Today you are going to meet people who are hiding great emotional and relational pain. They will typically smile and say a few superficial words, but they will seldom reveal their inner struggles … usually because they do not believe you would understand or really care. As they walk away, you will have missed an
Amidst all the social and political turmoil in Europe, God is moving to renew the biblical church and re-evangelize countries that have forgotten their Christian heritage. I’d like to invite you to join me in supporting this exciting movement. My involvement began in 2015, when the European Leadership Forum (ELF) asked Chip Zimmer and
I’ve talked with many people who left their churches. Some did it for valid reasons and made the transition wisely and graciously. Others were driven by pride, bitterness, or resentment, however, and their departures often caused considerable confusion and pain to others. If you or someone you know is ever considering such a move, here
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 through many of the struggles of 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 others (Gen. 3:9-13). I have struggled with this
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 constructively to a frustrating spouse, a challenging
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, self-aware and other-aware” are being applied every day by the Congressmen,
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 was repeatedly revealed during discussions at three seminars I
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 Capitol Hill police officers, we might have seen a massacre of our national
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 of his many activities was to use