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Day 1537 – The Drill Instructor – Humor Unplugged

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Welcome to Day 1537 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Drill Instructor – Humor Unplugged

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek! Where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your Captain on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1537 of our Trek, and time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Humor Unplugged. Our Thursday podcast will provide a short and clean funny story to help you lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. Something to cheer you and give a bit a levity in your life. We are told in Proverbs 15:30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. We are also encouraged in Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Consider this your vitamin supplement of cheer for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s funny which is titled:

The Drill Instructor

Sergeant Schultz was fresh out of officers training and was appointed drill instructor for an incoming class of recruits for the Marines. The veteran drill instructors were responsible for training the rookie sergeant. They took the Sergent aside and reviewed the drill plans with him. The first rule was that after every command, the recruits must shout back the command and add on “Drill Sergeant” at the end of the command. They also informed the rookie drill sergeant that his recruits must understand the rules for the mess hall. The recruits only have 15 minutes to eat, so they need to shut up, eat up, and then get up.

Sergeant Schultz wanted to impress his fellow drill instructors, so he took his training very seriously.  On the first day with his new recruits after the morning revelry, Sergeant Shultz marched his 60 privates into the mess hall for breakfast. Wanting to display his authority, he had them stand in a line and at attention. He then shouted at them this command: “You only have fifteen minutes, so there are three rules in this mess hall: Shut up! Eat up! Get up!”

Checking to see that he had everyone’s attention, he then shouted, “What is the first rule?”

Much to the amusement of the other instructors, 60 privates yelled in unison, “Shut up, Drill Sergeant!”

I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did pass your smile onto some else, we all could use a kind smile each day. Our Thursday thought is, “Don’t worry about being physically fit for the Marines. The drill sergeant has a plan for that.”

Here is our verse for today:

Joshua 5:13-14

When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”

 “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.”

At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”

Just as you enjoy these nuggets of humor, 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 1536 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:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to ’Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday’! See you tomorrow for Futuristic Friday!

Day 1536 – Cosmic Geography – Worldview Wednesday

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Welcome to Day 1536 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Divine Rebellions – Worldview Wednesday

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. Today is Day 1536 of our trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday. Creating a Biblical Worldview is essential to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical Worldview, you must have a proper understanding of God and His Word.

This week, we will expand on the past course work as we continue reviewing the book from Dr. Michael S Heiser titled Supernatural. The book is an abbreviated version of his more comprehensive book The Unseen Realm. I highly recommend both of these books. Creating a Biblical Worldview based on how the Old and New Testaments connect with God’s overall plan for humanity is essential. This book review will help us understand what the Bible teaches about the unseen world and why it matters.

Cosmic Geography

The divine transgressions we looked at in the previous chapter had something in common. They were both supernatural rebellions aimed at co-opting God’s plan for humanity and the restoration of his rule. In this chapter review, we’ll look at another rebellion, one that originated with people.

This rebellion produced a predicament that we’re all still part of, and that predicament involves supernatural beings. The titanic struggle for God’s restoration strategy took a turn for the worse that only the return of Jesus will finally resolve.

The Tower of Babel

The story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9) is simultaneously one of the best-known and least-understood accounts in the Bible. Children learn about it in Sunday school as the time when God confused earth’s human languages.

After the flood, God repeated the command he’d given to Adam and Eve to cover the earth. He was trying to kick-start the spread of his ruling influence through humanity. Once again, it didn’t work. People refused. Rebellion in their hearts, they had a better idea, or so they thought. They decided to build a tower to avoid being scattered (Genesis 11:4). The logic seems odd. Sure, an amazing tower would make them famous (Genesis 11:4), but how would that prevent scattering across the earth?

The answer lies in the tower. Bible scholars and archaeologists know ancient Babylon, and cities around it built towers called ziggurats. The purpose of the ziggurats was to provide places where people could meet the gods. They were part of temple zones. Rather than make the world like Eden—to spread the knowledge and rule of God everywhere—the people wanted to bring God down at one spot.

That wasn’t God’s plan, and he was displeased. Hence his statement—again to his council members in Genesis 11:7, “Come, let us go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”  God did so, and humanity was separated and scattered. The incident explains how the nations listed a chapter earlier in Genesis 10 came to be. That’s the story most Christians know. Now for the one they don’t.

The Gods and Their Nations

Genesis 11 isn’t the only passage that describes what happened at the Tower of Babel. Deuteronomy 32:8–9 describes it this way:

When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,

when he divided mankind,

he fixed the borders[a] of the peoples

according to the number of the sons of God.[b]

9 But the Lord’s portion is his people,

Jacob his allotted heritage.

