Articles and Biblical insights on discovering and applying God's precepts to the building of lasting, quality relationships, including marriage and how to find the person who is right for you!
Relationships are Important!
Yes, there are other activities and goals that preoccupy us in life, such as our faith, jobs, church life, hobbies, money, and having fun. However, consider this thought: when you are at the end of your sojourn on this earth, what will you have received from it? What will you take with you? Will it be that successful career? What about that hobby that took all of your time? Would it be the wealth that you accumulated? I am not saying these things are not important to pursue; rather, they are just a few of the various means to do what really is important, and that is, building relationships! Career, material accumulation, activities, money, and having fun are not the goals in life; they are only portions of the means to the goal. The reason for, and meaning of life is the development and then deployment of our faith through relationships-with God and then with others!
Make sure you have a godly disposition! Here are some practical and important "dos" and "don'ts" that I have learned over the years, which can help you determine if you are on the right path with how you are with others!
Have you ever wondered what LOVE really is? What is love? So much poetry and beautiful pose have been written over the millennia's of human experience to try to capture its purpose and meaning. All of humanity in all cultures, places and time has sought out the meaning of love.
Christianity is to be a personal team endeavor; it is never just about solitary or personal agendas.
Employment: Blood, Sweat, and Tears!
How To Be a Christian In the Workplace; and How To Deal With Co-workers. If you have spent any time in the workplace, you will have observed many different kinds of attitudes, personalities, and ways of approaching the job there. We all have different personalities, habits, desires, experiences, and expectations, all converging and conflicting, and the water cooler area becomes a gathering place for hearing the latest gossip, a hotbed of conflict and chaos. Somehow, in the midst of all this, we, as Christians, are called to distinction. This rubs us against the grain of our coworkers and employers, who have conflicting ideas. The Christian enters into...
How to Destroy a Relationship!
"How to Destroy a Relationship!?" Why would we want to talk about this? This may sound like it is way out in left field. Why talk about how to destroy a relationship? Are we not already pretty good at this? Does this subject fit in to how to find and build a better relationship? The answer is, yes. Because, if we know what destroys our relationships, we can be on guard to prevent it, just as we need to know how Satan operates so we can buffet an attack and go through Spiritual Warfare unscarred.
Is Good Communication working in you? What Can I Do To Be A Better Communicator?
"ATTITUDE" The prelude to effective LIFE!
If we are receivership oriented and not Christ centered, then all of those circumstances will be squeezed, and bitterness and resentment will flow out of them. Or we can be Christ centered and oils of sweetness will pour out. What pours out from you?
Leading your heart-not letting your heart lead you!
How to Look for the Love of a Lifetime!
Preparing for marriage with the right attitude and mindset! We all desire and seek love and companionship to fill an empty hole we think we have. For some singles, this is the driving force in their life, as it was for me at one time. Yet, as Christians, our primary purpose in life is to serve and glorify God, and fulfill the call of the destiny that He gives us. This translates into who we are and how we should be.
Courtship?
How to Look for the Love of a Lifetime! Part 2 An Overview: Courtship, Friendship, and Dating: Courtship is a word our society sees as a joke from an era they presume is about oppression and doldrums. This word conjures up fears that we are not in control of the one with whom we settle down, that we will get ourselves into a bad and unloving marriage, while our true love will go to someone else as in the story of "Romeo and Juliet." However, courtship from Biblical times through the Victorian period to the end of WW I, is a model of the best method of finding the right mate. Yes, this goes against our common thinking, but
Preparing for a Successful Marriage
How to Look for the Love of a Lifetime! Part 3 The world considers marriage to be an avenue to satisfaction for self. The view seems to be from the standpoint of seeking fulfillment in pleasure, companionship, what "I" can get out of it, and how "I" can benefit from it. These are, of course, parts of a relationship, but not the main parts. People get confused, disillusioned, and eventually give up on marriage because...
Building a Good Relationship
How to Look for the Love of a Lifetime Part IV! This is part four, the last article in a series to challenge single Christians to seek Biblical principles in love and dating. In this final part, we will look at how to build a lasting and godly relationship. Although this is geared to singles, the principles will be for all Christians whether they are single, married, looking, not looking, and all the rest who are dazed and confused.
Improving and Repairing Relationships
Talking your Way out of Conflict
Here is a roadmap to help yourself and your church, though the Biblical process of solving problems! As a pastor, I sometimes get involved with every kind of conflict imaginable, from business disputes, personality clashes, monetary discord, land rights, probate, parent teacher issues, and of course, the most common, marital. I leaned over the years, not so much from my degrees in psychology but, rather, my pastoral experience, how to talk my way out of problems.
More helps and solutions on our Conflict channel:
Tired of people snapping at you? If you fall away from these questions or refuse to have someone hold you to them, then Satan will have a foothold in your life. These questions are not just for the pastor or church leader, they are for all Christians who want to live a life of integrity. The failure to have no accountability will produce sin. Then it is not a question of if you may fall, but when you will engage in sin and destroy everything.
As soon as man sinned, he quickly commenced to blame others. One of the effects of sin is the refusal to take responsibility for our actions.
TEN WAYS TO IMPROVE Relational Skills
Faithful to my Lord's commands, I still would chose the better part; Serve with careful Martha's hands And loving Mary's heart...
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.
Christian Apathy?
Apathy, in my opinion as a pastor and researcher, is becoming more and more rampant in the American church. At the same time, fewer and fewer people are discussing or admitting that this is a real problem. So, is apathy really a problem? Consider that Christians, as a whole, do not participate in regular Bible studies or small groups. They do not have mentors or people in their lives to encourage and spur them on. Fewer and fewer Christians are...
Bible Studies on Friendship
Friendship Lesson 1: Have you ever wondered why certain people have all the friends, while others--perhaps even you--seem to have few to none? Have you wondered why some people succeed in business and finance even though they seem to have no skills or abilities to contribute effectively to their profession?
Friendship Lesson 2: Understanding and Developing Healthy Biblical Friendships. How is your friendships operated on the principle of love?
The Secret to Making Friendships
Friendship Lesson 3: Understanding and Developing Healthy Biblical Friendships. Friendship is defined throughout Scripture as the companionship and closeness we are to have with one another. It is a commitment to build...
The Importance of Self-Disclosure
Friendship Lesson 4: So, what is the key to getting out of the locked room at the shallow end of relationships?
Friendship Lesson 5: Another thing to be aware of in relationships is that they are a life form that grows, evolves, and changes.
Friendship Lesson 6: Yes you can! You may think this friendship stuff is too much and say, hey, I cannot do that; I will be embarrassed! Perhaps you will, especially if you are not used to it, so take it slowly. Look at the...
Yes, the greatest of all gifts is Gods perfect love!
A Biblical Perspective on COUNSELING ON SUICIDE for Caring for People Preventing the Tragedy and Grieving Its Aftermath
Why Should I be in a Small Group?
In Acts the Bible tells us we need to be in relationships for our personal and spiritual growth. As Paul and the early Christians taught and received teaching "from house to house," we too must respond in our walk with Christ in each others homes (Acts 5:42; 20:20)!
More about Small Groups and how they can help you build better relationships Small Groups:
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. Colossians 1:3-6