A few days ago, a woman told me a heartbreaking story about her pastor. Cindy was born and raised at First Church, and Pastor Smith’s teaching had laid the foundation for her faith (all names changed). He had been like a second father to Cindy, gently guiding her...
I share a lust with St. Augustine. Although he was a pillar of the church, he regularly prayed, “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.” We all inherited this lust from our original parents, who invented the art of excusing sin by blaming...
My daughter, Megan, was eighteen months old when she decided to test her smile on a Hells Angel. Just before a vacation in Jackson, Wyoming, she had learned what a fun response she could get from adults when she beamed a big smile and gave them an enthusiastic, “Hi!”...
One of the most popular features of our training program is that we summarize all of our key principles in simple acrostics that can be easily memorized and applied in every day life. Here is a report from a man on how these concepts helped him to respond...
In last week’s post, I described seven principles of relational wisdom that are illustrated in Congressman Steve Russell’s gripping book, We Got Him: A Memoir of the Hunt and Capture of Saddam Hussein. As I noted in that post, these principles of being "God-aware,...
What is the common link between commanding soldiers in combat, passing a bill in Congress and leading a church or ministry? Answer: Success in each of these venues is more likely when leaders live out the relational principles set forth in God’s Word. This common link...
Our entire nation was stunned by yesterday’s shooting at a Congressional baseball practice. Rep. Steve Scalise was still in critical condition this morning, and three others are recovering from less severe injuries. Had it not been for the heroic intervention of two...
Shortly after I graduated from law school and moved back to Billings to work in Federal court, I received some life-changing advice from a man I’d never met before. Bob Hagstrom was a medical doctor who was recognized as one of the “spiritual elders” of the city. One...
When Peacemaker Ministries launched its initial training on biblical conflict resolution, my dear friend and founding Board member Jim Soft contributed this study on the character of a peacemaker. May God grant all of us grace to develop these qualities! ~ Ken Sande...
Would you like to find an investment that consistently produces a return of $1.50 to $6.85 for every dollar you invest? What if that investment had the additional benefit of making your business, church or nonprofit run more smoothly and producing more creative, loyal...
One of my greatest joys is being able to serve people who have an urgent need and genuine desire to improve their relational skills, such as this desperate mother: I have been frustrated and angry for fourteen years with all the fighting that goes on with four...
Years ago, Charles Spurgeon wrote, "A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness.” This insight led me to write a prayer that I’ve used again and again...
Last week I had the privilege of meeting Shaunti Feldhahn, a Harvard-trained Wall Street analyst who is devoting her research skills to developing best-selling books on success in the workplace, marriage, parenting and youth work. Her latest book is entitled The...
“The last of the human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude.” So wrote Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who survived the Holocaust, living through the deprivation and horrors of both Auschwitz and Dachau. Consider the background for his writing...
The world lost a great actress a few days ago. Mary Tyler Moore brought laughter to millions of people, especially in her role as Dick Van Dyke’s sweet-spirited wife, Laura. Initially relegated to simply kissing her husband hello at the door, she matured into a...