Stop the Gossip!

Oh the trouble that this piece of flesh that wags between our jaws can cause! And that is true within a church family! Having been in pastoral ministry for some 30 years now, I have seen many a fire started when people couldn't control their tongues! Here's what God has to say about the tongue:

"Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." (James 3:5-6)  

Chuck Swindoll, in his book, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, has this to say about the tongue: "The tongue is capable of prying open more caskets, exposing more skeletons in the closet, and stirring up more choking, scandalous dust than any other tool on earth."  He then goes on to offer the following four suggestions for silencing rumor-mongers: 

1. Identify sources by name. So if someone shares something damaging about another person ask the person for their source.

2. Support the evidence with facts. Don't listen to hearsay. It's usually easy to know when someone is just passing on something they have heard (that is empty of truth).

3. Ask the person, "May I quote you?"  If you ask this, be prepared for the gossip to either turn about 35 different shades of red or begin to backpedal fast!

4. Openly admit, "I don't appreciate hearing this!"  This approach is for the strong of heart and may not be received too well. But as Swindoll points out, "it's a sure way to halt the garbage delivery to your ears!"

So ... if all of us would simply listen more and talk less. And when we do talk, refuse to be part of the gossip superhighway! Instead, follow what God has to say about our speech in Ephesians 4:29.

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Thursday A La Carte

Yet another Thursday ... yet another "Thursday A La Carte" offering. Enjoy!

1. Stephen Wiltshire bears the nickname, "the human camera." Here's an incredible video (5:23) that shows the reason behind his nickname.

2.  Tim Challies offers some interesting (and somewhat convicting) insights on Resisting Consumeristic Temptations.  

3. Here's a really solid (and brief) article by Ed Welch on The Secret to Dealing with Fear and Anxiety.

4. Here's a video (3:09) that brings to mind King David's words of Psalm 19:1.  Enjoy!

5. Finally .... here's a Honda commercial that I found fascinating to watch. Must have taken quite a bit of time to set up!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

When an Unwelcome Visitor Comes Calling!

Alexis Dunbar of Palmetto, Florida arrived home to find a seven foot alligator in her guest bathroom! The gator entered the home through a doggie door. Apparently it had been eying up Dunbar's two cats for some time. When the alligator grew hungry enough, it followed the cats through the doggie door and into the house. Fortunately for the cats, they were able to stay out of the alligator's reach! The uninvited visitor was eventually removed by a trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Ouch! You talk about a downright scary moment. To walk into your house to be greeted by a seven foot hungry alligator? Just one more reason I can think of as to why I would not want to live in Florida!

As I thought about Alexis Dunbar's experience, I realized that her experience is Everyman's and Everywoman's experience. Not that we find alligators in our homes. But all of us, as we go through our routines day in and day out, will eventually encounter a situation or set of circumstances that we did not anticipate or wish for. Yet, life is like that. And when these situations crash into our lives, often knocking us to the ground - we need to reach out for the ONE who will give us the strength and the wisdom to move on. When the apostle Paul was facing unbearable stress he learned to rely on God, "who raises the dead" (see 2 Corinthians 1:8-10). This gave him and his companions the hope (the confident expectation) that God would deliver them and continue to do so!

Friends, Paul's God is the same God we serve today. Just as he delivered Paul and his friends, he will do the same for us. After all, if God can raise the dead, he can surely bring us through whatever!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Every Person Has a Life

Here's a video I posted last week ... but it had a bad link. So I thought I would just embed it for you. It is powerful! Produced by Chick-Fil-A it is a powerful reminder that there is a story behind every face you see. Enjoy!



Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Now Here's A Thought As You Start Your New Work Week!

Last week I ran across this quote from J. I. Packer's book, Knowing God. I shared it with our church staff and thought you all might enjoy it as well. It gives me goosebumps to think of God's love as Packer describes it!

“What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact that underlies it – the fact that He knows me. I am graven on the palms of His hands, I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him because He first knew me and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend . . .

There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery can now disillusion Him about me. “

(J. I. Packer, Knowing God)

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Good Friday!

Today is the day Christians around the world commemorate the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for us. It is called "Good" Friday because of the good that Jesus accomplished on the cross. Because He died, we can have the hope of eternal life (to find out how, click here). To help you spend some time reflecting on the cross, here is a link to a brief article on the Seven Last Words of Christ  and a link to the article, "What is Good Friday?"

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Thursday A La Carte

It's time for Thursday A La Carte:

1. Here's a video produced by Chick-Fil-A that reminds us that all those nameless people around us? They all have a story. It's easy to forget that, isn't it?

2. Talk about a commercial that required quite a bit of work! Here it is!  

3. The Evangelical church has lost its way when it comes to fearing God (which is tragic considering that the Scriptures teach that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!). Here is a brief article by R.C. Sproul on what it means to fear God.

4. Jesus lives!  For a couple of blog postings on both the internal and external evidence for the resurrection of Christ - check out Justin Taylor's (of the Gospel Coalition) blog.

5. On a lighter note, here's a brief video that reminds us that the "good old days" perhaps weren't so good after all. At least, not when it comes to cell phones!