Please, Sorry, Thanks
The best predictor of success in life, in love, and in leadership is your proficiency at please, sorry, and thanks. Those three words are the foundation of all healthy relationships…
The best predictor of success in life, in love, and in leadership is your proficiency at please, sorry, and thanks. Those three words are the foundation of all healthy relationships…
Following Jesus as an act of resistance to our cultural push toward hurry, hustle, distraction and shallowness. Most of our greatest mistakes tend to come when we’re in a hurry.…
We do these practices like (slowing, simplicity, silence, solitude, sabbath and more) in order to grow the fruit of the Spirit within us and cultivate compassion like Christ within our…
Modern Family “Setting the Tone” Jeff Jones, Senior Pastor 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 For every one of us here, we want to help those we love flourish in life, not hinder…
“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” Have you ever heard something so ridiculous? Anyone who has ever been crushed under the weight of…
This morning as I woke up and tended to the needs of my precious 12 year old pup whom I simply adore, I was pleasantly welcomed by a hint of…
“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” Have you ever heard something so ridiculous? Anyone who has ever been crushed under the weight of…
Paul mentions Oneisiphorus in the book of 2 Timothy. He was a loyal man, an encourager to Paul. He was an unsung hero of the Bible who exemplified friendship! www.kevindeyoung.org.
People can be perturbing. Marriage and family life would be a lot less stressful if husbands and children didn’t sometimes act irresponsibly or disregard our feelings or instructions. Ministry would…
As a child of God, you have a very special relationship with other Christians. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians pictures this relationship in two different ways. First, every believer is…
I have a besetting sin. A big one. I am angry. I have serious lung issues and I am immunocompromised. Long before COVID, I lived in fear of lugging an…
It’s easy to forget that even people like Paul the apostle needed—and indeed had—friends. In the book of Philippians, he named several of them, including Timothy. This man added enormous…
I was crushed when I read the letter. The homeowner’s association had the audacity to call them weeds. The first tiny sprouts had promised me red tubular flowers set against…
Epaphroditus kind of sounds like a disease, doesn’t it? It’s an unusual name. But in the Bible, Epaphroditus was a dear friend and servant of Paul the apostle. His name shows…
““Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble…
There are many opinions on what these three terms mean and how they relate to each other. Here are my thoughts. All three terms describe a process whereby a person…
Dear Roger, I’m concerned that the “haves” in our society are getting more, while the “have-nots” are falling farther behind. We are a middle-class family, and I’ve never really associated…
Are manners still important in this day and age? Dr. Leman discusses the importance of etiquette in your kid’s behavior. www.birthorderguy.com.
Dear Roger, Jesus told us to love our enemies, but I’m having trouble with that. I have some people who are really hurting me. In fact, I think that I…
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were…
Dr. Thabite Anywabile, author for the Gospel Coalition, wrote twelve practical ways to love those who disagree with us: Options for church unity are wider than we admit. After all,…
Dear Roger, I hear so many people these days saying, “Christians are the problem,” or “Christians are unloving and judgmental.” Why is having a moral compass and a…
Dear Roger, I recently attended the funeral of one of my best friends. As I listened to the comments, I was surprised by how many people weren’t really…
The 3 P’s: Presence, Prayer, Practical Help are just the few ways you can be there for others. But more important than coming up with the 3 p’s for a…
When leading through uncertainty, you must display your humanity. You have to be vulnerable, transparent, real. The people who are looking to you need to experience your empathy because they…
Children say cruel things. We can’t always protect our children from cruelty, but we can give them tools to cope and respond appropriately. Parents, you can help your child to…
Dear Roger, Please help me build my relationship with God while I’m isolated from my church and others. Sincerely, Ronnie Dear Ronnie, I would love to help! I’ve put together…
Kids are the best comforters! I was five when I was diagnosed with scarlet fever and pneumonia and imprisoned (I mean quarantined) at home for four months! My kindergarten buddies…
After a discussion with my daughter recently about the subject of spiritual gifts, I’d thought I’d post an evaluation form used to help others discover their area of gifting. I…
I know a few jerks who have made it pretty far in life. To pretend otherwise would be a lie. Jerks occasionally win. They make lots of money. They get…
A mother asked, “Where have you been?” Her little girl replied, “On my way home I met a friend who was crying because she had broken her doll.” “Oh,”…
WHY YOU SHOULD SEE “A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD?” Russell Moore, in his charming article about Fred Rogers, pulls our heartstrings and reminds us how we should cherish…
“Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do. Remember that the Lord is coming soon.” Philippians 4:5 LB “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.…
I have two sets of parents. Both couples were wed during the Jurassic period (not really). Both were married almost 60 years. I watched each twosome grow old together. One…
Jon Acuff writes a hilarious (but truthful) assessment about how churches treat singles: Single adults, I have failed you. Although I’ve written a handful of ideas about being single at…
In the list of spiritual fruit in Galatians 5:22-23 “faithfulness” and “meekness” are listed next to each other. Faithfulness has to do with the keeping of promises, and the courageous…
