Wisdom-Trek ©

Welcome to Day 1621 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomYour Lasting Heritage – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps. Thanks for coming along on our trek to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2016%3A16andversion=NLT (Proverbs 16:16) How much better to get wisdom than gold, and sound judgment than silver! Today is Day 1621 of our Trek, and it’s time for another nugget of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become more healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from Branch Rickey, and it is: What matters most is not the honor that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind.

Your Lasting Heritage

I talk a lot on Wisdom-Trek about legacy because a living and lasting legacy are essential. Today’s quote uses a little bit of different language, but it is the same focus. Creating a living legacy, or in this case, a heritage, is not about bringing glory or honor to yourself, but having a positive impact on others’ lives both while you are living and into eternity. The heritage that you leave behind is created and fostered every day of your life. It is the daily activities of helping and encouraging others. It is the kindness you show to others. It is showing love to others, even when it is hard and those you are loving don’t deserve it.

Legacy is a similar concept to inheritance and heritage. It is something we inherit from past generations and pass to our future generations. Usually, heritage refers to material and economic inheritance, while legacy refers to immaterial and cultural inheritance. In other words, family legacy means the accomplishments, beliefs, actions, and guidance you demonstrate in your lives – that carry forward to future generations in a fashion that allows those family members to adopt and adapt them to make their lives meaningful and fruitful. It is not about ourselves with legacy or heritage, but how our lives impact others, especially close family and friends. Every day is a chance to live your legacy and create your heritage. For Granny and me, one of our daily prayers is that we will have a good and godly impact on our children and grandchildren. Our prayer is that we might encourage them to live lives that are good and godly. This is so much more important than leaving houses, land, material possession, and money. As you consider your life and the heritage that you have now and into eternity, what legacy are you creating? God has left us an abundant heritage, and we should do the same for those God allows us to impact. It is part of building God’s kingdom on earth. It prepares the world for the new Eden where heaven and earth combine and rule and reign with Jesus Christ.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2013%3A22andversion=NLT (Proverbs 13:22)

Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2016%3A19andversion=NLT (Jeremiah 16:19)-21

Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to you and say, “Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage, for they worshiped...

Welcome to Day 1620 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Bible Study – Word Studies and Distribution – Meditation MondayWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps; thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy Today is Day 1620 of our Trek, and it is time for Meditation Monday. Taking time to relax, refocus, and reprioritize our lives is crucial in order to create a living legacy. For you, it may just be time alone for quiet reflection. You may utilize structured meditation practices. In my life, Meditation includes reading and reflecting on God’s Word and in prayer. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and making sure that I am nurturing my soul, mind, and body. As you come along with me on our trek each Meditation Monday, it is my hope and prayer that you, too, will experience a time for reflection and renewing of your mind.

We are continuing our series this week on Meditation Monday as we focus on Mastering Bible Study through a series of brief insights from Hebrew Scholar, Dr. Michael S. Heiser. Our current insights are focusing on practical tools for Bible study. Today let us meditate on:

Bible Study –Word Studies and Distribution· Insight Seventy-Seven: Learn How to Do Word Studies

Some of my earlier Bible study suggestions included learning about the numbering system in concordances and reverse interlinears. Both assist in doing word studies. You need to know how to study biblical words in their original languages properly. Word studies are an essential strategy for penetrating your English translation to gain insights for interpretation. Today I want to introduce the concept.

Learning how to study the Hebrew and Greek words behind your English translation is essential for some simple reasons. One is that a wide range of English words in your translation might be translating the exact original language word. There is no one-for-one correspondence between the English word you read and an original language word. Many English Bible readers don’t realize this. When they do, it prompts some obvious questions: Why don’t translators use the same English word each time the original language word occurs? Shouldn’t they do that to be consistent in translation?

Another reason is the reverse of the above: a wide range of original language words might get the same English word in a translation. Like English, Hebrew and Greek words have synonyms — words whose meanings are closely related (e.g., canine, dog, hound, pooch). There’s definite overlap with those terms, but there is also nuanced meaning. So it is with Hebrew and Greek. But you’ll never discover Hebrew and Greek synonyms if you can’t do word studies. Synonyms also prompt questions: Why would the biblical writer choose one word over another? Was he trying to communicate something by the choice?

