Jon

Listening, speaking, and anger. Lack of listening is a common reason for relationship spats. Speaking when you shouldn’t, or with the wrong tone or timing, can get you into big trouble. And everyone knows that anger can be very destructive. You can imagine several ways these are related.  Jesus’ half-brother, James, wrote about this very topic in an extremely practical letter to the first century church. In the Bible, James 1:19-20 says: My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should [...]

Michelle and I recently gave a talk about marriage and family at the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) banquet. Afterwards, a dad came up to me and asked the secret to why we (so far) have been successful at raising great kids. I joked and said, “It’s all Michelle.” Reflecting on it, of course great moms are critical to developing great kids. But not every great mom results in great kids, and some great kids don’t have a great mom or [...]

Author and Pastor Craig Groeschel suggests an excellent diagnostic test: If your butt muscles tighten up when you hear the word “generosity”, you may have a scarcity mindset. Most Americans don’t feel rich, but we are. Plug in your income at www.globalrichlist.com and you’ll find that most are in the top 1% in the world. Even families at our poverty level are in the top 3% in the world. Think about it. Many people in other countries don’t have houses. [...]

Healthy marriages are incredibly important. The ripple effects of unhealthy relationships are broad and deep, adversely impacting husbands and wives, children, extended family, friends, and society as a whole. Fortunately, there are several actions we can take to repair, strengthen, and grow our marriages. My challenge to you is to discuss and incorporate at least these practices into your marriage. Invest in your marriage. Although financial issues, adultery, and “drifting apart” are often cited as leading causes of divorce, they are [...]

I recently went to a leadership conference led by New York Times bestselling author John Maxwell. No one in the world has published more about leadership. But leadership is not his true passion. When asked about the one thing he desired most for the world he answered, “To give people a true picture of God.” Most of us have blurry vision. We don’t have a clear picture of Jesus and the transformational power he can have in our lives. This [...]

“Behind the scenes of any healthy marriage relationship, you’ll find guardrails” – Andy Stanley Guardrails on a road are designed to keep vehicles from straying into dangerous areas. You could drive where guardrails are located, but the distance between the guardrail and the danger keeps you safe. Andy Stanley’s definition of a personal guardrail is, “A standard of behavior that you are so committed to, that when you violate it, it bothers your conscience.” When you bump up against a [...]

Americans don’t handle money well. Consumer debt is on the rise; of those with credit card debt the average balance is over $15,000. The retirement accounts of working-age people are shockingly underfunded. And on a more personal level, problems with money are cited as a leading reason for divorce. How can we remedy this situation? Most are surprised to hear that Jesus said more about money than heaven and hell, and there are twice as many verses about money than [...]

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” The 10th Commandment (Exodus 20:17) You might be thinking, “Whew!  My neighbor doesn’t have an ox!  I’m off the hook!” But, have you ever desired someone else’s . . . Car Home Possessions Spouse Life If you answered “Yes” to any of these, as a fellow member, let me be [...]

I’m ill-equipped to give out parenting advice, but this question is an important one: Who do you want your children to become? What matters most when they are young adults, get a job, get married, and have kids of their own? What is our role as parents in that process? There are literally tens of thousands of books available to guide our parenting. The problem is that the majority are based on authors’ personal opinions and assumptions. Despite the millions [...]

Who said that it's OK to "look, but don't touch" when it comes to checking out women who aren't your wife (or men who aren't your husband)? Though most would call it an upgrade from "look then touch", it is in no way a biblical concept. Let's see what Jesus has to say about it: Matthew 5: 27-30: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman [...]

I just finished the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and as warned a couple of my friends, it really messed me up (in a good way) by all the punch in the gut challenges about who we are and what in the world we are doing with our lives. One thing mentioned was that of the Parable of the Sower (really the Parable of the Soils). Even if you're read it dozens of times, take a few minutes to REALLY re-read [...]