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iWork4Him PowerThought

Jim & Martha Brangenberg

Prepping for work each day, chug your coffee and take a short swig of workplace inspiration with the iWork4Him PowerThoughts. Hosts Jim & Martha Brangenberg give you a 1-minute daily challenge to live out your faith at work. Each episode is designed to kick off your day with an idea you can put into practice as soon as you get to work. The iWork4Him PowerThoughts are focused on helping you to recognize that your workplace IS your mission field. Catch new episodes every Weekday.

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September 25 · 1 min
Top Tier in the Kingdom
The body of Christ is made up of many parts; none is more important than the other. Do you ever feel unimportant in the Kingdom of God? Like who you are and what you do is on a lower tier while others are on a higher one? In 1 Corinthians 12, God lets us know that each of us plays an important role in the body of Christ. Verse 18 says, "Our bodies have many parts, but God has put each part just where He wants it." Are you letting God use you right where you are, or are you too busy comparing your talents, resources, and position with others? Stop scrolling through social media, thinking you're not enough. You are an essential part of God's plan, and He desires to use you! So, when you're feeling unimportant, remember – there are no tiers in the Kingdom!
September 24 · 1 min
God's Co-Workers
Your voice matters. No matter what you've experienced or been told, your ideas, creativity, and perspectives are important contributions to your work. Unfortunately, many women have been ignored, overlooked, and had their ideas stolen by others. Someone may have assumed you are more junior than you are. As difficult and discouraging as those experiences can be, other people don't get the final say about our value or our contribution. We are God's co-workers, called to partner with Him in our work. Bring those difficult situations before God in prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what He wants you to do and say. Pray for your co-workers and for your organization, then do the next right thing with boldness and courage. The tougher the situation, the more glory God gets. Praise Him and thank Him in advance, then watch God work on your behalf.
September 23 · 1 min
Anticipate a Miracle
We all have two voices speaking to us daily—God's still, small, loving voice and the accusing, fear-ridden, loud voice of the enemy. How can you tell the difference? If it's encouraging, uplifting, life-affirming, convicting yet loving, aligned with Truth, you can be sure it is from God. If it brings fear, insecurity, anger, condemnation, or confusion, you can be sure it's from the enemy. Whose voice should you listen to? I recommend choosing God. Every. Time. We all face battles at work that make us vulnerable to a myriad of thoughts. But God gives us the victory. Whether you're facing unfair treatment, conflict, failure, or just feel stuck, turn to your Father. Pray for that difficult boss or co-worker. Pray for wisdom in that challenging circumstance. Ask God to turn your situation around for good. Listen for His direction and take obedient action. Then anticipate a miracle! Remember, God is for you!
September 22 · 1 min
Depend on Your Creator
You, dear sister, were created in God's image. Man and woman were given the same cultural mandate to fill and subdue the earth. Your talents and desire to make an impact through your work are planted in you by your Creator. Your purpose is to steward those talents for His glory by continually leaning on Him. No one else will use your talents in quite the same way you do. You will reach, impact, and connect with people who others never will. God needs every single one of us to work like He is our CEO—Chief Eternal Officer. What you do in partnership with God for His glory will have eternal impact. So today, as you tackle the mundane and struggle to climb the mountains, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and your goal to bring Him glory. Because it doesn't all depend on you—it depends on you depending on Him!
September 21 · 1 min
God is So Near
Who you are is not the sum of your past mistakes, successes, or talents. You are a daughter of the one true King, created in Christ Jesus, to do work that brings glory to God in your own unique way. Even when no one else seems to notice you, God sees everything you do to support others, contribute to the success of your organization, and share His love. God hears every prayer you whisper, cry, or scream. He is working even when you don't see it. There is nothing He allows that He won't redeem. Today, through the challenges and hard work, pause and acknowledge God's presence with you. He's right there, and He wants to give you strength, joy, peace, and rest, dear sister. All you have to do is ask. He loves you more than you could possibly know.
September 18 · 1 min
A Difference for Eternity!
One day a friend of mine called me and said "Jim, I have been trying to mentor and disciple my friend for 2 years now. He is hopeless. Maybe He will listen to you." That was almost 10 years ago now. My new mentee was not a believer yet, was struggling with issues from the battlefield that impacted his marriage, and was very skeptical of church culture. For 3 years, we wrestled about faith topics in person, by phone, and by text. Finally, he surrendered his life to Jesus, which is hard for war vets to do, and then the real work began. For the next 7 years, we read and studied the Bible together, discussing family, work, faith, and parenting issues. Today he is challenging me with things about my faith. God has worked a miracle. Mentoring this young man has made a difference for eternity. Pour your Jesus Life into someone today.
