IIW Blog
Don’t Give Up. Surrender!
“What?!? That title doesn’t even make sense. Give Up and Surrender are the same thing!” Are they? According to Google: “Surrender” means “cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority.” “Give up” means “cease making an effort; resign oneself to failure.” Surrender and giving up are two very different things. God...Read the Post→
Living Strategically
What does living strategically mean? So often we just drift through life doing what we must. Go to work. Pay the bills. Put out the fires. Fix the car. Clean the house. Don’t get me wrong, those are good things that all have to get done. And we shouldn’t complain about them. We should do...Read the Post→
Finishing Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a process a lot like grieving. Sometimes, like when the sin against us is horrific or ongoing (or both), we really are grieving a death. Maybe a death of our innocence, or something that was stolen from us. Perhaps the death of something that now will never be. Perhaps the death of a...Read the Post→
Forgiveness & Restitution
Ok, so say my neighbor Jon borrows my car, and when he brings it back, he says, “Thanks for letting me borrow your car. I got into a little fender-bender, but I got it repaired and re-painted.” He shows where the dent was, and you can’t tell. The body-shop did a great job. He’s repented,...Read the Post→
Forgiveness & Woundedness
Forgiving someone and being healed from the wound they gave us are two different things. Say we go to the gun range together. I’m handling my weapon carelessly and accidentally shoot you in the shoulder. You can forgive me instantly, but a gunshot wound takes three or four months to heal. Suppose I see you...Read the Post→
The Blessing of Suffering
Brother Yun, a severely persecuted house church pastor in China, was talking prayer requests with Western Christians. (His story is told in the phenomenal book, The Heavenly Man. Totally recommended reading!) They said they’d earnestly pray that the Lord would end their government’s persecution of Chinese Christians. “On no, don’t pray that!” Brother Yun responded....Read the Post→
Dependence vs Responsibility
So much truth in the Word of God consists of two opposite truths that hold each other in tension. They may even appear to conflict at first, but they really don’t conflict with each other – they complete each other. One brings balance to the other and vice versa. We’re going to talk about one...Read the Post→
Getting to Point B
Sometimes we approach our healing as a destination rather than as a process. “If I can only get from Point A to Point B, my life’ll be fixed!” Point B might be a valid goal: “Fix my marriage.” “Stop my addiction.” “Not be depressed anymore.” “Control my anger.” “Have a good relationship with my spouse,...Read the Post→
The Vows of Victimhood
Bob had a business meeting in Boston, and decided to drive instead of fly from his home in Washington, DC. His wife, Barb, called him to see how the road trip was going. Barb: How’s the road trip going, Honey? Where are you? Bob: I’m in Raleigh, North Carolina. Barb: Honey, you’re going the wrong...Read the Post→
The Love of the Father
Our world is starved for love and intimacy. We are made for love – to give and receive love. In the beginning God walked in the garden with man (and woman) in the cool of the day. It is the Father’s heart to spend time with us and to commune. We don’t have to look...Read the Post→