Oh how this article is needed! I hope that each of you will read it and share it. This is a battle of utmost importance in our world today!
by SharperIron at 1:00 am December 14, 2007.
Encouragement for Women Whose Husbands Have Fallen Into Pornography
Editor’s Note: The following article contains sensitive subject matter about sexuality. Some material may be inappropriate for children.
by Debi Pryde
You’ve made it through the initial discovery. You’ve made the decision to stay in your marriage and fight for it. You know life will never be the same again, but life does goes on. The routines of everyday living continue—work, school, grocery shopping, housework, cooking, answering the phone. You are going through the motions, and you are giving your best. But discouragement and sorrow might still be your constant companions. Perhaps you are looking back instead of looking forward, and you are still mourning over what you might still see as total loss.
Remember, discouragement is always rooted in the way we think—the specific thoughts we center our attention on, the “what ifs” and “if onlys” that crowd out any hope or rays of light. Yes, you may know God’s promises, but they will bring no comfort if your heart refuses to be comforted. Your heart may continue to mourn as though sorrow will somehow soothe the deep wounds that are yet so tender and sore. Oh, dear sister, there is no comfort, no joy, no healing, and no hope in the deep abyss of morbid thoughts and fears.
Would you take a moment to read these gentle reminders that can lead you out of the valley and into the light of day? As we have often sung,
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
This truth doesn’t make sense to our human hearts, but the weapon that slays the enemy of discouragement is within our reach and within our power to pick up and use. We have the Holy Spirit Himself dwelling within us, and God wants us to be encouraged, comforted, and strengthened. The Bible assures us, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5, KJV). Will you summon inner courage by praying right now and asking God to walk with us a moment and to strengthen you as we face some of those tormenting monsters together and conquer them with God’s sword?
Where in the World Did She Come from?
Many women have described their husband’s bondage to pornography as adultery with a woman they cannot speak to or confront; after all, she lives on the pages of a magazine or a website. She is a phantom who steals the attentions and affections of their husbands and entices them to follow her far away from real life at home in a real world. This perpetually naked woman, who is airbrushed to perfection, feels no concern for the home she destroys, for the hearts she breaks, or for the men she lures into her pernicious trap. She smiles provocatively and demands nothing—or so it seems to the men who are mesmerized by her. Little do they know that they are following this woman like a cow to the slaughterhouse (Prov. 7:22), where death and horror quietly await them.
This seemingly “harmless” fascination with a woman who never speaks or demands is, in reality, fascination with a woman who is leading a steady stream of men into a trap of the darkest and most sinister sort. While they are feasting on her delights, they are unaware that she is silently eroding their defenses and infiltrating every corner of their lives with only one intent—total destruction. A beautiful Trojan horse, she cares nothing for them and has no pity, though she destroys careers, marriages, homes, and—most precious of all—a man’s integrity, character, and relationship with God. Solomon warns about this woman. In Ecclesiastes 7:25, we read, “I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares [traps] and nets, and her hands as bands [prison]: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.”
Men who have been taken by the beauty of this licentious woman called “pornography” have far greater problems than a fascination with lewd photography. They have been hooked by the lure of illicit sexual arousal. Pornography has one goal—arousal and sexual release. Make no mistake about it—the pictures are the bait, not the hook. The hook that snares and entraps is the sexual high. It’s certainly enticing because it seems better than the euphoria of elicit drugs with none of the “side effects.” It’s perfectly legal, comes without exposure to sexually transmitted diseases, costs little, requires no self-sacrifice, and demands no emotional ties or investments of time. Apparently, no one is hurt, no one is physically violated, and no adultery is committed. The illusion is that this sexual high is the most perfect stress release and trouble-free recreation a man could engage in with so little cost and trouble. There’s only one problem—this sexual high completely ignores God.
