UnashamedSermons.com » Teachables

Understanding the Trinity

Darren Ethier — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:33:17 +0000

Here’s the beautiful thing: you don’t need to fully understand the Trinity to worship the Trinity, pray to the Trinity, and enter into the life of the Trinity.

They tell me that deep within the core of the sun, the temperature is 27 million degrees. The pressure is 340 billion times what it is here on Earth. And in the sun’s core, that insanely hot temperature and unthinkable pressure combine to create nuclear reactions. In each reaction, 4 protons fuse together to create 1 alpha particle, which is .7 percent less massive than the 4 protons. The difference in mass is expelled as energy, and after one million years, through a process called convection, this energy from the core of the sun finally reaches the surface, where it’s expelled as heat and light.

Now that was all kind of interesting, but you know what? I didn’t need to know all that in order to get a tan.

Kevin Miller, in the sermon “Getting to Know Your God” (available on PreachingToday.com)

Leading Effective Meetings

Darren Ethier — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:58:45 +0000

H. B. London, VP Pastoral Ministries for Focus on the Family offers these sage words of wisdom for pastors and leaders about meetings…

People and their time are valuable. Do not waste either. Begin on time!!
It is vital that the right people are in the meeting. Decision makers and implementers are crucial.
Most meetings last too long. Strip down the agenda to cover what needs to be addressed. Be careful with non-agenda suggestions.
Never go into a meeting unprepared. That is when leaders get surprised. Be alert!
Do not neglect the significance of a prayerful beginning to each meeting.
Whatever you do don’t die on every hill. Some things just do not matter.
Have a printed agenda — and, in most cases, it should be distributed beforehand
Where there is an issue to be debated, make sure you have addressed that issue with “power people” before the meeting begins.
Do everything you can to keep voice levels and attitudes on an even keel. Once you ring the “bell of discord,” it can never be re-rung. Know when to hold and when to fold.
Your attitude will be essential. Be a leader. Know your parameters. Don’t say things you will regret later.
If you have committees reporting, make sure the chairman is prepared, or do not present the report.
Never introduce a new idea without having run that idea by trusted colleagues or leaders. Don’t despair if your new idea is not greeted with enthusiasm. Keep moving forward.
Food and drink may add a little extra time to each meeting — but fellowship is a great way to diffuse conflict. Laughter is a leveler.
The items that are significant should be handled first or you could be accused of attempting to “push things through.”
If you have a “power player” in your organization, do all you can to befriend him or her. In the end, most decisions will go through him or her.
Don’t have so many meetings.

Pastor’s Weekly Briefing 2/22/08

Dead Horses

Darren Ethier — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:33:55 +0000

The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians says when you discover you’re riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. However, in modern business and ministry, because of the heavy investment factors, other strategies are often tried with dead horses, including: buying a stronger whip; changing riders; threatening the horse with termination; appointing a committee to study the horse; arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses; reclassifying the dead horse as “living-impaired”; hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse; harnessing several dead horses together for increased speed; donating the dead horse to a recognized charity and deducting its full original cost; doing a time management study to see if lighter riders would improve productivity; declaring a dead horse has lower overhead and therefore performs better; and promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.
The KELLYGRAM 12/02

Talent-Plus People

Darren Ethier — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:59:51 +0000

John Maxwell has identified 13 seemingly straightforward traits that go beyond innate talent yet are often overlooked. His point is that talent alone will not sustain you in relationships, whether business or personal. He refers to those who subscribe to these traits as “TALENT-PLUS PEOPLE.” Maxwell lists these traits as choices you must consider in your quest to be a more effective leader, spouse, parent and/or friend:

1. Beliefs lift my talent
2. Passion energizes my talent
3. Initiative activates my talent
4. Focus directs my talent
5. Preparation positions my talent
6. Practice sharpens my talent
7. Perseverance sustains my talent
8. Courage tests my talent
9. Teachability expands my talent
10. Relationships influence my talent
11. Responsibility strengthens my talent
12. Teamwork multiplies my talent
Talent is Never Enough by John C. Maxwell,Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2007