There are two ways to understand this characteristic. Let’s consider both. “Being positive” can mean “being absolutely sure about something.” When you are absolutely sure about something, be kind. If you know you are right about something and someone else is wrong, be gentle. Be humble. Ephesians 4:15 teaches, “Speak the truth in love.” When you are absolutely sure about something, […]
A clear memory from my youth was my dad saying, “Aim high. You might hit the outhouse wall, but dust yourself off and aim higher again.” Too often in life we aim too low. Aim higher. Aim higher than happiness and fun. People talk about these ad nauseam. We measure all too much of life by how happy something makes […]
Conflict abounds. This side rages against that side. Make signs. Post tweets. Getting even morphs into getting ahead. My side wins; your side loses. It has been a long time since John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band sang, “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” We Christians serve the Prince of Peace, he who said, “Blessed are […]
Read lots. One of the best ways to read lots is to read a little bit every day. Over the course of sixty or seventy years if you read a little bit every day, it will add up to lots! Read the Bible. Aggressively. Plan to make it through the entire Bible at least once a year. While this is […]
The less time you spend trying to be what you are not the better. God gives some gifts to all people. He does not give all gifts to all people. He has dealt you some cards but not every card. In life, your work, your family and in the congregation make sure you play the hand you are dealt and […]
I always thought we should change the words from: “Like a mighty army moves the Church of God” to “Like a might army meets the Church of God.” Why is it that church meetings seem to take forever and go nowhere? As a leader in your congregation a fair amount of your time will be spent in meetings, some official […]
As a leader in your congregation you may be asked from time to time to offer up a public prayer. (Remember, pastors are not the only ones who can pray.) It can be a nerve-racking experience. One of my anxieties as a beginning pastor was praying publicly. I remember as a freshly minted minister being asked to say the prayer […]
People love sports. People relish the thrill of victory. Winner! People love games. Board games continue to be popular. Card games haven’t gone away. Some people love video gaming to the point of addiction. Competition! I win; you lose. You win; I lose. While competition may have its place as a play thing, it is a dangerous toy. Competition compares […]
What does it mean to “love your neighbor as yourself?” What in our love for self should shape our love for others? At least one of the ways we love ourselves is that we give ourselves a lot of slack. We put the best construction on our own actions. We easily let ourselves off the hook. We self-assess our lives […]
I read two, but only needed to read one, books by Frank Peretti. One was plenty. I mean this is a good sense. In his book, This Present Darkness, he gave a great picture of demonic oppression. He personalized how certain demons plague the people of God. The idea was clear in the first book. I do not suppose that […]