Category Archives: Discipleship

5/6/24   MondayMatters: How To Stay Positive In A Relationship

5/6/24 MondayMatters: How To Stay Positive In A Relationship

In a fallen world, relationships fall. How we talk about them has much to do with how they survive. Here are 5 Rules of Relationships that help me stay positive about those connections in my life. Click on the link to watch the video. And follow on Facebook or Instagram for a daily reminder about this topic.

https://youtu.be/m9_HfT-bbUQ?feature=shared

Gravity and a fallen world means relationships spiral downward rather than upward unless we intentionally focus on moving them the other way. It is human nature to:
  1. Make comparisons.
  2. Be critical.
  3. And refute character.
Hebrews 12:14 “Follow peace with all men…”
John 13:24 “…love one another.”
I Thessalonians 5:12 “…honor your leaders…”
Philippians 2:3 “…in humility, count others more significant than yourselves.”
Relationship Rules:
  1. Affection is a choice.
  2. I see what I am looking for.
  3. Recency bias clouds our judgement.
  4. Affirmation creates appreciation.
  5. Language is both descriptive and prescriptive.
  6. Honor is habitual. (So is dishonor.)
When I want to be negative I remember….
I am a servant of God.
I am subject to spiritual authority.
I am a symbol of unity.
I am a sign for those who are watching.
Luke 6:45 “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
4/29/24   MondayMatters: Seasons of Life

4/29/24 MondayMatters: Seasons of Life

https://youtu.be/e4d40ytW8g4?feature=shared “There is a time for all things. Everything has a season.” The writer of the Wisdom Book was talking about more than summer and fall. Perhaps one of the most important adjustments in life is the recognition that we are constantly transitioning from one season to the next. Here are some thoughts about that… Continue Reading

4/22/24 MondayMatters: Surprised By Shame

4/22/24 MondayMatters: Surprised By Shame

Have you ever been surprised, shocked or sandbagged by some negative thought, some moment of discouragement, depression, or fear that just nearly overwhelmed you? Maybe it was anxiety, maybe obsessive thoughts about hurt, maybe shame; those thoughts that the devil will use to defeat us. They come like a thief, to steal, kill, and destroy.… Continue Reading

4/8/24 MondayMatters: The Problem with the Mountaintop

4/8/24 MondayMatters: The Problem with the Mountaintop

  https://youtu.be/8bhDR60WsuA?feature=shared Mountaintop experiences are great. We need them every once in an awhile to regroup, refresh, and revive. But we are called to live there. God does His best work in us and with us while we are in the valley. Look at 1 Kings 18:16-46 When I focus in the emotional high I… Continue Reading

Divide and Conquer

Divide and Conquer

Divide and Conquer (warning, may be my longest blog ever.)  2 Chronicles 20:15 — “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”  I had a conversation with a young mother on Easter Sunday morning. She was distraught. Her baby was very sick, but her… Continue Reading

3/25/24       MondayMatters: Self-Reflection

3/25/24 MondayMatters: Self-Reflection

https://youtu.be/qcfZFVVHszE?feature=shared Click the link above for the MondayMatters video. During Holy Week we often look at spiritual discipline and consider things we can do to deepen our walk and increase our faith. The idea of self-reflection, self-examination is often uncomfortable and certainly underused. But this week is a wonderful time to look inward, allow the… Continue Reading

3/19/24  Lent      Psalm 85    Cherished Terms

3/19/24 Lent Psalm 85 Cherished Terms

3/19/24 Lent Psalm 85 Cherished Terms  Many years ago, Richard Parrot wrote a fascinating paper on Cherished Terms. He said there are certain terms in every discipline, but particularly in the church, that have a special relationship with that body of people. They are words that have a meaning, apart from the definition, steeped in… Continue Reading