Men entrapped by the ritualistic habits of masturbation (self-sex) live as though sexual gratification were a sport rather than a sacred gift from God reserved for the intimacies of marriage. Masturbation disregards the one-flesh relationship of marriage characterized by physical union and mutual enjoyment. It exchanges the long-lasting delights of true intimacy and love with one’s spouse for a self-centered shortcut to momentary gratification that incrementally destroys a man’s ability to enjoy sex with his wife and to interact with her. It utterly destroys the mysterious spiritual bond that is established between a man and a woman who have come together in sexual union, and it ultimately grieves the Holy Spirit and alienates a man from his God. In the end, masturbation reduces a sacred act to lurid debauchery and hardens a man’s heart until he no longer hears the cries of his own wife or children—let alone the still-small voice of the Holy Spirit. High on the throne of his heart is his own insatiable lust, which rules his life with an all-encompassing tyrannical control.
Lust does conquer and rule whoever lingers in its grasp. What may have begun with curiosity or an impulsive act during a time of stress quickly envelops and consumes a man until he no longer controls it—lust controls him. And sometimes lust goes beyond the pages of photographic images and morphs into a real woman who is willing to play the part and become a living fantasy. How in the world can this sin happen to a Christian man, and is there any hope for his rescue? Thankfully, God’s love, grace, and power can transform even men who have been corrupted by the utter blindness and deception of sexual vices. There is hope and more than that—hope for a better tomorrow.
“What?” Paul asks incredulously, “know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication [any sexual immorality]. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (1 Cor. 6:16-18). Adultery is much more than physical intercourse between two living, breathing people. To understand why adulterous behavior by a spouse wreaks such internal havoc, one must understand that it is more than a simple physical act. Adultery includes any act that robs a marriage of intimacy that rightfully belongs to one’s marriage partner alone. God designed marriage, which is the intertwining of two people’s lives both physically and emotionally, to produce an exclusive and delightful bond of companionship.
The sexual union is something God created for our enjoyment. Animals procreate to satisfy sexual urges, but people automatically engage their minds when they engage in sexual union. People are designed in such a way that they develop an emotional attachment to the object of their love and physical attachment. Emotional intimacy and physical intimacy cannot be separated—the two complement and feed each other. If someone sets his (or her) love on the delights of a harlot, he will become inextricably attached to the harlot. If one sets his love on the delights of his spouse, he will become attached to his spouse. If one sets his love on himself, he will become attached to his own self and be enveloped in self-gratification. When human beings violate the built-in plan God set in motion, they will always suffer excruciating consequences.
A satisfying marriage relationship in which both partners are emotionally attached to each other can be compared to a glass of water that is completely filled. There’s no room for more water from another source—the glass is full. But when one or both partners begin investing their emotional and physical efforts in a third object of sexual attraction, the full glass of water begins slowly draining into another glass. Eventually, the once-full glass becomes a partially full glass of water and ultimately nothing more than a dry glass with nothing in it. Men and women in such a marriage sense that something is wrong with their marriage relationship. It is no longer satisfying or warm. They often wrongly conclude that they no longer love their spouse, or they believe all hope for the marriage is gone. What they do not recognize is that they themselves have stopped refilling the glass. They have poured themselves into another glass until their marriage glass has become empty. When both partners begin pouring themselves into each other and begin investing their attention and nurture into their own relationship, the “outside glass” becomes empty, and the marriage is once again full and satisfied.
With this illustration fresh in your mind, go back to the beginning of this article and reread the description of a man entrapped in pornography. Then be sure to read Part Two on Monday.
Debi Pryde has taught ladies’ Bible classes and spoken at retreats and seminars for the past 30 years. A certified biblical counselor, she is particularly burdened for women and for the problems they face in today’s world. She has published a variety of Bible studies and books, including Secrets of a Happy Heart, Happily Married, and Precept Upon Precept. She and her husband, Tom, are active members at Lighthouse Baptist Church (La Verne, CA). You can read more about Debi, about her ministry, and about her rose garden by visiting her website.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Kids and parents agree: 18- to 25-year-olds aren't adults
The following article is very interesting when you consider that we are in the ministry of training men and women to be leaders for the cause of Christ. What do you think? Are they adults or not? Were you? How does this affect the way we should work with them?
By Marilyn Elias, USA TODAY
Once upon a time, 18- to 25-year-olds were considered adults.
That's a fairy tale now, say most parents of college students, and their kids agree in a new study that confirms "growing up" comes later.
READERS: At what age did you become an adult and how did you know?
