Watch That Tone
Tone of voice makes a big difference in communication. Honest words spoken with he wrong tones are self-defeating. “Speak the truth in love.” (Eph 4:15) Some tones are clearly unacceptable. Some are destructive to good relationships and even misrepresent and dishonor God. Consider the following wrongful tones… Condescending, Bossy, Angry, Snobby, Frustrated, Impatient, Defensive, Moody, […]
Hoping In Humans
Everyone has faith, in one way or another. People drive across bridges, having faith the bridge will hold them up. Even the atheist has faith… a faith that there is no God, and personally, I don’t have enough faith to believe God doesn’t exist, that’s why my hope is not in science. My hope is […]
Life Between Two Intentions: You intended- God intended
Joseph said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). Joseph confessed that God (not his offenders) is Lord of his circumstances. He confessed that God is in control of his life. His brothers were […]
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The Hardening of The Heart
“Uphold me with a generous spirit.” (Psalm 51:12) Could there be a scarier spiritual dynamic than the hardening of the heart? Could anything be sadder to watch than a warm and tender man become cold and hard? What’s worse than coming to a place where you actually have the capacity to feel right about what […]
Life Hurts- God Heals
We all get hurt in this life. We hurt, we hurt others and it’s important to respond and not react when you’ve been hurt and disappointed. If you’ve hurt others, repent and don’t just say, “I am sorry,” without a sense of godly sorrow. Responding to the hurts and disappointments of Life- You will get […]
David Needed Wisdom To Break David’s Hold On David
“You teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” (Psalm 51:6) Look at what Moses records as being one of the things that attracted Adam and Eve to the forbidden fruit. Here’s what’s said in Genesis 3:6 “… and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise.” We will never understand the full […]
Failure To Forgive Will Change You From A Victim To A Victimizer
In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells a parable. As is often the case with parables, it is powerful and unpredictable. You don’t expect the way it sneaks up and surprises us by pointing out our own failures and need for grace. This parable is no exception. You will note something powerful with what the unmerciful servant […]
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Ugly Behavior Reveals The Ugly Condition of The Heart!
No matter how you spin it, forgiveness is costly. Regardless of how big or small the offense, canceling a debt and absorbing the cost is going to hurt. The parable in Matthew 18, shows us that not forgiving also has a price, and it is higher than the price forgiveness demands. This is where we […]
I Hand The Entire Matter To The Only One Who Sees The Entire Story
Vertical forgiveness doesn’t excuse any action or restore a relationship. It is a choice to free ourselves, to begin healing. I must forgive the offender, for my benefit- Yes, for my benefit. This is one of the pieces many of us miss in forgiveness. We must go through vertical forgiveness (between me and God) before […]
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What Is Keeping You From Letting Go of Past Regrets?
If we humbly and honestly look at our lives, we’ll be forced to conclude that we’re flawed humans. And yet we don’t have to beat ourselves up. We don’t have to work to minimize or deny our failures. We don’t have to be defensive when our weaknesses are revealed. We don’t have to rewrite our […]