Beyond Sunday: Living Out What We Hear

The words “church discipline” can produce uncomfortable images. Some imagine public embarrassment, angry business meetings, or a church looking for an excuse to remove someone. That is not the pattern Jesus gives us in Matthew 18. Jesus describes a careful, patient...

At the center of Jesus’ teaching about conflict is a phrase that changes the purpose of the entire conversation: “If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”Matthew 18:15 ESV Jesus does not say, “You have won the argument.” He does not say, “You have proven...

Jesus begins His instructions in Matthew 18 with an important condition: “If your brother sins against you…”Matthew 18:15 ESV That word “sins” matters. Jesus is not telling us to confront someone every time we feel irritated, overlooked, disappointed, or...

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”Ephesians 4:29 (ESV) When we talk about toxic speech, it is easy to focus entirely on what Christians should not...

“For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.”Proverbs 26:20 (ESV) Most teaching about gossip focuses on the person who speaks. Scripture also challenges the person who listens. A fire cannot continue without fuel. In the...

“The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.”Proverbs 18:8 (ESV) Many people define gossip as saying something false about another person. That can certainly be gossip, but gossip does not have to be false....

Somebody is going to do something today that offends you. Maybe they already have. Before you decide what to do about it, here are three questions worth asking first. 1. What actually happened, versus what am I assuming happened? It's easy to fill in the gaps of...

Every hook has bait wrapped around it. The bait of offense offers you something tempting: the satisfaction of being right, the sympathy of people who take your side, the quiet power of withholding forgiveness from someone who hurt you. All of that feels good in the...

I used to listen to talk radio every time I got in the car. Didn't matter which station, they were all doing the same thing: making me angry at people I'd never met, over things that had nothing to do with my actual life. I started sorting people into categories, A...

We live in a world where nearly everything has a price. With enough money, we can purchase comfort, attention, experiences, and influence. We can improve our appearance, travel to beautiful places, and create the image of a successful life. But there are some things...

A man once told me about a difficult encounter he had while working. A customer came in and treated him terribly. The man was rude, impatient, and said things no one should say to another person. The next Sunday, my friend visited a church and saw that same man...

Churches talk a lot about family, and we should. Marriage is a gift from Jesus. Children are a blessing. Strong homes matter. We should teach people how to build healthy marriages and raise children who know the Lord. But sometimes the way we talk about family leaves...