Only 16% of mothers and 19% of fathers say their children this age have reached adulthood. And their kids don't dispute it: Just 16% consider themselves grown up in the online survey of 392 college students and their 590 parents.
The study, reported in the December issue of Journal of Family Psychology, involved students on five diverse campuses.
Most kids agreed with parents that one must take responsibility for one's actions and have good emotional control to be considered an adult. But parents were far more likely than students to see not becoming drunk and driving safely as vital to adulthood.
"Possibly, this is leftover adolescent stuff," says family life researcher Larry Nelson of Brigham Young University, the study leader. Many kids are no more responsible about drinking or driving than they were in high school, he says. A lot of binge drinking and experimenting goes on in college.
"They're out of the home, and that's more conducive," he says.
Longer life spans have encouraged a more leisurely pace of growing up, says Maryse Richards, an expert in adolescent psychology at Loyola University in Chicago. "This group is different than adolescents, but not yet adults."
The term "emerging adults" was coined by psychologist Jeffrey Arnett of Clark University about 10 years ago when he began to study this phase.
Arnett says his studies gave young people another answer option besides "adult" or "not adult": "in some ways yes, in some ways no." About two-thirds chose this last option. He found that most young people the same age but not in college also didn't feel grown up.
"We have a new life stage we didn't have a few decades ago," says Arnett, author of Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road From the Late Teens Through the Twenties.
More education with years off between degrees, later marriages, having fewer children and more couples living together before marriage have delayed "settling down," he says.
"Emerging adults do things, such as travel and trying out different kinds of jobs, that they couldn't have done as adolescents and won't be able to do as adults," Arnett says.
Nelson's study is one of the very few on this age group that has parents' views, he says. In Arnett's research, young people reported that their relationships with their parents were good.
Some young adults, however, flounder and "have conflicts with parents over areas of disagreement," Nelson says. Although parenting books abound, "there is little out there to help parents with their kids at this stage."
By Marilyn Elias, USA TODAY
Once upon a time, 18- to 25-year-olds were considered adults.
That's a fairy tale now, say most parents of college students, and their kids agree in a new study that confirms "growing up" comes later.
READERS: At what age did you become an adult and how did you know?
Only 16% of mothers and 19% of fathers say their children this age have reached adulthood. And their kids don't dispute it: Just 16% consider themselves grown up in the online survey of 392 college students and their 590 parents.
The study, reported in the December issue of Journal of Family Psychology, involved students on five diverse campuses.
Most kids agreed with parents that one must take responsibility for one's actions and have good emotional control to be considered an adult. But parents were far more likely than students to see not becoming drunk and driving safely as vital to adulthood.
"Possibly, this is leftover adolescent stuff," says family life researcher Larry Nelson of Brigham Young University, the study leader. Many kids are no more responsible about drinking or driving than they were in high school, he says. A lot of binge drinking and experimenting goes on in college.
"They're out of the home, and that's more conducive," he says.
Longer life spans have encouraged a more leisurely pace of growing up, says Maryse Richards, an expert in adolescent psychology at Loyola University in Chicago. "This group is different than adolescents, but not yet adults."
The term "emerging adults" was coined by psychologist Jeffrey Arnett of Clark University about 10 years ago when he began to study this phase.
Arnett says his studies gave young people another answer option besides "adult" or "not adult": "in some ways yes, in some ways no." About two-thirds chose this last option. He found that most young people the same age but not in college also didn't feel grown up.
"We have a new life stage we didn't have a few decades ago," says Arnett, author of Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road From the Late Teens Through the Twenties.
More education with years off between degrees, later marriages, having fewer children and more couples living together before marriage have delayed "settling down," he says.
"Emerging adults do things, such as travel and trying out different kinds of jobs, that they couldn't have done as adolescents and won't be able to do as adults," Arnett says.
Nelson's study is one of the very few on this age group that has parents' views, he says. In Arnett's research, young people reported that their relationships with their parents were good.
Some young adults, however, flounder and "have conflicts with parents over areas of disagreement," Nelson says. Although parenting books abound, "there is little out there to help parents with their kids at this stage."
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
How to Win When You're in Competition with a Gorilla
I thought the following article made some very good points. We are not in competition nor are we meant to be in competition with other churches. We need to be who God made us to be and to do the ministry that God made us to be.
