Have you noticed that there are always things that come set to take us out?  It’s usually from things we can’t normally see like our mind or emotions or even our attitude.  Many times our past is used to choke us to death.  The crazy thing is the battle seems to always push us into another realm.  I believe the enemy plants cells down inside of us from years ago just waiting to be activated.  I’ve seen people who have never thought of divorce, suddenly possessed with it.

 

So many times spiritual attack is designed to move you into loneliness forcing you into a private battle that you can’t normally talk about.  This inner self conversation doesn’t usually say, “I can’t go to work today!” but “I’m tired of being me!” 

 

I was recently thinking, how could a man be a good man yesterday, and today kill his family?  What kind of threats could possibly come into the mind to steal that much peace leaving a person that dangerous?  I heard a pastor tell me this week, “I lay down but can’t  get any rest, and get up and feeling beat!”  Why?  Attack!

 

Paul’s first instruction in Eph. 6 is, “Put on the whole armor of God….put on the helmet of Salvation!”  Regardless of who we are, we all need to have a safe place to think from.  We must cover our heads with the equipment God has provided for us to be creative, and think thoughts of Who We Are, not Who We Were!

 

The storms of life have pushed us to a new level where what used to satisfy, no longer works.  When you think about it, we are being given elevated thinking.  And it’s because we are Eagles!  We have been designed to get above the storm; and not fall into the norm where others sink.  Yes!  We put on the that Helmet, and begin thinking clearly; thinking about things above not the economic crisis that presents itself constantly.

 

Eph, 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ….”  God says, I set up an account with your name on it, and I’m now tapping it to bless your spirit, so you don’t have to lean on your flesh, but prosper from this new place; your spirit.  So we must tap this hidden treasure and speak out what God has placed there.  Things of God starts in your spirit!  You can’t be a great person unless first of all, greatness has been placed in your spirit.  Awakening begins in your spirit.  That’s why Paul prayed in verse 18, “I pray that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened!”  You are dedicated to His purpose and He will provide, prosper, encourage, create, do the impossible, send people, money and resources!  Why?  It’s a plan that He has already established and waking us up to it!

 

Saul was a Greater Man in the eyes of men than David.  But David was a spiritual Man!  God kept him, provided for him, because He planted His heart inside of him.  That’s why we pray; “God give birth today what You want me to say and do!”

 

I’m learning to get rid of my agenda because I want to be consumed with God’s unfolding of my future filled with hope!  God’s purpose was that He begot you!  There will never be another you!  Nobody has your finger prints.  You are one of a kind!  Anything that attempts to altar that is a Stronghold!  Pull it Down!!

Mission

Mission – Team of people who live by faith, known for their love, and a voice of hope to the city to save the culture.

• Are we bringing churches together to create culture for the community?
• Are we healthy?
• Are we an example of the Gospel of Christ?
• Are we secure enough to drop our titles and denominational names and become the face of Jesus to the community?
• How long are we willing to build relationships with city leaders, school boards, mayor, government, administrators?
• How do we define Evangelism?  Is it the number of people saved each weekend, or long term relationships that people find Christ slowly through the example and friendship of people who have committed and sacrificed their lives together?

Picture of God Himself

God is incredibly patient.  He understands everything in your heart.  He knows why you do what you do, and He is never surprised or caught off guard.  God is kind, and He wants you to feel His touch in your heart, that heart He created to long for Him, for love.

God never envies anyone or anything. He never desires to take for Himself what others have.  Instead, He longs to give away all He has, and He’s never tempted to take things back because He didn’t get enough attention.  God doesn’t boast about the highest truths about Himself; He willingly lowers Himself even lower than you just to lift you up.  God is not proud, holding to His perfection and reminding us He doesn’t need anyone.  He desires a relationship with you and me, and He continually makes Himself vulnerable just to make that possible.

God is never rude.  He doesn’t leave anything unfinished or unspoken.  He is incapable of giving anyone “the silent treatment” or playing hide-and-seek when they’re earnestly seeking Him.  He makes everything about Himself known and has no desire to keep anything hidden from you.

God cannot be self-seeking.  He is gratified and fulfilled when you are praised and honored.  His eyes are always seeking the best for you, and He’s never worried about what He gets in return.  He isn’t provoked easily or ever angered beyond His desire for complete love.  He’s not “high maintenance,” and He never wants you to walk in fear of offending or hurting Him.  He keeps no record of the wrong things you’ve done because He refuses to call you by the name of your past.  He doesn’t hold anything over your head, but continuously wipes your record clean so that He can clearly focus on your heart. 