September 17 · 1 min
A Special Reward
For the first two decades of our marriage, Jim and I did youth ministry as volunteers. We spent thousands of hours with kids from various backgrounds and family structures. I worked with girls who were daughters of pastors and daughters of high-powered executives, some from broken families and some from healthy solid families. These relationships often started when these girls were 11 or 12 and continued until they graduated from high school. However, two special relationships have lasted over 35 years. These two young ladies I invested my Jesus life into are now parents of teenagers. To have lived a lifetime with them has been such a reward to me and my faith. Are you intentionally investing your Jesus life in someone today? You are surrounded by others who need you to live life alongside them.
September 16 · 1 min
Informal Mentoring
My husband Jim and I are very different. He has done a lot of formal mentoring, and I tend to do more informal mentoring. Over the years, I have taken the time to live life alongside so many different women. Some older than me, some younger than me. Since Jim and I are involved in marriage mentoring with Christian Entrepreneurial couples, I often spend time with the wives working life out with them. You see, mentoring for me looks like phone calls, drop-in visits, shopping trips, and texting. The women I pour my Jesus life into rarely have time to meet for coffee, but we can share coffee over the phone or Facetime just the same. My mentoring often looks scattered and informal, but I am available when needed and recognize that just stepping out for a call is part of my discipleship ministry. Who do you pour your Jesus Life into?
September 15 · 1 min
A Beautiful Exchange
If there is one thing I learned from my first mentor, Mike, it is that mentoring and discipleship is something to be done in the context of life and not in a hurry. It was not a box to be checked but time to be set aside. It was an investment of Mike's life into mine and, honestly, as it turns out, an investment of my life into Mikes. Since I experience God differently than Mike, he learned things from me too. It's important to understand that every time you pour your Jesus life into someone else, you will, in return, have their Jesus Life poured into you. This interchange is part of the process of disciple-making. Mentoring with discipleship takes time, but it is an investment that pays lifelong & eternal rewards. Pour your Jesus life into someone and watch them pour back into you. It will change your life for the better.
September 14 · 1 min
How to Use Your Jesus Life
As a 16-year-old and a new believer of just 3 years, I needed someone to invest their life in mine. Was that discipleship or mentorship that I needed? Enter - Mike. Many would argue that being a disciple-maker is inherently different than being a mentor. Mentors often help someone become more like the mentor; Disciple makers help someone become more like JESUS. Discipleship invites someone to follow us as we follow Jesus and then step aside so that we can learn directly from the Master Himself. I argue that Mike poured his Jesus life into my life and taught me not just about Jesus but about life and Jesus – no matter what you call it. As believers, everyone needs a Paul figure that will pour their Jesus Life into them and a Timothy to pour their Jesus life into. Being mentored and mentoring others has rapidly deepened my faith. Get a mentor and start mentoring today.
September 11 · 1 min
A 30-Year Dream or Nightmare – Your Choice!
When you retire, does your calling retire too? Does our calling run out when Social Security kicks in? I don't think so. Your mission field assignment may or may not change later on in life. Some of you have a career that could go until very late in life. Just because you're 65 doesn't mean that you're done working. Sure, maybe you need to change things up or perhaps you need to work fewer hours. But it's important to realize that as a Jesus follower, everywhere you go, everyone around you should be benefiting from your faith, whether they believe in Jesus or not. What better place to invest your life than in an industry you have spent your life learning? The American dream of retirement is a lie. 30 years of vacation is not a dream; it's a nightmare. Ask God what He has for you in retirement.
September 10 · 1 min
Pouring Your Life Into Others
Why are you retiring? Is it because you're too old to work? Is it because you're ready for a break? Is it because you're ready for a change? We need to recognize why we want to retire. Change is OK. But it doesn't mean that retirement is an end to our work. God gave us work as a gift. That gift continues throughout our lives until the very last breath. Our work is meant to glorify God. If you're retiring because you're just tired of the job that you're in or the industry that you're in, maybe God has something new and fresh for you. Remember this. You have a lifetime of wisdom that the next generations need. The next generations desperately need you to pour your life into them. Retire with a purpose, and pour your life into others.
September 9 · 1 min
What's GOD'S plan for your retirement?
So many retirees in America have spent a lifetime preparing for retirement. Well, I should say they're preparing their financial means for retirement, but are they preparing for what God has them to do in their retirement? The answer is almost categorically no. How much time have you spent preparing for how God will use you when you retire? Does that planning include how you will use your gifts, talents, and spiritual abilities for God's glory in a community that needs you? Or is most of that time spent dreaming about how you will relax in the sunshine and always have a perpetual tan? You've heard it said that many people who retire with no purpose end up returning to work or dying. Why don't you ask God for His plan for you and your retirement?
