S.M. Lockridge (born Shadrach Meshach Lockridge, March 7, 1913 – April 4, 2000) was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, a prominent African-American congregation located in San Diego, California, from 1953 to 1993. He was known for his preaching across the United States and around the world. His best-known message is a six and a half minute description of Jesus Christ, known as "That's my King!" for Lockridge's repeated refrain. (Wikipedia)

Be blessed!

-Chad

-Chad

Google has opened up it's Project 10 to the 100th for voting. They have posted a selection of the top ideas for you to vote on. Google is committing $10 million to the development of these projects. Head over to Project 10^100 to look at the projects and cast your vote.

-Chad

The first one I am going to cover is the book Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. It makes you focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. Here is a brief history of the book taken from their website:

In 1998, the Father of Strengths Psychology, Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. (1924-2003), along with Tom Rath and a team of scientists at Gallup, created the online StrengthsFinder assessment. In 2004, the assessment's name was formally changed to "Clifton StrengthsFinder" in honor of its chief designer.

In 2007, building on the initial assessment and language from StrengthsFinder 1.0, Rath and Gallup scientists released a new edition of the assessment, program, and website, dubbed "StrengthsFinder 2.0." Rooted in more than 40 years of research, this assessment has helped millions discover and develop their natural talents.

My top five themes are:

Strategic 

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

My Personalized Strengths Insights

Instinctively, you sometimes detect curious configurations, emerging trends, or potential problems that other cannot foresee. Perhaps this gift draws you into conversations with people who think a lot about the future of their profession, the environment, the eradication of disease, conflict resolution, or economics. By nature, you sometimes bring an imaginative game plan to your teammates’ attention. You might enjoy partnering with people who rely on you to identify critical and recurring sequences of events, facts, or data. Driven by your talents, you might feel satisfied with life when your innovative thinking style is appreciated. You might pinpoint trends, notice problems, or identify opportunities some people overlook. Armed with this knowledge, you may devise alternative courses of action. By evaluating the circumstances, available resources, and potential consequences of each plan, perhaps you can select the best option. Because of your strengths, you might have a knack for identifying problems. You might generate alternatives for solving them. Sometimes you consider the pros and cons of each option. Perhaps you factor into your thinking prevailing circumstances or available resources. Maybe you feel life is good when you think you may be choosing the best course of action. Chances are good that you may feel good about yourself and life in general when you know the exact words to express an idea or a feeling. Perhaps language has fascinated you since childhood. Occasionally your ever-expanding vocabulary earns you compliments.

Connectedness

Shared Theme Description:

People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

My Personalized Strengths Insights:

Chances are good that you customarily search for pertinent facts and relevant data to reconstruct the chain of events that produced a problem or an opportunity. You prefer reasonable explanations. Typically you reject the notion that fate, chance, or luck rules your life. By nature, you may get to know people individually in your quest to gain wisdom.

Discovering the qualities that distinguish someone from everyone else might be an essential aspect of your search for truth. Driven by your talents, you may be guided by the notion that no one can live life without some help from others. Perhaps this idea compels you to consider how what you do and say affects people you know and individuals you will never meet. It’s very likely that you may feel more confident about yourself and life in general when your words and deeds align with your fundamental values. Because of your strengths, you have no doubts about being linked in some way with everything in the universe. This includes all creation and all humankind.

Achiever

Shared Theme Description: 

People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

My Personalized Strengths Insights: 

It’s very likely that you may invest time or energy in understanding how your talents contribute to your overall success and well-being. Perhaps you have discovered some effective ways to remind yourself about the things you do best. Driven by your talents, you might be eager to get started on a project once you realize what can be accomplished in the coming weeks, months, or years. Perhaps you work hard to turn your big dreams into reality. To some degree, they both push and pull you into the future. Chances are good that you now and then aspire to head up a large enterprise. Perhaps you feel you can transform this hope into reality by working hard. Instinctively, you occasionally exert mental or physical energy to test your talents, knowledge, or skills. Maybe you are motivated to work harder when comparisons are being made between your outcomes and the results produced by others. Because of your strengths, you are periodically delighted to assist individuals or groups in setting their goals. To some degree, you prefer to discuss goals with people whose work ethics are strong. Maybe you are less enthusiastic about helping individuals who seldom meet their objectives.

Analytical

Shared Theme Description:

People who are especially talented in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.

My Personalized Strengths Insights:

Driven by your talents, you may work to identify the forces that influence situations in which you are, have been, or might be involved. It’s very likely that you may be perceived by your teammates as a businesslike individual. Perhaps you avoid activities in the workplace or classroom that might make you appear foolish. Instinctively, you may bring a logical perspective to your team’s tasks or to work in general. Perhaps you break down projects into small parts. Sometimes you determine the importance and urgency of each step. You might decide what must be done first, second, or third. You might waste little time getting started once your plan is finalized. Chances are good that you are a rational thinker. You rely on reason to investigate what started a chain of events. You collect and study evidence. Then you pinpoint the key parts of a machine, idea, problem, or process. You discard bits of information that are irrelevant to your research. Because of your strengths, you might argue that success is the product of hard work. Perhaps your no-nonsense approach impels you to compare your most recent progress to your past performance. You sometimes strive to excel by imposing measurable goals for personal or professional growth on yourself.