This affects the way we do the ministry. Imitating them and being like them we will never win. We know what our ministry is supposed to be. Let's do the ministry.
I think the key point was the following: At the end of the day, no one is remarkable by being like someone else (unless you're a comedian/impersonator).
How to Win When You're in Competition with a Gorilla (England and the 2012 Olympics)
If you're in a market space where there are one, two or three dominant players and you're not one of them, what should you do? Sadly, too many companies and organizations try to compete head on. They go on strategy retreats and come home with vision statements about being the "premier" or "dominant" or "number one," player in their market space (even though the giant does, let's say $500 million or $5 billion in revenue and they only do around $5 million). It's almost comical when you observe this.
A better approach would be to do what England has chosen to do with the 2012 Olympics, which they'll be hosting. Up front they've decided that their goal for the 2012 Olympics is to finish FOURTH in the gold medal standings. Yes, you read that correctly, the stated goal is to come in fourth--which I think is brilliant.
Why? Because they're not going to outrun the United States, Russia or China. In the 2004 games in Athens, England only won nine gold medals, which placed them in 10th place. If they can double that or more (18-20 gold medals), they should have a real shot at placing fourth--which would be huge. But how can they do that?
Answer: by choosing to go after the more obscure sports. In other words, instead of trying to win lots of medals in the main sports of track and field, swimming and gymnastics (which the big three dominate), they're going after "less competitive" sports like flatwater canoeing, women's sprint kayaking, and team handball. After all, a gold medal is a gold medal (just as a dollar is a dollar or a member is a member).
Moreover, to implement this new strategy, they've created a number of initiatives like "Sporting Giants" where they're recruiting tall men and women in England for sports like rowing and volleyball. Or "Project Swap Shop" where they're getting athletes to switch their sport (like a gymnast becoming a diver). In other words, they haven't just established a goal and a strategy, they're actually executing their strategy (what a novel concept). From my perspective, it's going to be interesting to see if they actually accomplish it.
But for you, what is your market space like? Is their a giant (or two or three) that are so dominant that you'll just never catch them? If so, would it make sense for you and your company or organization to acknowledge it and then compete in a different arena (like Enterprise renting cars outside of airports or Cirque du Soleil creating a circus for adults or Southwest flying to second tier cities point-to-point).
At the end of the day, no one is remarkable by being like someone else (unless you're a comedian/impersonator). Being a "me too!" company or organization (or church) just isn't remarkable. So if you're in a market with a dominate player, don't compete head-to-head. Admit that you won't catch up to them by being like them. Instead, become something different. Compete on a different field of battle. And watch how you can accelerate your growth because now you'll be the innovative and dominant player in a different field.
We want Vision Baptist Church to be different. Our motto is Discover the Difference. There are other churches. They are good churches but God has given us some very unique aspects to our ministry and I want to see God honored through them.
We are a missionary training agency. We are a community of high commitment believers. I hope you will go to Vision News and keep up with what God is doing!
This affects the way we do the ministry. Imitating them and being like them we will never win. We know what our ministry is supposed to be. Let's do the ministry.
I think the key point was the following: At the end of the day, no one is remarkable by being like someone else (unless you're a comedian/impersonator).
How to Win When You're in Competition with a Gorilla (England and the 2012 Olympics)
If you're in a market space where there are one, two or three dominant players and you're not one of them, what should you do? Sadly, too many companies and organizations try to compete head on. They go on strategy retreats and come home with vision statements about being the "premier" or "dominant" or "number one," player in their market space (even though the giant does, let's say $500 million or $5 billion in revenue and they only do around $5 million). It's almost comical when you observe this.
A better approach would be to do what England has chosen to do with the 2012 Olympics, which they'll be hosting. Up front they've decided that their goal for the 2012 Olympics is to finish FOURTH in the gold medal standings. Yes, you read that correctly, the stated goal is to come in fourth--which I think is brilliant.
Why? Because they're not going to outrun the United States, Russia or China. In the 2004 games in Athens, England only won nine gold medals, which placed them in 10th place. If they can double that or more (18-20 gold medals), they should have a real shot at placing fourth--which would be huge. But how can they do that?
