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Holy Spirit Nudges (Edward Mahoney – 5/13/22 – NCS New Canaan)

May 13, 2022 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment


Edward Mahoney humbly shares the amazing story of how God transformed him from being “Wall Street Centered” to “Jesus Centered” and how he came to understand and boldly respond to “nudges” from the Holy Spirit.

Mahoney transparently tells the story of spending two years in a hospital as a child during which he received last rites twice. He also explains how that experience began to unlock his gift of relating to people.

Ed talks about his successful Wall Street career and then vulnerably reveals the personal toll of falling from the top. He explains the two events that began the transformation from “Wall Street Centered” to “Jesus Centered”, one of which was showing up for the first time at the New Canaan Society. Ed also shares the importance of his NCS Energy Group that has been “showing up” for each other for over 10 years.

In his words, our gifts and talents are gifts from God to be used to bless others for God’s glory. “Nudges” are when we sense we are meant to do something for someone else–those sometimes uncomfortable opportunities to love our neighbor.

Sharing a few anecdotes from his book Tales from the Bright Side: The Holy Spirit Adventures of Edward Peter Mahoney, Ed tells the incredible story of how he came to write a book about his “Holy Spirit” experiences following “nudges” and emphasizes that his book was written as an encouragement and a challenge to all of us to boldly step out when the Holy Spirit nudges.

Finally, Ed shows a “nudge” in action. He explains that as he was walking through the door and greeted one of the staff in the restaurant, he sensed that he was meant to give all the proceeds from book sales that morning to the restaurant staff serving the group. And he does.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Calling and Purpose, Career and Financial Disappointments and Transitions, Chapter Friday, Energy Groups, Faith, Going from Survival-Success to Significance, Gratitude, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Health Challenges and Losses, Isolation-Loneliness-Depression, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Relationships, Serving Others, Transparency and Authenticity

Navigating the Narrow Gate (Tom Cole – 4/29/22 – NCS New Canaan)

April 29, 2022 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment


With amazing wisdom and humility gained on life’s journey, Tom Cole shares the ups and downs that have allowed God to shape him, as well as the role the New Canaan Society and the friendships he has found in NCS brudders have played in his story. He reveals with tremendous vulnerability how his greatest personal growth came through the hardest moments of life.

From a painful and public divorce to two heart attacks, Tom talks about the importance of his faith in Jesus to his ability to weather difficult storms. He explains how the first heart attack ultimately led to his book “The Narrow Gate: Fatherly Advice for Navigating the Pathway to Your Best Life“. Lying on a hospital gurney not knowing if he was going home to Jesus, Tom shares that the “dominant” thought was he had not poured enough wisdom into his kids.

Tom takes us through a few of the chapters, starting with what he has learned about the source of real joy and happiness–deep relationship with God and others. He explains why money and achievement do not bring happiness.

He also explains the importance of sharing our stories–not only so that others can walk with us through them, but so that we can make a connection with those who need us to walk with them through their stories.

He ties it all back to the core of NCS–growing deeper in friendship with Jesus and friendship with others by “showing up”–“showing up” not for what you can get but because you might be able to impact the life of another man. Tom transparently tells stories of how he has “shown up” for others and how others have “shown up” and walked with him through life’s valleys.

Newly retired from a long and successful career in investment banking, Tom describes navigating the transition to a new season of life. He also explains the importance of being present to the moment, living one day at a time, even as we reflect on the past and plan for the future.

This is God-inspired wisdom for leading a life walking in the Way of Jesus–wisdom from a father to his children, from a brother to his brothers, and from a friend to his friends.

If any man truly wants to be an NCS brudder, he needs to listen to this God-inspired wisdom on what we mean by “showing up”.​

Early in his talk, Tom refers to “a message from our sponsor”. He showed a video produced by Chick-fil-A as an employee training tool. You can watch it below.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Uncategorized, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Career and Financial Disappointments and Transitions, Chapter Friday, Christianity-Theology, Crisis and Adversity, Dealing with Emotions, Divorce, Energy Groups, Faith, Father-Son, Forgiveness, Friendship, Going from Survival-Success to Significance, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Healing, Health Challenges and Losses, Leadership, Marriage, Mentoring and Discipleship, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Raising Children, Relationships, Serving Others, Speak Truth, Transparency and Authenticity

Don’t Be Afraid of the Crazy Things God Asks (Brian Jones – 2/7/20 – NCS New Canaan)

February 7, 2020 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Brian Jones shares, with great vulnerability, the incredible life journey he and his family have been on by listening to God’s stirring and then having the courage to take a leap of faith and say “YES”. He tells how this journey has taken him: from thinking he would go to seminary and pursue being a pastor to a highly successful career in finance; from a finance career on Wall Street to a stint as the executive director of a church in Dallas; and from having a few children to having five and then adopting a sixth–and then moving back to a Manhattan apartment (with five children still home).

