He's Alive....Are You?

Luke 20 contains the last ditch effort of the Jewish religious leaders to ensnare Christ with a series of questions. The Sadducees step up to the plate and throw Christ a curve-ball. This religious sect did not believe in the resurrection, but their opening allowed for the possibility of a resurrection. Christ masterfully answers their inquiry and they admit that "Teacher, you have spoken well" (v39). They have been soundly defeated in this debate.

As you ponder the thoughts, a short phrase exists that got me to thinking -- "For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him" (v38). A few weeks ago, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ meaning that we have no fear in death. He has conquered it for us leaving us only one option -- TO LIVE!! That thought has raced through my mind for several weeks and, now, I see this phrase in Luke 20.

Are you alive? That question presupposes life in Him; and if that assumption is founded, are you living daily? The world is filled with events and circumstances that can sap the life out of people; however, that deduction is a personal choice. We, by our actions, allow other things to diminish the life that we can live for Him. A deacon at a past church always said: "Don't let nobody steal your joy." He embraced the concept of living for Jesus because Christ gives us life.

Tough times comes. Hardships abound. Trials and temptations are just around the corner. Remember, He's alive and so are you. Live!! While it may be raining now, close your eyes and remember the sunshine and warmth it provides. Live for Him daily and nothing can rain on your parade.

A Talent Plus Person...

Beyond Talent, by John C. Maxwell, continues the long line of leadership books written by the internationally recognized expert. The book was originally released in 2007; however, it has been updated and re-released in 2011. If you have ever read Maxwell, then you immediately know the type, style, and format of this book. He has the ability to make complexity rather simple.

The thesis of Beyond Talent remains as valuable today as it was several years ago. Extraordinary results do not merely originate from a talented individual because we all know people that possess tremendous talent that did not produce as predicted. Talent is an asset, but it is not the most important one. As Maxwell clearly states on page 7: “The key choices you make – apart from the natural talent you already have – will set you apart from others who have talent alone.” In other words, hard work earns success and relying upon anything else will result in underperformance.

I must confess that, at the time of this review, I have not yet finished the entire book. The rationale is rather simplistic in that any reader must go through this manuscript slowly but deeply. Each chapter concludes with a series of questions that take mere words or ideas from the page and force a reader to wrestle with the content. The questions, in a sense, are the formulation of a personal action plan to remove personal dependence on talent. I highly suggest that you open a free account with Evernote so that you can access your comments from any computer or via a smart-phone. In doing so, date your comments because this allows you to read through Beyond Talent in the future and see whether or not you have made progress.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”