It's hard to believe that we're half way through another year. At the mid-way point of a year it's good to pause or take a brief 'half time' to do a personal check up. Most of us don’t like doing check ups – whether it be the doctor or the dentist. We’re too busy and … Continue reading A Personal Check Up (Pt.1)
Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (Pt.6)
Today we will look at the fifth key to building a great marriage ... 5. Grow Together Spiritually As followers of Christ, Nicole and I have found that our relationship with God is a vital part of us reaching the fullest potential of our marriage relationship. After all, intimacy has a spiritual dimension to it. … Continue reading Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (Pt.6)
Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (Pt.5)
Today we mve on to look at the fourth key key to building a great marriage which is … 4. Effective Conflict Resolution Everyone has arguments, conflicts, crisis and problems. We sure have … lots of them! The outcome either hurts the relationship or helps it. It’s what we do about our problems that is … Continue reading Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (Pt.5)
Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (P.4)
So far, we're looked at friendship and partnership as two keys to a great marriage. Today, we'll look at the third key to building a great marriage which is …. 3. Good Communication Someone once said, “Marriage is one long conversation, with an occasional disagreement along the way.” A good marriage requires continual quality communication … Continue reading Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (P.4)
Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (Pt.3)
Yesterday we looked at the importance of building your marriage on a foundation of friendship. In the best marriages, the husband and wife are best friends - for a lifetime. Today, I would like to share with you what I think is the second key to building a great marriage ... 2. Partnership Nicole and … Continue reading Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (Pt.3)
Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (Pt.2)
A great wedding doesn't make a great marriage. A great marriage is something that is built over time - patiently and intentionally. I think there are five things that build a great marriage. Let's look at the first today ... 1. Friendship In Genesis 1, the reason God created Eve was to be a friend … Continue reading Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (Pt.2)
Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (Pt.1)
This weekend, Nicole and I celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. Nicole and I met in Rockhampton, Queensland in December 1984. My good friend, Peter Leigh, and I were travelling to Townsville on holidays and stopped by to visit some friends we knew from a small church there. On the weekend, we went four wheel driving with … Continue reading Love for a Lifetime – Building a Great Marriage (Pt.1)
Comfort
Have you ever noticed that bad things sometimes happen to good people? It’s one of those contradictions in our world. It doesn’t always make sense. Think about Job, a man who lived back in Bible times. He had a whole bunch of bad stuff happen to him … even though he was a good … Continue reading Comfort
Example
Take a moment to think about the people who have had the greatest positive influence on your life. I’m sure there’s at least one or two you can think of. Then ask yourself what it was about them that caused them to impact you so much. Summarise it in a few words. I’m sure … Continue reading Example
Generosity
If you are a parent, have you ever taken your child to McDonalds, bought them a meal, and then suddenly felt a little hungry yourself? You reach over and ask for a few of their fries and they respond by quickly pulling their fries away from you and saying “No!” How do you feel … Continue reading Generosity
Money
Money … everyone wants more of it. Somehow we think it is the answer to all of our problems. No doubt money has great power … for good or for evil. It all depends on our attitude towards it and how we use it. One of your goals should be to be financially ‘free’. In … Continue reading Money
Decisions
Decisions … we make them every day. Yet, think about how important they really are. You might have heard the funny story about the successful businessman who was asked by a young man what the key to his success was. After thinking for a moment, the businessman answered, “Good decisions, that’s the key”. The young … Continue reading Decisions
God’s Sheep
Each Christian is described as one of God’s 'sheep', who He personally loves and cares for. He delegates this responsibility of care to leaders in the church, or shepherds who represent Him on earth. Notice Jesus’ last concern as He spoke to Peter before He ascended to heaven. Three times He said to Peter, “Feed … Continue reading God’s Sheep
Discern, Don’t Judge
It's amazing and saddening to see the amount of literature that has been produced in recent decades by Christians that is aimed at judging other churches or ministries and even going to the extreme of labelling them “demonic” or “of the devil.” Yes, it is important to “contend for the faith once delivered to the … Continue reading Discern, Don’t Judge
Love, Don’t Hate
God has commanded us to love other Christians who also love Jesus! We have been called to bless, not curse. We are to pray for God’s blessing on other churches and ministries. We are to rejoice when they grow and sorrow when they struggle. One of my friends in ministry, Peter McHugh, who pastors a … Continue reading Love, Don’t Hate