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Give the Gift of Good Listening
Few doubt the power of a good listener. This is why we have counselors, spiritual directors, coaches, and (in the missions world) debriefers. Basically, we pay people to listen because effective listening is a learned and precious skill. And a gift from God. I recently had the privilege of being debriefed. I recounted something I was wrestling with to someone who listened actively and non-judgmentally. As I processed aloud, I found I could release the angst that incident had produced and find clarity. I realized I could let it go and no longer dwell on it. Telling one’s story in a safe place brings resolution, healing, and growth. This requires…
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Resurrection Living
The big party if over. The family has gone home. The dishes are done, and the house is quiet. Easter Celebration is over. Is that how it is at your house? It is an event that many celebrate yearly. Though some celebrate for a week and others for 40 days, for most Easter Sunday is the climax of their celebration. It is one of the most important and powerful events in the world. Paul put it like this: “For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on…
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Suffering Is Necessary in Order to See Glory
Beyond being a book of facts, people, events, and doctrine, the Bible is book that paints for us a very clear picture of the glory of suffering.
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Accountability, A Timely Lesson from Culture and Jesus
Whatever our circumstances, the hope and will of the Father is that we would use the gift of the church and our community to go through this life together. If your world feels dark, you are always one step away from the light in Jesus Christ found in him and fellow believers carrying the torch, ready to the light the way for each other.
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Called To Disciple
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to have experienced and learned from Jesus during His earthly ministry? The other day my husband and I were having a conversation regarding the way we respond towards different people and their circumstances. He told me that I was like the apostle John and he was more like Peter. Who was John? Well, John was spoken of as the disciple Jesus loved. (John 13:23) The Scripture is clear that John was the brother of James and the son of Zebedee. (Matt. 4:21-22; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16). He was a fisherman by trade and an ordinary man. Many are familiar with John because he wrote five books…
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Who Do You Say I Am?
Most of us know the greatest stories ever told. Noah, his ark in the flood, and the promise of the rainbow. Moses parting the Red Sea as the Israelites escaped from Egypt. The baby Jesus lying in the manger with shepherds and wise men paying honor to the newborn King. The empty tomb on Sunday morning. Often in stories our focus is on the action or the players or the outcome. But the stories of the Bible have another purpose––to turn our focus to the Author of life. To fix our minds on God. Renowned theologian A.W. Tozer said, “What you think about God is the most important thing…
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Painting Rocks for Pennies
When I was eight-ish years old, a neighbor friend and I gathered a bunch of rocks, painted them, and sold them door to door for a quarter. We did surprisingly well…well enough to buy some candy from Pauley’s Grocery Store. I don’t know why I love rocks. I don’t know their appeal. I just know that when I see one with unique characteristics and hidden qualities, I have to pick it up. I feel like that’s how Jesus felt picking his disciples. Seeing someone that others have overlooked. Appreciating a deeper quality only He could see. Overlooking rough edges knowing He could redeem it and redirect it for a…
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Christian Cliques – A Problem to Overcome
What we want and what we get are often two very different things! You would think that inthe church of all places we would easily find community. However, our churches often consist of a large group ofpeople coming together for worship but leaving in cliques. New comers may be welcomed in word while excluded from our conversations and activities. Even Jesus had close friends with whom He spent more time than He did with the large crowds that came to Him for healing or to hear Him preach. Was that a clique? By definition a clique is “a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons; especially:one held together…
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The New Testament Embraces Suffering
God never intended for his creation to suffer. And most would agree that foolish choices by way of sin and rebellion can lead to suffering. But should suffering befall disciples of Jesus Christ? In a word, yes. If my last four blog posts have not convinced you, then let’s dive into the New Testament for more evidence. Jesus suffered more than any human before or after him. He had first-hand knowledge of rejection, humiliation, injustice, and shunning by friends and family. He prepared his proponents to expect the same (Matt. 5:44–45). The one who has…
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Holy Week – Jesus Praying in the Garden
After sharing the Passover meal Jesus and his disciples begin walking toward the Garden of Gethsemane. Anticipating what was going to happen to him in a matter of hours, Jesus goes ahead to a place to pray asking Peter, James and John to wait with Him while he prays. He was deeply distressed and troubled (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14: 32-41; Luke 22:40-46). He falls to the ground burdened with excessive sorrow. He prays to the Father for Himself, for His disciples and for all who would ever believe – for you and for me. Can you imagine what it would have been like to overhear the prayer conversation between…