September 8 · 1 min
Your Hoard of Wisdom
The American dream of retirement is a lie. The American dream says that we will retire and live out the remainder of our lives on vacation, enjoying sunsets on the beach where every day is filled with pleasure and deep satisfaction. One problem. It never works out this way. Most of us know what we are going to retire from. We're retiring from a job we just want to be done with. It has paid our bills and provided a living for our family, but we're ready for some change. Does God desire that change to be a 30-year vacation? I don't think so. It's easy to know what you're retiring from, but what are you retiring to? God has been investing in you for a lifetime. You have a hoard of wisdom. God's plan for you is to use that wisdom in your next life stage.
September 7 · 1 min
Your Most Fulfilling Years
The American Dream of Retirement is a lie. It's also not biblical. God never intended for us to retire from work and then go on a perpetual vacation. Retirement is only mentioned once in the Bible and only for levitical priests. However, when they retired, their next role was to train up the next generation of levitical priests. We can learn a lot from that model. If you are retired or almost retired, God has a plan for the remaining years of your life. That plan is to use your lifetime of experiences wherever you go. Will it involve some vacation time? Absolutely. But as long as you are not dead, God is not done with you. Our Retirement years can be the most fulfilling years of our lives as Jesus Followers because we walk in wisdom and can impact the next generations of our family and our community.
September 4 · 1 min
Work as Worship, not as King
It shouldn't surprise us. Our God, who is a God of order, design, and truth, has a clear answer for our priorities. Our Number 4 priority should be our work. Work is a gift from God, just as our relationships are. Work is necessary to shape our character and pay our bills. Work is designed to have a start and an end every day. Everything unravels when work is a higher priority than our families and God. Marriages struggle, kids struggle, and we become strangers with God. When Work is put in its proper place, it is a blessing that causes flourishing for us, our coworkers, bosses, employees, customers, and vendors. Avodah is the Hebrew word for Work and Worship. That is what God intended- for our work to be worship at the same time. Keep it in check, and life will be good.
September 3 · 1 min
Life with Kids
It shouldn't surprise us. Our God, who is a God of order, design, and truth, has a clear answer for our priorities. Our Number 3 priority should be our relationship with our kids. I know that not everyone listening has kids but listen for your friends. When our kids run our priorities list instead of being in 3rd place, the whole family is a mess, especially you. Our lives are not supposed to revolve around our kids. Our kids should clearly be in place behind God and our spouse. When this is done properly, our kids will understand three important things, God is important, marriage is critical, and the world is not all about them. Do your kids a favor today and tell them their priority in your life. Today is a great day to start showing them the truth.
September 2 · 1 min
A Flourishing Priority
It shouldn't surprise us. Our God, who is a God of order, design, and truth, has a clear answer for our priorities. Our Number 2 priority should be your relationship with your spouse if you are married. Everything else but God should be prioritized behind your spouse. So often, this gets really messed up. We put work first, and everything else just ends up in a mess. When we get married, we are marrying our best friend—someone we want to spend our lives with – all of our lives. When we neglect time with our spouse and our priorities get out of whack, our marriage and everyone around us suffer. Do you know what usually pushes your spouse's relationship out of order? Your kids. We will talk about them tomorrow. Want to keep your marriage intact and flourishing? Prioritize your spouse over kids and work, and under God.
September 1 · 1 min
Putting God Back on Top
It shouldn't surprise us. Our God, who is a God of order, design, and truth, has a clear answer for our priorities. Our Number one priority should be our relationship with Him. Our quiet time, our calendars, our checkbooks and our screen time reflect this. When God doesn't take first place in our lives, we always seem to be hurried and harried, never getting enough done. When our daily schedule reflects God as our number one priority, with first place in our day, things fall into place, time moves productively, and things just work. When God is number one, your work will reflect your relationship with Him, and others will be attracted. Who's number one in your life? What's it going to take to put God back on top? You will benefit the most if you get this done.
August 31 · 1 min
A Godly Activity
Our God is a God of order. Look at His creation. In our bodies, every heartbeat and breath works with a thousand other systems to maintain life in every fiber of our being. The chemical balance within the kidney is precisely controlled, the fluid pressure in every cell is maintained, and our sleep tonight will initiate a series of brainwaves that defy even the experts to explain their purpose, rhythm, and order. We are created in His image. We are called to be His reflection. On a regular basis, take time to create organization and order in your life. It is a Godly activity that reflects Him, His ways, and His world. It will increase your yield in your workplace, and in your everyday living, as His Word works in your life, today. Just remember, none of this is possible without a good night's sleep.

Showing 21–40 of 74 episodes