Author: Mike Schwiebert

The Power of Story

~ Mike Schwiebert ~ Leave a comment

To say Star Wars has been a huge commercial success is an understatement. Star Wars is a cultural phenomenon. Besides the groundbreaking special effects, the movies are a great example of the power of the story.

In Episode 1, Anakin Skywalker is enslaved on an obscure planet. Soon he is overtaken by his destiny. By the end of the series, he redeems himself by saving his son and fulfills the ancient prophecies bringing peace to the galaxy. George Lucas, the creator of the series, exploited the redemption meta-narrative of legend and lore, and I believe it is this power of story that has made the movies a success. Keep thinking! Continue reading.

Great Conversations: God and Moses

~ Mike Schwiebert ~ 1 Comment

GreatConversations_God&Moses

Imagine eavesdropping on Mt Sinai as God gave Moses the tablets with the ten commandments. That conversation laid the foundation for entire nations, changed the course of human history, and shaped the world. Now imagine if in the middle of that conversation, God mentioned you by name. I’m not referring to Moses or Aaron. I’m talking about two guys you may not know: Bezalel and Oholiab.

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Why I Kissed Excellence Goodbye

~ Mike Schwiebert ~ 12 Comments

I recall arriving at my new Technical Director position in late 2007. I scanned all the material that the church had communicated on my new team from the website, in brochures, and training materials. One word kept appearing: excellence. This is true for many churches. I’m pushing back.

Words have meaning. Let’s put excellence under the microscope.

ex•cel•lence |’eksələns| noun
the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. from the Latin verb excellere ‘surpass’ (see EXCEL)

ex•cel |ik’sel| verb
be exceptionally good or proficient in an activity or subject

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Great Conversations: Jesus and the Successful Young Leader

~ Mike Schwiebert ~ 5 Comments

GreatConversations_Jesus&SuccessfulLeader

One of my favorite conversations in the Bible is the one between Jesus and the very successful young leader in Matthew 19. We often call him the rich young ruler, but I think successful leader is the term we would use today.

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
“Which ones?” the man inquired.
Jesus replied, ” ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Matthew 19:16-23

My impression is that Jesus immediately liked this young man.

Keep thinking. Continue reading!