Unwinding the “Judge Not” Knot
Marty Duren:
There is perhaps no more oft used biblical verse–and nearly always used wrongly–than Matthew 7:1.
2 Chronicles 7:14? A contender, but no. Jeremiah 29:11? Nope. They are used wrongly by Christians often, but Matthew 7:1 is misused by believers and non-believers alike. Repeatedly. As in, all the time.
Only 1 in 7 Senior Pastors Is Under 40
There’s a lot to chew on here.
Today Is My Birthday Because My Mom Chose Life
Chelsea Patterson:
My birthday is a bittersweet day. I was born out of wedlock to a poor teenager in Eastern Europe. The terrified young woman who gave me life is my hero. She made a courageous choice to be my mother, even if it meant she could only remain in the role for a few days. The only tie she will ever have to me is her blood and her genes.
Another woman, equally heroic, stepped into my life. She willingly became my mother, and made me her permanent daughter.
Both women loved me. Both made choices that will affect my life forever.
The Bad News about Ebooks.
This is fascinating.
Keeping Short Accounts
Nick Batzig:
My family moved to St. Simons Island, GA in 1989. I was 12 years old. One of the first things that I distinctly remember about that beautiful, little secluded Island was the fact that we could walk into a store, write our name on a ledger and walk out with just about whatever we wanted in the store. I remember my dad and mom talking about needing to pay off their account at the hardware store every month. The owners and my parents both wanted to keep “short accounts.” It was a peculiar and fascinating experience for a boy who moved there from a major city in which that would have never happened. The population of the Island was small enough at that time for store owners to feel as if they could offer that service. Needless to say, it didn’t last long. Within a year or two, you could no longer do so. It is somewhat tragic that this practice isn’t part of our culture anymore, because it serves as an illustration of an important aspect of our spiritual life. In the Christian life, we are–as the Puritans used to say–to “keep short accounts with God and men.” So, what do short accounts look like in the Christian life? Here are a few thoughts.
Leading Meetings with Humility
Adam McClendon:
As we acknowledge the need to lead humbly, what does godly, humble leadership look like in the day-to-day flow of our workweek? While many examples can be given, I’d like to focus specifically on leading meetings.
So, here are 3 truths we need to embrace to help us lead meetings out of more humble hearts. I truly believe that if we will really embrace these truths, we will find our meetings less tense and more productive, and we will find our teammates more receptive than we would have imagined.
How introverts can thrive in an extroverted world
A favorite from the archives:
As you can imagine, this ideal creates a whole host of issues for a number of people who would identify themselves as introverts. The prevailing attitude seems to treat introversion—and along with it sensitivity, shyness, and seriousness—as “a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology.” I’ve personally experienced this attitude on numerous occasions. For many years, I was part of a work culture that placed a very high demand on “face-time,” physical availability and being seen as bright, cheery and nice.These are not bad things in and of themselves. We should certainly be kind (even if we can’t do that super-out-there kind of personality) and willing to meet with people when they need to talk. But how do those of us for whom high degrees of personal interaction do not come naturally survive and even thrive in such cultures?