Answer: by choosing to go after the more obscure sports. In other words, instead of trying to win lots of medals in the main sports of track and field, swimming and gymnastics (which the big three dominate), they're going after "less competitive" sports like flatwater canoeing, women's sprint kayaking, and team handball. After all, a gold medal is a gold medal (just as a dollar is a dollar or a member is a member).
Moreover, to implement this new strategy, they've created a number of initiatives like "Sporting Giants" where they're recruiting tall men and women in England for sports like rowing and volleyball. Or "Project Swap Shop" where they're getting athletes to switch their sport (like a gymnast becoming a diver). In other words, they haven't just established a goal and a strategy, they're actually executing their strategy (what a novel concept). From my perspective, it's going to be interesting to see if they actually accomplish it.
But for you, what is your market space like? Is their a giant (or two or three) that are so dominant that you'll just never catch them? If so, would it make sense for you and your company or organization to acknowledge it and then compete in a different arena (like Enterprise renting cars outside of airports or Cirque du Soleil creating a circus for adults or Southwest flying to second tier cities point-to-point).
At the end of the day, no one is remarkable by being like someone else (unless you're a comedian/impersonator). Being a "me too!" company or organization (or church) just isn't remarkable. So if you're in a market with a dominate player, don't compete head-to-head. Admit that you won't catch up to them by being like them. Instead, become something different. Compete on a different field of battle. And watch how you can accelerate your growth because now you'll be the innovative and dominant player in a different field.
We want Vision Baptist Church to be different. Our motto is Discover the Difference. There are other churches. They are good churches but God has given us some very unique aspects to our ministry and I want to see God honored through them.
We are a missionary training agency. We are a community of high commitment believers. I hope you will go to Vision News and keep up with what God is doing!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Should Christians have Christmas Trees?
by John MacArthur
Christians and Christmas Trees
As the Christmas Season approaches, questions like this sometimes arise. Like everything in life, it is important to approach these issues with biblical discernment.
In this case, we see nothing wrong with the traditional Christmas tree. However, some have taught that it’s wrong for anyone to have a Christmas tree in their home. But are their reasons valid? We don’t think so. Let’s look at the two most common objections people make against having a Christmas tree.
First, some object on the basis that Christmas trees have pagan origins. It is believed that Boniface, English missionary to Germany in the eighth century, instituted the first Christmas tree. He supposedly replaced sacrifices to the god Odin’s sacred oak with a fir tree adorned in tribute to Christ. But certain other accounts claim that Martin Luther introduced the Christmas tree lighted with candles. Based on that information you could say the Christmas tree has a distinguished Christian pedigree.
However, even if a pagan background were clearly established, that wouldn’t necessarily mean we could not enjoy the use of a Christmas tree. Perhaps the following analogy will help.
During World War II the American military used some remote South Pacific islands for temporary landing strips and supply depots. Prior to that time the indigenous tribal people had never seen modern technology up close. Large cargo planes swooped in filled with an array of material goods, and for the first time the islanders saw cigarette lighters (which they deemed to be miraculous), jeeps, refrigerators, radios, power tools, and many varieties of food.
When the war was over, the islanders concluded that the men who brought cargo were gods, so they began building shrines to the cargo gods. They hoped the cargo gods would return with more goods.
Most people do not even know about this religious superstition. Similarly, few know anything about the worship of trees. When a child pulls a large present out from under the Christmas tree and unwraps a large model cargo plane, no one views that object as an idol. Nor do we view the Christmas tree to be some kind of gift god. We understand the difference between a toy and an idol just as clearly as we understand the difference between an idol and a Christmas tree. We see no valid reason to make any connection between Christmas trees and wooden idols or the worship of trees. Those who insist on making such associations should take note of the warnings in Scripture against judging one another in doubtful things (see Romans 14 & 1 Corinthians 10:23-33).
Christians and Christmas Trees
Another common objection is the claim that Christmas trees are prohibited in Scripture. Jeremiah 10 is commonly used to support this viewpoint. But a closer look at the passage will show that it has nothing to do with Christmas trees and everything to do with idol worship. Verse eight says, “A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.”
