Do you ever feel like giving up? Whether we are overextended or just plain bored, how do we never give up? Amidst life’s challenges or even lack of them, we often say, “I give up.” These words weighted with finality flow from the heart. Just like a physical heart is comprised of four chambers, so […]
Never Give Up (2 Chronicles 15:7)
David Exhaled the Breath of Life to Others (Psalm 145; Psalm 78:70-72)
David yielded to God’s devising ways in him to help the banished not remain estranged from the Lord. In his crown jewel psalm, David exhaled the breath of life to others. First, David worshiped God in the presence of others (Psalm 145:1-3). Second, David exhaled God’s Word to others by writing the inspired Word. Third, […]
Exhale the Breath of Life to Others: Worship, Word, Workout (1 Corinthians 14:24; Hebrews 4:12)
Do you pull the lost toward God or push them away from Him? God devises ways for the lost to find life: “Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain […]
Exhale the Breath of Life to Others (1 Peter 3:15)
Do you secretly maintain a list of transgressions that disqualify sinners from the reach of God? Our beliefs affect our behavior, especially when encountering those who have blatantly sinned against God. Consequently, we must examine God’s passion for the lost to find life in Him and His desire to use us in the process. In […]
David Inhaled the Breath of Life: Worship, Word, Workout (Psalm 103; Psalm 23:3)
In an attempt to reconcile David with his banished son Absalom, the wise woman of Tekoa seized the moment at the conclusion of her parable to craft one of the most insightful word pictures ever expressed to the shepherd turned King: “Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. […]
God Devises Ways for Life: Inhale the Breath of Life from God (2 Samuel 14:14)
After being confronted by the wise woman of Tekoa about reconciling with his exiled son Absalom, David was faced with whether he would inhale the breath of life from God who devises ways so that the banished may not remain estranged from Him. First, David would have to remember his own sin and God’s justice, […]
Leading the Passive Resistive through Listening: Reveal a Painless First Step (Proverbs 1:32-33; 14:15; 6:6-8)
Is the passive resistive in your life reluctant to change? When leading the passive resistive through listening, first, we need to be peaceful. Second, we must be patient. Third, we need to reveal a painless first step. This first step must be easy with little perceived conflict: “For the waywardness of the simple will kill […]
Leading the Passive Resistive through Listening: Be Peaceful (Proverbs 12:20; 16:7; Romans 12:18)
When leading the passive resistive through listening, first, we need to be peaceful. Stirring up anger and anxiety increases the amount of conflict perceived by the passive resistive and shuts down the joy of any forward movement. Proverbs records: “There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who […]
Leading the Passive Resistive through Listening (Proverbs 26:12-15)
Do you have a passive resistive person in your life? The fourth difficult person is the people-oriented passive resistive. He is inactive and immovable. The fact that he is people-oriented, means that he can be averse to task and be nice about it. Consequently, his passive resistance makes him indirect in his difficult behavior — […]
Leading the People Pleaser through Listening: Graciously Support Him in the Wisest Direction (Proverbs 4:11; 24:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:14)
Have you ever noticed how the people pleaser in your life has a tendency to agree with almost everyone? The people pleaser is weak in willpower, and his desire for significance apart from Christ leads him to be a chameleon as he continually adjusts his values to accommodate whomever he is with at the moment. […]
Leading the People Pleaser Through Listening: Don’t Give In (Proverbs 26:24-25, 28)
The people pleaser uses flattery to gain an advantage. When he does, we are often tempted to give in because we like what we hear. Flattery comes from the Hebrew word for smooth. Designed to snag its target, flattery is a smooth way to capture the heart and life of another person (Proverbs 29:5). Flattery […]
Leading the People Pleaser through Listening: Don’t Be Gullible (Proverbs 26:23; 14:15)
Exaggeration is a powerful tool leveraged by the people pleaser. Distorted facts, recollections that stretch the imagination, and embellished stories all cleverly mishandle the truth. Solomon said: “Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart” (Proverbs 26:23). Just like that coating of glaze over earthenware makes the outside look […]
Three Habits of Highly Destructive People: Pride of Life
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Three Habits of Highly Destructive People: Power
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Three Habits of Highly Destructive People: Pleasure
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MADE: Modest, Alive in Christ, Discerning, Encouraging
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Leading the People Pleaser through Listening: Don’t Gossip (Proverbs 20:19, 26:20, 22)
Why is gossip so enticing? The more we speak, the more likely we are to gossip. This is a looming risk when we interact with the people pleaser. The people pleaser often speaks and thinks later. We need to be careful not to do the same. Gossip is unnecessary talk about others. It often includes […]
Leading the People Pleaser Through Listening (Proverbs 18:2; 26:22-25, 27-28: 29:5)
The third difficult person is the people pleaser who is noticeably people-oriented as opposed to the task-oriented aggressive and complainer. He agrees with everyone. Consequently, the people pleaser is indirect in his difficult behavior. He creates negative conflict when he promises everyone what they want to hear. The result is unmet expectations because the people […]
Leading the Complainer Through Listening: Teaching Excellence Rather Than Perfection (Proverbs 20:9; 28:13; 13:14; 24:13-14)
Is the complainer in your life a perfectionist? If so, he, most likely, possesses a propensity to learn. Consequently, we can teach him how excellence, not perfection, is God’s design. Teaching excellence rather than perfection to the complainer means that we communicate how God intends us to manage our expectations. Proverbs, meaning generally true, most […]
Leading the Complainer Through Listening: Rephrase Absolute Statements with a Question (Colossians 4:5-6; Proverbs 27:9; 10:21; 14:8)
Questions generate answers, but statements produce resistance. Questions are imperative when leading a complainer through listening. Because he sees issues as black and white (right or wrong), the complainer fights to be right and is notorious for making absolute statements that leverage the words always and never. For example, “You never call me!” When we […]