This past weekend, I was watching a college football game, when a coach was asked at halftime, “How does the loss of your starting quarterback affect you?” The coach answered quickly, “nothing changes,” and walked away.

Maybe that coach was not completely honest, maybe he was. But the thought did occur to me that we often find the value we place on something, after it is gone. If that is true, how would you answer this question if asked at this point of your life:

“If there was no Jesus, how would it affect you?”

Would anything really change? Would how you live your life be altered at all? Other than a possible weekly routine of going to church, would your life really be different?

Before rushing to a quick answer, think about it… If there was no Jesus available for the rest of your life, would it really make a difference? Or would your  answer be just like that head coach’s…”nothing changes”?

If that starting quarterback truly was a difference maker, and that coach was able to be completely honest in his answer, you would expect the response to be something other than, “nothing changes.” You would expect words like:

• Everything is different,
• he was our hope,
• our leader,
• our difference maker,
• everything we did was centered around him,
• if we don’t have him….we really have no chance,
• we could afford to lose anything else, but not him.

A coach would never say that on national TV for obvious reasons, but I have to think at times, that would be their honest, authentic response.

What would be our honest authentic response? Is Jesus really our difference maker, hope, leader? Is everything we do centered on Him? If we did not have Him, would we really have a chance? Could you afford to lose anything except Him?

Take time to think about this question. Then think back over the course of the past 2 weeks. Is there enough evidence in your life to support your answer? Is Jesus more than just another player to you? Or would your answer honestly be, “nothing changes,” and then slowly walk away?

God Bless, Jimmy Dykes

In honor of that day 20 years ago, we spent the entire day together just having fun. We reflected on the past 20 years. We looked at old pictures, we told stories, we laughed, we questioned why on a few things that have happened in our lives. We shared two fabulous meals. We visited the site of the soon to open world renowned Crystal Bridges Museum.

And then we went to the movies. But this was not just any movie. This was a movie about life. About the very fabric of why we are here. About our marriages, our children, our work, and our faith. About being COURAGEOUS in living with great purpose in each of those arenas of life.

You may be familiar with the organization that also brought us the movies Fireproof and Facing the Giants. These are powerful examples of using media to impact our culture in positive ways.

For men and women, but especially Dad’s, take the time this weekend to see this movie. I find it impossible to believe that your life at home and at work will not be profoundly impacted.

Proverbs 22:6

But God calls us to see it differently, doesn’t he?  He calls us to see our work as a blessing, not a curse. To understand that our work is a mission, or at least it can be if we let it. To treat our work as worship to Him.

Do you need some inspiration to see a higher purpose in walking with God at work? Watch this video. Watch it to the end because it’s the last five minutes that really matter.

Now…what do you do with what you just witnessed?

How can your life and your work have deeper meaning?

What does your relationship with God look like now?

It’s up to you…

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’  Matthew 25:23

We talked about this question in several discussion groups at last week’s Eight to Five event. Here are some answers:

• Fear -  it could cost us something… relationship, $, promotion, job!
• Busyness - #1 reason? We are going 100 mph all day long.
• Enemy - you think?
• Guilt – can’t live up to it; I don’t need that remorse.
• Don’t think about it - literally, we just don’t think about God at work.

Monday night, I attended an incredible event…Raise the Bar Rally in northwest Arkansas. The organizing team, led by ESPN’s Jimmy Dykes, were praying for 700 men to come to a night of hope, challenge and change.

1,400 showed up! Four men shared personal real life stories that were as real and painful and direct as you can imagine. In addition, several current and former University of Arkansas coaches and athletes shared challenges via video.

Of all of the impactful words spoken, Jimmy Dykes shared one that really stuck with me. Watching the game film. He talked about how painful it is to see the mistakes you made and to see how you can get better. But that wasn’t the challenge. The challenge was “what are you going to do about it?” You have to act to get better!

Can you take some time this week to get quiet…and watch your game film? Where do you need to raise the bar? Write it down. Pray about it. Ask God for the wisdom to know what to do…and the courage to do it!

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”   James 1:22

This is a perspective we may not often take here on this Good Friday.

As I read this scripture this morning, wanting to somehow imagine what Jesus felt 2,000 years ago, the story of this man hanging next to Jesus grabbed my attention. Do you know what was powerful about his story? Even in his sin (like we have), even in his own suffering (like we do at work sometimes)…he had the courage to ask, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

So today, as you do your work on this holy day, maybe in a quiet moment…whisper “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³ Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

No fancy e-cards to wish you merry Christmas. Just this simple note to say how blessed we are to share this work with you to empower each of us to “bridge the gap between our faith and our work”.

May Saturday be a blessing like none other this year as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

To a fresh beginning,

David

Blessings!

There’s no doubt about it – we live in a narcissistic culture these days.  The world encourages us to be self-centered and egotistical.  You can even find t-shirts and bumper stickers that say, “I Love Me.”

Our first reaction when thinking about this may be to compare ourselves to the extreme cases – professional athletes, celebrities, reality TV stars (if there is such a thing) – in order to make ourselves feel better about our “minor issues.”  However, the inwardly focused mentality is everywhere, and one of the easiest places to observe it is in the workplace.

If I’m not careful, this is what happens to me:  I wake up in the morning and think about My day; I ask God to help me with My issues; I get into the office and focus completely on My to-do list; I wonder how certain events are going to affect Me; I make sure My needs are met; I respond to others depending on My mood at the time; I leave at the end of the day gauging success on whether My day was good.

While none of these thoughts or actions are wrong in and of themselves, the Me focus across all of them is the slippery slope.  I’m capable of doing an entire day at work without considering anyone else.  Busy schedules, pressing deadlines, multiple priorities, big goals, and a host of other things can pressure us into a get-things-done mode that puts us first and everyone else squarely in second.

In John 4:1-42, Jesus gives us an example selfless love for others.  Jesus had been traveling several miles in the heat of the day, and he had finally sat down to rest by a well.  When a Samaritan woman approached the well, instead of ignoring her and focusing on his own fatigue or maybe where he was headed next, Jesus engaged her in a life-changing conversation.  Over the next minutes and hours, Jesus poured His truth into her, and as a result, an entire town was given new life.

^“39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. ⁴¹And because of his words many more became believers. ⁴²They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42.

Jesus ended up delaying his journey by two days in order to stay in the town and share His truth with many.  Can we simply take two minutes?  It doesn’t take much more than that to stop by someone’s desk, send an email, or make a phone call to provide the encouragement that someone may desperately need today.  It might even lead to an opportunity for you to share the Gospel with that person – and that is, after all, what we are called to do.

Click here to listen to the Terry Turpin podcast.

Terry Turpin, partner and COO of Acumen Holdings, LLC

It seems that Jesus did. What do you think?

“But you will receive the power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”   Acts 1:8

WorkMatters DNA is to mobilize the army of Sunday Christians sitting in our churches and workplaces, and inspire them to live their faith Monday through Friday at work, just as they try to do on Sunday. If we could all break through that barrier, can you imagine the witness that would be to the non-believing world?

We can do it! You can do it! You can start by doing your work with Excellence and Integrity (Faith and Work Seven Pillars) and grow from there.

This Monday morning, let’s challenge ourselves to embrace Jesus’ mission statement with our work witness!