Helping Busy Leaders of Growing Organizations
by Greg Darley
If you were at Catalyst in October you know the powerful chorus that Steve Fee led us in called Glory to God Forever. Well, I’ve finally found a recording of it here and wanted to share it. Btw, if you are a worship leader, the chords are on his site, here.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8BZj4i8Auw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]
by Greg Darley
I watched Schindler’s List this past week.
It was the first time I had seen the film.
It was disturbing. I am glad that Spielberg made it though.
Here are a couple of thoughts I had:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPHvLtitxug&hl=en&fs=1]
A powerful movie to say the least. To see evil and sin so obvious and to see suffering beyond imagination makes me want to scream for justice. The same evil exists today and we have an obligation to stand up and fight it. We must fight against child sex trafficking. We must fight against religious persecutions in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. These issues are too big to fight alone. We must work together. In the movie, Schindler approaches another factory owner and tries to convince him to “buy” more workers so they can save more lives. This is what we must do today. We must come together.
by Greg Darley
Being an entrepreneur is fun…most of the time. I get to be involved with a lot of cool stuff like Free Chains and World Causes, trying to end child sex trafficking and other injustices in the world. I get to work on projects that have eternal significance. I get to read, study and learn about new ideas. I get to meet with awesome leaders and mentors. I get to preach the Word and challenge students to live in radical ways. Its awesome. But there are usually two parts to my day.
So, yesterday my day looked a little like this…got up around 6ish. Spent some time studying, replied to a dozen emails. Worked on some details for a speaking engagement for March. Worked on the details for a website to be built for a new project we’re launching this year. Went to lunch with a friend and discussed some various topics. He’s a musician and we talked about his new CD, and maybe the chance to do a benefit show for Free Chains. (Go buy a CD would you?) From there I went to a 2 hour meeting to talk about some strategic items for our ministry, the new project, and also a new business idea. It was a great meeting.
That was the end of “Part 1” of my day. Part 2 is as follows…
I drive an hour to a little town called Six-Mile to sell an insurance policy to the sister of a long term client in her double wide. Half way there my GPS loses signal because I’m in the middle of nowhere. Very nice people I will say though. They offered me the beverage of my choice and they also happen to be Clemson fans. All in all, it took about 4 hours out of my day to make what I’m sure most of you make in 30 minutes, but I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do as they say.
I wonder if Paul liked building tents. I bet he would rather have spent all his time preaching, but he couldn’t. Sometimes I wonder if its for a “lack of faith” that I still drive out there. I mean, “if God calls you, He’ll pay for it” right? Isn’t that what we hear? Couldn’t my time be used in more productive ways? In those times I come back to Paul and realize that God obviously has a larger perspective than I do about “what I need to be doing” and “what I need to be learning.” One thing I do know, I can talk with more authority now about trying to follow a God-given dream to those that are considering it or who are in the middle of it.
Maybe one day I can start to have a typical day for a social entreupeuner and ministry leader…or maybe I already do.
by Greg Darley
In an earlier post I talked about going and loving your spouse today. How did you do that?
take out the trash?
write a note?
make dinner?
cut off the tv and talk?
by Greg Darley
My wife and I have been doing the Love Dare that was seen in the movie Fireproof. If you are not familiar with the book or the movie, I would suggest giving it a look. The movie was a low budget film and in some parts it showed, but the message was powerful. The Love Dare has been a great experience because it requires an intentional effort on each person to put into the marriage. What we’ve found out is that having a great marriage does not come easy. It takes a lot of focused effort over the long haul to become what you want it to. It does not happen by luck, accident or mere coincidence. I’ve seen this in other areas of my life like getting back into shape. Its hard. It takes discipline. Its so much easier to not be in shape than to be in shape and I think its the same for marriages. But if all you do is pound burgers and coke, eventually your heart will stop beating. The same is true in our marriages; if all we do is do what is easy and serve ourselves, our marriage will stop beating and die too.
The heart of the movie, the book, and our experience is that a marriage built around love and service is only accomplished with Christ in the center. Only when we model our marriages after his example will we reach the relationship we desire. It requires serving when we’re not appreciated. It means loving when we’re not loved in return. I am so blessed to have a wife that cares enough about our marriage and loves Jesus enough to love me when I’m not lovable. To serve me even when I’m a jerk. What I see in her is a living example of the Gospel. Here is a scene that says it better than me…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUNGW-KyKFk&hl=en&fs=1]
The point of something being fireproof is not that it will never be burned in a fire, but that it will be able to make it through a fire when it comes. Paul says it this way, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”
Husbands, go do something to show your wives you love her. And I don’t care what kind of mood she was in when you last saw her!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3b2jw1rjBc&hl=en&fs=1]