Doing word study requires (a) detecting the original language word behind the English word, (b) finding all occurrences of that word, (c) asking good interpretive questions about how biblical writers use that word, and (d) having access to tools that analyze and discuss the meaning of original language words according to their usage in the Bible.

In the following insight, I’ll discuss some of the requirements for word study. I’ll also talk about how not to study words—logical fallacies in word study that lead to false conclusions and flawed interpretation. For now, realize that you’re at the mercy of translators unless you can get beyond your translation. Word study is a key to doing that.

· Insight...

Welcome to Day 1619 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomRefusing To See – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps. Thanks for coming along on our trek to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2016%3A16andversion=NLT (Proverbs 16:16) How much better to get wisdom than gold, and sound judgment than silver! Today is Day 1619 of our Trek, and it’s time for another nugget of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become more healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from Matthew Henry, and it is: There are none so blind as those that will not see.

Refusing To See

It is hard to admit, but everyone on earth is somewhat blind to their reality. Most of us think more highly of ourselves than we should. Even when our character flaws are pointed out to us, we choose not to see them. So it is with many areas of our lives our paradigms control how we view life. Let me explain what a paradigm is. A paradigm is a standard, perspective, or set of ideas. A paradigm is a way of looking at something. The word paradigm comes up a lot in the academic, scientific, and business worlds. When you change paradigms, you’re changing how you think about something. When applied to your life, you can think of a paradigm as a collection of thought patterns that produce habits, that deliver results, that may or may not be in harmony with what you would love. These paradigms dictate how we think about money, relationships, career, health, and so on. The interesting aspect of our paradigm is that even when it is proven to be false, we often hold to our viewpoint and ignore or deny that we may be wrong. We refuse to see, even when faced with the facts. We see this so clearly today in our politically charged society, across the spectrum. Even when an argument is debunked, many will still hold onto their perspective because they are so blind to the other side that they will not see the proof before them. Part of this denial is that it is challenging to understand the truth on a variety of topics. This is fueled by journalists in the traditional media who are no longer accountable for the news they broadcast. It is also driven by untold multitudes of self-proclaimed experts on social media who vomit up endless diatribes of information with little knowledge or desire to know what is true. We all need to be very careful that we do not fall prey to misinformation. We need to be very careful that we do not become so blind that we do not seek or see the truth. We need to know and understand God’s Word so that we can have our spiritual sight because we know and understand the truth in all life areas.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+4%3A1-7andversion=NLT (2 Corinthians 4:1-7)

Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we...

Welcome to Day 1619 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomRefusing To See – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend; this is Gramps. Thanks for coming along on our trek to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2016%3A16andversion=NLT (Proverbs 16:16) says, “How much better to get wisdom than gold, and sound judgment than silver!” Today is https://wisdom-trek.com/captivate-podcast/day-1619/ (Day 1619) of our trek, and it’s time for another nugget of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become more healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from Matthew Henry, and it is, “There are none so blind as those that will not see.”

Refusing To See

It is hard to admit, but everyone on earth is somewhat blind to their reality. Most of us think more highly of ourselves than we should. Even when our character flaws are pointed out to us, we choose not to see them. So it is with many areas of our lives…Our paradigms control how we view life.

Let me explain what a paradigm is. A paradigm is a standard, perspective, or set of ideas. A paradigm is a way of looking at something. The word paradigm comes up a lot in the academic, scientific, and business worlds. When you change paradigms, you’re changing how you think about something. When applied to your life, you can think of a paradigm as a collection of thought patterns that produce habits that deliver results that may or may not be in harmony with what you would love. These paradigms dictate how we think about money, relationships, career, health, and so on.

