Shrewd is NOT a 4-Letter Word

Nobody unpacks Scripture like Rick Lawrence. With unfaltering precision, he can dissect one passage – one verse! – like a skilled surgeon using an implement the rest of the world has yet to even try!

Shrewd – like his first work, Sifted – takes a long look at a short verse in a way most Christians have never considered.

And Shrewd, also like Sifted, does not disappoint. The leadership principles contained within will revolutionize the way people think about themselves, their relationships, and their circles of influence.

I opened the book believing that being ‘shrewd’ was merely a buttercup word for manipulating, conniving, disingenuous opportunist.  I closed it realizing that shrewdness is little more than the development of  and appreciation for the spiritual gifts of discernment and wisdom and using them in tandem… like training wheels that keep a bicycle upright as one navigates the asphalt of true leadership.  And I was never so stunned by Scripture or Jesus than when I found out it was a directive given to His disciples….

Though the book is based on Scripture, the wisdom contained within is completely user friendly – regardless of where one’s faith-base lies…or if they even have one, at all.

Grab a copy – and be prepared to wrestle down the way your approach every relationship in your life….or make a comment on this blog, my Facebook page, or via Twitter – and win your own digital copy!  (I’ll draw the winner from all entries throughout the week.)

Or just buy a copy!

Real Stories from SYMC #18

Rick Lawrence.

For something like 30 years, Rick has been the editor of Group Magazine.  He ‘gets it.’  He understands youth ministry – not just the skin surface, but the deep innards and organs.  He loves students – and those of us who work with them.  And not just the make-up face and white teeth version of us, but the dark underbelly of who we really are.  I have never (and I am NOT exaggerating) been in Rick’s presence where God has not spoken clearly through Rick’s wisdom.  It usually feels like a splash of cold water.  Sometimes that comes like the refreshment of jumping into a cold-water spring on a blistering day.  Sometimes it feels more like a  frigid glass of water jolting me awake after a complacent slumber.  In both cases – I couldn’t be more grateful.  It’s vital to have friends who can throw a glass of water in your face…and then hand you a towel and help you dry off.  Rick is that kind of friend.

Glean wisdom from him at SYMC.  Read his latest book, Sifted.  Get to know him.