Passion Week Devo - Who are you expecting as your Messiah? [Monday]
Who are you expecting as your Messiah?
Today is the day after Palm Sunday, that’s when the church traditionally celebrates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The Jewish people were hoping Jesus was finally going to step up and reveal himself clearly as their king. They were expecting a Messiah who would overthrow the Roman government and set up an independent Jewish country, but we see over and over that Jesus had a different agenda.
John 18:36 says, “Jesus answered, ‘My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.’”
Recently I was praying and asking God to meet a specific need in a certain way. I had an expectation of God showing up how I imagined. Then I read,
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of...
Passion Week Devo Series
In church history the week before Easter has traditionally been called Passion Week. A few years back I wrote a short devotional for our church for each day of Passion Week and I want to share them with you here this year.
You'll see one in your inbox early each Morning this week leading up to Easter.
Join us as we devotionally ask a question for each day of this week – Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
(If you are not on our blog list join us here to get these devos delivered right to your inbox.
P.S. We love our church, if you live in the Lancaster County area you can join us live. If you don't live locally feel free to join us online. For more info: Worship Center
3 Little Words That Can Change Everything- Core Competency #6
Coaching Core Competency $6 is: Listens Actively.
At Bridges Coaching, we explore two pillars of coaching - Active Listening and Asking Powerful Questions. Our focus today is the former and needs to come first.
Here are a few clarifying facts about Active Listening:
- Active Listening is the opposite of Passive Listening (which is exactly what you are thinking it is.)
- Active Listening is perhaps the best way to love someone.
- Active LIstening is serving someone else. It shows them that their words are important and valuable, and their thoughts are worthy of being expressed fully.
- Active Listening requires intent focus, not just waiting your turn nicely.
- Active LIstening is truly curious.
- Active LIstening is a way to partner with the Holy Spirit to trust that God is indwelling the person speaking.
Think about it. When someone truly listens to you, you feel important, cared for, and valuable. When you are processing something and someone lets you...
Giving The Gift Everyone Wants - Core Competency #5
Coaching Core Competency #5. Maintains Presence.
We all want it but struggle to give it. Presence.
I'm not going to go on a rant about social media. Social media is like sugar - too much and it's not healthy, but you need to decide how much and when you indulge. Granted social media is one of the biggest distractions that keeps us all from giving focused attention, but it is only one of them.
In our Coaching Culture training, we delve into metacognition and take a look at what kinds of self-talk are happening while we are trying to listen. Want to join us? Can you think of a conversation you have had where one or more of these thoughts is going on in your head while the other person is sharing?
- I can't believe they are sharing this with me again... if I have to listen through this all one. more. time...
- I went through the same thing, only worse, shall I share it with them?
- I wonder what we should have for dinner.
- I actually don't "have a minute" right now. How can I ask them to...
The #1 Enemy Of Trust And Safety - Coaching Core Competency #4
Coaching Core Competency #4 is Cultivates Safety and Trust
It's just natural to judge. If we are honest we all have thoughts about others. We think they should move faster, prioritize differently, be more at peace, have more fun, or be more focused... and the list could go on!
We are all uniquely designed! (You can learn more about that here if you like. We are planning a new cohort launch soon!) We all have differing strengths and weaknesses, different callings and priorities.
If you have kids or grandkids it is quite evident. Some are quiet, some are competitive, some are artistic, and some are naturally funny. God did that. He made us all different.
And then He gave us free will.
Some of us go after goals hard and fast and others choose to focus on enjoying life. Neither is right or wrong if they are not in an extreme.
So what does this all mean in coaching?
As we explore Core Competency #4 Cultivates Safety and Trust, it means we provide a place where the...
Did You Miss It As Bad As I Did? Unpacking Core Competency #3
Core Competency #3: Establishes and Maintains Coaching Agreements
Full disclosure I didn't get this one as clearly as I get it now till after the course I designed called Next Level Coach Training. It was kind of embarrassing, and I was kind of doing it right, but this competency is the one I learned about most from the Mentor Coaches who work with our trainees in this course.
