“AVOID conflict” was my middle name. I thought I was a real peacemaker—what I really was, however, was a pain-avoider. I would often hear, “John, you don’t like confrontation, do you?” While I would smile politely on the outside and mumble something like “You’re right, that isn’t my personality,” on […]
Sometimes, death becomes such a promising alternative that many choose to bring it upon themselves. It is a horrifying thought. This does not change the fact that at times the chronically depressed consider suicide as a viable option. So, offering some basic tips on this issue seems relevant. The typical […]
Spiritual conversations involve good talk about our good God in the midst of our bad life. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph. 4:29). Spiritual […]
Ashley and her husband, Nate, met with me at church the day after their twin sons’ eleventh birthday. With tears streaming down her face, Ashley shared that twenty-five years earlier, not long after her eleventh birthday, a relative had begun sexually abusing her. Those who knew Ashley would have been […]
I want to examine two biblical obstacles to prayer, both of them drawn from the book of 1 Peter. My hope is that you can learn to dislodge these obstacles and overcome them so you will be empowered to pray more fruitfully for your people. Disobedience The first obstacle to […]
I have found that at the moment of death, it is my quiet, helpful presence that is needed most, not my words. As a local church shepherd, I will have the privilege of taking many opportunities in the months and years ahead to provide ongoing comfort. One appropriate means is […]
