Articles

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. In our previous article, we considered the idea of being willing to be open to the reality that we need help. Because of this, it is good to ask questions on how we can change to do better. It is also wise to be clear in what information we are giving to each other. Speaking ambiguously will not help the hearer in understanding what we are trying to say. Ultimately, we need to be willing to give the benefit of the doubt. We should not rely on emotionalism and our […]

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. In our previous article, our thought process was about giving consideration of being humble and having a sense of humility. Without them, it may be possible that we would never be willing to give or receive criticism in a godly way. I want us to consider being thoughtful in what we say. Proverbs 29:20 asks and answers a question. Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than him. Giving consideration for something that we are about to say will […]

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. Allow me to briefly reference what I said in our previous article. Criticism is one of the most misunderstood instances in our lives. Not all criticisms are the same. Not all criticisms are coming from honest, pure, and godly motives. Some of them are purely selfish, evil, and sinful. This kind of criticism lacks in spiritual wisdom and it does nothing to help. It is aimed at lifting ourselves up to appear “spiritual” and yet, there is a clear lack of wisdom, understanding, and truthfulness. Being humble and showing humility […]

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. Criticism is one of the most misunderstood instances in our lives and most of us are too quick to shy away from it. We are becoming so sensitive to our feelings that we respond immediately with a kneejerk reaction to constructive criticism. Those difficult conversations where our actions and motives are scrutinized or called into question – many of us won’t have that. Yet, we are all for giving the criticism, just not receiving it. Some not agree with this but giving and receiving criticism is a must for us […]

Beginning in Luke 4:16 we read of Jesus going to His hometown of Nazareth. It was the Sabbath Day and as was His custom He went to the synagogue to read and teach. On this day He chose to read from the prophet Isaiah which just happened to be a messianic passage about Himself. After reading He sat back down, and everyone was watching Him. Then He said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” And they marveled at this hometown boy who spoke with such authority. He then proceeded to teach that they would reject Him just as […]

Continuing our thoughts from last week – We need to learn to deal with our sinfulness today. Some have become content with using excuses (and that is exactly what it is, an excuse) by saying something along the lines of “I am just a work in progress”. People who say this are admitting that they know that they are doing wrong, but that they should get a pass. This kind of disposition alone is sinful on top of the sins that they are willingly committing. Instead of coming up with excuses for why we don’t address the sin problem in […]

We sometimes get a little too comfortable in waiting to do or take care of something. This is an area that I struggle with regarding my “honey-do” lists and what not. However, there is danger in allowing this trait to fester and grow into something bigger than you can control in other areas of our lives. Think about putting gas into your car. There are some who try to get as close to empty as possible before having to put gas in their vehicles. Then there are some who fill up their gas tanks as soon as it hits ½ […]