Some 2,500 years after the time of the prophet Habakkuk, Lt Col Ron Bracy, USAF (Ret.), found himself asking the same question as the Old Testament prophet: “How long, O Lord, will I call and you will not hear me?”
Capt Rico Lane, USAF, shares his story, which includes three primary themes: fatherhood, faith, and family—specifically how God used the Bible verse text messages of a grandfather to begin changing Rico’s life.
Becky’s story is one of battling through anxiety and self-worth. It’s a story that tells of her journey to be in a right relationship with her Heavenly Father even when it seems like life sometimes has more valleys than mountaintops, even when it seems like God just doesn’t care.
(Season 2, Episode 1) In this episode, you’ll hear the story
Who are you? Seems like a simple question, but our answer provides important insight into how we view ourselves at our core and what we believe to be our true identity.
Christians worship God through every transition that He brings into our lives, both in and out of the military. Some are painful transitions, others are exciting and fun, but each one comes from the hand of God.
Does God really exist? Our answer to that question shapes how we think about freedom. After all, if He does not exist, then we are free to pursue as much self-gratification as possible before death. However, Christians recognize that freedom means we have freedom from fear of judgment as we seek to glorify Him and gladly submit as servants of Christ.
What does Jesus want from you? That your faith not fail, that you keep turning to Him, and finally, that you lead by encouraging and strengthening others who face similar circumstances. Be encouraged, Jesus stands by you.
Jesus paid the price of his commitment to us on the cross. Are we willing to pay the price of loyalty to Him? More aptly, why am I willing to pay the price of constancy to Christ?
“God will supply every need of yours” whether it is a financial concern, effective time management, or dealing with disgruntled people. Jesus is the resource for all our needs. As faithful followers, ours is to approach Him confidently for grace and help.
Faith and leadership are more appropriately modeled through keeping sight of how to achieve God’s purposes in and out of the workplace through godly influence, using softer tones, quieter approaches and direct resolve to see the mission through. Simply acting or reacting is not necessarily an effective leadership quality.
Are you discerning God’s voice when you find yourself speaking to many, a few, or one on one? Just as Jesus spent much time in prayer and solitude with God, the basis of our responses may be proportional to the time we spend with God in study of the Scriptures.
Positive influence on others requires full obedience. I am impressed that Noah’s influence over his sons was greater than the negative influences around them. Noah honored God, and his sons followed suit.
When faced with matters that seem insurmountable, revisit the full text of God’s mission for Moses, move ahead in faith, and walk confidently in the assurance of God’s presence in demanding circumstances. Courageously strive to fulfill His intent.
Jesus said He “did not come to destroy lives but to save them.” If one’s tendency is to write people off when there is disagreement, might this have the same effect as “commanding fire” or wishing another dead, spiritually dead that is. The gospel message is for all people and the servant leader does not withhold the message at the first sign of personal rejection.
Faith, like any muscle, requires exercise. Faith enlarges our leadership effectiveness, enables us to achieve the mission, and makes us more capable of serving others. Those who follow your lead will note your faith in action and prayerfully glorify God.
You and I are in the lineage of Cornelius because of our union with Christ. Proclaim the gospel as a testimony to the military community (all nations).
From a leadership perspective, I must ask: What enables Christian leaders to maintain the charge when all around us say, “Give up?” Oaths, contracts, and legal agreements bind some to the task, but that which binds the Christian and Christian leader is God’s demonstrated faithfulness.
Great leaders are not satisfied with the status quo or content with mediocre gains. As a leader in the home and workplace, how comfortable are you in asking God for big things?
We need much wisdom from the Holy Spirit to bear His image faithfully. As an image bearer of God, may your identity in Christ motivate you to be a worthy representative of our Father to all who see Christ in you, the hope of glory.
By what do we choose to be mastered? Men and women who have committed to serve in the military might easily, if jokingly, identify the military as their master. Do Christian military personnel see this in a different light?
As Christ followers one of the questions we must consider is “Do we find it hard to show mercy?” In striving to live out one’s faith in one’s profession, Christian leaders must rightly handle this issue.
