Excel Still More

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Five Life Choices Sep 11, 2023

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You gotta love Nick Saban. He says it like it is and asks you what you are gonna do about it! This straight talk can make us uncomfortable but it can also call us to needed change. Today, we look at a quote from him, one he'd actually recently heard from and NFL coach and is using with his guys. I hope you will find it useful as well.
Note - I mentioned the passing of my friend, Tony Mauck. If you can take a moment to pray for his wife and kids, and the Decker Prairie church where he worked, I know it would mean a lot to them and for them.
I would love for you to make a list of the most important things you do in your life. We could talk about why they are important. We could talk about what God has done to make them possible. It would be great. Then, beside those things I'd love for you to rate how you are doing 1-5, where 1 is bad, 2 is average, 3 is good, 4 is excellent and 5 is elite.
Did you notice that average isn't in the middle? Average is below average. Good is the baseline, the starting point, the place where God sets you free to do your work. With family, faith, finances, and even work and fitness, what are you doing with those investments God has made in you?
Today we look at how important assessment is. We also look at how sub categorizing into more specific questions can give you needed direction. Thanks for listening!

Live To 100 Sep 04, 2023

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Question: Do you want to live to be 100? I feel like if you and I were chatting you might not give a resounding yes. We've seen a lot of disease and decay and death, and the idea of being here then might invoke a picture of sorrow and pain. But did you know there are people in their 90's and older still living rewarding and enjoyable lives? As you'll hear today, there are some great stories from Japan. But even here in Lindale, TX, there are several in their 90's still drawing joy out of active, service filled lives.
Here's a better question: would you like to live a longer, happier, more productive life with your family that would have happened otherwise with just a few changes? Is there enough life and hope and growth in your life that you'd like to see it happen for the longest time possible? I think most of us would say yes. Well, it's possible. At the very least, a few personal and communal adjustments can make things better for longer. And I know we all want that.
2/3 of all people die from avoidable diseases. In other words, they went out sooner than their bodies were designed to go. Can we do something about that. We can. Let's look at the lives of people who are succeeding in their families and community and learn from them.
-- NOTE -- Link to "Island of Ikaria"
- Are you happy with your life? Are you living with peace and purpose?
- Do you wake up with a mission? Is part of that bringing joy to others?
- How are you being disciplined to improve your quality of life?
- What is the purpose of food in your life? Do you make meals work for your good?
- How can involvement with Christ and His people improve and energize your life?

"Us" over "Me" Aug 28, 2023

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The ESM Podcast has largely been built for individual application and growth. For one thing, that's a whole lot easier to talk about and accomplish in comparison to collective behavior. You can change you. But changing others... that's a whole lot tougher. Changing the direction of an entire family, church, or culture... that seems impossible.
But Scripture challenges us over and over again to think more societally. Even the story of Nehemiah was not about a guy who rebuilt his life. It was about a guy who left his life to help his people rebuild their security! What would that look like in your life? By that I mean, in the lives of others because you are a part of it?
Today we will look at Paul's shipwreck story in Acts 27. Except, it's not really Paul's story. It is the story of 276 people, suffering the consequences of poor leadership, finding safety as Paul helped them all honor God. Now that's what I'm talking about! How could God use you for something like that? Let's explore that idea today!
- How is Nehemiah's story really about "Us" and not "Me"?
- Have you noticed how often Jesus uses plural pronouns in His teachings?
- Is Paul's shipwreck about one man helping himself or helping a bunch of people?
- Where is God positioning you to be a factor for rebuilding in your church?
- Working on yourself is good. But have you explored the real reason God is blessing that?

52 or 90? Aug 21, 2023

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Sadly, I was in my mid-20's before I first learned about the story of Nehemiah. It was taught to me beforehand, and I REALLY could have used it in may teenage years, but it wasn't until I was in full time ministry work that this story took root in my heart.
It is a story of passion, hope, hard work, belief in God, courage, discipline, and total life change. It warns us of what can happen if we fail to start doing what matters. An entire lifetime can pass stuck in a place of fear and doubt. But with resolve, everything can change, and fast. In fact, in less than two months you can position yourself to be more focused, with better hope, and direction than at any time in your life.
I want you to make personal, direct, individual application today. I'll give you examples in three areas: Scripture, Diet, and Addiction to Social Media. I hope you are able to apply the principles to the broken walls in your own life.
But at the end, I want to begin to introduce the social idea - the idea that the real application of this story isn't you, but us. Not me, but we. The best work is familial, collective, and done together. More on that next week!
- What are some things you want to change that could plague you your whole life?
- Why have you convinced yourself those goals are beyond or behind you?
- Have you ever embraced the transformative power of the "52 Day Challenge"?
- Okay, so now you have. Where are you excited to start?
- Why is personal discipline in your life important to people you know and love?

Seven Social Sins Aug 14, 2023

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Seven Social Sins demands that we match up social responsibility with internal character development. It is worth the effort! To help you follow along today, let me include all FOUR of the lists we will feature today:
Seven Things God Hates:
Pride, Lying, Murder, Wicked Plans, Rushing to Evil, Lying about Others, Creating Strife
Seven Deadly Sins:
Pride, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth
Seven Social Sins:
1) Politics without Principle
2) Wealth without Work Ethic
3) Pleasure without Conscience
4) Knowledge without Character
5) Business without Morality
6) Science without Humanity
7) Worship without Sacrifice
Notice these demand two important things:
- My actions, which may be amoral of themselves, affect other people - society.
- My heart, my internals, determine what that will become and how it affects others.
- What changes about all my choices when I think in terms of society?
- How does "love my neighbor" shape the way I make personal choices?
- What makes a decision good or evil, especially things like job choice or politics?
- How does working on my heart and conscience affect my impact on others?
- Will you do the private work to prepare yourself to be a light in all that you do?