Idol worship was a clear violation of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:3-6 says, “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
There is no connection between the worship of idols and the use of Christmas trees. We should not be anxious about baseless arguments against Christmas decorations. Rather, we should be focused on the Christ of Christmas and giving all diligence to remembering the real reason for the season.
Vision Baptist Church invites you to come celebrate Christmas with us this year. We have many things planned for this year and something very special will be taking place during Christmas on the Northside. Stay tuned to Vision News for the latest up to date news on our Christmas plans.
Christians and Christmas Trees
As the Christmas Season approaches, questions like this sometimes arise. Like everything in life, it is important to approach these issues with biblical discernment.
In this case, we see nothing wrong with the traditional Christmas tree. However, some have taught that it’s wrong for anyone to have a Christmas tree in their home. But are their reasons valid? We don’t think so. Let’s look at the two most common objections people make against having a Christmas tree.
First, some object on the basis that Christmas trees have pagan origins. It is believed that Boniface, English missionary to Germany in the eighth century, instituted the first Christmas tree. He supposedly replaced sacrifices to the god Odin’s sacred oak with a fir tree adorned in tribute to Christ. But certain other accounts claim that Martin Luther introduced the Christmas tree lighted with candles. Based on that information you could say the Christmas tree has a distinguished Christian pedigree.
However, even if a pagan background were clearly established, that wouldn’t necessarily mean we could not enjoy the use of a Christmas tree. Perhaps the following analogy will help.
During World War II the American military used some remote South Pacific islands for temporary landing strips and supply depots. Prior to that time the indigenous tribal people had never seen modern technology up close. Large cargo planes swooped in filled with an array of material goods, and for the first time the islanders saw cigarette lighters (which they deemed to be miraculous), jeeps, refrigerators, radios, power tools, and many varieties of food.
When the war was over, the islanders concluded that the men who brought cargo were gods, so they began building shrines to the cargo gods. They hoped the cargo gods would return with more goods.
Most people do not even know about this religious superstition. Similarly, few know anything about the worship of trees. When a child pulls a large present out from under the Christmas tree and unwraps a large model cargo plane, no one views that object as an idol. Nor do we view the Christmas tree to be some kind of gift god. We understand the difference between a toy and an idol just as clearly as we understand the difference between an idol and a Christmas tree. We see no valid reason to make any connection between Christmas trees and wooden idols or the worship of trees. Those who insist on making such associations should take note of the warnings in Scripture against judging one another in doubtful things (see Romans 14 & 1 Corinthians 10:23-33).
Christians and Christmas Trees
Another common objection is the claim that Christmas trees are prohibited in Scripture. Jeremiah 10 is commonly used to support this viewpoint. But a closer look at the passage will show that it has nothing to do with Christmas trees and everything to do with idol worship. Verse eight says, “A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.”
Idol worship was a clear violation of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:3-6 says, “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
There is no connection between the worship of idols and the use of Christmas trees. We should not be anxious about baseless arguments against Christmas decorations. Rather, we should be focused on the Christ of Christmas and giving all diligence to remembering the real reason for the season.
Vision Baptist Church invites you to come celebrate Christmas with us this year. We have many things planned for this year and something very special will be taking place during Christmas on the Northside. Stay tuned to Vision News for the latest up to date news on our Christmas plans.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Believe
Come to Vision Baptist Church to learn more from the word of God about faith and trusting God. Vision News is the way to keep up with what God is doing in our church.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Keys to Spotting a Flawed CEO -- Before It's Too Late
I got the following article from Phil Cooke's blog. I thought that it was really good and though as Phil says it might not deal with the spiritual side of things it does deal with many traps that I could fall into.
By TERRY LEAP - December 1, 2007
It's easy to spot a bad chief executive once the damage is done -- a plunge in company earnings, a failed product line, a corruption scandal. But how do you spot the flaws before it's too late, before that person is given the job of leading the company?
Here are some warning signs that board members and search committees can look for in a prospective CEO's character, and measures they can take to reduce the likelihood of hiring a dysfunctional CEO.
The Warning Signs
• An overt zeal for prestige, power and wealth. A manager's tendency to put his or her own success ahead of the company's often is evident long before that person is ready to assume the CEO post.