Our entry-level coach training, Coaching Culture, offers Life Coach certification and in that course we focus on making sure coaches know how to set up a contract for engaging an actual client. We work through a Welcome Packet and talk through what a session should look like.
I used to think that was the majority of what it meant to have a quality coaching agreement, but we were just getting started. This is simply the first part of this competency - establishing a coaching agreement.
I had been trained to offer the client choices on their focus and to define what we were going to talk about. Then...
What Other Mindsets Are There? Coaching Core Competency #2
Coaching Core Competency #2: Embodies a Coaching Mindset.
Coaching is not the only way to approach spiritual development, forward movement, or solution generation, but it may be the best one for many situations. And possibly the most overlooked or misunderstood.
Here are a few ways we talk about it at Bridges Coaching.
1) We define the difference between Coaching and Counseling, Mentoring and Consulting. They all have their place. They all can be healthy. And they all are different.
In a nutshell:
- Counseling is more diagnostic and prescriptive, it helps people deal with their past as it affects their present. Coaching may help people to uncover what has been holding them back, but it is a joint process rather than a professional reading the situation and determining how best to move forward.
- Mentoring is more like apprenticing. It is a passing off of a skill or helping another person experience something common for the caregiver.
- Consulting is bringing in an expert for their...
The "Sexy" Coaching Core Competency #1
Coaching, as an industry, is not just a loosey-goosey way of conversational growth. There are specific guidelines called "Competencies" that are the foundation for what coaching entails, both in the secular applications and in Christian arenas.
The gold standard for coaching is the International Coaching Federation (ICF), they set the standards for credentialing worldwide. Bridges Coaching has chosen to align with Christian Coaches Network International (CCNI) which extrapolates all the ICF Coaching Core Competencies sharing how they are Biblical-based and used to forward the kingdom.
At Bridges Coaching we believe coaching makes disciples not dependents and in this coaching competencies series, we will dig into why we feel so strongly about that statement.
The first Core Competency is "Demonstrates Ethical Practice". In know, "Sexy" right? But the truth is that without ethical practice, coaching is just loosey-goosey.
Not everyone who says they are a coach...
Guest Blog: Applying Working Genius To Your Real Life
My daughter Natalie has been leaning into the Working Genius model and wrote this blog with a real-life story and application. If you are an inventor, galvanizer, or discerner this will be of special interest, but don't just think personally - you coach, work with, and have family members who are inventors, galvanizers, and discerners too! Hope you get as much out of it as I did!
[That's Natalie and her husband, Mike, in the picture.] Here's her blog:
Have you been reading the genius blogs and wondering how can this apply to real life? What if I am the only participant at my workplace or in my family who is interested in this topic? Especially if your genius is not galvanizing.
Fear not, I am a galvanizer. Wait discerners, don’t go anywhere… this blog is actually for you. As an inventor and galvanizer, I am attracted to discerners… my husband, several former bosses, and many of my closest friends. Often times I have felt that I cause them distress,...
Is The Scale The Answer?
What your scale tells you is just data. It gives you a fact - the honest truth about your weight.
The scale can be your friend if it tells you something you like, or your enemy if it doesn't. But the truth is the scale is just a tool to help you see what really is.
For me the scale is motivation!
If I like what I see it is motivation to keep up the good work, and if I don't like what I see it is a reminder that true change will take intentionality.
That's the bottom line really.
Change rarely happens by accident. It's hardly ever a surprise.
If I don't like what I see I have two options, well three maybe.
1) I can choose to do something about what I see.
This will include making a plan for an alternative outcome. It will likely include some trial and error, some intentionality and grit, and will probably require a realistic look at a reasonable timeline for effecting change.
2) I can avoid seeing and just not weigh myself anymore.
This plan will avoid...