November 23, 2014. Does that date ring any bells for you? For my guest this episode— Col Rich Tatem, USAF (Ret.)—that date will forever be etched into his memory as the day his son, Brennan, committed suicide.
In this episode, we’re going to talk about worldview as we continue our conversation with Dr. Bill Brown, senior fellow of worldview and culture at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. How would you define your worldview? Would you say that you have a biblical worldview? How do you know?
Here to discuss OCF's 75 years are a special round-table panel of guests: Brigadier General David Warner, USAF (Ret.), Lieutenant Colonel Kate Toms, USAF, Lieutenant Colonel Colin Wooten, USA (Ret.), and Captain Dan Abney, USMC.
Col Waring unpacks each one of these three characters—the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer—and tells us what we can learn from them and apply to our lives.
The story of Army Master Sergeant William Crawford, a Medal of Honor recipient whose job as squadron janitor at the Air Force Academy, inspired Col James Moschgat to pen 10 lessons in leadership.
"So help me God." It's the final four words in oaths for both officers and enlisted. Have you thought about what the phrase means, or what it implies? Our guest today is Col Richard Toliver, USAF (Ret.), and he’s going to unpack those four words—what he calls "a sacred covenant.”
When it comes to the various parts of your life—family, military profession, friends, relationships with others, and your relationship with God—should you be striving to find a balance among all those things? Or should you learn to thrive in the unbalance?
Interview with Brig Gen David Warner, USAF (Ret): "We are made up of men and women in the military. That's our center of gravity. That's how we do ministry."
As they Experience, Serve, and Lead at White Sulphur Springs, the EXSEL Discipleship interns are helping military members and their families realize the restoration needed in these challenging times.
What does that look like today? How are you courageously standing firm personally and in your family? Are you modeling an integrated life of faith, family, and profession to your family, those around you personally, and in the workplace?
The world desperately needs to hear about Jesus, and we’ve been called to share Him. I encourage you to become competent in your knowledge of Him. Draw people through your professional excellence. Be prepared through your life and words to shine His life-saving light.
Do you know how to dream? There are three tenets to dreaming for ourselves with a greater chance of realizing those dreams.
With each passing mile behind the Waring family, a pathway toward future ministry was being paved by connecting with and hearing the hearts of airmen and chaplains.
Life in general is complicated. Life in the military is extremely difficult and challenging and carries with it an increasing amount of angst with the operations tempo, separations, threats to life and limb, and the increasing challenges from within our own nation.
We reached out to two OCF small group leaders, LTC Tom Matelski, USA, and Lt Col Jim Wamhoff, USAF, and asked them to share their insights on starting and effectively leading a small group.
In my thirty years on active duty, I witnessed phenomenal leaders who inspired, encouraged, and built teams that accomplished great things. Sad to say, I’ve also seen those who used their positions to advance their own agendas, bully others, and feed their own egos—always at the cost of those around them.
If you want the best example of fellowship, we have to look no further than God, who is the author and definer of fellowship.
We live in a hurting world of people desperate for answers. As a Christian, you already have the answer—Christ in your heart. If you have successfully guarded your face, heart and mind, when uncertainty strikes those you lead will look to you and find comfort and confidence. And they will also be curious about the source of your peace.
If you want to be the Christian military leader God has called you to be, I believe a must-have is a strong support system that loves, supports, and sustains you.
by Colonel Larry and Bobbie Simpson, USAF (Ret.) “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place;
It’s incredibly important, yet challenging, that as you run your race in uniform for Christ, to keep His light in your heart burning brightly for others to see.
Outwit, Outplay and Outlast? My wish for you this Christmas season is instead that you “Out Love and Out Give."
Do you see others as the Lord sees them, as diamonds waiting to be set free to achieve their full potential? Steward leadership is taking care of the people who have been “given” to you, developing their full potential, and earning you those wonderful words from the ultimate Steward Leader, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.”