The interesting aspect of our paradigm is that even when it is proven to be false, we often hold to our viewpoint and ignore or deny that we may be wrong. We refuse to see, even when faced with the facts. We see this so clearly today in our politically charged society, across the spectrum. Even when an argument is debunked, many will still hold onto their perspective because they are so blind to the other side that they will not see the proof before them. Part of this denial is that it is challenging to understand the truth on a variety of topics. This is fueled by journalists in the traditional media who are no longer accountable for the news they broadcast. It is also driven by untold multitudes of self-proclaimed experts on social media who vomit up endless diatribes of information with little knowledge or desire to know what is true.

We all need to be very careful that we do not fall prey to misinformation. We need to be very careful that we do not become so blind that we do not seek or see the truth. We need to know and understand God’s Word so that we can have our spiritual sight because we know and understand the truth in all life areas.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+4%3A1-7andversion=NLT (2 Corinthians 4:1-7)

Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see...

Welcome to Day 1618 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.A Flock of Egos – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps. Thanks for coming along on our trek to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2016%3A16andversion=NLT (Proverbs 16:16) How much better to get wisdom than gold, and sound judgment than silver! Today is Day 1618 of our Trek, and it’s time for another nugget of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become more healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget of wisdom:

Today’s quote is from Walter F. Light, and it is: ‎Leadership is getting a flock of egos to fly in formation.

A Flock of Egos

You have probably heard it said that when trying to organize people that it is like herding cats. If you have ever tried to herd cats, you know that it is virtually impossible to do so. So it is with leadership, especially when you are a leader of leaders. It is the art and science of getting the massive egos of leaders to all head in the same general direction. Managing leaders is not an easy task to accomplish, but it is possible if the overall vision and mission are strong enough. Since you are dealing with competing egos in this situation, there has to be enough commonality in the mission to satisfy the team’s combined ego. It is somewhat similar to a flock of geese where there is a defined order within the group, all moving in the same direction, but allowing the lead person to switch out as needed to create the best possible forward motion to a destination. Yes, there will be a lot of honking and noise within the flock, but as long as each member can be part of the overall objective, it is possible to have successful leadership. It has to be clear that division within the group is not beneficial. So it is with the building of God’s kingdom on earth, we must be unified and have a clear focus on what is most important.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+3%3A23-27andversion=NLT (Mark 3:23-27)

Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

As you ponder this nugget of daily wisdom yourself, I would ask you to please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1617 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each...

Welcome to Day 1617 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomNeed for Status – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps. Thanks for coming along on our trek to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2016%3A16andversion=NLT (Proverbs 16:16) How much better to get wisdom than gold, and sound judgment than silver! Today is Day 1617 of our Trek, and it’s time for another nugget of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become more healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from Calvin Miller, and it is: Careers, even religious careers, may become little more than forums for our own advancement. But how are we to deal with such ambition? Our longing after Christ must exceed our need for status in the world.

Need for Status

All of us crave to be accepted by others. Most of us yearn to have a level of status among our work associates, peers, friends, and family. It appears to be a burning need in our lives. I acknowledge that I struggle with the need for status, and it probably applies to you also. No career or leadership position is exempt, even pastors, priests, missionaries, and lay leaders within the church. For all of us who are Christ-followers, how do we reconcile this need for status with our desire to image God, as the perfect imager Jesus Christ did? In the New Testament Scripture, we certainly see that Jesus’s closest companions and disciples struggled with the need for status. Think about the epic struggles and posturing between the ‘inner circle’ of the disciples, Peter, James, and John. Think about the 12 sons of Jacob in the Old Testament who were constantly in a struggle for status to the point where they were willing to sell their brother Joseph into slavery. We are not immune to the same battle. As with any area of life, the first step to overcome our intense need for status is to acknowledge that it is an issue and that we desire to become less controlled by it. As Christ-followers and fellow imagers of God, our desire to fulfill those roles must be stronger than our need for status in the world. It may not be easy, but it is possible. If we desire to serve effectively in God’s kingdom on earth, we need to be willing to serve humbly.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+9%3A33-37andversion=NLT (Mark 9:33-37)

After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”

Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”

As you ponder another bit of wisdom from Gramps, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1616 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your...