Some Bible translations have “sons of Israel” instead of “sons of God” in that first sentence. But Israel didn’t exist at the time of the Tower of Babel. God only called Abraham after Babel (Genesis 12). “Sons of Israel” can’t be right. “Sons of God” is the terminology found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Bible’s oldest manuscripts. The ESV has it right.

The wording is essential. When God divided up the nations, they were divided among the sons of God. God allotted the nations to members of his divine council. This allotment is the Bible’s explanation for why other nations came to worship other gods. Until Babel, God wanted a relationship with all humanity. The rebellion at Babel changed that. God decided to let members of his divine council govern the other nations.

God had judged humanity. Even after the flood, they would not resume the kingdom plan He had begun in Eden. So God decided to create a new nation, his “portion” as Deuteronomy 32:9 says—Israel. He did this, starting with Abraham’s call, in Genesis 12, the very next chapter after the Tower of Babel story.

God’s allotment of the nations to other gods frames the entire Old Testament. How? The rest of the Old Testament is about the God of Israel and his people, the Israelites, in conflict with the gods of the other nations and the people who live in them.

That wasn’t God’s original intention. Yes, what he did at Babel to the nations was a judgment, but God never intended that the nations would be forever forsaken. When God made his covenant with Abraham, he made clear in Genesis 12:3 that “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

God was planning to bring the nations back into his family at some point.

Paul knew all this. In his sermon to the pagan philosophers in Athens, he said in Acts 17:26-27:

From one man, he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

Through Moses, God had warned his own people not to worship “the host of heaven” (Deuteronomy 4:19–20), a label found elsewhere for the members of the divine council (1 Kings 22:19). Acts 17:26–27 makes it clear that God’s purpose was that somehow the nations would still seek after him.

The gods who had been set over the nations interfered with this plan in two ways.

We saw earlier in Psalm 82:1 that God had assembled the gods of the council. The full psalm tells us why. The gods of the nations had ruled those nations unjustly—in ways that were contrary to the true God’s wishes and principles of justice. God indicted them as soon as the meeting began in Psalm 82:2, “How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked?” After hammering them for two more verses on their injustice, the Lord described how the gods had failed to help the nations walking in darkness find the way back to the true God in Psalm 82:5, “But these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant! They wander about in darkness, while the whole world is shaken to the core.”

Sadly, the Israelites wound up worshipping the gods “not allotted to them” (Deuteronomy 29:26; see also 32:17) instead of seeking the true God. God’s reaction was swift and harsh in Psalm 82:6–7, “I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High. But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.’” 

The gods would lose their immortality (Psalm 82:7) and die like men. We know from other passages that this judgment is something associated with the end times (Isaiah 34:1–4). At the end of Psalm 82, the writer hopes for the day when God will finally reclaim the nations as his inheritance. As we’ll see later, he’ll get his wish in the New Testament.

The Deuteronomy 32 Worldview

Because of the Deuteronomy 32 worldview, geography in the Bible is cosmic. Ground is either holy, meaning dedicated to Yahweh, or it is the domain of another god. This worldview is reflected in many places in the Bible. For instance, in the Old Testament, Daniel’s book refers to foreign nations being ruled by divine “princes” (Daniel 10:13, 20–21). Another example: When David was running from King Saul, he was forced out of Israel into Philistine territory. In 1 Samuel 26:19, David cried, “They have driven me out from the Lord’s land to a country where I can only worship foreign gods.” David

David wasn’t switching gods. He also wasn’t denying that God was present everywhere. But Israel was holy ground, the place that belonged to the true God. David was stuck in the domain of another god.

One of my favorite Old Testament stories that makes this point is found in 2 Kings 5. Naaman was a captain in the Syrian army. He was also a leper. After he followed Elisha’s instructions to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River, he was miraculously healed of leprosy. Naaman told Elisha, “I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel” (5:15). The

prophet wouldn’t take payment, so Naaman humbly asked if he could load a mule with dirt to take home with him. Dirt? Why ask for dirt? Because that ground belonged to Israel’s God. It was holy.

It’s no accident that we see the same kind of thinking in the New Testament. Paul uses a range of terms for hostile divine beings (Ephesians 1:20–21; 3:10; 6:12; Colossians 1:16; 2:15): rulers, authorities, powers, thrones. What do they have in common? They were all well-known terms used to describe geographical rulership.

