Beyond these individual habits, 01:07:25.820 --> 01:07:27.619 you also suggest structuring life for greatness 01:07:27.619 --> 01:07:30.519 using practical tools. How do seemingly mundane 01:07:30.519 --> 01:07:32.820 things like index cards, calendars, and to -do 01:07:32.820 --> 01:07:35.099 lists contribute to a profoundly impactful life, 01:07:35.380 --> 01:07:37.579 especially for busy professionals juggling complex 01:07:37.579 --> 01:07:40.019 schedules and multiple responsibilities? These 01:07:40.019 --> 01:07:43.179 tools, while seemingly mundane, can actually 01:07:43.179 --> 01:07:46.389 provide what I call a freedom of structure. They 01:07:46.389 --> 01:07:48.289 help translate good intentions into concrete 01:07:48.289 --> 01:07:52.000 reality. 3x5 index cards. for clear -cut objectives. 01:07:52.940 --> 01:07:55.099 As I mentioned regarding dreams, write down your 01:07:55.099 --> 01:07:57.480 specific desires and goals for every key area 01:07:57.480 --> 01:08:00.119 of your life. Personal spiritual growth, marriage, 01:08:00.280 --> 01:08:02.599 children, career development, ministry, impact. 01:08:02.920 --> 01:08:05.239 Read them regularly, perhaps weekly or even daily. 01:08:05.659 --> 01:08:08.159 You don't need to memorize them verbatim. The 01:08:08.159 --> 01:08:10.639 power is that your mind and heart will unconsciously 01:08:10.639 --> 01:08:12.699 begin to gravitate toward these written goals. 01:08:13.239 --> 01:08:15.619 It provides clarity and direction, helping you 01:08:15.619 --> 01:08:17.640 move intentionally toward your God -given plans 01:08:17.640 --> 01:08:22.350 instead of just drifting. Yes, calendars. I used 01:08:22.350 --> 01:08:25.010 to hate calendars, feeling they hemmed me in. 01:08:25.550 --> 01:08:27.869 But then I realized my mental to -do list was 01:08:27.869 --> 01:08:30.909 infinite and always left me feeling guilty. So 01:08:30.909 --> 01:08:33.829 I flipped my approach. I decided to prioritize 01:08:33.829 --> 01:08:36.430 scheduling the be items before the do items. 01:08:36.989 --> 01:08:39.090 My desire for a great marriage meant a regular 01:08:39.090 --> 01:08:40.850 date night with my wife went on the calendar 01:08:40.850 --> 01:08:43.199 first as a non -negotiable. time for focused 01:08:43.199 --> 01:08:45.680 prayer, exercise, quality time with my kids, 01:08:46.140 --> 01:08:48.439 all the relational and restorative B items were 01:08:48.439 --> 01:08:50.500 scheduled before I filled the remaining slots 01:08:50.500 --> 01:08:53.779 with phone calls, meetings, and tasks. This ensures 01:08:53.779 --> 01:08:56.039 that the essential aspects of life and relationship 01:08:56.039 --> 01:08:58.380 are not constantly crowded out by the urgent, 01:08:58.800 --> 01:09:01.199 but less important. Doesn't mean everything always 01:09:01.199 --> 01:09:03.420 gets done perfectly, but it helps direct the 01:09:03.420 --> 01:09:05.260 overall course of your life towards what truly 01:09:05.260 --> 01:09:07.760 matters most. Prioritizing the important over 01:09:07.760 --> 01:09:11.949 the merely urgent. Precisely. To -do lists. Now, 01:09:11.970 --> 01:09:14.369 while they are never fully completed, they are 01:09:14.369 --> 01:09:16.510 still important for maintaining focus day to 01:09:16.510 --> 01:09:19.369 day. Write down your responsibilities and opportunities, 01:09:19.649 --> 01:09:21.590 perhaps starring the absolute essentials for 01:09:21.590 --> 01:09:24.029 that day. But then, critically, try using it 01:09:24.029 --> 01:09:26.489 as a prayer guide. Before you start, pray over 01:09:26.489 --> 01:09:29.130 the list, asking God for wisdom, energy, and 01:09:29.130 --> 01:09:31.390 help with each item. As things get completed, 01:09:31.630 --> 01:09:34.149 offer a quick prayer of thanks. It transforms 01:09:34.149 --> 01:09:36.409 a potentially stressful list into a spiritual 01:09:36.409 --> 01:09:39.510 tool, providing tangible evidence of God's faithfulness 01:09:39.510 --> 01:09:41.470 and helping you manage your daily responsibilities. 01:09:41.909 --> 01:09:44.729 That refrains the to -do list completely. Finally, 01:09:44.890 --> 01:09:47.590 this framework strongly emphasizes turning it 01:09:47.590 --> 01:09:50.489 off, deliberately embracing rest. This is often 01:09:50.489 --> 01:09:52.689 the hardest habit for driven, high -achieving 01:09:52.689 --> 01:09:54.750 individuals, like many in the medical profession, 01:09:54.869 --> 01:09:57.149 to cultivate. How does Sabbath rest play such 01:09:57.149 --> 01:09:59.689 a crucial role in achieving and sustaining greatness, 01:10:00.029 --> 01:10:02.270 and perhaps most importantly, preventing burnout? 01:10:02.359 --> 01:10:05.319 Rest is a thoroughly biblical command. Yet, as 01:10:05.319 --> 01:10:07.399 you say, often the hardest one for us to obey 01:10:07.399 --> 01:10:10.640 in our 247 culture. And it's fundamentally a 01:10:10.640 --> 01:10:13.279 huge faith issue. Hebrews four tells us to make 01:10:13.279 --> 01:10:16.260 every effort or be diligent to enter that rest, 01:10:16.560 --> 01:10:18.479 implying it doesn't come easily or naturally. 