NowTHINK!AboutIt

7 Proofs Jesus Favored Quiet Evangelism

October 22, 2013 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Evangelism Should Be Bold
Not Noisy

Jesus epitomized the statement “Actions speak louder than words.”

He did say things, yes, and we hold His words dear but it was His actions that stimulated responses more than His words. It was John who alluded to this truth in the last verse of his Gospel.

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:25

Note that John was focused on the actions of Jesus not His words. I’m sure John recorded everything Jesus said that we needed to hear, leaving nothing out but what he couldn’t record, because of the sheer volume, were the countless things Jesus did. John portrayed a “doing” Jesus not a talking head.

It is also interesting to note that much of what Jesus did was done quietly in the background, without commentary. He didn’t do things to draw attention to himself. He was bold not noisy.

Consider the following: [Read more…] about 7 Proofs Jesus Favored Quiet Evangelism

Earn The Right To Win, Tom Coughlin – Chapter 4

September 26, 2013 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Change Is One Precursor
To Success

In spite of the heading, this chapter is not about communication – its importance or how to do it better.

Yes, Tom starts the chapter with a few remarks about being clear but after getting through the obligatory “say what you mean and mean what you say” platitudes he launches into the real message, change.

Tom has never been accused of not saying what he thought. He admits to being blunt. What he thinks he says. No one stands around wondering what Tom is thinking but they often forget Tom’s message because his thoughts evaporate in the heat of his critical spirit. His brusqueness creates the kind of undertow that sweeps his message away before it takes root.

And Tom, in almost a confessional tone, says he needed to change. His old style approach to leadership made him a “dinosaur” so an update was needed. [Read more…] about Earn The Right To Win, Tom Coughlin – Chapter 4

Earn The Right To Win, Chapter 3 – Details

September 21, 2013 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Preparation Is Key
In Every Detail

Tom Coughlin is the kind of guy that intrigues everyone. He seems a bit brash on the outside but his ability to win football games at every level consistently over a lengthy career, even the biggest game of all – not once but twice – proves he is more than just noise and bluster.

His second book, Earn the Right to Win, reveals just how deeply the stream runs below his turbulent exterior.

And in chapter 3, Success Is In The Details, you get a glimpse of how information-rich football is and how cerebral Tom is in mastering the game. Winning at football means processing endless details.

Tom, of course, isn’t focused only on football. His point in the book is that there is a correlation between the effort to win at football and what it takes to win in the rest of life.

Success, Tom says, begins with superior preparation and as Christians, we must believe that what is good for football success is also good Gospel success.

Football Is Complex

To appreciate the meaning of Tom’s point we need to first take a look at the complexities of football.

Football has one objective, score more points than the opponent, which seems quite simple until you look at the process. Football is no simple game and the proof is the many people who watch even several games and say, “I don’t understand.”

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The reality is, very few people completely grasp everything that it takes to run even one play successfully much less win the game. It really is that complex!

Let me illustrate. [Read more…] about Earn The Right To Win, Chapter 3 – Details

Earn The Right To Win by Tom Coughlin, Chapter 2 – Scheduling

August 18, 2013 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Life Can Be Unpredictable
But Preparing To Win
Requires A Schedule

In the mid-1960s The Rolling Stones recorded a song titled “Time Is On My Side.” It was one of their first recordings and it was a big hit.

In the song, Mick is philosophizing about a wayward girlfriend. She’s running around instead of staying faithfully by his side but instead of expressing hurt feelings Mick patiently waits claiming that “time is on my side.” And he confidently asserts that “She’ll come running back to me.”

Now, you might be wondering what a song about wayward girls sung by one of Rock N Roll’s most prominent bad boys has to do with winning. Well, the context of the song isn’t important but the refrain is.

The main issue in the song is “Time” and Mick repeatedly says it is on his side. In fact, at the end of the song, he builds to a crescendo with: Time, Time, Time is on my side.

But there is good reason to think Mick may not be correct. Time can be on your side but there is no guarantee.

And that brings us to Tom Coughlin and the book he wrote. The title of Tom’s book is:

Earn The Right To Win

And it’s worth reading because it makes some universally valid points about winning. [Read more…] about Earn The Right To Win by Tom Coughlin, Chapter 2 – Scheduling

Earn The Right To Win by Tom Coughlin, Chapter 1 – The Basics

July 31, 2013 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Preparation’s First Step
Build The Structure

It’s no surprise that Tom Coughlin has written a book but you might be surprised that it’s not the usual co-written scrabble to make money off celebrity status. Nothing promotional about it.

In this book Tom is making his point not the publisher’s. It’s not a bio of any person or organization. It’s about winning and how Tom managed to do that consistently over his entire career.

No, Tom is not a writer, he’s a coach, but the book shows that he’s cerebral about his job and there are many points in the book that are universally useful for any person in any kind of work.

This post covers chapter one. The previous post covered the introduction in which Tom emphasized his primary point, preparation and in chapter one he begins with “Build The Structure.” Following are the main points of the chapter.

Set A Goal

Tom begins in the usual place, goal setting, but what he says about it challenges traditional thinking. Most of us are trained not to bite off more than we can chew and there is a place for that type of caution but Tom says set a goal and make it a big one. He quotes Michelangelo to make his point. [Read more…] about Earn The Right To Win by Tom Coughlin, Chapter 1 – The Basics