Responsibility

Shared Theme Description:

People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

My Personalized Strengths Insights:

Chances are good that you are naturally compelled to admit the truth. If someone asked you or told you to intentionally mislead someone, you would reply, “I cannot and I will not do that!” By nature, you might be known as a reliable and dependable person. Perhaps you are motivated to work diligently. In some cases, you cannot rest until you have completed what you told someone you would do. Instinctively, you might feel life is good when you are truthful about your talents, education, successes, experiences, or background. You attempt to dispel certain illusions you have about yourself or that others have about you. Maybe this is one of your priorities. When you do not pretend to be someone you are not, you might be happier. It’s very likely that you are occasionally willing to be vulnerable. Perhaps you claim your talents or admit your weaknesses. Your openness may help some people know you better as a person. Your straightforward style may convince others you are honest, dependable, and reliable. Driven by your talents, you periodically derive satisfaction from pulling newcomers or outsiders into discussions or friendly chitchat. Over time, you may have become more aware of your abilities or more accountable for your words and deeds. Maybe you claim to be more grown up than some of your coworkers, teammates, family members, classmates, or friends.

The StrengthsFinder 2.0 report gives you the above top 5 themes, with a shared theme description. It also goes on to provide you with personalized strengths insights based on your top 5 strengths and how they relate to each other. This report is generated dependant on how you answer questions from their online test. While the shared theme description is the same for all themes, the personalized strengths insights are unique to you.

Allan Kelsey from Leading Leaders led a Strengths Finder Evaluation Session at the Gateway NRH campus. This session was very interesting, because he talked about how the Strengths Finder 2.0 book was created and the history behind it. He also talked some about how the strengths related to each other. Another key item that was talked about is how the enemy tries to lie to us and tell us our strengths are weaknesses. One example was regarding “Responsibility”, in how the enemy tries to tell you that can’t say no. The key is to be led by the Holy Spirit in the strength of responsibility, and to know when to say yes and when to say no. Here is a video taken from the Leading Leaders website that gives some additional insight to what went on during the Strengths Finder Evaluation Session.

The other tests I took were a personality & temperament test and a spiritual gifts test for Fellowship of the Sword training. On the personality and temperament test I came out gold blue, which translates to melancholy choleric.

For the spiritual gifts test it is amazing how much your personal traits carry over to those. It’s like He had a master plan for my life or something. My top 5 ranked spiritual gifts were:

1. Administration, Apostle, Exhortation
2. Giving, Leadership
3. Helps, Wisdom
4. Prophesy, Pastor, Knowledge
5. Miracles, Service, Faith

Through the process of writing this out, it continues to show that we are uniquely created by His hand and that there is a master plan for our life. We have strengths in us, but we aren’t meant to live this life alone on our own strengths. We are to rely ultimately on Him to complete us, and connect with others’ divinely created strengths to help us through this life.

Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified)

For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

Be blessed!

-Chad

Caution: Graphic Content

Enjoy

-Chad

One of the highlights of my week other than getting on the bike again, was the Alpha Encounter. They announced that G8 is changing to Alpha Gateway Men. The vision of Alpha is stated as:

Alpha exists to see men find freedom, empowerment and fulfill their unique purpose in the context of authentic brotherhood. We facilitate those key elements through the following avenues:

• Alpha Summit – Annual men’s conference to equip and empower
• Alpha Excursion – Annual men’s retreat to deepen brotherhood and discover freedom
• Alpha Groups – Small groups of men who are intentional about brotherhood and spiritual growth
• Alpha Brigade – Restoring our community through acts of service
• Alpha Weekly – Meetings to provide discipleship and equipping through teaching and small groups
• Alpha Dad – Events that target building quality time between a father and his children
• Alpha Sports – Brotherhood built into athletic events
• Alpha Equip – Focused classes for development
• Alpha Adventures – Brotherhood built into outdoor activities

I am excited to see the direction that Alpha will take in shaping the lives of men at Gateway. Also, the opportunity I will have in this, because of the men's group I will be leading.

This has been on my heart this week:

Luke 11:9-13 (Amplified)

9 So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.

10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.

11 What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?

12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

13 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!

And some scenery from Lake Grapevine on my ride from Wedesday.

Be blessed!

-Chad

Note: It was not me who did the slide show. I received it via email. Tell me if you know who did it, and I will give credit to the author.

-Chad

James 1:1-8 (NASB)

 1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,

8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

When you ask something in faith, there is not to be any doubt in your mind. There were many points that Preston Morrison made at Seven for “Are You Sure” on faith. One was that we lose faith when He doesn't give us things we aren't ready for, but it's for our benefit. The other one that stuck out to me was, “do you have so much faith that when you don't receive something you still have faith?” God will never do anything to harm us, and He will not give us something before we are ready for it. That does not mean anything bad will ever happen to us, or that we are to sit and wait for God to do something for us. We need to “be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

 Matthew 14:27-31 (NASB)

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."

28 Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."

29 And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Once Peter took his focus off Jesus and became aware of his surroundings, is when he began to sink. According to dictionary.com the definition of doubt is “1. to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe. 2. to distrust.” Is there still some doubt in you of the capability of God as to what He can do, or is there some distrust in you towards God? Do not sit and do nothing! Continue to pursue after God so He can reveal your areas of doubt and distrust!

While I was writing this a friend of mine, Joseph Louthan, tweeted about the Centurion's faith in Matthew 8 and Luke 7. Is your faith so strong, that you don't need Jesus to touch you, but just to say it? Or are you like the surf, driven and tossed by the wind?

Be blessed

-Chad

Editorial thanks to Joseph Louthan!

Seven-Arm(ed)-Are You Sure

Enjoy!

-Chad