The apostle Paul wrote two letters to the Corinthian church to address some situations he’d heard about. In the first letter, he told church leaders to expel a man who was living in unrepentant sexual sin (1 Corinthians 5:1–13). Curiously, he wrote that they were to “deliver this man to Satan” (1 Corinthians 5:5). How does this language make any sense?

Paul’s statement makes sense only against the background of the cosmic-geographical worldview of the Old Testament. In Old Testament theology, Yahweh’s “portion” was Israel and the land he was giving the Israelites, Canaan’s land. His presence sanctified the ground—made it holy. Initially, the presence of Yahweh resided in the tabernacle. When the Israelites rested and set up camp, the ark of the covenant was placed in the center, marking Israel’s camp as holy ground. Later, after Israel took up residence in Canaan, Yahweh’s presence was in the temple, sanctifying the Promised Land as holy ground—Yahweh and his people were at home. Now, the presence of Yahweh indwells believers—we are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Romans 8:9). That means believers, the body of Christ, are the new people of God, a new Israel. Paul makes that explicitly clear in Galatians 3:7, “The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.”

Which continues the thought in Galatians 3:26-29, “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.”

Since believers—and the places where believers are gathered—are holy ground, sin must be expelled. Just as the ground around the Israelite camp and the surrounding nations under the dominion of other gods were conceived as unholy ground, so in New Testament times—and now—the world was unholy ground.

Hence Paul’s command to expel an unrepentant believer back into the world, the domain of Satan. To be expelled from the church was to be put back into unholy territory. That was where sin belonged.

Why This Matters

The cosmic geography resulting from God’s judgment of the nations at Babel is the backdrop for Israel’s struggle. It also sets the stage for the gospel. The good news of Jesus’ work on the cross is that the people of God are no longer only Jews, but instead, all who believe in Jesus (Galatians 3). As the disciples go out into the world, Satan’s domain is transformed into God’s territory. The kingdom of God advances, regaining control of the nations.

The lesson is that this world is not our home. Darkness has permeated the globe. Unbelievers are essentially hostages of spiritual forces. They need the gospel to be set free. And don’t forget: It is the gospel that is our weapon. We aren’t authorized to confront principalities and powers directly. There’s no spiritual gift to that effect handed down to us by the apostles. The faithful dispensing of the gospel will turn the tide. The Great Commission is a spiritual battle plan. We’ll learn more about that in chapters to come.

Another lesson: We need to view every congregation of true believers as holy ground. External appearances, buildings, and the size of the congregation are of no concern to God. What matters is what we are told in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” The

space is sacred. No matter how small or unknown, every congregation is on the front lines of a spiritual war. Every church has the same task. The powers of darkness will not prevail.

We’ll revisit the idea of cosmic geography when we get to Jesus’ ministry. For now, the battle lines have been drawn. The nations of the world have been judged and disinherited by God. It’s time for him to start over and carve out his own portion and people.[1]

That will finish our study for this week’s worldview Wednesday. Join us again next week as we continue building our Biblical Worldview. Tomorrow we will enjoy our 3-minute humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer and help you to lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1535 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 so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most of all, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

[1] Heiser, M. S. (2015). Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World—And Why It Matters. (D. Lambert, Ed.) (pp. 47–56). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Day 1535 – The Attributes of Love – Wisdom Unplugged

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Welcome to Day 1535 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Attributes of Love – Wisdom Unplugged

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek! Where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1535 of our Trek, and it is time for our 3-minute mini trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little bit of additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from  Dwight L. Moody, and it is:   Joy is love exalted; peace is love in repose; patience is love enduring; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; humility is love in school; restraint is love in training.    

The Attributes of Love

We hear so much about love, but few understand the actual attributes which create true love. Love is not a feeling, although it may cause us to have certain feelings. Love is not something that we fall into, nor out of. Love is a choice, and a choice that must be made every day. How can you know if you are exuding love? Check your life to see if it contains the attributes that makeup love. The quote from today list those attributes. Joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility, and restraint. These are closely aligned with the fruit of God’s Spirit dwelling within us. If you have God’s Spirit, then you should also understand how to love.  Here is a test to know just how passionately you love another person. These are Jesus’s words found in John 15:13

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Are you willing to give up your way for someone else? How about your life? Let us work at refining the attributes of love in our lives. As we allow God’s Spirit to control every aspect of our lives, we can see the fruit of His Spirit manifested in our lives.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 11,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com. Just as you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, 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 1534 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 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:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to ’Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday’! See you tomorrow for Worldview Wednesday!

