We all know that relationships are central to our lives. Of course, developing close relationships with other people is not as easy as it sounds. I read an interesting book the other day with a great title: Everybody’s Normal Until You Get to Know Them. How true is that! Have you ever bought something from … Continue reading Expectations
The Importance of Friendship
The book of Genesis tells us the story of God creating the world. As God created various aspects of our world he declared them “good.” Then after creating human beings he said that this was “very good.” Then suddenly there is turn in the narrative. The writer tells us that God then said, “It is … Continue reading The Importance of Friendship
The Art of Apology
Have you ever had a conflict? Maybe a better question would be, “When was your last conflict?” As we do life with other people it is inevitable that conflicts and disagreements will occur. How successfully we resolve those conflicts will have a big impact on our lives. In most conflicts, there are wrongs on both … Continue reading The Art of Apology
Show a little kindness …
I heard a interesting thought this week highlighting the fact that there are nine fruit of the Spirit but that the one in the middle (with four either side in the list) is KINDNESS (Gal.5:22). As followers of Christ, are we known as being kind? Kindness is to be one of the evidences of God's … Continue reading Show a little kindness …
Connecting Skills – 7. The Art of Encouragement
Jesus was a great encourager. He was always lifting people up and inspiring them towards God’s purpose for their lives. We see this in the Gospels but also in the book of Acts where Jesus appears to Paul in a dream or vision a number of times to encourage him during times of pressure and … Continue reading Connecting Skills – 7. The Art of Encouragement
Connecting Skills – 6. The Art of Loving Confrontation
Jesus took time to lovingly confront people when they needed it – his disciples, the religious leaders, and the crowd. We all have blind spots – things about us that we don’t see. We need others to show us these areas and help us to grow and change. The apostle Paul tells us to learn … Continue reading Connecting Skills – 6. The Art of Loving Confrontation
Connecting Skills – 5. The Art of Forgiveness
Jesus made a choice to forgive those who nailed him to that cross – even though they never asked for it. That's amazing, yet forgiveness is such an important keep in connecting with other people. Many of the people we connect with will be different than us. Yet, often these kinds of relationships provide the … Continue reading Connecting Skills – 5. The Art of Forgiveness
Connecting Skills – 4. The Art of Authenticity
Jesus was a very transparent person. He let his friends see him as he really was - in moments of joy, sadness, anger, and fatigue. His followers never had to guess whether he was delighted or disappointed. He modeled deep disclosure to a few trusted friends. Read this slowly ... Matthew 26:36-38. Then Jesus went with … Continue reading Connecting Skills – 4. The Art of Authenticity
Connecting Skills – 3. The Art of Empathy
Jesus had an amazing ability to see a person’s heart and their deepest needs – to understand things from their perspective. He could look beneath the surface of the matter (external) and see a person's heart (internal). He modeled the art of empathy. Pay attention to people. Look beyond their words to what is happening on … Continue reading Connecting Skills – 3. The Art of Empathy
Connecting Skills – 2. The Art of Listening
Jesus was a person who had so much to say, yet he was a great listener. He was always asking questions. In doing so, he drew people out and got to know them and helped them get to know themselves. Relationships are built on communication and communication is built on good listening skills. Listening is … Continue reading Connecting Skills – 2. The Art of Listening
Connecting Skills – 1. The Art of Acceptance
In order for us to connect or relate effectively with other people, we need to learn some important skills. These skills can help us as we connect with other people with our families at home, with co-workers in the workplace, and in small groups and serving teams at church. 1. The Art of Acceptance Jesus … Continue reading Connecting Skills – 1. The Art of Acceptance
Everybody’s Normal … Till You Get to Know Them
Connecting with other people in close relationship is not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes we can develop an idealistic picture of what community should be, even in the church. The truth is that developing close and enjoyable relationships is not easy. John Ortberg has an excellent book on relationships with a great title: Everybody’s … Continue reading Everybody’s Normal … Till You Get to Know Them
Connecting
"Edward Hallowell writes that for most people the two most powerful experiences in life are achieving and connecting. Most of what grabs our attention and commands our energy falls under these two categories. Connecting has to do with our relational world - things like falling in love, forming great friendships, being cared for when we are sick, … Continue reading Connecting
Marriage God’s Way (Pt.3)
Here are some discussion questions you might like to consider about marriage ... What was your parent’s marriage like? What ‘roles’ did your dad or mum each play and what were the expectations like? How has that influenced your view of marriage? What are some of the implications that the doctrine of the Trinity (one … Continue reading Marriage God’s Way (Pt.3)
Marriage God’s Way (Pt.2)
Marriage Today The Bible is the inspired word of God and it was given to guide us in our lives today. Our first task is ‘exegesis’, which is where we ask what God’s Word meant back then in the culture and time in which it was given. There are considerable cultural gaps between us and … Continue reading Marriage God’s Way (Pt.2)