• A reputation for shameless self-promotion. Executives who constantly seek publicity, are always looking for a better job or trumpet their successes while quickly distancing themselves from setbacks are sending strong signals that their egotistical ways may eventually cause major problems.
• A proclivity for developing grandiose strategies with little thought toward their implementation. These executives may assume that others at lower levels will magically turn strategy into reality.
• A fondness for rules and numbers that overshadows or ignores a broader vision. This is the flip side of the preceding problem.
• A reputation for implementing major strategic changes unilaterally or for forcing programs down the throats of reluctant managers. CEOs have to be consensus builders.
• An impulsive, flippant decision-making style. CEOs who approach decision-making with clever one-liners rather than with balanced, thoughtful and informed analyses can expect to encounter difficulty.
• A penchant for inconsiderate acts. Individuals who exhibit rude behavior are apt to alienate the wrong person at the wrong time.
• A love of monologues coupled with poor listening skills. Bad listeners rarely profit from the wisdom of their associates.
• A tendency to display contempt for the ideas of others. Hypercritical executives often have few stellar accomplishments of their own.
• A history of emphasizing activity, like hours worked or meetings attended, over accomplishment. Energy without objective rarely leads to improved organizational performance.
• A career marked by numerous misunderstandings. There are two sides to every story, but frequent interpersonal problems shouldn't be overlooked.
• A superb ability to compartmentalize and/or rationalize. Some executives have learned to separate, in their own minds, their bad behavior from their better qualities, so that their misdeeds don't diminish their opinions of themselves. An important internal check is missing. Others are always ready to cite a higher purpose to justify their bad decisions.
Hiring Tips
• Don't assume that past success is a predictor of future success. As CEO, an executive will face a whole new set of personalities and conditions, especially when switching companies.
• Investigate a candidate's integrity and interpersonal skills as part of a thorough background check. Conduct extensive and confidential discussions with former associates.
• In interviews, ask candidates how they have handled setbacks and challenges in the past, as well as personal interactions. Let them know that the search committee will check the veracity of their answers.
• In examining the course of a candidate's promotions, pay close attention to how the candidate reacted when given new responsibilities that significantly increased his or her power.
• Determine how much of an executive's career success has been based on favorable economic and industry conditions and the support of colleagues, and how much has been based on the executive's individual efforts. Pay close attention to how candidates performed when industry conditions were bad, when controversies arose or when difficult decisions had to be made.
• Each finalist for the CEO position should be provided with a detailed job preview. The preview should highlight the differences between the candidate's current position and the CEO position.
• Be clear about ethics. Provide as much information as possible to finalists about how the board expects shareholders, prospective investors, customers, employees, financial institutions, auditors, regulators, political figures and other stakeholders to be treated.
• Offer the new CEO a reasonable, but not extravagant, compensation package. Once the CEO has demonstrated a high level of competency and integrity, the compensation package can be improved.
--Dr. Leap is a professor of management at Clemson University. He can be reached at reports@wsj.com7.
URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119620217240705721.html
Vision News is the online blogging voice of Vision Baptist Church. Vision is a church with a heart to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Vision is located just north of Atlanta off of 400 North at exit 12. Vision is easily and quickly accessible from Roswell, Cumming, Alpharetta, Milton, John's Creek, Duluth, and many other cities on the Northside. We are a Bible preaching church with a heart for you and your family.
By TERRY LEAP - December 1, 2007
It's easy to spot a bad chief executive once the damage is done -- a plunge in company earnings, a failed product line, a corruption scandal. But how do you spot the flaws before it's too late, before that person is given the job of leading the company?
Here are some warning signs that board members and search committees can look for in a prospective CEO's character, and measures they can take to reduce the likelihood of hiring a dysfunctional CEO.
The Warning Signs
• An overt zeal for prestige, power and wealth. A manager's tendency to put his or her own success ahead of the company's often is evident long before that person is ready to assume the CEO post.
• A reputation for shameless self-promotion. Executives who constantly seek publicity, are always looking for a better job or trumpet their successes while quickly distancing themselves from setbacks are sending strong signals that their egotistical ways may eventually cause major problems.
• A proclivity for developing grandiose strategies with little thought toward their implementation. These executives may assume that others at lower levels will magically turn strategy into reality.
