Text: Genesis 27:27-40 & 33:3-10 (NLT)

Topic: The Odds Don’t Matter

Jacob, through his mother’s schemings, got Esau’s firstborn blessing by deceiving their father, Isaac. Esau, after weeping bitterly and begging his father sorely for even just one blessing, got a blessing that sounded like a curse. In fear that his brother would kill him, Jacob ran to his Uncle Laban.

Decades later, when Jacob returned, still in fear of Esau’s wrath, he sent reconciliatory gifts ahead of him to his brother. But when Esau met him, he embraced and kissed him then declared that Jacob could keep his gifts because he himself ‘had plenty’ (Genesis 33:9). Esau had become rich in men and possessions (Genesis 33:1).

Something shifted in Esau between Genesis 27 and Genesis 33. The Esau in Genesis 27 was begging for a blessing but the Esau in Genesis 33 told Jacob to keep his blessing because he had plenty of his own.

Esau was never positioned to make it. His destiny seemed to have been decided before he was born (Genesis 25:23, Romans 9:13), before he ever had a chance to do anything wrong.

How did Esau make his shift?

– Genesis 27:40 – Esau had his sword to live by. He focused on where his strength laid. God always leaves you with something to work with.

– Genesis 27:29 – Esau realized that in blessing Jacob he would also be blessed. He triggered a blessing upon himself by letting go of his pain and the bitterness he harboured against his brother. He stopped playing the victim. Leave no room to bitterness (Genesis 33:4).

– Genesis 36:8 – Esau moved to the mountains where he would thrive by his sword. He had already been told that the farmlands would not favour him (Genesis 27:39) so he transited to where he would perfect his hunting skills. He didn’t dissipate his energy in the area of his weakness. Stop selling your gift cheaply to people who don’t understand it.

Esau overcame incredible odds by becoming another man. Your next level is dependent on the man that you should become.

Genesis 1:28 – you have to BE before you can HAVE. At creation, God gave us the ability to change – we are human BEINGS because we keep ‘be-ing’ at each progressive stage of our lives. Evolve. Your next level will not adapt to you; it is tied to who you BE. What God wants for you is dependent on your ability to change. Change involves your will and courage. You must be willing to give up old habits and the things that drag you down. You need to break the patterns that you’re used to and be another person otherwise your future will look like your past.

You need to relinquish your past; stop negotiating with your excuses; stop arguing with your fears; and get moving. It is time for you to BE and the odds stacked up against you will no longer matter. ‘Becoming’ will cost you. The world is divided between the disciplined and the distracted. Deal with your distractions – show up everyday especially when it’s hard. When you tame your distractions, a new you will emerge.

Who do you need to be?

Have you met the real you?

The Esau Generation don’t take ‘No’ for an answer. They are the architects of their own destiny in spite of what was spoken over them. They refuse to be defined by culture or be limited by parameters of men. There are no glass ceilings, nor boxes to be limited by. This is an invitation to join the mindset of the Esau Generation. They don’t settle for less than the best that God has for them.

Prayer:

Father grant me the grace to disrupt the patterns that keep me down and embrace the disruption necessary for my elevation; that the new me may emerge. Amen.

The post The Odds Don’t Matter by Pastor Lanre Oluseye appeared first on House on the Rock Port Harcourt.

Text: Matthew 5:13-14 & Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NLT)

Topic: Navigating Complexity Through Collaborative Intelligence

You are the SALT of the earth. Fundamentally you are wired and designed to have an effect on your environment.

Oblivious to you, someone is patterning his/her life after yours. You are called to leadership.

To lead effectively, you must be collaborative and inclusive. Nobody can build anything significant alone. We are wired for community.

Develope a collaborative mindset. The key factor in collaboration is genuine love, which is the basis of empathy – which every reasonable leader must have.

Every great leader must also intentionally deal with their personal biases and prejudices conditioned by society and upbringing.

To be a collaborative leader you must check the operating system of your subconscious mind, which runs your decision making.

The future is looking for collaborative leaders. Are you one of them?

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Text: Matthew 5:13 (NKJV, NLT)

Topic: Frameworks for Human Capital and Operational Excellence

Salt influences its environment. Jesus calls us salt because we have the power to impact our environment.

Salt that has lost its saltiness is considered worthless and is trampled underfoot because of the frustration of undelivered expected value. Being used is a big compliment. Are you useful? Proverbs 22:29 – You don’t need to pray for favour when diligence can bring it.

Temperament predisposes people to become natural leaders but leadership is a skill set that is imbibed or learnt. The onus is therefore on you to prioritize developing it. It’s time to develop leadership capacity. Your leadership capacity is directly proportional to the value you create.

Frameworks:

1. Bad leaders do not acknowledge other people’s growth or work. Luke 21:1-4 – Great leaders recognize effort not just result.

2. Bad leaders micromanage and suffocate the team. They do not know how to relinquish control. Good leaders trust their team to deliver (Luke 10:1-17).

3. Bad leaders want to always have the last word and win every argument. Good leaders sometimes defer (Mark 7:24-29, Matthew 8:5-10).

4. Bad leaders lack self-control. Great leaders do not react in anger (Mark 11:11,15).

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