If you’ve been around the church for a while, you’ve probably run across “prophets” – people full of judgment and condemnation who reveal others’ sins and call them to repentance, usually with anger and a sour expression. Actually, if you’ve…
I Trust the One I Walk With
Last Saturday morning, I was drinking orange juice by the kitchen sink. At the table, two of my siblings were discussing an upcoming adventure. The general gist of the conversation was that my little brother was trying to stir up…
7 Ways to Lift Up Others Rather Than Pull Them Down
The other day, I was reading an article where someone was spouting their opinion on various cultures. To this young woman, there were two responses to a person’s success in life. In the first type of culture, if someone “made…
8 Ways to Be a Prophetic Voice in Your Workplace (without being Churchy)
The world today is in need of the wisdom of God – and because we have the mind of Christ and a relationship with Him and with the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Wisdom) (1 Corinthians 2:16, John 17:3, Ephesians…
Wholeness is All of You
There has been a movement in recent years toward healing of the heart, healing of the mind and emotions, healing of the body, etc. As long as it’s done with the Holy Spirit (and not some weird demonic stuff), it’s…
The Danger of the Anti-Narcissist Propeganda
It’s a clickbait title, in part because I’m not thrilled to be writing this post. I don’t love being negative; there’s plenty of that in the world without me adding to it. But I’ve had a higher-than-average rate of knowing…
Condemnation vs. Recognition of Sin
In the book of John, we find a very interesting story about a woman who was caught “in the very act” of adultery. While I’m well aware that this story isn’t in the most accurate early manuscripts of the book…
8 Ways to Support (and not Blame) Victims
Isaiah tells us that if we “quit blaming victims,” God will bring blessings (58:9-12). What does not blaming victims look like in real life? 1) Recognize that one, if not both, parties are victims of sin, held captive by the…
Caring for the Bystanders in a Scandal
It’s funny how things happen. This morning, my sister said, “I read the most interesting thing in Isaiah this morning!” And she proceeded to read to me the exact passage I was reading last Wednesday morning: If you get rid…
Should We Talk About Leaders in Sin?
I read a fascinating passage in Isaiah this morning: If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins… Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed…