When we’ve been deeply hurt, and we see the patterns caused by that hurt reoccurring again and again in our lives, we often write a script for ourselves. That script is called, “Broken.” It’s a label we put on ourselves. Or worse, maybe it’s a label people we love and trust have put on us. […]
Self-doubt. Nagging fears. Intrusive thoughts. These are some of the most common experiences in the human condition. And some of the most hidden and denied. Because we all think we’re the only one. Is there any hope? Is there a way to stop the negative thought loop once the thoughts have started? Is there any […]
I recently saw a Christian podcast episode titled “Our Job Is Obedience, God’s Job Is Everything Else.” It’s from a very reputable Christian ministry that I have a lot of respect for and I really like. And the episode was actually good and helpful, about doing what God’s called you to do without taking responsibility […]
A common question I hear from people is, “How can I be a Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit, and still do this thing I’m struggling with? What’s wrong with me?” People feel such enormous shame because of where they’re struggling. We feel like we’re the only one. We feel like we’re a bad Christian. […]
The Tree of Discernment There were two special trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (I’ll abbreviate that last one to The Tree of Good & Evil, for short.) Adam and Eve were allowed to eat from the Tree of Life, but […]
We can unknowingly do tremendous damage by guilting ourselves (or other people) into forgiving too soon. What?!? The Bible commands us to forgive! Yes, it does. I completely believe in the power of forgiveness, no argument there. But it has to be real forgiveness, not cheap forgiveness. Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood topics […]
Another quiet night’s sleep was shattered by the midnight alarm. The claxon went off in the small, New England lighthouse on the rocky Massachusetts coast. Another ship had run aground in the night fog on the rocks. The men and women in the small, dingy lighthouse jumped out of bed, pulled on their gear, and […]
Every relationship pursues one of these two goals. Every relationship protects one of these two things. Either connection or distance. That’s it. Terrified of What We Desperately Long For The truth is, we all long for connection, for intimacy. We long to be fully known, accepted, and loved. And there’s the rub. We’re terrified that […]
One of the biggest obstacles we’ve seen to people receiving healing is when they are all caught up in their own head. There are entire denominations that have intellectualized the Bible, believing the lie that the battle is all in the mind. Yes, there certainly is a battle in the mind, in our thoughts. But […]
As the church, we are Jesus’ hands, feet, voice, and heart to the world. We invite wounded people into transformational intimacy with our Savior by stewarding both truth and compassion. But there are 3 mindset traps that sabotage Jesus’ mission to wounded people. These 3 mindset traps are so insidious and sneaky we often don’t […]