When our children were young and afraid of monsters hiding in their closets and under their beds, my wife and I would tuck them in with a prayer and a song. Each had their own song with lyrics and melodies we wrote just for them. In fact, we recorded a “Mommy/Daddy” cassette tape for each child with Bible readings, personal affirmations, and their song. Most nights after prayers, they would turn on their tape player to listen to their Mommy/Daddy tape, often rewinding it to listen again and again. Our singing over them soothed their anxious hearts.

Zephaniah 3:17 says that God does the same for us. As a loving Father, he comforts us with His presence and His voice. Unlike human parents though, He never leaves us alone. And unlike human parents, His voice never tires of singing. That’s a good thing, because we never outgrow the need for comfort. There will always be a time when our anxious hearts can only by soothed by His singing.

Your thoughts? What words do you imagine God to be singing to you today?

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If you’re a pastor in the Twin Cities area, you won’t want to miss out on a very unique opportunity for some serious goal setting. On Thursday, May 13th, I will be conducting, for the first time, a pastors-only version of the highly-regarded Year of Living Courageously workshop.

The Year of Living Courageously workshop is a thoroughly biblical approach to goal setting. I’ve taught it numerous times over the last several years to Christian men in the marketplace. Now, for the first time, I’ll be leading professional clergy through a more intense and extended version.

Why a version just for clergy? Think about it. Most men in the marketplace have a community of other like-minded men with whom they can confide in, explore, and seek support for their God-given aspirations—the men in their church. Unfortunately, that same opportunity doesn’t exist for most pastors. From my discussions with numerous pastors, they often feel uncomfortable sharing openly about their fears, failures and fatigues—the very threats all of us face in the pursuit of courageous goals. As a result, many church leaders find themselves isolated from the very support structure that others in their congregation enjoy.

The Year of Living Courageously: Pastor’s Edition is designed to address that need. Pastors will be provided a unique “sandbox” in which they can explore some of their dreams in the context of a non-threatening community—other like-minded peers. If you’re a pastor longing for a structure and support system for pursuing your goals, the Year of Living Courageous: Pastor’s Edition is just for you. If you’re a lay-person, but want to show your support, let your pastor know about this unique workshop.

The Year of Living Courageously: Pastor’s Edition workshop will be held at Berean Baptist Church in Burnsville, MN on May 13th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost to attend is $65 and includes a lunch and program materials. For more information, testimonies, videos, and to register, visit www.livecourageously.com

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God gave Moses a very big assignment. “Bring my people out of Egypt,” He told him. (Ex 3:10). Immediately feeling the weight of it, Moses rightfully found himself lacking. After all, he fled from the former Pharaoh’s death sentence. How could he possibly return and live, much less convince the new Pharaoh to release those whom he enslaved to build his empire? No man was equipped for that task. A handful of words supplied all that Moses needed to return to Egypt to do the impossible. “I will be with you,” God said (Ex 3:12) The rest, as they say, is history.

It’s no different today with the big challenges in your life—those that stir up doubt and fear. “I am with you,” is His constant refrain. His assurance can give you all the confidence you need to step into the impossible and watch Him work.

Your thoughts? What impossible things has God been calling you toward that you may have been avoiding out of fear and doubt?

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Over the years, my wife and I developed a habit of getting away the day after Thanksgiving to map out our goals for the upcoming year. For us, it’s a perfect time to think strategically about the future having just given thanks for the past.

But a few years ago, just before Thanksgiving, I discovered something lacking—my enthusiasm. I knew I hadn’t done well on the 22 goals that I set for the year and, like a child that just failed an exam, I had little interest in knowing why. I felt defeated.

With so many goals, I knew my approach was fundamentally flawed. But I had no idea how flawed until I heard a message from my good friend, Pastor Roger Thompson. To this day, I don’t remember what he spoke about (sorry Roger), but I do remember him making an aside observation that men deal with three issues in their lives: failure, fear, and fatigue. His insight unlocked a door for me. I knew those feelings—22 times over.

What transpired from that breakthrough was a new approach to goal setting. One that, I think, is more biblically-based than many of the corporate goal setting workshops you and I have attended.

If you’re in need of a fresh and courageous approach to goal setting,  I invite you to discover what I learned at the next Year of Living Courageously workshop (website) at Colonial Church in Edina, MN on November 14.  Plan to come now because a year is a terrible thing to waste.

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Fearless is as wonderfully written as you might expect from a New York Time’s best selling author who’s cranked out more than 50 books in 25 years (do the math!). It’s easy enough to digest in a sitting (just 180 pages), yet packed with enough nuggets of insight to make you stop and think. The subtitle, “Imagine your life without fear,” is aptly chosen, for Lucado stirs the imagination by presenting a potpourri of fears (e.g. dying, poverty, violence, insignificance, etc.) vanquishing amid God’s unceasing love for His creation. Lucado reminds us that Jesus’ most common command was to “fear not,” and each chapter puts that command in context of a fear that Jesus confronted in His disciples then and today. The disciple Lucado, himself, writes of his own fears with an honesty borne of the very freedom his book title promises.

I highly recommend reading this book as an important diagnostic—asking, “Where can I be more fearless today? Now that I’ve read it, it’s going back on my reading list, to be read aloud with my sons.

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