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Every Christian leader needs to overcome three temptations in order to be truly successful. These relate to you if you are a pastor or a parent, a small group leader or an executive, or whatever your area of responsibility over people is. If you minister to other people you will be tempted to follow the way of…
Many Christians are stunted in their spiritual growth because they don’t understand or express their deep emotions and desires. As pastors, ministry leaders, caregivers, or parents we may get so busy or so focused on other people that we become disconnected from our own emotions and needs. But being self-aware is crucial to our abilities…
Sometimes I go to monasteries for spiritual retreats and attend some of the prayer services with the Catholic monks where they chant the Psalms. One time at Mass when I went up to the front for the Eucharist the priest shook his head and frowned, indicating that it was not okay for me as a…
The Enneagram is a tool that can help us see our dysfunction, sin, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. God wants to show us the truth about ourselves and look at the parts of ourselves that is sinful so that we can repent and experience true freedom. Join Bill and Kristi as they further unpack each types’ “signature sin” and the pathway to repentance.
My former pastor Bill Hybels did not learn how to fall safely. We all fall down in life, but have we learned to fall safely? When pastors and leaders for Christ fall unsafely it hurts them, their families, and the people they serve. As a mega church pastor with worldwide influence, Bill Hybels’ recent fall…
On the cross God is not rejecting Jesus! The Father is not looking away with disgust as Jesus bears our sin. Love is not defeated by evil. The eternal attitude of God toward Jesus is: “You are my beloved son and in you I am well pleased!” Matt 3:17, 17:5.) Because of Christ you can know God’s lavishly generous attitude toward you and every person on the planet: “You are my lovely daughter and I delight in you! You are my true son and I am so proud of you!” What a miraculous gift!
Most of us use our successes to hide our sense of failure. We’d be better to fail into Jesus’ arms of grace. Fail? Yes. Let me show you what it means to admit our failures and receive grace. I was a hero child. I was all about hitting home runs, getting straight A’s, and being…
Because Jesus rose from the dead we can be free of judgment and condemnation! As I shared in my confession last week I’ve been working with Jesus on my log rather than judging other people’s specks. (Matthew 7:1-5) I’m thankful for Jesus’ carpentry of the soul in my life. In his workshop I found a gem…
Have you ever walked and prayed through the Stations of the Cross at a retreat center? Or done a virtual “prayer walk” using the stories and prophecies of Christ’s passion that go with the ancient Stations? I have. Many times. It’s truly unforgettable. Divine mercy has flooded into my body and soul. The Gospel scenes…
To grow spiritually and become more loving like Jesus Christ we need to understand the stages of our development and how to resist the temptations that thwart our progress.