Book Summaries

When Work & Family Collide

By Andy Stanley

• Who wins when your work and family collide?

• It’s usually not God that’s prying you away from your family, it’s your problem.

• There’s not enough time for everything in life, so something has to be shortened — just make sure it’s not your family.

• God made work before family, but there was never a conflict before sin entered the world.

• Work is a means to an end but should not be the end.

• Everyone has good intentions. They want to go on more vacations, have more dates, and have more playing time with the kids, but good intentions aren’t the problem, your schedule is the problem.

• It is not enough for your family to be your priority, they must feel like they are your priority.

• Even more than being loved, your family wants to know they are accepted.

• Does your calendar reveal that your family is your priority?

• Actions speak louder than intentions.

• To stop stealing from your family, you must make a decision that you will be there for them no matter the rewards or outcome.

• Once you decide, you need to decide some nonnegotiables.

• What one change would your wife want you to make so she feels she’s your priority? Maybe she wants you to stop a hobby, arrive home at a certain time, etc.

• Making the excuse that we’re busy in “the Lords work” is more about ego than it is about the Lord.

• If we will learn to work hard while we’re at work, we can relax when we’e at home.

• The things that make or break you at work usually don’t have much to do with your work schedule, rather the priorities and opportunities.

• The blessings of God do not come as a result of violating God‘s principles.

• You will retire or stop working at some point in life. Who you you go home to is determined by the priorities you put in practice now.

• It has been said that no one gets to the end of their life and wishes they spent more time at work — and you are not the exception.

Visioneering 

By Andy Stanley

• Vision does not always require immediate action, but it does always requires patience.

• With time you can distinguish between your ideas and God’s ideas.

• God grows us into the vision He has for us.

• Your vision will only be an extension of His vision for you.

• Moses, David, Abraham, and many others had a long wait after the vision from God.

• There are good ideas and God ideas. Time will reveal.

• What can you do while you’re waiting? Nehemiah did two things while waiting: he prayed and planned.

• Pray for opportunities and plan as if God is going to give you an opportunity.

• God ordained visions are always too big for us to do alone.

• Success is faithfulness to the process.

• Waiting time is not wasted time for anyone that’s waiting on God’s timing of a vision.

• The “what” always proceeds the “how.” God might tell you what and not how for a long time. Many dreams die in this waiting period.

• How is not a problem for God, it’s His specialty. You are not responsible concerning the how, God will take care of that.

• A good idea is one you have to make happen, but God will make the God-idea happen.

• A vision will solve a problem and meet a need.

• Money usually follows vision, not the other way around.

• Don’t expect others to take greater risks than you are willing to take. It is hypocritical to ask others to take greater risk than you do.

• Sacrifice and risk are almost always part of a vision.

• Don’t listen to your critics or the fire of your vision will go out.

• You influence is much more important to casting your vision than your position.

• Nothing can make up for a lack of moral authority. As a visionary your mortal authority is very important.

• Don’t have inconsistency between what you say you believe and what you do.

• There are many distractions to the vision that God has for you: criticisms and fear are a few.

• Leaders must challenge the status quo.

• Vision requires constant attention.

• Don’t tolerate things that hinder your vision, deal with them.

• Vision requires patience believing God will orchestrate what He has originated.

• Abandon your vision before you abandon your moral integrity.

• Stay focused.

• Everyone has a picture of what their life could or should be, but not everyone is willing to pay the price.