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The Language of Love
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.” Matthew 5:10 (NET) When we reach the pronouncement of blessing upon those who are persecuted for righteousness, we have ascended the scaffolding that upholds the fullest life of flourishing Christian discipleship. Everything we have encountered up to now has…
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The Language of Peacemaking
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 (NET) The more I study the Beatitudes, the more I’m convinced they are not merely eight (or nine, depending on how you count) distinct Kingdom qualities that constitute human flourishing. They are interrelated and, indeed, draw on one another to form…
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The Language of Repentance
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 (NET) While all the beatitudes are challenging, I find this one almost impossibly hard to grasp, let alone to live out. What does it mean to be pure in heart? And how do we know when we’ve become pure in heart? I…
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The Language of Mercy
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7 (NET) Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Misérables, tells the story of Jean Valjean, a man who had labored in prison for 19 years for merely stealing bread to feed his sister’s starving children. His life in hard labor had, in turn, hardened him until…
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Voices. Vision. Practices. Community. 4: The Language of Power
In this episode of The Imago Leadership Podcast, we explore the often‑misunderstood terrain of power and how it quietly shapes our relationships, teams, and communities. Drawing from Scripture, spiritual formation, and our own lived experiences, we examine the difference between the world’s fear‑driven “power‑over” patterns and the generative, life‑giving power Jesus models. We reflect on…
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The Language of Right Relationship
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6 (NET) I came across an interesting diagram that, I think, simply and clearly shows what leadership looks like in practice: What this illustration tells me is that leadership is much more of a relational practice than a matter of…
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The Language of Gentleness
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 (NET) The 2023 Disney film Peter Pan & Wendy, directed by David Lowery, expands on the original story of Peter Pan by including backstories for both Peter Pan and Captain James Hook. It reveals that they were close friends as children. However, Peter…
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Voices. Vision. Practices. Community. 3: The Language of Belonging
This episode reframes leadership through the surprising lens of The Matrix and the radical wisdom of Jesus’ Beatitudes. We examine how modern leadership culture often mirrors the “blue‑pill” illusion—driven by control, image, and efficiency—while Jesus calls us to a “red‑pill” awakening that forms leaders who bless, listen, reconcile, and create belonging. It’s a fresh, challenging…
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The Language of Discontent
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (NET) If you’ve ever held a leadership position—whether in an organization, church, community, politics, or your own family—you know that leadership can be challenging. Leading is painful, and Jesus was unequivocal that kingdom leadership is cruciform: But Jesus called them and said, “You…
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The Language of Power
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.” Matthew 5:3 (NET) The concept of power is often one we handle with a bit of discomfort. We have seen horrendous abuse of it in both the sacred and secular worlds. So, we think of power in its most corrupt, dehumanizing…
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Voices. Vision. Practices. Community. 2: The Language of Leadership
In this episode, we explore why so many modern leadership models fall short and how Jesus’ Beatitudes offer a radically different way forward. We talk about leadership as a language, the power of story, the role of emotional intelligence, and the deep longing many of us feel for a more human, more sacred way to…
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The Language of Belonging
The Matrix (1999) is a science fiction film set in a future where most humans live unaware that their world is a digital simulation. The real world has collapsed, and intelligent machines now harvest human energy to sustain themselves. To keep people docile, the machines plug them into a lifelike virtual reality—the Matrix—where they go…
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The Language of Leadership
What comes to mind when you hear the word “leadership?” Power, control, authority, or command? Perhaps charisma, confidence, courage, or strength? Most often, I hear leadership defined as influence. All these words relate to what leadership is and how it is experienced in practice. However, many of these descriptors come with drawbacks. They have accumulated…
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