Day 1534 – Bible Study – Context Is King, Not Impressions – Meditation Monday

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Welcome to Day 1534 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Bible Study – Context Is King, Not Impressions – Meditation Monday

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek! Where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1534 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 accurately interpreting the Bible. Today let us meditate on:

Bible Study – Context Is King, Not Impressions

·      Insight Forty-Three: Context Is King

We spend a lot of time talking about interpreting the Bible in context. The Bible is often interpreted out of context in some way. I’m not exaggerating. When you know what’s meant by “context,” it’s hard to think otherwise.

When most Bible-believers hear someone insist the Bible be interpreted in context, they usually presume the point is that whatever verse or verses they’re reading or the pastor is preaching about needs to be interpreted in light of the verses that precede and follow. While that’s true, the verses before and after are just one context that needs consideration. Every biblical passage has multiple contexts. There is never only one context for interpreting the Bible.

The worldview of the biblical writers is a fundamentally important context in which the Bible must be interpreted if it is to be accurately understood. The proper worldview context for interpreting the Bible is not evangelicalism, Catholicism, the Protestant Reformation, the Puritans, or even the modern world.

The proper context for interpreting the Bible is the context in which it was written—that of the ancient biblical writers. Every other worldview is foreign to the Bible. In context means we must do our best to think as the writers thought.

Another context for interpretation is a literary context or genre. A genre is a type of literature. Frankly, without knowing the genre, an accurate interpretation of word meaning is impossible. For example, if we saw the word “descent” in a document, it would matter a lot if that document were a genealogy, a landscape architect’s plan, a flight instructor’s manual, or a doctor’s note about a grave illness. Those are all genres—kinds of writing. It’s easy to see how they dictate meaning. Just as today, there were many different genres used in the Bible by the writers.

Lastly, every word has its own context in relation to other words. If you look it up in a dictionary, the word “run” has dozens of meanings. It can be a verb or a noun. We only know what part of speech it is when we see the other words around it in a sentence. That knowledge, along with different contexts, helps us comprehend the intended meaning.

All of the above and more is why I like to say we need to interpret the Bible in contexts. There’s more than one, and, collectively, context is king.

·      Insight Forty-Four: Impressions Are No Substitute for Data

Good Bible study should affect the way we think and feel. Naturally, the process of discovery in Bible study will appeal to the intellect because we learned something. There’s more to the life of the mind than the accumulation of facts. Other things are going on inside our heads besides information storage. Our emotions, attitudes, and imaginings are just as much part of our inner life as processing power.

All the aspects of our thought life need to be informed by good data, that is, things that are true and correct. Without real facts, our feelings, beliefs, and actions can be prompted by flawed catalysts. In the case of the Bible, truths that mold us in all these ways must derive from the biblical text. They cannot be the result of impressions or suspicions about something that might be biblical.

Bible studies can easily be derailed by putting impressions on an equal (or superior) footing with data drawn from the biblical text. Attempts to calculate the return of Jesus are an excellent example of this. The biblical text tells us that no one knows the “day and hour” of the Lord’s return (Matthew 24:36), but that hasn’t stopped a lot of Bible teachers and students from thinking otherwise.

I’ve had many strange ideas come across my desk that can be filed under “interpretation by impression.” I’m convinced that cable television and social media is the root cause for most of them. Examples include: Asteroids have hit the earth in the past—I wonder if that’s what caused the flood? Parts of the desert have been irrigated in Israel—I’ll bet that has something to do with Israel’s prophecy.

Speculating, especially about antiquity, is fun. I enjoy it as much as the next person. The serious Bible student must clearly distinguish between speculation and exegesis. The latter is the domain of the biblical text; the former is not. What you believe can be either coherently traced to the text or not. Building aptitude in Bible study will keep you oriented to that standard.

Joshua 1:8

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

That is a wrap for today’s Meditation. Next week we will continue our trek on Meditation Monday as we take time to reflect on what is most important in creating our living legacy. On tomorrow’s trek, we will explore another wisdom quote. This 3-minute wisdom supplement will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise each day. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life. 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 the past 1533 daily treks or read the daily 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 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.

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

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to ’Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday’! See you tomorrow!

Day 1533 – The Benefits of a Purpose-Driven Mindset – Ask Gramps

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Welcome to Day 1533 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. 