"...Widen The Plate" Aug 07, 2023

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As our youth prepare to head back to school, let's talk a bit about standards and rules that they will face. If you are a student, are you the kind of person that puts your best effort into excelling under rules, or do they no apply to you? Should they be changed to accommodate you? Let's talk about what happens when try to widen the plate.
Speaking of plates, this is a baseball episode! Nolan Ryan is in this thing. I love baseball. It is a game of set rules. People who work them, and grow to follow them well, excel. People who don't want to conform don't last long. Let's talk about how those mentalities apply to godliness and life.
Parents. Teachers. Authority figures. The bar you set for yourself and the youth says a lot about you now and a lot about who those youth will grow up to become. Balance is difficult. Sometimes we are too lenient. Sometimes we are too harsh. But God has shown us how challenging and hopeful balance can be... if we accept the rules. And if we continue to put our best effort to follow then. Perfection is unattainable. Thankful God never demanded that of his pitchers... I mean, people.
- How wide is a baseball home plate?
- Should it be widened for people who are struggling to throw strikes?
- How do people on both end of the authority spectrum sometimes make this mistake?
- If perfection isn't possible, why don't all pitchers just give up. Did Nolan give up?
- How is God's grace, even while giving us rules, a great template for all our lives?

"Weight Doesn't Matter" Jul 31, 2023

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Alert - This is not an episode about weight, diet or exercise! Instead this is a snippet of a quote from a powerful illustration given by a professor to his students. The weight in question was that of a glass of water he was holding. His question: "how heavy is this glass of water?" The answer is surprise and needful!
The imagery of that presentation, mixed with a few others I'd like to make concerning both soda and lots of water... are designed to help you deal with three really, really heavy things: Harsh Life Situations, Intense Personal Temptations, and Unrelenting Spiritual Despair. I genuinely hope today helps you. Maybe the greatest thing to learn today is that you don't have to wait for those things to dissipate. Their weight doesn't matter... if you can learn about how to put the glass down.
- What is the result of carrying something longer than you should?
- Does our stress more often come from the problem or how we carry it?
- How does a glass of water help us with harsh life situations?
- How does a wall of water help us deal with intense personal temptations?
- How does a pool of water teach us to come up from unrelenting spiritual despair?

Just "Let Him" Jul 24, 2023

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So today's title is a bit misleading. At least, we've got some things to cover before we get there. Below I have posted a poem titled "Let Them." It's about letting people go when they don't want to stay. This is extremely difficult for me, so this poem is helpful. But it does require some Gospel balance. We'll talk about that.
Also, there are two other categories that demand some attention. 1) "Let Them" with reference to the people who do want to be near you and help you. Some of us find that even more difficult than the first thing. 2) Let God do His work. Let God be your help. Let God have the presence in your life He wants to have. These things can help. So that when someone doesn't want to care about you and wants to walk away... you can... "let them."
“Let Them”

“Just Let them.

If they want to choose something or someone over you, LET THEM.

If they want to go weeks without talking to you, LET THEM.

If they are okay with never seeing you, LET THEM.

If they are okay with always putting themselves first, LET THEM.

If they are showing you who they are and not what you perceived them to be, LET THEM.

If they want to follow the crowd, LET THEM.

If they want to judge or misunderstand you, LET THEM.

If they act like they can live without you, LET THEM.

If they want to walk out of your life and leave,

hold the door open, AND LET THEM.

Let them lose you.

You were never theirs, because you were always your own.

So let them.

Let them show you who they truly are, not tell you.

Let them prove how worthy they are of your time.

Let them make the necessary steps to be a part of your life.

Let them earn your forgiveness.

Let them call you to talk about ordinary things.

Let them take you out on a Thursday.

Let them talk about anything and everything just because it’s you they are talking to.

Let them have a safe place in you.

Let them see the heart in you that didn’t harden.

Let them love you. “

Author: Cassie Phillips

The Healthy Tension Jul 17, 2023

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Tension is:
Often Challenging and Difficult
Outside Comfort Zone or Settled Law
Demanding Humility and Openness to Learn
Carries Benefit in the Wrestling and Working Required
Presents a Choice: 1) ignore. 2) Reject. 3) Give in. 4) Study.
Challenges you to seek Balance when it is Easier to Fall to one side.
Unhealthy Tension is:
Always seeking to get out of the conflict.
Anxious or Angry until you do.
Healthy Tension is:
Finding Value in the Process for Growth.
Healthy Tension Truths:
Tensions are often unsolvable
Just choosing a side won't work for long
Wisdom is often found in resistance
Compromise is usually not the answer
"And" is a better word than "But"
4 CRUCIAL KEYS:
LOVE
HUMILITY
PATIENCE
FAITHFULNESS

Your Daily Lifetime Jul 10, 2023

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Please take a moment and check out the Balancing the Christian Life Conference.
It goes live as an online experience on July 27th through 29th.
If you are interested in the Excel Still More 3 Month Journal mentioned in today's episode, you can order through the link provided.
I hope you'll go on this journey with me today of shrinking the idea lifetime into the form of a single day of living. The similarities are clear. But each day is more valuable than just building blocks to some desired future. The goals of a desired future work best when infused into every single day. I don't want to enjoy the fruit of devoted days one day later... I wanted to enjoy every single day right now!
- How is each day of life a microcosm of a lifetime?
- Can you detail what priority list you'd like to see over your lifetime?
- How can you infuse each day with the same balance you'd desire for your life?
- Have you tried directional journaling? Where you address God and plan a good day?
- Are you willing to live in day tight increments for today's benefit as well as tomorrow?

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