AUTHENTICITY: OPENING YOUR HEART Your life may well be your greatest asset, or liability, i tea!

"i g# Go a"ea$, wow t"em wit" a e%!elle t &rese tatio of '(eali g )it" Tem&tatio #' *ut u til t"ey se se t"at you are i t"e mi$$le of t"is battle wit" t"em, $o +t e%&e!t t"em to ta,e it too seriously# Of !ourse, s&e $i g time wit" your stu$e ts gi-es t"em t"e best o&&ortu ity to see your life, but a se!o $ way is t"roug" your tea!"i g# (o +t .ust o&e t"e )or$# O&e your life# /et t"em s"are t"e t"rill of your -i!tories, t"e ago y of your $efeats# I$eas: (isti guis" A&&ro&riate 0rom I a&&ro&riate 1"ari g# Aut"e ti!ity $oes +t mea your life is a o&e boo,# 1ome !"a&ters are betwee you a $ Go$# Your re&utatio is im&orta t# 2ualifie$ C"ur!" lea$ers must "a-e a goo$ re&utatio bot" i si$e a $ outsi$e of t"e !"ur!"# Total o&e ess !oul$ "arm a yo e+s re&utatio # Attra!te$ to a girl i your yout" grou&3 (o +t bri g it u& for &rayer, e-e amo g your two ,ey yout"# T"e 'Yout" Gossi& Networ,' is "ig"ly effi!ie t# )"e "er mom fi $s out, you may be loo,i g for a ew !"ur!"# A goo$ rule of t"umb: $o +t s"are a yt"i g you+$ be u !omfortable wit" all t"e &are ts a $ staff , owi g# Ot"er !"a&ters are betwee you a $ your wife# (o +t s"are t"at family argume t wit"out t"e &ermissio of your family# A $ $o +t !o sta tly tell fu y stories t"at i -ol-e your ,i$s if t"ey woul$ ot a&&re!iate it# 1"are Your )ea, esses# )"e you begi wor,i g wit" yout", you i sti !ti-ely wa t to im&ress t"em# 'If t"ey t"i , I+m a s"ar& &erso , t"ey will follow me#' True, but o ly to a !ertai e%te t# No o e wa ts to follow a total er$# *ut ma y i your grou& will e-er a!4uire t"e bo$y of a Gree,

go$, t"e 5ames *o $ way wit" wome , or a &erfe!t 1AT s!ore# A $ ma y feel t"ey are losers be!ause of it# E-e t"at su!!essful at"lete ago i6es be!ause "e e-er meets "is fat"er+s e%&e!tatio s# Your &o&ular !"eerlea$er may &ri-ately ago i6e o-er "er weig"t, $a gerously teeteri g o t"e e$ge of a ore%ia er-osa# 1i !e most yout" li-e i &ai ful aware ess of t"eir s"ort!omi gs, t"ey $elig"t i , owi g t"at you s"are some of t"eir s"ort!omi gs, yet are still able to li-e a abu $a t life i C"rist# I ofte s"are my real a $ &er!ei-e$ s"ort!omi gs from my tee years, li,e t"at fateful $ay i 7t" gra$e P#E# w"e we were i stru!te$ to see "ow ma y &ull8u&s we !oul$ $o# )it" all eyes u&o me, gi-i g it my all, I ma age$ to "a g o t"e bar wit"out falli g# /ittle, !"ubby 1te-ie gutte$ out e%a!tly 6ero &ull8u&s# 9ost ,i$s , ow "ow I felt# T"e -ast ma.ority are ot t"e to& at"letes# O !e t"ey , ow I !a i$e tify, t"ey wa t to liste to "ow I lear e$ to "a $le my self8esteem, a $ "ow t"is e%&erie !e le$ me to better $iet a $ e%er!ise# 9y struggles wit" a!a$emi!s :my &oor memory ma$e some !lasses -ery $iffi!ult;, relatio s"i&s :stoo$ u& t"e ig"t of my first &rom for a ot"er guy;, a $ feeli gs of i a$e4ua!y are some of t"e most &owerful tools I "a-e for i$e tifyi g wit" my stu$e ts# I a -ery real se se, Go$ s"ows stre gt" t"roug" our wea, esses# Relis" i t"em# (o +t "i$e t"em# )it" my stre gt"s I !omma $ t"eir res&e!t# )it" my wea, ess I wi t"eir "earts# Ha-e you "ear$ a y s&ea,ers w"o were tra s&are t3 How $i$ t"eir o&e ess affe!t t"eir im&a!t3 I re!e tly "ear$ a ma s&ea,i g o !o te tme t# It was a goo$ message, but I felt a little $eta!"e$# After all, "ere was a "a $some, goo$ !ommu i!ator at a -ery large, su!!essful !"ur!"# )"at $i$ "e , ow about !o te tme t i $iffi!ult times3 *ut t"e "e a swere$ my u -oi!e$ 4uestio by s"ari g about "e a $ "is wife+s u su!!essful struggle to "a-e !"il$re # I ago i6e$ wit" "im as "e relate$ t"eir lo-e for !"il$re , a $ !ommitme t to family# Yet, t"ey foug"t bitter ess w"e t"ey saw Go$ gi-i g !"il$re freely to u $eser-i g, eglige t &are ts, w"ile &assi g t"em by# It was as if t"e s&ea,er "a$ rea!"e$ out "is "a $, gri&&e$ my t"roat, a $ sat me o t"e e$ge of my seat# I staye$ o t"e e$ge t"e rest of t"e ser-i!e# (a-i$