How do others see you fulfilling your dual commissions? Do they see a leader who cares for them with the heart of Jesus, who is humble, grace-filled and selfless, and who ultimately serves the One and only Lord? As you serve your nation and serve your Lord, you will have ample opportunities to shine the Light of Christ through your love and service to others.
Not many of us give much thought to that question on a daily basis. And truthfully, some days I may not really want to know the answer. But knowing how the Lord sees us is something we must consider because the answer dramatically affects our calling.
Congratulations on your commission! As you embark on the next phase of your journey, let me recommend competence, courage, and commitment as keys to your blueprint for successfully integrating faith and profession as military leaders.
Combating Satan's tool of discouragement requires confident faith in Jesus Christ, that unutterable trust of knowing He is always standing with us through all life's bewildering fires.
As Christians, we have the privilege of serving the King of kings and Lord of lords. But He also invites us to come aside and just enjoy being His children. That time will stoke the brightness of His light within us and our faces will reflect that glory He gave us! Where’s your refuge?
Thriving Christian marriages reveal prayerful planning and purposeful intention.
Congratulations to the OCF Class of 2012! We who have gone before welcome you to the profession of arms and the start of your great race the Lord has set before you. Crossing the threshold, you now carry two commissions simultaneously: one conferred on you from our Commander in Chief and one from the King of kings.
by Larry Simpson, Colonel, USAF (Ret) "And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, 'What
William Crawford was an unimpressive figure, one you could easily overlook during a hectic day at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Victory over adversity. It's something Dick Toliver knows well, this great-grandson of a slave, who grew up in dark days of the pre-civil-rights-era South. Despite the shackles of poverty, racism, injustice, he fought to become a highly decorated and accomplished Air Force pilot.
How's your Christ light shining?
Christ-centered chapel programs may involve your participation.
Couples in resilient marriages are intentional and vigilant in building successful relationships.
Often unseen in life's "lucky breaks" are the preparation, prayer--and waiting--for the opportunities from God.
How would a jury of your peers judge your Christian walk?
The godly leader is indeed a powerful witness for Christ. When we follow Christ's example—and let Him take the reins of our leadership—we will experience a calling that is fulfilling beyond measure, and one in which the results are undeniable.
What is your synonym for fear?
So should we question God's authority?
Do you allow the "spiritual self" or the "old nature" to dictate your decisions?
The Word of the Lord penetrates the heart and compels an obedient response.
How do you respond to shaping?
What brings you to the point of task overload?
Failure is a part of living.
What enables Christian leaders to maintain the charge when others give up?
How might the Christian leader apply the lesson of Ananias and Sapphira to the work place?
Every day is a good time for a reality check.
What mentorship lessons might we learn from Paul and his heartfelt concern for Timothy?
How are you doing when it comes to sorting through the competing priorities in your life? What's your battle rhythm?
The leader's satisfaction comes in doing what he is called to do.
Deep down inside most of us generally have a sense of how to respond to adversity and challenging circumstances.
The benefits of fasting shouldn't be overlooked.
Become a person who influences others for Christ.
May we boldly encourage the lifestyle our mottos, creeds, and principles promote--in order that we may not be put to shame.
You are commissioned to do the Lord's work as professional military servants.
Character is the most important factor in Christian leadership.
It is a joy and privilege to influence other lives through your leadership.
As Christian officers desiring to exercise biblical leadership -- faced with constant flux and in the process of growing in our capacity to lead -- how can we best prepare for our next leadership role?
We face a formidable enemy who continues to plague the human race.
Do the military principles of war apply to Christian living?
We must mentally prepare ourselves and our loved ones for the mission requirements we may face.
When we know how much we can't understand, we witness the birth of awe, wonder, and adventure.
What should cadets expect from OCF during an Air Force career?
I have asked myself, how should we pray? There is no easy answer.
Why do you serve in our military? Why are you an officer, an Airmen, a Soldier, a Marine, a Sailor, or a Coastguardsman?
If the chaplain's role is meeting spiritual needs, just how is that fleshed out?
