Tag: relationships
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Mark, Philemon, and You
36Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted…
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Do You Love Like God?
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that…
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The Best Forgiveness in Relationships
3Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”–Luke 17 It’s very tempting to picture forgiveness as an unconditional matter. I will admit, it does…
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Your Relationships Will Change If You Do These
29But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he…
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Are Your Battles Necessary?
1The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a…
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Grace or Bitterness?
9Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.–Proverbs 17 Relationships thrive where grace is present. Grace is always undeserved or unmerited. Relationships suffer where bitterness is present. Bitterness repeats the past and never shows grace. There is a need for confession and owning your wrongs. But there…
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Three Types of Boundaries
9Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.”–Deuteronomy 2 Boundaries are a good thing in relationships. Here are the three types. SET BY OTHERS. In your…
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Countercultural Jesus [1-minute read]
27“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.—Luke 6 The natural response to enemies is justified hatred. People therefore give themselves excuses to hate others. The response to selfishness towards you is not further selfishness towards…
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Guilt and Amends [1-minute read]
16He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven. 17“If anyone sins, doing any of the…
