A Daily Thunder Series with Eric Ludy
Life and Leadership Lessons from Teddy Roosevelt
Part 1: The Cure for the Weakling
Eric kicks off his new Winter series with this powerful message on the transformative power of difficulty. The life of Teddy Roosevelt is an amazing picture of debilitating weakness converted into profound strength. From a sickly asthmatic to a barrel-chested world-changer—the spiritual lessons that can be excavated from this one man’s life are many.
Part 2: A Bully Buffalo Hunt
In this second episode in Eric’s new series on Teddy Roosevelt, he takes us on a buffalo hunt in the wild west with a young T.R. It’s a crazy adventure that is delightfully entertaining and one that has a power packed spiritual lesson stowed away inside.
Part 3: Facing the Unthinkable
In this third episode in Eric’s new series on Teddy Roosevelt, he brings us into the most challenging moment of T.R.’s young life. And then shows how the great leader was not crushed by such extraordinary difficulty, but actually forged into the man that would impact the world.
Part 4: Fearless Four-Eyes
In this fourth episode in Eric’s new series on Teddy Roosevelt, he unpacks the formative season of this great man. It wasn’t in the comfortable shade of an easy life, but in the open air arena of great challenge and adversity. The greatest men and women never emerge out of ease–they always emerge from the soil of extreme challenge and from overcoming impossible odds.
Part 5: Craving the Crowded Hour
In this fifth episode in Eric’s series on Teddy Roosevelt, he takes a plunge into the inner thoughts, motivations, and outlook of the man. Teddy craved his “crowded hour”. He was always on the lookout for the big moment in his life when he would be called upon to sacrifice everything in order to save many. This burning yearning that Teddy carried throughout his life compels us to keep our eyes wide open to the opportunities for heroism that come to each of us—if we will only reach out and grasp them.
Part 6: McKinley's Down
In this sixth episode in Eric’s series on Teddy Roosevelt, he explores the necessity of calm and confidence in the toolbox of the great leader. When all is falling to pieces, it is essential that the leader holds it together. Teddy Roosevelt is one of history’s great pictures of composure amidst the bomb blasts. Teddy seemed to inexplicably grow ten feet taller in the day of crisis.
Part 7: Shooting a Bull Moose
In this seventh episode in Eric’s series on Teddy Roosevelt, he discusses one of the most amazing events in this man’s extraordinary life. It was the time Teddy was shot in the chest. If you have never heard this story, it is worth a listen. And even if you have heard this story before, a fresh listen would probably do you good. Teddy’s response to being shot is an incredible picture of the Christian’s response to any and all things barking at our souls to, “Shut up! Give up! And don’t you dare take another step forward!”
Part 8: A Very Big Boy
In this eighth episode in Eric’s series on Teddy Roosevelt, he explores the indomitable boyish fervor stowed inside this amazing man. At the age of fifty-three Teddy was not done with his adventures, in fact, he set off on the most dramatic and dangerous adventure of his life. He departed for a journey in the South American Amazon jungle to explore the River of Doubt. Many of us age out of adventure. We leave it for the younger and more virile. But, what if, as Believers in Jesus Christ, we allowed the Spirit of God to press us onward and upward into the desperate adventure of showcasing Christ in a Christ-forsaking world?
Part 9: The Ever Ready Soldier
In this ninth episode in Eric’s series on Teddy Roosevelt, he unpacks Teddy’s unexpected and remarkable response to WW1. As an older man Roosevelt petitioned Woodrow Wilson (the President of the United States at the time) to allow him to go over to Europe and actually enter into the combat—offering all of us as believers an amazing picture of being always ready to fight the good fight. How many of us are ready to fight the spiritual battles in our generation with the same gusto?
Part 10: The Friend
In this tenth episode in Eric’s series on Teddy Roosevelt, he zooms in close on Roosevelt’s world-altering friendship with William Howard Taft. This one friendship made Teddy great and, likewise, made Taft a man for the ages. There is a great power in collaboration. And God designed this fantastic power to be realized in the function of His Church the world over.
Part 11: The FRacture
In this eleventh episode in Eric’s series on Teddy Roosevelt, he shares the anatomy of the breakup of two wonderful friends. How can two men (Roosevelt and Taft) that have shared so much ideologically in common and have loved and cherished one another’s friendship for so long, suddenly let it all go? The same question can be asked of the Church today. When two are intended to walk together, it is a grievous thing to see them walk apart.
Part 12: The Blackstone Hotel
In this twelfth and final episode in Eric’s series on Teddy Roosevelt, he unpacks the moving story of Roosevelt’s and Taft’s providential encounter in the Blackstone Hotel in 1918. There is a Blackstone Hotel in each of our lives—the question is whether or not we choose to capitalize upon it.
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