Encourage the Good

Nigel Pollock

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Christianity

I spend my life trying to encourage the good wherever I can find it. I think about how faith relates to culture and how the Bible applies to every area of life. I am interested in innovation, leadership, creativity and sport. Ideas and stories are the currency of life and open up new horizons. I would like you to know the love of God and the joy, peace and hope that are found in Jesus.

03/02/2024

Friendly Fire

In my experience the hardest things in leadership are dealing with opposition and managing internal frustration and disappointment. In both cases the strength of emotion that accompanies the narrative makes it hard to chart a steady course. The people are in need, insecure and in debt. They are in despair and impotent.. This threat is from within.. The division is a diversion from the work of God and a distraction from the real enemy I can think of a few instances where red mist has descended, and I have acted in ways which I do not look back on with pride. The primal reaction that triggers the fight or flight response tends to escalate a situation in the short term and usually leads to depression and fear. When we get mad or threatened a desire for control and retribution rises within us. We want to put people in their place but that is not the same thing as God putting people in His place.
02/19/2024

Leadership facing attack and under pressure

Opposition can feel like an indication that we are doing something wrong, but it can often indicative that we are moving in the right direction. One of the things to consider facing opposition is what is the truth of this accusation. Problem is that we resonate with the elements of truth in the accusation rather than considering the truth in the wider context and situation. The people are frail, it is frustrating, and they have good reason to be afraid. When you are tired and have real issues to deal with succumbing to fear and despair become a much bigger temptations. You lose perspective and the narrative that you believe in is changed. Faith is displaced by fear and the view of the majority reshapes our view of God. When Leaders take credit for things that God has done they grow their reputation rather than enhance the glory of God and build reliance on themselves rather than faith in God.
02/19/2024

Building Together

Everything is broken down, the state of disrepair is exhaustive, but it is addressed by a comprehensive endeavour where each person and group plays their part. Each of us has a part to play. The different individuals and groups have a common vision and a shared purpose. Their diversity enriches the task force as they bring different backgrounds, strengths and perspectives. In IFES we work in many different countries and contexts. But the common purpose is to help youth, students and graduates discover Jesus, develop undivided lives and grow in influence. Ultimately to see lives transformed by the gospel and companies, institutions and communities shaped by the impact of the word of God.
01/20/2024

Secret Service

Nehemiah Episode 4 It is very informative to watch how Nehemiah goes about things in this new season. He catches his breath. He does not do anything for three days. Rest and reset are important. The whole idea of recreation is being recreated in the image of God. God has ordained rhythms of rest and work, night and day, sleep and activity. He explores the ground. He needs to see for himself what the situation is. This is missiology. He seeks to understand the context and the nature of the challenge. He casts Vision and calls to action. The call to action is an invitation. He faces ridicule and prepares for battle. The quickening of the work, results in an escalation of the opposition.
01/20/2024

The right place at the right time.

Nehemiah: Episode 3 Timing is everything. One of my recurrent prayers is that I would be in the right place at the right time with the right heart, with the right words for the right people. Nehemiah decides that this day in the month of Nisan will be when he takes the risk of talking to the king. He is a servant and although he has access to the king his position is precarious and he is fearful of losing his position, his freedom or even his life. He repurposes a situation to turn it into an opportunity. What is interesting is that he leads with emotion rather than words. He lowers his guard and allows the king to see how he feels If we take one thing from this passage into our daily life I suggest it might be “Pause to Pray”. God answers prayer. It is the norm rather than the exception. Prayer is more like putting money in the bank than buying a lottery ticket. So for me the crux of this is to remember that God is bigger than the biggest challenge I can face, That the opposite of faith is not doubt it is fear and that God can do more in and through my weakness than I can hope for or imagine.
01/20/2024

The in between times.

Nehemiah: Episode 2 How does Nehemiah cope in the in between time of a growing sense of what the future may hold and continuing to carry out his responsibilities in the present. How do we cope in our own in between times, facing the opportunities of tomorrow and the challenges of today? I often find conflict in processing experiences and reflecting on how I feel about circumstances. There is almost always a lot to process and to be in an emotional interference pattern is not at all unusual. Faced with conflicting and contrasting feelings being orientated to the character of God is our anchor and our only compass. We can do nothing without God’s help and power. Now I am an activist, I know the theory of this but the practice is much harder. I have this idea in my head that is hard to dislodge that leadership is about doing things and that these things should all go well. I am a servant, I wait for instruction, I seek favour and I need help.
01/20/2024

A Curious Conversation

Nehemiah has a huge amount to teach us about leadership but not necessarily the things that we might expect. The first thing to note is the context that the story takes place in, understanding the times and discerning what God is doing in our moment is crucial if we are to follow God’s leading and allow that to shape our plans, rather than asking him to bless our initiatives. We do not have all the answers and will not arrive at the correct conclusions solely through our own endeavours. As our understanding grows we need to seek God’s face and not just his hand. We do not conjure solutions from our imagination but humbly come to the Lord.
02/02/2022

Groundhog Day

“What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same and nothing that you did, mattered?” “That about sums it up for me." Covid 19 has seen many of us feeling trapped in our own version of Groundhog Day. The calendar does tick over for us but the rhythm of our lives has been disrupted. The weeks lose their distinctiveness and one day bleeds into another. There are days when I have found it hard to be motivated because every single thing on my to do list could be done tomorrow.

I spend my life trying to encourage the good wherever I can find it. I think about how faith relates to culture and how the Bible applies to every area of life. I am interested in innovation, leadership, creativity and sport. Ideas and stories are the currency of life and open up new horizons. I would like you to know the love of God and the joy, peace and hope that are found in Jesus.

Creator

Nigel Pollock
Years Active

2021 - 2024
Episodes

112
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Encourage the Good
Show Website

Encourage the Good