• A fondness for rules and numbers that overshadows or ignores a broader vision. This is the flip side of the preceding problem.
• A reputation for implementing major strategic changes unilaterally or for forcing programs down the throats of reluctant managers. CEOs have to be consensus builders.
• An impulsive, flippant decision-making style. CEOs who approach decision-making with clever one-liners rather than with balanced, thoughtful and informed analyses can expect to encounter difficulty.
• A penchant for inconsiderate acts. Individuals who exhibit rude behavior are apt to alienate the wrong person at the wrong time.
• A love of monologues coupled with poor listening skills. Bad listeners rarely profit from the wisdom of their associates.
• A tendency to display contempt for the ideas of others. Hypercritical executives often have few stellar accomplishments of their own.
• A history of emphasizing activity, like hours worked or meetings attended, over accomplishment. Energy without objective rarely leads to improved organizational performance.
• A career marked by numerous misunderstandings. There are two sides to every story, but frequent interpersonal problems shouldn't be overlooked.
• A superb ability to compartmentalize and/or rationalize. Some executives have learned to separate, in their own minds, their bad behavior from their better qualities, so that their misdeeds don't diminish their opinions of themselves. An important internal check is missing. Others are always ready to cite a higher purpose to justify their bad decisions.
Hiring Tips
• Don't assume that past success is a predictor of future success. As CEO, an executive will face a whole new set of personalities and conditions, especially when switching companies.
• Investigate a candidate's integrity and interpersonal skills as part of a thorough background check. Conduct extensive and confidential discussions with former associates.
• In interviews, ask candidates how they have handled setbacks and challenges in the past, as well as personal interactions. Let them know that the search committee will check the veracity of their answers.
• In examining the course of a candidate's promotions, pay close attention to how the candidate reacted when given new responsibilities that significantly increased his or her power.
• Determine how much of an executive's career success has been based on favorable economic and industry conditions and the support of colleagues, and how much has been based on the executive's individual efforts. Pay close attention to how candidates performed when industry conditions were bad, when controversies arose or when difficult decisions had to be made.
• Each finalist for the CEO position should be provided with a detailed job preview. The preview should highlight the differences between the candidate's current position and the CEO position.
• Be clear about ethics. Provide as much information as possible to finalists about how the board expects shareholders, prospective investors, customers, employees, financial institutions, auditors, regulators, political figures and other stakeholders to be treated.
• Offer the new CEO a reasonable, but not extravagant, compensation package. Once the CEO has demonstrated a high level of competency and integrity, the compensation package can be improved.
--Dr. Leap is a professor of management at Clemson University. He can be reached at reports@wsj.com7.
URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119620217240705721.html
Vision News is the online blogging voice of Vision Baptist Church. Vision is a church with a heart to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Vision is located just north of Atlanta off of 400 North at exit 12. Vision is easily and quickly accessible from Roswell, Cumming, Alpharetta, Milton, John's Creek, Duluth, and many other cities on the Northside. We are a Bible preaching church with a heart for you and your family.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Get these messages
I really enjoy expository preaching and the more I visit the mission field and see people who have no idea about truth the more that I am reminded of the need to just teach people the Bible. God's Word has all the answers.
I have listened to the messages from the Expositors Conference in Alabama. I really wanted to go and just couldn't justify the time and money on the budget that I currently live on then I saw that they had posted the messages free for down load./
I really believe that you will enjoy them
Click here to go to the messages. Let me know what you think.
I want those that live in the Alpharetta, Cumming, Roswell, John's Creek, Milton, Duluth, Suwanee area to know that there is a church that preaches the Bible verse by verse and believes its every word.
Vision News
Vision Baptist Church
I have listened to the messages from the Expositors Conference in Alabama. I really wanted to go and just couldn't justify the time and money on the budget that I currently live on then I saw that they had posted the messages free for down load./
I really believe that you will enjoy them
Click here to go to the messages. Let me know what you think.
I want those that live in the Alpharetta, Cumming, Roswell, John's Creek, Milton, Duluth, Suwanee area to know that there is a church that preaches the Bible verse by verse and believes its every word.
Vision News
Vision Baptist Church
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)