God doesn’t delight in evil, and He’s never tempted to follow lies and fantasies.  He doesn’t desire romantic notions, just the real you.  He can’t countenance anything that would benefit His kingdom at your expense.  He rejoices in the truth about you because He sees who you truly are and it’s beyond wonderful to Him.  God always protects you from caving in to pressure, despair, or anguish.  If you’ll simply ask Him, He will always provide the strength needed to hold you up through the storms of life and carry you in His own strong arms to your intended purpose as His favorite, irreplaceable child.

God always  trusts you, with His heart doors open at all times, without exception.  He always hopes in you because He knows the endless truth of your never-ending story.  God always perseveres, proving He is who He claims to be.  He stands through the storm and walks through the fire simply to express His love for you.  He will never fail you, never fall short, never fall out of love, because He’s made of love, the very source of it all.

Love is why He sees everything inside you and knows every emotion, thought, and feeling.  Love is why He soaks through every outward thing that stands in the way to saturate your spirit, soul, and heart with the knowledge of blissful eternity with Him.  Love is why there’s no place, no person, and no created thing that can be separate from Him.                                                  Hufford

Passion

One of my favorite characters in the Bible is David.  I love his tenacity!  His attitude ran through his whole life forming his heart and life decisions, both good and bad.  Can you hear him?  “I will fight a giant with a rag and rock if I know God’s on my side!”  I’ve met people like this being willing to shine shoes, mow lawns if they know God is on their side.  It is this selfless life of living not for themselves, but fully for God, always asking, “Should I go up, down, out, be still or speak?”

David is a man of passion!  Whatever he did, he is passionate about it.  If he sang, he sang with passion.  If he fought, he fought with passion!  He not only played instruments, but made them.  Wrote poetry while sitting in a tree.  You’d think he would be soft if you didn’t read the rest of the story.  The one who was soft enough to write and sing, cut off the foreskins of a hundred Philistines and threw them at the foot of the king.  So passion can go both ways.

Passionate people can walk into an empty room and see it filled.  They can take a nothing job and turn it into something.  They can take a blank piece of paper and create it into a placemat covered with a dream inspired by something bigger than themselves.

You’d think with David’s track record with the Philistines would cause them to never think about fighting him!  Can you hear David saying, “You picked the wrong person to fight!”  Ever meet a person who punches you and says sorry?  That’s David!  I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened, didn’t mean to cuss you out, and then calls out to Jesus!

Saul hired David to fight, so he takes a bunch of rejects and makes them into a mighty army.  But the first thing he does is drop to his knees.  He refuses to go forward on his own strength or ideas, but humbly asks God, “Should I go up?  Do You want me to whip them?”  The reason why; he associates success with prayer.  Not power, numbers, anger talent, ability or force.  Not influence, money or recognition but prayer!

That’s why I love David so much.  He’s not just a hot head but a tender warrior with heart.  His thoughts are; I don’t want to engage the enemy without God!  I want to be sure God is on my side.  Because if He is on my side, I don’t care how big the enemy’s army is, how tired I am, or the obstacles I am up against!  If I know He is on my side both to do and to will according to His own good pleasure, I will run anywhere and fight anyone even if it’s all alone!

My wife has this heart!  She will take anyone, even if they are a heroin addict, but only if she knows God is on her side.  She always goes the extra mile after asking God, “Should I go?” and waits for his answer.  Could it be passion?

Something is about to happen in all of our lives!  When it happens, we must go, but first we must stop, knee down and ask, “Should we go up?”  And then do it God’s way!  It’s the only way to victory!

So God says to David, “Go up and I will deliver your enemy into your hands!”  David goes up and defeats his enemy, but as he does it, they hear him chanting, “The Lord has delivered you into my hands!  I rejoice and celebrate His Holy Name!”  It’s one thing to realize you are being defeated, but another to hear your enemy taunting you with praises to God!

So don’t ever fight the enemy with your mouth closed!  Give the Lord your praise!  Give Him the glory!  Give Him the credit and lift Him up while you defeat the enemy!

The secret: Wait on the Lord.  Ask Him what’s next?  Believe in His promise of victory!  Go forth with passion, praise and thanksgiving!

Bless you today!  Love you!

