Ken Shigematsu, senior pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver and author, explores how to remain hopeful amidst a chaotic world. He reflects on Advent’s paradox of light and darkness, emphasizing the importance of facing harsh realities while holding onto faith. Drawing from scripture, Ken discusses resilience in uncertain times, shares insights on Isaiah's prophetic messages, and encourages listeners to embrace hope through the promise of redemption and the light of Christ's coming.
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insights INSIGHT
The Difficulty of Prediction
Predicting the future is difficult, even for experts.
The world is complex, and unforeseen events make accurate long-term predictions nearly impossible.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Stockdale's Story
Admiral Jim Stockdale survived being a POW in Vietnam for 7 years.
He attributed his survival to faith in the end of the story, not naive optimism.
insights INSIGHT
Source of Hope
We need hope to persevere, not toxic optimism.
True hope comes from looking to God, not experts.
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In this book, Philip E. Tetlock evaluates the predictive abilities of experts by analyzing 27,451 verifiable predictions made by 284 world-renowned experts over more than 20 years. He finds that expert predictions are often no better than random guesses and identifies two types of thinkers: 'hedgehogs,' who are confident in their single, overarching idea, and 'foxes,' who are more eclectic and adaptable. Tetlock argues that foxes are generally more accurate in their predictions due to their ability to consider multiple perspectives and adapt to new information. The book also explores how the media often favors hedgehogs for their confident and decisive statements, despite their lower accuracy.
Good to Great
Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
Jim Collins
In 'Good to Great,' Jim Collins and his research team investigate why some companies achieve long-term greatness while others do not. The book identifies key concepts such as Level 5 Leadership, the Hedgehog Concept, a Culture of Discipline, and the Flywheel Effect. These principles are derived from a comprehensive study comparing companies that made the leap to greatness with those that did not. The research highlights that greatness is not primarily a function of circumstance but rather a result of conscious choice and discipline. The book provides practical insights and case studies to help businesses and leaders understand and apply these principles to achieve sustained greatness.
How do we remain hopeful in a world that's falling apart? Ken Shigematsu reflects on the paradox of Advent, where light meets darkness and hope confronts despair. He challenges us to look honestly at our realities, confront the brutal facts, and find unshakable hope in Christ's first coming and promised return.
Key Scripture Passages: Luke 21v25-28; Isaiah 9v1-2, 6; Mark 13v7-8, 24-26
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