Real relationship requires boundaries. We live in a world that says if you really love someone, you accept everything. No limits. No conditions. Just open yourself up completely and trust everyone equally. And that sounds spiritual. It sounds loving. It’s also completely unbiblical. Jesus Had Boundaries Would you say Jesus is the perfect picture…
Mary said yes to the angel. “Let it be to me as you say.” But I don’t think she knew what she was signing up for. Immediately after, Joseph finds out she’s pregnant and doesn’t believe her—he’s going to divorce her privately. In Israel, if you’re pregnant outside of marriage, you’re stoned to death. Do…
In the world of wrestling, coaching is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Each wrestler on a team is at a different level of skill and development, requiring a tailored plan to help them progress. As a coach, it is crucial to understand where each individual is in their journey and to provide guidance that suits their…
The bottom line for spiritual maturity is love, according to 1 Corinthians 13. But what is real love? Have you noticed that many of the songs we listen to are about love? Most movies on the big screen offers some kind of primary or secondary romantic plotline. Most TV shows portray a love interest. Most…
It has been 25 years since we came to North Idaho to plant a church we called Real Life Ministries. As a young man I had determined I was never going to work in a church, let alone plant a church, but God had a different plan. This year is the 25th anniversary of Real…
In 2003 the Commission on Children at Risk published a study called Hardwired to Connect: The New Scientific Case for Authoritative Communities. The commission, made up of doctors, research scientists, and youth service professionals, described “recent scientific findings suggesting that children are biologically ‘hardwired’ for enduring attachments to other people and for moral and spiritual…
A few months ago I sent out an email to my readers asking them to share their number one problem when it comes to making disciples. I received many, many emails. A number of different themes came up as I read through them, but one thing in particular stood out. A large number of you…
Download pdf It is both the job and privilege of every Christian to be a disciple of Jesus. And part of that job is the call to disciple others. You can disciple someone without holding a Bible degree – Jesus did a good job of demonstrating that by the men he chose to be his…
Have you ever had a moment in time when you realized you were doing or thinking about something that you had never intended on doing or thinking about? As a highly hypothetical example, imagine that I was on a diet. A diet where I ate things that were good for me, or at least healthier…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/mpW4-zsVKLQ” align=”center”][vc_column_text] Jim Putman talks about setting priorities – Often we allow little things to distract us from the more important things. We need to look to God for the ability to discern the important from the unimportant – the good from the great. Audit your time, energy, and money: If someone was to…
