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Speaking the Truth Within Community
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of...
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Love Does Alongside the Greatest Visionary
-written by J.J. Cole Some believe that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I’ve found it’s the small things. Everyday deeds by ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay. – Gandalf, Lord of the Rings Earlier this weekend Christine and I did a family devotional with the kids titled “Sandcastles...
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3 Ways to be Intentional on Monday
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. – 1 John 3:18 A few months ago we did a series called “I love Mondays.” Let’s be honest… loving Mondays isn’t easy. In fact, it almost seems human nature to despise Mondays. The weekend is over and it’s “back to the grind.” We drag...
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If You Can’t be Kind, Be Quiet
“If you can’t be kind, be quiet.” This is a phrase I hear myself saying often to my children. I am trying to teach them that their words are important and they should consider their words carefully before using them. I don’t know about you, but this concept is difficult for me to live out, much less my school-aged children. I mean, seriously, how...
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Are You Making God Famous? Listen.
Heath reminded us last Sunday that good listening has four components: Receiving Appreciating Summarizing Asking questions But I believe the most difficult step in the whole process is starting at the beginning—receiving. The actual receiving is not the difficult part, but starting there is. Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish (see Proverbs 18:13). In a race, false starts...
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Show the World What Love Is
Love is a term we use often in today’s society. Sometimes I think it’s a little over used. My son Jack, when he was about 2 or 3, had received a balloon for something. He played with that balloon incessantly, walking around the house and letting the balloon float lazily behind him. But the real fun came when the helium leaked out and it...
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You Have No Right To Throw That Stone
In college, I had this friend who was in a fraternity. He was notorious for being the “life of the party” at any social, formal, or party. In class one day, he told me that after his weekend of heavy partying, he woke up in the morning to find himself naked in the middle of a sorority house across the street from his fraternity. What...
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Can You Hear Me Now? Listening with Intentionality
“Are you listening?” “Listen to me.” “Just stop talking and listen.” I feel like I will never stop telling my children to listen to me. And if they would take the time to listen, I wouldn’t have to continually tell them to close the door when they come inside, to put their shoes in the shoe bin instead of leaving them on the floor,...
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Are You Accepting These Gifts from Christ?
Have you ever given someone a gift they truly appreciated? You see their eyes light up with excitement, they wonder if it is truly theirs, and their heart is full of gratitude. Or maybe, you’ve seen the opposite to be true. You find the “perfect” gift for your loved one, but then realize you were far more excited about the gift than the person...