Jones also shares some of the lessons he has learned along the journey, including about marriage, raising children and being a good steward of God’s gifts. He urges us, at those times when you “can’t say no” but you “could say no” to God’s stirring, to be bold and willing to take major risks. Jones explains that, in his experience, it is not about God asking for a 20-year or 10-year or 5-year plan–it is about following Him and being faithful in the next “yes”.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Calling and Purpose, Career and Financial Disappointments and Transitions, Faith, Father-Son, Fear and Worry, Going from Survival-Success to Significance, Marriage, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Raising Children, Relationships, Stewardship and Generosity

A Call to Virtuous Masculinity (Fr. Louis Leonelli – 11/8/19 – NCS New Canaan)

November 8, 2019 by NCS New Canaan 1 Comment

Father Louis Leonelli starts by sharing a bit of his life story, including his radical and miraculous conversion from a successful Wall Street businessman pursuing wealth, woman and a music career to a humble Franciscan friar serving the homeless in the South Bronx.

Father Louis then examines “masculinity”–real “toxic” masculinity, the normal masculinity that our politically correct culture has deceptively labeled “toxic”, and finally, the “virtuous” masculinity we are called to pursue as followers of Jesus. In exploring virtuous masculinity, he explains and stresses the virtues of temperance, sacrifice and humility. Father Louis ends by sharing what he believes to be the three most important priorities in the pursuit of virtuous masculinity: (1) develop and nurture a relationship with God, (2) develop and nurture relationships with the small circle of people whom we love and who love us and (3) in whatever our stations or callings in life, strive to be the very best version of ourself we can be, all to the glory of God.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Calling and Purpose, Christianity-Theology, Cultural Change and Engagement, Faith, Faithful Presence, Father-Son, Forgiveness, Friendship, Gods Purpose for Business, Going from Survival-Success to Significance, Gratitude, Live Pure, Marriage, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Relationships, Right Wrong, Serving Others, Sexual Habits and Addictions, Speak Truth, Worship the King

Ambition and Life Choices (Paul Michalski – 4/20/18 – NCS New Canaan)

April 20, 2018 by NCS New Canaan 1 Comment

Paul Michalski transparently shares his amazing faith journey and the lessons he has learned about ambition, priorities and identity. He talks about a life of performance, achievement and control that had to face the reality of a marriage crisis in 2003 and near-divorce in 2004. Paul explains the promises of God that he leaned on through that crisis, the way that his life priorities were perfectly upside down, and the stages that eventually culminated in a miracle reconciliation in 2004 (chronicled in Eric Metaxas’s book “Miracles”).

The next turning point in his journey came in 2009 when he felt God’s prompting to leave his prestigious Wall Street legal practice for “a different plan”. Paul discusses what he believes to be a critical identity choice for every follower of Jesus–whether you see yourself as “what you do” or “who you are”. He also shares the implications of that choice in the workplace. Paul’s ensuing nine-year journey since 2009 has included helping NCS in its transition from a regional to a national organization and, most recently, has led to the formation of Integrous LLC (integriosity.com)–an advisory and legal practice helping faith-inspired leaders integrate their work into their faith by pursuing “Integriosity”.

Click the link below for a PDF copy of the slides Paul used in his presentation.

Ambition-and-Life-Choices-NCS-New-Canaan-4-20-18

Click the link below for a PDF of the chapter “God and Marriage” from Eric Metaxas’s book Miracles.

GOD-AND-MARRIAGE

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Calling and Purpose, Career and Financial Disappointments and Transitions, Christianity-Theology, Crisis and Adversity, Cultural Change and Engagement, Divorce, Energy Groups, Evangelism, Faith, Faithful Presence, Fear and Worry, Friendship, Gods Purpose for Business, Going from Survival-Success to Significance, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Integrating Work into Faith, Marriage, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Relationships, Speak Truth, Transparency and Authenticity

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