During the civil war, when Lincoln put Grant in charge of the army, there was a lot of grumbling. Grant was not one of the "old school" command group. He was a drinking man, and unpopular with other generals. Lincoln responded to this grumbling by sending Grant several cases of whisky. "He fights!" is what Lincoln had to say about Grant. I don't know how well you know your history, but a lot of generals had come and gone for the Union army who didn't. Grant wasn't clever; he wasn't fancy; he just went out and ground his enemies down. In other words, he got things done. In a time where other men were paralyzed with fear or pride, he wasn't.

When I started working at Sun, I worked for just such a guy. He was loud and outspoken, but he worked around the clock if he had to. He wasn't amazingly clever, either. But he would charge right in if he needed to, and chip away at things until they were worn down to nothing. I bet most of you don't know how your car actually works, but you know how the key does. Well, if Chuck was testing a car he would start with the key. He would figure out how the ignition system works, and test it. Then he would move on to the starter, the alternator, and eventually the engine itself. All along the way he would understand more and more. The AC pump is not a whole lot different than a fuel pump. And a motor, like the starter or the alternator, is not amazingly different. He would go from knowing nothing but the key to knowing it all. Maybe not the most efficient way to learn how an engine works, but he is not the guy who looks at a task and throws up his hands. He would go with what he knows and work on from there.

Now, when I got transferred here from Colorado, I brought that mentality with me. I was eventually put in a group that did ... nothing. Well, they talked about doing things, but that's all the farther it ever went. When I made a suggestion, it was quickly shot down. I was not "old school" to these people, being a newcomer. Fine. But eventually I got assigned to a different group; one whose boss wasn't sure what to do with me so he gave me a free hand. We had a hugh project to accomplish, and he was busy enough keeping developers on track. There were four of us test guys, and since I had an inkling about a few things I convinced the others to join me in my effort. Pretty soon we had everything under control, and other groups at Sun (including the original group that didn't want me) were coming to us for advice/help. See, instead of just talking about things, we were doing them. Our methods aren't clever, or fancy, or amazing. We just attacked a task from where we understood and plowed on in with both feet. As we went along, we found ways to test just about anything and everything. The engineering model we came up with has been used as a blueprint for success for several other projects. I see other groups often resist our style at first. They are paralyzed wondering if it is going to work, or paralyzed from pride because it wasn't invented by them. Their managers have no such hesitation. It works. After a while, our style becomes their style.

The comparison here should be obvious. Often times we are paralyzed in speaking up or teaching a friend or a neighbor. Maybe they have a pretty good grasp of the scriptures already, maybe even better than we do! But they may still not "get" it. Or we simply may think we don't know enough to teach someone else. So what to do? Start with the things we do know, and move one from there. When you study, don't get ahead of yourself. First establish the bible is the one and only book. Now, establish the author is God. And then... well, you get the idea. This style, or your speaking, may not be fancy or clever. But it's a pattern that works. And, ultimately, it's the message, isn't it?

John 5:47 But if you believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

I Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Romans 10:14-17 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. or ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?