Welcome to Day 1616 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomEnable and Empower People – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps. Thanks for coming along on our trek to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2016%3A16andversion=NLT (Proverbs 16:16) How much better to get wisdom than gold, and sound judgment than silver! Today is Day 1616 of our Trek, and it’s time for another nugget of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become more healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from Tom Ridge, and it is: As a leader, you have to enable and empower people to make decisions independent of you. As I’ve learned, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership; if they feel empowered by you, they will magnify your power to lead.

Enable And Empower PeopleNo matter what position at work or station in life you hold, you are a leader of people. It may be a small group, such as your children, or you may be an influencer and leader of millions. The fact remains, to effectively lead, you need to enable and empower those you lead to make decisions independent of you. Each person you lead is an extension of your leadership abilities. Let’s break this down to your family. If you have children or influence children in any manner, you want them to grow into adulthood with the ability to think and decide for themselves. If you do not, they will continually fail when they face the difficult decisions that are required of adults. They may not always make choices and decisions in the same manner that you would, but they should be able to make decisions independently, rather than being dependent on you. The same applies to everyone that you lead. Your objective is not to keep them subservient to you, but to allow them to flourish and grow. To become indiependent. To even excel in areas that are far beyond your capabilities. Leadership is not always easy because those you lead will need to develop through the painful learning that comes with any worthwhile endeavor. The results will be worth the effort. A student that exceeds the teacher is the most excellent result of achievement. That should be our goal of everyone that we lead. That is the formula for advancement for individuals and all of humankind.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%2012%3A9%2D11andversion=NLT (Ecclesiastes 12:9-11)

Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly. The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.

As you ponder this nugget of wisdom for yourself, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1615 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your...

Welcome to Day 1615 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Bible Study – The NET Bible and Commentaries – Meditation MondayWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps; thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy Today is Day 1615 of our Trek, and it is time for Meditation Monday. Taking time to relax, refocus, and reprioritize our lives is crucial in order to create a living legacy. For you, it may just be time alone for quiet reflection. You may utilize structured meditation practices. In my life, Meditation includes reading and reflecting on God’s Word and in prayer. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and making sure that I am nurturing my soul, mind, and body. As you come along with me on our trek each Meditation Monday, it is my hope and prayer that you, too, will experience a time for reflection and renewing of your mind.

We are continuing our series this week on Meditation Monday as we focus on Mastering Bible Study through a series of brief insights from Hebrew Scholar, Dr. Michael S. Heiser. Our current insights are focusing on practical tools for Bible study. Today let us meditate on:

Bible Study – The NET Bible and Commentaries· Insight Seventy-Five: Use the NET Bible

Are you the kind of person who likes to use things until they can no longer be fixed? Some people don’t want to upgrade until whatever their use passes the point of being inconvenient but workable to be useless, even dangerous. Admit it: we all have something that’s “good enough for what we need to do.” In those cases, if we are honest, we also have to admit that when we do upgrade, we wonder why we waited so long.

That’s how it will be when you start using the (New English Translation) NET Bible.

What’s the NET Bible? Close your eyes and think about the study Bible you’re using. Can you see the tiny footnotes scattered through your translation here and there? They direct your attention to a few words at the bottom of the page, maybe suggesting another translation or something about a manuscript. There aren’t that many, but they’re helpful. Have you got that fixed in your mind? Now give your study Bible a performance-enhancing drug, maybe a growth hormone. The NET Bible is what all other study Bibles want to be when they grow up.

I’m not kidding. The NET Bible is freely available online at netbible.org and is a translation created by dozens of scholars experienced in Bible translation. It has over 60,000 notes, most of which explain precisely why the translators did what they did or how a different manuscript reading might affect translation. The preface to the NET Bible explains why it’s distinctive:

The translator’s notes make the original languages far more accessible, allowing you to look over the translator’s shoulder at the very process of translation. This documentation level is a first for a Bible translation, making transparent the textual basis and the rationale for key renderings (including major interpretive options and alternative translations).

There’s no other tool that comes close to it for English readers who don’t know Greek and Hebrew. If you are growing in your Bible study skills, at some point, you need to breach the English translation. The NET Bible has an unparalleled focus on the biblical text and the decisions the English translators made.

