Passion Week Devo - Where was the kingdom? [Thursday]
Jesus spent a lot of time talking about the kingdom. The kingdom he was talking about was not one to rival the Roman government. It was bigger than that.
In John 18:36, âJesus answered, âMy 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.ââ
Jesus told stories about the kingdom and compared it to many things like seed planted by a farmer, yeast, a hidden pearl, a fishing net, a wedding feast, and more.Â
The people of his time were looking for an external kingdom, but he was offering an internal perspective shift - an alternative way of approaching the times.
Maybe we need that too.
Maybe the devotional question for today should be, âWhere IS the kingdomâ?
Thursday of Passion week is the day we remember Jesusâ final meal with his disciples. This is the one where he washed their feet and where we get our tradition of communion from.
On a visit to Israel a few years a...
Passion Week Devo - When did Jesus move? [Wednesday]
If I oversaw Jesusâ timeline, I would have made a couple of significant timing decisions differently.
First, what was up with his ministry not going public till he was thirty? Was he not ready? Did the world not need him till then? What was the holdup?
And then once he started forwarding the kingdom full-time, Personally, I think he should have stayed around a little longer. If I were on the leadership team determining whether the disciples were ready to âtake it from thereâ I would have voted, âNoâ quite adamantly.
Good thing I wasnât in charge!
Galatians 4:4 shows us the Father was in charge of the timing. âBut when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.â
John 5:19-20a says, âSo Jesus explained, âI tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing.â
Jesus moved when the Father showed ...
Passion Week Devo - What was Jesusâ mission? [Tuesday]
Yesterday we talked about how Jesus showing up as Messiah was different than what the people expected. So what was his mission? If he didnât come to rule as an earthly king - why did he come?
I like how John 12:46 puts it.
âI have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.â
What does it mean to be in the dark, or to remain in the dark?
Have you ever heard of someone say they felt like they were âkept in the darkâ when everyone else knew something and somehow, they were not in the loop?Â
I felt like that before a cruise we went on. The idea that all the restaurants were available at no extra cost seemed too good to be true. But then, when we went, we found it was literally true. The buffet was available all day, and they kept changing what was offered. There were also multiple types of restaurants that were also all free. The pizza by the pool⌠free. It was like a little taste of heaven.
We were so blessed ...
Passion Week Devo - Who are you expecting as your Messiah? [Monday]
 Who are you expecting as your Messiah?
Â
Today is the day after Palm Sunday, thatâs when the church traditionally celebrates Jesusâ 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.
Â
John 18:36 says, âJesus answered, âMy 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.ââ
Â
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,
Â
         Psalm 46:1 âGod is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.â
Â
I felt the Holy Spirit was prompting me that sometimes God is our âhelp in time of troubleâ by pr...
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 â 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:Â 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.Â
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.Â
- 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.Â
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 truly share it is a true gif...
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 t ...
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.Â
And then He gave us free will.Â
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.Â
So what does this all mean in coaching?
As we explore Core Competency #4Â Cultivates Safety and Trust, it means we provide a place where the other person can...
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.Â
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 it was my ...
What Other Mindsets Are There? Coaching Core Competency #2
Coaching Core Competency #2: Embodies a Coaching Mindset.Â
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 ...