It takes time to build strong healthy relationships. They don’t happen quickly but grow over time. And how we spend that time is essential. I’m not talking about where we go and what we do, I’m recognizing the importance of our interactions, attitudes, and behaviors. Once again, I’ve made a list of some of the…
Don’t you wish liars’ noses grew and their pants did catch on fire? It would be much easier to confidently know the truth if we could quickly identify and reject lies and deception. I’ve shared before how much I hate lying. It seems like our culture assumes it’s just part of life but look at…
The need to forgive and be forgiven is a human condition that affects everyone. And forgiveness is hard. It’s hard to admit we need to be forgiven and at times even harder to let go of our pain and anger so we can forgive others. We just celebrated all that Jesus gave to make our forgiveness…
What are the truths about slander? What should you do if someone slanders you? What should you do if you’re tempted to slander someone else? What do we do if everyone is doing it? Let’s talk…
When it comes to truth-telling where would you fall on a scale of 1 to 10? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 If someone…
Have you seen the acronym WWGGG? We’ve all seen – WWJD. What would Jesus do? But I sometimes wonder if #WWJD has become an easy phrase to use more than it is a personal commitment to actually knowing, loving, and obeying Jesus. When I hear someone affirm something that clearly goes against God’s Word, I…
What does love look like? John wrote… God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave His life for us. 1 John 3:16a What does love look like? Love looks like Jesus. You and I find out the specifics of real love…
Rev has often said, “Jesus taught about the things we should do to get along with one another and God gave us families to practice!” Jesus told His followers… And although we want to trust and follow Jesus’ words and example . . . it’s hard to serve consistently and faithfully exhibit humility and mercy…
Years ago, a reader asked the following: “If God loves us so much, then why are we slowly being dehumanized?Why would God let something like that happen to us? I believe we need to take a closer look and break those questions into 3… 1. Does God love us?2 Are people becoming dehumanized?3. Why does…
True patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, difficulty, or annoyance without getting angry or upset. True patience treats yourself and others with kindness and compassion. Would you say you have true patience? What would your friends say? It’s easy for me to be patient when nothing is annoying me but harder when someone…
Generalizing is the belief that all members of a group are alike. It assumes that a few individuals in the group represent the whole group. Therefore every individual believes, thinks, and acts exactly like all the others. Generalizing believe that… Women are _________. Men are _________. White people are _________. Black people are _________. Democrats…
Oh, my friends, it’s ugly out there and I’ll admit, I have times when it really upsets me! Groups are fighting, families arguing, neighbors feuding and relationships ending. So, I have a question for us to consider… As followers of Jesus, how can you and I disagree with a friend without hateful words and broken…
Do you ever feel like we’re living at a time when people are talking past each other rather than with each other? I like to think that I’m the kind of person with whom people want to discuss life for hours . . . that I’m an excellent listener who’s emotionally supportive offering just the…
It happened many years ago, but I can still remember it like it was yesterday. I was in an intense discussion about God’s characteristics and qualities. As a long-time student of the Bible, I was passionate about the information and faith that inspired my side of the conversation, and that passion led to me proclaim,…
“I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.” ~ Charles Swindoll I totally agree. God created us to be in relationships with Him and with the people…
Paul wrote: Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 Jesus told us to: Love each other. Just as I have loved you. John 14:34 And Evangelist Henry Drummond combined the two, saying… “Kindness is love in action.” But being kind consistently is hard, isn’t it?…
I can still picture where I was standing, hear the words, and feel the way they hit my heart. I’d finally gotten the courage to share my sadness and longings with an older woman in our congregation. But before the words were fully out of my mouth, she looked at me and said, “Shame on…
Rev and I once stayed at a hotel where there was a card on the nightstand that read: W.I.T. Whatever it Takes. Simply dial ’10.’ Our goal is that every guest leaves satisfied.“ As guests, we appreciated both the message and the goal. And then I started thinking… What if every follower of Jesus, the…
[Jesus said], “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.“ Luke 6:37 We know Jesus told His followers to forgive each other. But I think most of us have experienced a time when it…
What makes a healthy trusting relationship? Not just between husband and wife, but with family members and friends, too. Rev and I talked about this recently and determined that we believe trust is essential in all healthy relationships. So, we made a list of things we believe are important to maintain the trust that is…
Have you ever noticed that we spend Mother’s Day telling moms they’re wonderful? We honor them with love through gifts and attention. The goal is to make moms feel appreciated for all they do and celebrate their role in the lives of their children and their influence on society. And that’s great! But there is…
