Many communities provide training for potential employees, as well as entrepreneurial training and support. However, Sherrod Brown, in an Inc magazine article, noted that a significant shift has happened in the marketplace requiring these programs to be redesigned. With the rapid growth in side businesses, many people now need workforce skills and business skills. Many ...

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When we formed an event team in St. Louis years ago, one of the first roles we filled was a Prayer Coordinator. Over the years we’ve experienced intense spiritual battles before events. At our first event our team had some major medical challenges brewing. We began funneling our prayer requests to our prayer team. The ...

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My associate, Mike, and I were trying to find the Skywalk in downtown Des Moines without going outside into the torrential rain. We thought we had succeeded when we saw the S sign over a staircase. But then we discovered that the staircase was closed for construction. Mike asked a nearby construction worker if he ...

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Over 1200 people were packed into the Iowa Governor’s Prayer Breakfast this year. One of the things I appreciate most about this event each year is that there are no denominational turf battles. Instead, it is an event for the capital C church. In John 17:20-21, Jesus said, “I pray also for those who will ...

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Houston Christian University recently conducted a survey of Christian business leaders. One of the issues discussed was the challenge of living an ethical life in the workplace. The research revealed that sixty-one percent (61%) of Christian leaders feel that moral conflicts put the impact of their faith expression at risk. In my opinion, the core ...

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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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