God wants to bless every relationship you have! In John 15:13 Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Deborah Haddix…
Someone sent me a picture of a sign they saw in a church. It is perhaps the greatest Christian passive aggressive note I have ever seen in my life. Since…
Where have you been? the mother demanded. The little girl replied, “On my way home, I met a friend who was crying because she had broken her doll.” “Oh,” said…
Many things in our culture work against the maintenance of real community. We are conditioned in countless ways to think and act as individuals only, not as members of any…
Affirming our grandchildren – it’s key: to building strong relationships, to discipleship, to passing the faith. Our words are powerful. When handled well, they can build up, encourage, communicate love,…
I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve said something and then heard my 28-year-old son say, “Filter, Mom!” In truth, remembering to filter what goes on in…
I’m not sure if this is in a book somewhere, but it’s widely known that the easiest way to get out of a Christian dating relationship is to throw the…
Are you open to criticism? Do you listen when people oppose you or do you raise your defenses? Pastor Tim Keller shares his thoughts on handling criticism with grace: “Recently…
A few days ago, a friend texted me. Apparently a Christian band had been publicly ripping on him and he needed some advice. Now at the bare minimum, that’s not…
We all love romance. We all love a good love story. I don’t know if it is ingrained in us to love romance, or a product of Disney marketing, but…
Dear Roger, I have never seen so many afraid of disease and death. Some of us believe there is no way God is big enough to heal us. Is there…
Words are powerful. They can beat us down and lift us up. They wound and they heal. And the right words at the right time can be exactly what we…
Carey Nieuwhof is a Canadian pastor with a perceptive, and (possibly an objective) view of American society today. “Regardless of where your politics lean, many would sense that American culture…
The Bible does not describe us merely as wayward, broken, or needing a moral boost but as those who are dead in sin (Eph. 2:1). Dead men and women do…
I want to clarify niceness is not kindness. There’s a big difference. By kindness, I’m not talking about when you buy a stranger coffee or when you bring in your neighbor’s trash cans…
“And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that…
Mark 9 allows us an eyewitness account of a mountain top experience Jesus has with some of his early followers. It’s known as the ‘transfiguration’ – which is a fancy…
Me. Myself. And I. The three people we tend to care about the most in western civilization. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, the sickness of self-absorption has infected…
Over the last two weeks, we announced that the U.S. now has at least 8,000 multisite churches (by the broadest definition) and also 5 trends in how multisites launch and…
I am studying this week for a Mother’s Day Sermon I will be preaching. When I start the message prep process, I always begin with prayer and then find a…
Perhaps you’ve heard a story like this before. Jason is 19-years old. He wants to take a year-long break from school before going to college so that he can backpack…
For decades Kathy and I have profited immensely from the pastoral wisdom of the converted slave trader John Newton. As an 18th century Anglican minister, Newton was a good preacher,…
Do we know how to restore disgraced Christian leaders? Do we emphasize the importance of purity and blameless character of those who lead our congregations? John MacArthur, in his blog…
As a parent, have you ever had the feeling society is working against you in raising your children – particularly in regard to sexual matters? If you have, you might…
BLOCKBUSTER HITS. Superheroes, violence, war, miracles, and unbridled courage capture our hearts. Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken hits the theaters December 25th. Louie Zamperini will become a household name. This gripping tale…
This is going to be controversial. I’m going to say something about Hamas, ISIS, terrorism, and Israel—and you may not like it. I don’t know if I like it. But…
Is Jesus’ command “Judge not, lest you be judged” mean that we should not have moral judgments and accountability for others? Pastor Tim Chaddick teaches from Matthew 7:1-12 and explains…
What characteristics should a godly leader possess? I try to avoid the word “qualifications,” for that leaves the impression that if a man doesn’t bat a thousand percent in each…
Jesus loves the disabled and uses them in a mighty way for His kingdom work. Like Paul, He uses weakness to build spiritual strength and great faith. Nancy Guthrie relates…
The first consequence of Adam’s and Eve’s sin mentioned in Genesis 3:7 is that “the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves…
Here’s a brief summary to whet your appetite: 1. A Manly Pastor. Men don’t like macho or power-hungry pastors, but a pastor who projects a healthy masculinity will draw men.…
Encouraging love is patient. Patience is the ability to be wronged and wronged again, and to have the power to retaliate, but refuse to strike back. Kindness gives to one’s…
Christ modeled humility for us by laying aside His heavenly glory, living on earth and dying for our sins. There are several ways we can model His example in selflessly…
Christianity certainly takes its share of bashing in the news. While most of what we hear is politicized rhetoric, the damage is especially devastating when professing Christians themselves contribute rude…
One of my pastor-mentors said, “When sex is good, it’s great. But when sex in bad, it’s still pretty good!” A good observation, but the Bible has more to say…
Christmastime… that peaceful, everybody-gets-along time of year, right? Not necessarily. Harmony in relationships can be challenging year round, but as activities increase with holiday celebrations and we encounter more people,…
Learning to compromise is a sign of maturity. But compromising our values, morals, ethics, character and bodies is not. Jezebel represents the war between the temptations of Satan and the…