· Insight Seventy-Six: Acquire a Clear, Succinct Theological Dictionary

Of the many tools for Bible study available today, commentaries are among the most familiar. A commentary might be a tool you associate with your...

Welcome to Day 1614 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomChange Begins With Caring – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps. Thanks for coming along on our trek to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2016%3A16andversion=NLT (Proverbs 16:16) How much better to get wisdom than gold, and sound judgment than silver! Today is Day 1614 of our Trek, and it’s time for another nugget of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become more healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from Margaret J. Wheatley, and it is: ​ All change, even very large and powerful change, begins when a few people start talking with one another about something they care about.

Change Begins With Caring

To start a change in your personal life and the world you impact, you must care enough to follow through with the change. Even massive changes in the world begin when just a few individuals get together and share what they care about. Through this tiny seed of care, passion, and faith, significant changes have their nucleus. It does not require a lot of resources, time, or effort to begin that change process in your life and the world you impact, just a tiny spark of desire to make the change. Just like a tiny spark can set an entire forest on fire, or the smallest flame to shine in the darkness, so it is with making changes in our world. It is the consistent small steps over time that will allow nations to rise or fall. It is the consistent small steps over time that enable great success, or failure. It is also the small, consistent steps over time that will build God’s kingdom on earth. Over the past 2,000 years, from a handful of loyal disciples, the church of Christ has grown into a body of untold millions. This growth will continue until the day when Jesus Christ will return to establish the new Eden where heaven and earth combine. That is the change that we are seeking, and it only requires that you have the faith of a mustard seed that grows into a mighty tree. It only requires that you have the faith of a small measure of yeast to impact the whole batch of dough.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013%3A33andversion=NLT (Matthew 13:33)

Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+13%3A18-19andversion=NLT (Luke 13:18-19)

Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.”

As you ponder this nugget of wisdom for yourself, I would ask you to please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1613 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you...

Welcome to Day 1613 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.A Driven Person – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps. Thanks for coming along on our trek to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2016%3A16andversion=NLT (Proverbs 16:16) How much better to get wisdom than gold, and sound judgment than silver! Today is Day 1613 of our Trek, and it’s time for another nugget of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become more healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget of wisdom:

Today’s quote is from Gordon McDonald, and it is: No driven person could ever say what John the Baptiser said, because driven people have to keep gaining more and more attention, more and more power, more and more material assets. The seductions of the public life would have led to a competitive posture, but the original call to commitment from within spoke louder.

A Driven Person

I hate to admit it, but this quote hit a little too close to home. While my mindset is moderating somewhat as I mature both in age and my outlook on life, I still struggle with a very driven personality. I enjoy winning. I enjoy gaining attention. I appreciate material assets. I enjoy having authority and using it. I suspect that many of you have struggled with these same issues, regardless of whether you are introverted or extroverted. While there is nothing wrong with winning, gaining attention, material assets, or authority, our mindset, and motives that underlie the pursuit of them can lead us down an evil path. Just imagine if John the Baptiser had the attitude we do, how would that have impacted his life and relationship with his cousin, Jesus Christ. John was gaining ever-increasing popularity, with thousands coming to listen to him. Many of these same people believed in him and were baptized. It would have been effortless for him to start thinking that he was something special, which in God’s eyes he was. That was not his position or calling in life. He was to be the proclaimer and forerunning of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Yet, with his growing popularity, John could have thought it was all about him. Jesus even backed this up when he said in Luke 7:28 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%207%3A28andversion=NLT (Luke 7:28) I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John.

I know if Jesus said that about me, I would think I was pretty important. Fortunately, John understood his place in the creation and redemption story. Just to make sure that other people at the time also understood, God permitted John to be executed when his ministry was complete. There could be no confusion on who was the Messiah. In the second half of the verse above, Jesus focused on how vital His kingdom was when he said. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!

So I have to ask myself, and I will ask you also, are you an imager of God reflecting Jesus Christ in your life, or do you come off as an imager of yourself? I know I have work to do in this area, how about you? John the Baptist knew his position when he proclaimed in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%201%3A7andversion=NLT (Mark 1:7) John announced: “Someone is coming soon...