Ri g effe!ti-ely mi isters out of t"e !ri&&li g effe!ts of !"il$"oo$ &olio, a $ t"e $eat" of "is mot"er# A C"ristia !ome$ia relates by s"ari g "is struggles wit" $ysle%ia a $ obesity# )"at wea, esses !a you a&&ro&riately s"are wit" your yout"3 1"are Your 1tre gt"s# O t"e ba!,$ro& of your wea, esses, s"ari g stre gt"s will less li,ely !ome a!ross as arroga !e# T"e A&ostle Paul !oul$ say, ')"ate-er you "a-e lear e$ or re!ei-e$ or "ear$ from me, or see i me<&ut i to &ra!ti!e#' :P"il# =:>a; I+m ot !omfortable usi g t"e 'w"ate-er' wor$ yet, but I !a e !ourage yout" to follow me i !ertai areas of my life# It+s ot &ri$eful to tell t"em "ow I o-er!ame a tem&tatio , $e-elo&e$ a !o siste t 4uiet time, ma$e a goo$ !"oi!e of frie $s, a $ wit esse$ to t"at eig"bor# It is &ri$eful if I s"are it out of a "aug"ty s&irit, ot gi-i g glory to Go$ for w"at He "as wor,e$ i me# *ut t"ey ee$ to "ear my su!!esses# T"is is "ow t"ey , ow t"e C"ristia life wor,s# Is t"ere a stre gt" you !oul$ s"are i t"is wee,+s lesso 3 1"are Your (efeats a $ ?i!tories# (o +t belie-e e-eryt"i g you rea$ i !urre t su!!ess literature# 'A&&ly t"ese si% &ri !i&les, a $ you will a!4uire abu $a t wealt", "ealt", a $ frie $s"i&s#' 1ure# I ofte wo $er w"at ,i $ of results t"at or&"a growi g u& o t"e streets of Cal!utta !oul$ e%&e!t from rea$i g t"e boo,# Real life !o sists of bot" su!!esses a $ failures# A $ t"e roa$ to su!!ess is ofte &a-e$ wit" failures# /et t"em , ow "ow you are lear i g to get u& from a fall, $ust yourself off, a $ ,ee& &luggi g away# A $ w"e you emerge -i!torious, e-eryo e !a re.oi!e wit" you a $ gi-e &raise to Go$# O e of my greatest !om&lime ts !ame from a former yout" of mi e, ow i -o!atio al C"ristia wor,, w"o sai$, '1te-e, you ma$e t"e C"ristia life li-able#' I t"i , w"at "e mea t was t"at I s"are$ e oug" of my struggles a $ -i!tories to w"ere "e , ew t"at a ormal &erso li,e "imself !oul$ follow 5esus# I tell about t"e struggle I "a$ tryi g to $e-elo& a o!o siste t &rayer life# If I am tea!"i g o &rayer, but

my &rayer life for t"e &ast mo t" "as fra ,ly stu ,, I a$mit it, as, for t"eir &rayers, a $ tell t"em my &rogress e%t wee,#