Nehemiah, Ezra, and the people of Israel, all experienced God’s miraculous involvement in rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. Then Ezra shared God’s Word with the Israelites, resulting in a time of repentance and revival. Rather than let this spiritual peak subside, Ezra pulled all the key leaders together to study God’s commands and how ...

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In Nehemiah 8, Ezra read from the Word of God for half the day, while Levites clarified what the words meant. I’ve been to church frequently, but I can never recall a time when the whole congregation begins weeping. But they did that day. Nehemiah 8:9 says, “Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and ...

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Nehemiah, with God’s help, remarkably rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls in only 52 days. For most people it would be a time to celebrate. Instead, Nehemiah had a dream of rebuilding the whole city, not just the walls. But it was going to take the help of the people, money, and resources. Nehemiah realized he needed to ...

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Jenny had a major decision to make about a new direction for the department she led. To help make sure she made the best decision, she embarked on an extended exercise of seeking input from others on what she should do. Unfortunately, she talked to so many people, with so many opinions, that she realized ...

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In his book, “A Man After God’s Own Heart,” Jim George tells a story of an army officer in India who stopped to have his shoes shined by a poor boy on the street. The boy approached the task with such intensity and enthusiasm that the officer was amazed. He asked the boy why ...

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The organization was disappointed when a planned business acquisition fell through. Teams had dedicated hundreds of hours to organizing the transaction and working to finalize it. So, when it fell apart, the organization experienced a great sense of frustration and disappointment. But that disappointment was forgotten when a new opportunity arrived two years later. The ...

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Jack was frustrated that his big plans for his business kept hitting roadblocks. It felt like every time he tried to move in a new direction; he fell backwards. He continually prayed for God to bless his plans, but those prayers weren’t answered as Jack desired. Eventually he asked his Forum group for their counsel. ...

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The biggest limiting factor in business leaders putting their faith into action is usually time. With the fast pace and demands of life, our tendency can be to become so self-absorbed, we don’t see the needs of the people around us. As leaders, we need to listen and care for those we are called to ...

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I was thrilled to get my first job out of college, but it wasn’t long before I wanted more. I wanted to be a leader. I thought being a manager would be the best way to assert my ideas and my will. I also desired the benefits I saw from moving up in the organization ...

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As a young banker, I had lunch with a friend whom I hadn’t seen since college. He was an aggressive new entrepreneur building a prosperous business. As we finished lunch he asked for my lunch receipt. When I asked why, he said, “I gather receipts to write off my taxes.” He laughed and said, “They ...

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