character – Page 15 – 300 words a day

The personal touch

Martha calmly conversed. Mary dissolved in tears. Two sisters, same dead brother. They both talked with Jesus, each with different experiences. After Lazarus died and Martha heard that Jesus was in town, she went and talked with him. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” They had a conversation, Jesus […]

by Jon Swanson

A simple offer.

Chris wrote about simple packaging of ideas yesterday. He was encouraging people who are selling to be clear, taking the time to phrases offers in ways that the customer can understand. Let simple be the mantra. Make your contracts brief, small, simple. Make your projects short, finite, and clear. Make your deliverables obvious, simple, and […]

by Jon Swanson

Five years

“What do you want to be true of you as a leader in five years? What do you want your wife to say about you as a church leader? What do you want your kids to say about you as a church leader?” That’s what I asked five guys the other night. They are studying […]

by Jon Swanson

growing isn’t an option for followers

Simon Johnson, a devotional writer, talks about a spiritual growth plan: “Do all you can to add to your life these things: to your faith add goodness; to your goodness add knowledge” and then goes on through self-control, patience, devotion to God, kindness toward your brothers and sisters, and love. We think, “That is a […]

by Jon Swanson

A week later, Thomas

On Sunday night, ten disciples were gathered in a room. Okay, there may have been more than ten, but only ten of The Twelve were there. Judas was dead. Thomas simply wasn’t present. It was a gathering of uncertainty. The door was locked. The disciples had heard that Jesus was alive, but weren’t sure what […]