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In “Restraint in Relationships,” Mike Clements writes, “Mustering restraint in hostile relationships can feel like walking through a minefield. Our footing will seem unsure as we meet hostility with restraint. God’s character and resurrection power help Christians rise above the hostility of this world.…

Author and Counselor Nicole Unice says that the one thing that every relationship needs to be healthy is a desire to grow. Unice says friendships, working relationships, marriages, and even our relationship with Jesus all eventually become unhealthy if a person becomes complacent and merely shows up,…

In his book, Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation, M. Robert Mulholland, Jr., writes, “If you want a good litmus test of your spiritual growth simply examine the nature and quality of your relationships with others.” —Jim L. Wilson Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual…

It is refreshing to have a place of solitude, a place to relax and experience the presence of God in His creation. Honeysuckles, climbing vines, lilies, violets, and roses covered Helen Keller’s family home. She found joy as she wandered, burying her face in the cool petals of the flowers and smelling…

Researchers in Sweden recently announced the results of a study examining the impact of physical exercise on student’s grades. The researchers tracked 200 children for nine years during their elementary and mid-school years. Some of the students received physical education five days a week, along with…

In the Band of Brothers, there is a scene where paratroopers riding in a C47 to their drop zone in Normandy. As you might imagine, there is a lot of nervous energy in the plane but the real tension begins when their plane encounters enemy fire before the drop. After they hit the drop zone, the solders…

A study by Lifeway Research suggests that Christians are not sharing their faith but are feeling a responsibility to do so. The survey focused on Canadians, and found that 43% of those surveyed felt a responsibility to tell non-Christians about Jesus, but 78% had not shared how to become a Christian…

In the 40 years he has been teaching, Bruce Farrer has taken on a special roll each year to give former students a look at their lives from the past. Every year, Farrer asked his 14-year-old English students to write a 10-page letter to their future selves. After they assignment was turned in, Farrer…

A study conducted by Lifeway Research found that a majority of people who attend church regularly say they have significant relationships with others at church, but less than half of them say they are intentionally helping other believers grow in their faith The survey identified “building relationships”…

What might be the primary purpose of colleges and universities? To see how many national championships they can accumulate? To see who can rank the highest in the annual issue of US News & World Report for Best Colleges? To see who can register the most students? If graduating the students is a high…

the philosophy of the master martial artist, Bruce Lee, is being revealed to James Franciscus in, The Way of the Intercepting Fist, one of the episodes of the TV series, Longstreet. Bruce tells James that he should become like "water," forming to the very essence of his opponent's character and skills,…

When agricultural experts from the far away land of Israel arrived in Columbia and explained how the local farmers could make money growing potatoes, nobody believed them. Local farmers from Columbia’s northern desert region, La Guajira told the visitors the land would produce a lot of rocks, but not…

In an article for FaithWorld, Tom Heneghan writes, “In the Netherlands, where faith has faded more dramatically than in many other parts of Europe, two churches close down on average every week. The sacred art left over is piling up in cellars and storerooms around the country.” --http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2012/05/03/as-dutch-churches-shut-their-sacred-art-finds-new-uses-abroad/…

Sometimes a church, or an individual, must risk something in order to accomplish the task pleasing to God. It is much too easy to take the path of least resistance, and if that is all we ever do, we would have left undone the challenging tasks. I like what Neil Simon said, “If no one ever took risks,…

Some of you may not know that my undergraduate and one of my graduate degrees was in the field of music. I had a lot of training in music education because them that can do and them that can’t teach. I was never a great performer, so I hoped to perpetuate my mediocrity by teaching others! I always admired…

I was talking this week to a discipleship student of mine. He gave his heart to Christ and became a full follower about a year and a half ago. We finished discipleship and now meet to discuss the Bible and any questions that he has. We, in fact hope to begin discipling someone else together very soon.…

It begins on Sunday night. Lights flash on as recruits are awakened by their instructor. Next to one ear, a machine gun filled with blanks is fired. A jet from a garden hose is flushing the other ear. An instructor shouts, “We have a mission to perform tonight. I want you to listen to every word.” The…

Brad Pitt.says he suffers from a “psychological defect” that won’t let him go backward. He says that if “he is leaving his home and realizes he’s forgotten something, he is incapable of going back to get it.” He added, “if I’m driving down the road and I miss a turn, I have to keep going forward. I can’t…

In Decision Points, George W. Bush writes, “At first I was troubled by my doubts. The notion of a living God was a big leap, especially for someone with a logical mind like mine. Surrendering yourself to an Almighty is a challenge to the ego. But I came to realize that struggles and doubts are natural…

In Caring Enough to Confront, David Augsberger writes, “Maturity is manifested in learning to be angry (at behaviors) and loving (toward persons) at the same time.” - Caring Enough to Confront Kindle Loc. 690-91 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson Proverbs 14:29 NASB “He who is slow to anger has great understanding,…

Rick Warren says, “Growth is intentional. It requires commitment and effort to grow. A person must want to grow, decide to grow, and make an effort to grow.” --The Purpose Driven Church, 332. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and David Mills It is a tragedy that some people choose to live their Christian…

In Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt writes, “I could not help but think that somewhere along the way we had missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves…

Recent surveys have suggested Christianity is losing ground around the world. A new book,by author Jim Rutz says the truth is more exciting. Rutz claims a new, or even, the original form of biblically inspired evangelical Christianity is the fastest growing belief system on the planet, sweeping through…

THREE TOOLS GOD USES Subject: GROWTH God uses three primary catalysts for changing us and conforming us to Christlikeness. The first is PEOPLE. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Sometimes God uses our friends to sharpen us into more Christlike living. The second…

What you see here is a picture of a church. I know it looks like a chart, but it really shows a picture of Peace Church. In 1966, this church averaged 146 in attendance. By 1969, it was at 188. In ten years, by 1979, it had grown to 487. After a little plateau in the ‘80's, we took off again in the 90's,…