There is no simple theological answer to pain; the answer is a relationship with God in the midst of pain. Those who need things in neat little black-and-white packages cannot tolerate such a faith.
A culture is like an immune system. It operates through the laws of systems, just like a body. If a body has an infection, the immune system deals with it. Similarly, a group enforces its norms, either actively or passively.
Some goals are not going to fulfill you. Choose goals that you value and care about.
That is why success and fruitfulness depend as much upon focusing on the “who” you are as much as the “what” of the work you do. Invest in your character, and it will give you the returns that you are looking for by only investing in the work itself. You can’t do the latter without the former.
It is true that you get what you tolerate.
When truth presents itself, the wise person see the light, takes it in, and makes adjustments. The fool tries to adjust the truth so he does not have to adjust to it.
To grow, we need things that we do not have and cannot provide, and we need to have a source of those things who looks favorably upon us and who does things for us for our own good.
You aren’t alive if you aren’t in need.
Dating should be a part of your life, not your life a part of dating. There is more to life than finding a date.
Values are sometimes worth living and dying for, and are certainly worth dating and breaking up over.
If you are building a culture where honest expectations are communicated and peer accountability is the norm, then the group will address poor performance and attitudes.
People tend to look at dating sort of like a safari – like they’re trying to land the trophy.
Things don’t change in a marriage until the spouse who is taking responsibility for a problem that is not hers decides to say or do something about it.
It’s scary to realize that the only thing holding our friends to us isn’t our performance, or our lovability, or their guilt, or their obligation. The only thing that will keep them calling, spending time with us, and putting up with us is love. And that’s the one thing we can’t control.
We have our own thoughts, and if we want others to know them, we must tell them.
Dating is a place to practice how to relate to other people.
Dating is about finding out who you are and who others are. If you show up in a masquerade outfit, neither is going to happen.
Christianity is not about morality. It’s about reality.
There’s no better way to become a disintegrated character than to be your own authority.
The business of church is ultimately people. You’re trying to heal people, grow people, teach people, and mend people. And when leaders spend all of their time helping and growing other people, they ignore their own growth.
I’m not an expert in the sociological realities of all the pastors in the world, but I would say that there are some very, very positive things about the state of integrity in church leaders.