Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of Words That Hurt, Words That Heal, states that he asks audiences whether they can go 24 hours without saying any unkind words about or to anyone. Invariably, very few people answer “yes.” Here’s my challenge. Commit to going the next 24 hours without doing any of the following: Criticizing your…
Dr. Joyce Brothers mused, “Marriage is not just a spiritual communion. It is also remembering to take out the trash.” If you are a sex addict, you need to take out the trash. Solomon said, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Your…
I recently preached at The Church of the Cross, in Bradenton, Florida, where Pastor Stan Pavlovich is one of my closest friends. Before the second of three services, I met a dear lady named Mary. Mary is an amazing woman. This 87-year-old Navy veteran of the Korean War has many talents, including baking. Mary gave…
The topic in my seven Freedom Groups a few weeks ago was “Triggers.” As part of the exercise, I had the guys in each group tell us what their primary trigger is, that makes them want to act out. The list began with the traditional H.A.L.T. triggers (hungry, angry, lonely, tired). I added two more:…
Life coach and best-selling author Mike Bayer has written a great book for those seeking a higher level of freedom and success. In One Decision, Bayer proposes one decision that is critical for anyone seeking to reach her complete potential. You can buy the book or you can read the next line. That one decision…
A close friend returned from an extended mission trip in Asia. He came home with great stories and deepened faith. And one other thing. A pair of chopsticks. Talk about annoying. Every time we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant, he ate everything but the soup with chopsticks. And he wasn’t even good at it.…
There’s this funny thing about the Christian life. The more you help others, the better off you are. Let’s apply this principle to prayer. We find this interesting little verse toward the end of the Book of Job. Despite Job’s great losses and pain, the rest of his life became the best of his life.…
A man was surprised with a gift that was dropped off in his driveway – a brand new car. He was so excited that he cleaned the car daily, vacuumed the carpet faithfully, and waxed the car meticulously. The only thing he didn’t do was drive the car. He loved to tell his friends about…
There is this little verse in the New Testament that we often miss. “Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’” (John 4:7). When Jesus made this request of the woman at the well, he was teaching us a bigger lesson. How many times have we been expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when…
There is an old acronym in recovery called H.A.L.T. It reminds us that we are often triggered when we are (a) hungry, (a) angry, (c) lonely, and (d) tired. Let me add two more: B.S. We are at risk when we are bored and stressed. 1. Boredom We get into trouble if we aren’t into…