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Benefits of a Purpose-Driven Mindset – Ask Gramps

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek! Where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. Today is Day 1533 of our Trek, and our focus on Fridays is the future technological and societal advances, so we call it Futuristic Fridays. My personality is one that has always been very future-oriented. Since my childhood, I have yearned for the exploration and discovery of new technologies and advancements for the future. I grew up with the original Star Trek series, and even today, as I am now on my 65th revolution around the sun, I still dream of traveling in space. Each week we will explore rapidly converging technologies and advancements, which will radically change our lives. At times, the topics may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but each area that we explore is already well on its way of becoming a reality over the next couple of decades.

To keep with our theme of “Ask Gramps,” I will put our weekly topics in the form of a question to get us on track. This week’s question is, Hey Gramps, we have explored having a futuristic, exponential, and gratitude mindset, but you also mentioned a Purpose-Driven mindset. What is a Purpose-Driven Mindset, and why is it essential to have one? 

The Benefits of a Purpose-Driven Mindset

Do you know the benefits of a Purpose-Driven Mindset? What is it, and how can you craft one? I am using some of the information in today’s episode mentioned in Peter Diamandis’s blogs and book “The Future is Faster Than You Think.”

Making a dent in your universe or solving your world’s biggest problems requires a significant amount of hard work.

It also involves numerous risks, setbacks, and restarts.

Many of my successes have been “overnight successes, after about 20 years of hard work.”

While it appears that some people are lucky, most success stories require recovering one more time, facing the challenge, and beginning again. Over and over.

So how do you fuel that persistence?

It involves clarifying your purpose. As Peter Diamandis puts it, “Massively Transformative Purpose” (or MTP), and it must include the emotional energy that powers it.

In today’s episode, I’m going to discuss what it means to have a Purpose-Driven Mindset and how you can develop one.

I believe that a single person, driven by their Massively Transformative Purpose, can change the world, or at least their world.

So, what’s your purpose?

Let’s dive in…

The Importance of Having an MTP

A Massively Transformative Purpose is central to a Purpose-Driven Mindset.

Here are the attributes of an effective MTP:

  • It’s uniquely yours…
  • It feels true for you (you are proud of it)…
  • It’s driven by emotional energy (Wonder, Awe, Excitement, Pain…) that fuels your drive to pursue big dreams…
  • You are willing to commit your life to it, or at least a season of life.

As an individual, your MTP is what wakes you up in the morning and gets you excited.

For example, my MTP is in the introduction for every episode:

My mission is to help others create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before

Do you have an MTP? Are you currently living it?

The objective of a Purpose-Driven Mindset (an MTP) is perhaps best summed up by a quote from Tom Bilyeu: “Find something you would die for, and live for it.”

Six Steps in Crafting a Purpose-Driven Mindset

(1) You seek to find, refine, or update your Massively Transformative Purpose (MTP). You know that your impact can be more significant during these exponential times than at any time in history, and you adjust your MTP accordingly.

(2) You live a passion-driven life, and you use your MTP as the canvas upon which you plan and execute your future Moonshots. You know that purpose, powered by emotion, is the fuel required to implement your Moonshots.

(3) You actively seek out tools and communities to amplify and support your MTP.

(4) You understand that an MTP is fueled by your emotional energy and is something unique to you.

(5) You fully embrace your MTP and are proud to share it with the world. As a leader, you use your MTP to attract top talent, partners, and investors.

(6) As an entrepreneur, you increasingly focus your capabilities and resources on creating solutions that transform whole markets and industries.

So, are you living a life of purpose? What would change in your personal or work experience if you had a Purpose-Driven Mindset?

One of the first steps to developing a Purpose-Driven Mindset is to create your MTP.

Here are some questions to help you explore your purpose…

  • If I gave you $1 billion to change the world, what would you do with it?
  • What area has given you the greatest excitement and wonder?
  • What is an injustice you’ve experienced that needs to be solved?
  • What did you want to do as a kid before the world told you “No”?

As a Christ-follower, our ultimate MTP is to assist in the building of God’s Kingdom here on earth. How will that craft your MTP? God desires to use you with the talents and abilities that He has gifted you. Go into the world with a Purpose-Driven Mindset to do God’s will, whatever that may be.

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

That is a wrap for today’s question. Join us again next Futuristic Friday as we look at another exciting exponential technology area on our ‘Ask Gramps’ episode. Our next trek is Meditation Monday, where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So 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 the past 1532 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are 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, but most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

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

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to ’Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday’! See you on Monday!