01:10:18.500 --> 01:10:21.029 We have to strive for it. For those with a strong 01:10:21.029 --> 01:10:23.609 work ethic, a do -it -now mentality, the Sabbath 01:10:23.609 --> 01:10:26.130 provides crucial balance and perspective. It's 01:10:26.130 --> 01:10:28.489 about trusting God will sustain you, your practice, 01:10:28.569 --> 01:10:30.750 your projects, your family, even if you completely 01:10:30.750 --> 01:10:33.510 close down for a full day. Trusting that he can 01:10:33.510 --> 01:10:35.770 accomplish more in six days of rested, focused 01:10:35.770 --> 01:10:38.250 work than you can in seven days of exhausted 01:10:38.250 --> 01:10:40.609 striving. Think of businesses like Chick -fil 01:10:40.609 --> 01:10:43.069 -A in the U .S., which remain highly successful 01:10:43.069 --> 01:10:45.869 despite being closed on Sundays. A testament, 01:10:46.029 --> 01:10:48.569 perhaps, to God honoring that principle. It requires 01:10:48.569 --> 01:10:52.119 real trust. It requires enormous trust. The Sabbath 01:10:52.119 --> 01:10:54.779 principle is God's gracious gift to us. It's 01:10:54.779 --> 01:10:56.779 about intentionally breaking harmful patterns 01:10:56.779 --> 01:10:59.340 of being constantly driven by external pressures 01:10:59.340 --> 01:11:02.180 or internal anxieties versus having healthy God 01:11:02.180 --> 01:11:05.220 -given drive. As a self -confessed recovering 01:11:05.220 --> 01:11:07.560 workaholic, I had to learn this the hard way. 01:11:07.800 --> 01:11:09.720 I had to learn to physically leave work at the 01:11:09.720 --> 01:11:11.760 office to mentally switch off and go home to 01:11:11.760 --> 01:11:14.300 be the husband, the father, and simply the child 01:11:14.300 --> 01:11:17.000 of God I needed to be. The command is simple. 01:11:17.229 --> 01:11:20.029 Take 24 hours every seven days and just stop. 01:11:20.510 --> 01:11:22.210 Turn off the phone, the computer, the alerts, 01:11:22.369 --> 01:11:24.710 whatever it is that keeps you mentally tethered 01:11:24.710 --> 01:11:28.310 to work or striving. Be restored, renewed, refreshed 01:11:28.310 --> 01:11:30.989 by enjoying His creation, His presence and fellowship 01:11:30.989 --> 01:11:33.770 with loved ones. This practice honestly probably 01:11:33.770 --> 01:11:36.800 saved my life in ministry from burnout. By intentionally 01:11:36.800 --> 01:11:39.520 breaking bad habits like constant work and establishing 01:11:39.520 --> 01:11:42.079 good ones like regular rest, we move from a cycle 01:11:42.079 --> 01:11:44.539 of frustration and exhaustion towards sustained 01:11:44.539 --> 01:11:46.779 fruitfulness, integrating all these practices 01:11:46.779 --> 01:11:48.859 for a truly great life in every sense of the 01:11:48.859 --> 01:11:52.520 word. We've certainly journeyed through a profound 01:11:52.520 --> 01:11:55.260 and challenging framework today for unlocking 01:11:55.260 --> 01:11:58.399 true greatness. Thinking great thoughts, reading 01:11:58.399 --> 01:12:01.399 great books, pursuing great people, dreaming 01:12:01.399 --> 01:12:04.039 God -sized dreams, praying great prayers, taking 01:12:04.039 --> 01:12:07.340 great risks, making great sacrifices, enjoying 01:12:07.340 --> 01:12:10.140 great moments, empowering great people, and finally 01:12:10.140 --> 01:12:13.520 developing great habits. This isn't just a blueprint 01:12:13.520 --> 01:12:15.880 for personal achievement, is it? It's really 01:12:15.880 --> 01:12:18.659 about cultivating a life of profound, sustained 01:12:18.659 --> 01:12:21.960 impact, lived out with integrity and joy, even 01:12:21.960 --> 01:12:24.199 within the unique pressures of demanding professional 01:12:24.199 --> 01:12:27.060 environments like medicine. If you found value 01:12:27.060 --> 01:12:29.100 in today's deep dive, please do consider sharing 01:12:29.100 --> 01:12:30.859 it with a colleague or perhaps leaving a review 01:12:30.859 --> 01:12:32.880 where you listen. Your insights and feedback 01:12:32.880 --> 01:12:34.779 really do help others discover these important 01:12:34.779 --> 01:12:37.359 conversations. Indeed. And perhaps a final thought 01:12:37.359 --> 01:12:40.159 to leave with you is this. The pursuit of greatness, 01:12:40.640 --> 01:12:42.500 defined in the profound framework, isn't really 01:12:42.500 --> 01:12:44.300 about your own personal achievement or fulfillment. 01:12:44.859 --> 01:12:47.180 It's ultimately about cultivating a life so deeply 01:12:47.180 --> 01:12:50.020 rooted in God and his purposes, so impactful 01:12:50.020 --> 01:12:52.319 that it inspires a ripple effect of grace and 01:12:52.319 --> 01:12:54.579 transformation for generations to come. What 01:12:54.579 --> 01:12:56.960 intentional step will you take this week, perhaps 01:12:56.960 --> 01:13:00.279 even today, to begin shaping that lasting legacy?