Talk by the Honorable Gregory W. SlaytonHaidian Church BeijingJune 1, 2014 / 11:30 Service

Life Lessons from Our Heavenly Father

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• Honors grad of Dartmouth (BA) & Harvard (MBA) with a Masters in Asian Studies as Fulbright Scholar to Asia

• McKinsey & Company Consultant (NY, Paris, BA)• Silicon Valley CEO and Venture Capitalist• CEO of five different companies (some successful; some not)• Early investor in Google, Salesforce.com, Oakley• Cover of Time magazine and Wall Street Journal

• Former US Ambassador to Bermuda• Ivy League/Stanford/UIBE/Beida Professor

www.GregoryWSlayton.com

Who is GWS? The stuff you might know

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Abandoned by blood father: “I never want to see you or hear from you or talk to you again…”Taken in by a Chinese/American family: the Chang’sMy Chinese family gave me my first Bible My Chinese brother Ken helped lead me to Christ•We first visited China/Taiwan together 31 years ago•He is the Godfather to our four childrenMy Chinese father showed me what a good father is

Who is GWS? The stuff you don’t know

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The book Be a Better Dad Today & China: • Three years to write the book – based on 20 years of observing good/bad fathers so I could learn for myself

- started with observing my US dad and my Chinese dad who showed me the difference between good & bad dads

• My midnight talk with Marina: “I hope the book does well in the US , but somehow I feel I am writing this book for China” • Her prophetic response: “I don’t understand how this is going to happen, but I believe that is exactly right.”

What the devil intended for evil, the LORD has used for Good

National Best-seller in the US with over 100,000 copies sold in 12

countries so far

15,000+ Copies Sold in Taiwan since 8/8/13

Being Published TODAY in China by CIITC Press

It is much easier, safer and less painful to learn life’s key lessons from others rather

than to learn them on your own.

Not having a blood father has made this very clear to me. So I hope the following

might be helpful to you!!

Life Lessons from Our Heavenly Father

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The fundamental importance of Fatherhood

FamilyFaith

Do you know that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you personally? Who will always love you? Who longs to

know you and commune with you?

Yes, it is amazing but it is also true.

Life Lessons Learned from my Chinese Family

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As an honors grad of Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School and as a Fulbright Scholar to Asia: “Commit all you do to the

LORD & He will establish your plans” Proverbs 16:3

Do you know that you can trust Him with your future? But we must ‘walk by faith’

Life Lessons Learned from an Ivy League Education

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From four years running Christian orphanages in Asia and Africa:

My #1 job is not to ‘work’ for Him as my boss, but to stay close to Him as my Heavenly Father

How do you think of God? As a far away deity? As a taskmaster? As a demanding parent? Or as a loving,

caring Heavenly Daddy? This is the most important question in life.

Life Lessons Learned from Christian Service in Asia & Africa

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McKinsey & Co. is the world’s most successful senior strategy consulting firm, advising CEOs of Fortune 500 firms

worldwide. But while I was there a good friend of mine, a guy my age, suddenly passed away:

“We are all going to die. So be sure to have a strategy for this life…and beyond”

Do you have a strategy for facing life…and for facing death?

Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life…those who believe in Me will never die.” John 14:6

Life Lessons Learned at McKinsey & Co.

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I had some big successes & some painful failures as a Silicon Valley CEO. From them I learned:

Failure can be God’s tool, especially if we are not listening carefully. Our Heavenly Father does not want us to be

spiritual babies. He wants us to grow in faith, hope, love…and in purity.

“The fire is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD refines the hearts of His people” Proverbs 17:3

Are you listening carefully to the LORD? If not, he may have to use failure to get your attention.

Life Lessons Learned as a Silicon Valley CEO

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I am not the world’s greatest VC, in fact I am ma ma hou hou at best. But when I put His Kingdom first, He gave us early stakes in Google, Salesforce.com and

Oakley Networks – three of Silicon Valley’s top companies.

God’s work, done God’s way, will not lack God’s support

Do you trust our Heavenly Father to provide? Are you acting like it? Tithing? Generosity? Kindness?

Life Lessons Learned as a Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist

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Each of us, HIs people, are His Ambassadors on this earthWe are His Ambassadors to bring His Good News to our world:

Everyone can be part of His Family through the blood of His Son Jesus, which He paid on the cross as our adoption price.

Are you His Ambassador to your world? “Follow Me and I will make you Fishers of men” Matthew

4:19

If not, why not? Sin? Lack of faith? Fatigue? Indifference?“Come unto Me all ye who are weary and heavy laden…and I

will give you rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28

Life Lessons Learned as a US Diplomat

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Our Heavenly Father wants us to be faithful older brothers & sisters to our younger friends:

mentoring & teaching them so that they may in turn teach others also

“Those things that you have heard from me…commit these to faithful people who will be able to

teach others also” II Timothy 2:2Who are you mentoring?

Who do you know that might appreciate a good mentor?

Life Lessons Learned as an Ivy League/Stanford/PKU/UIBE Professor

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No matter how successful I am on the work front – if I fail to be an effective servant leader at home (if I fail as a husband or as

a father) I am a failure.

To be truly successful, a man must be a good servant leader on the work front AND the home front

Are you succeeding on the home front? Are you succeeding on the work front? If not, why not?

Life Lessons Learned in Leadership

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Being a good father is the most important job I will ever have: more important than being a CEO or an Ambassador or

anything else. To be successful I need three things:1. A Noble Family Vision2. Allies for the Journey

3. The Ten Tools of Fatherhood

What is your most important job? And do you have the right plan? The right friends? The right tools?

Life Lessons Learned as a Dad

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We know the Mission our Heavenly Father has given us. We have devoted ourselves to following His path in

China for the rest of our lives. May He enable us to be a blessing to many.

What is your Mission? What has our Heavenly Father given you to do of eternal significance? Find it and do it.

There is nothing more exciting in life. “There will be a still, small voice behind you saying:

this is the way, walk ye in it.” Isaiah 30:21

Life Lessons Learned as Chairman of Family First Greater China

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The Most Important Things in my life: THE

LORDMy Family:-Marina-Sasha-Christian-Daniel-Nicky

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come,Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who have sinned against us.Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,

forever and ever.Amen.

Please Pray With Us / We Pray for You Daily

- Signed copies of the book at the book table• US best-selling version (hard cover and soft cover)• Traditional Chinese version & Simplified Chinese version• Some other versions as well (Korea, India, Denmark, etc.)

- 100% of revenues go to Family First Greater China

- Maybe we can partner together?

- I look forward to meeting you!!

上帝祝福你 !! God bless you!! 

Let’s Meet Outside and Talk More