As I was reading Hebrews 4:1 so much jumped out at me; “Let us fear lest you miss the promise that comes from entering His rest, and you come up short of entering it.”  “Let us fear?” Doesn’t  God say, “Fear Not, be not dismayed, for I with you!” and, “we have not been given a spirit of fear, but love, power and a sound mind!” but this text says, “Let us fear!”  The Message Bible says, this resting in Him pulls us on to His goal for us, so we should fear that we are disqualified or miss out.

This is not a contradiction but a collaboration of truth.  Which means….there are things you are not to be afraid of.,… “don’t be afraid of their faces, I will make your face like flint!  Stand Up against them!  But there other things that we should Fear!

So what should we fear?  My first thought was, death.  But I’m not afraid of death as long as I live first.  What I’m afraid of is if I live without living!  The worst thing would be to live and die like the Children of Israel in the wilderness, and not go in and possess the promised land. 

Carol and I see so many people living life with uncertainty, no purpose, not sure, would have done it different, could have had it, afraid of success or just not even trying!

I know we all grow up hearing, Don’t run up there!  Don’t touch that!  Don’t do that, you’ll fall!  But….to live and die and not know your purpose?  Settle for mediocrity?  Settle for less because you are more afraid of your opposition than the One who empowers you to be Amazing!

So what I believe the writer in Hebrews is saying, you need to fear living life by just existing.  I can’t imagine any of you living and dying without fulfilling all you were created to be! 

Think about this question: What leaves people stuck in a place where they never touch what they were called to do or be?  Is it intimidation?  I don’t thing so!  I believe it’s refusing to dare to live life fully alive.  It’s failing to get up everyday ready to fight against the fear of falling short of your greatness, or settling for less!

Faith is not only a noun but a verb!  You must work it!  When will you say things like; Enough is Enough?  I’ve lost enough stuff?  Nothing and No one will steal away my marriage?  I will not give up on my children?  I will do whatever it takes to land that new job?  I refuse to be a Passive Christian!  Enough is Enough!

I love Blind Bartameus, yelling, and with everyone around him telling him to be quiet, but No!  He keeps yelling for Jesus to Help him!  Faith is not passive, but aggressively at work yelling, “See Me Jesus?”  You don’t’ need to show Him that you’re cute, but that you are a mess.  “See what I lost while I was trying to get to You?  See Me Lord?”  I love the fact that Jesus noticed and gave him what he desired.

Don’t be afraid to yell, scream and chase Jesus to get a Miracle!  It’s no wonder God says, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life!”  Part of this happens because we fear doing nothing and letting life kill us.  We must rise up and take back everything that has been stolen!  Reverse every curse that has been placed upon us.  Defeat and destroy everything that was meant to take us down! 

Later in Hebrews it says to be diligent to press into that place of rest and promise.  That’s what God wants for us as His children; let’s get aggressive and go after it in the Name above all names, Jesus! 

God placed this verse on my mind just for you!  When we are lost in the woods with some friends, the first sight of a signpost is huge.  The one who sees it first cries, “Look!”  And the whole party stops and stares.  But when we get back on the road, and are passing signposts every few miles, we don’t stop and stare.

Ex. 34:10, “…I will do wonders never before done…..the people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.”  “I will do wonders” means, I will show you Joy! 

C. S. Lewis calls these moments as being “Surprised by Joy!”  He says only a child consistently experiences these surprises, because it takes becoming a child to be surprised with such Joy that you cry and laugh all at the same time.  Remember any of those moments?  God is saying, “I’m getting ready to do something in Your Life you have never seen before!  To take you to a place where you would never go on your own!”

I remember a four year old boy, sitting in his high chair having forgot it was his birthday.  His mother and sister came around the corner with his favorite chocolate cake with four lit candles singing, Happy Birthday to You….  He started crying and laughing at the same time.  He was surprised by Joy.

 

God is going to show you Joy!  Freedom like you’ve never seen!  Confidence, boldness and creativity!  Healing and favor like you never seen!

Your mind will try to talk you out of it, but God is not limited by  how you think.  But remember, when you are weak, God is strong!  When your faith is low, He is faithful.  When you are sick, He has provided for your healing!

A Woman with an issue of blood pushed through the crowd, reached and touched the hem of Jesus’ robe and received His goodness, healing.  God wants to give you some first times.  People blessing you out of the blue.  A New home!  A raise!  When God shows you something you’ve never seen, you will be surprised by Joy!

Jesus said to Peter, “Throw your nets on the other side!”  “But we have been fishing all night!” Peter forgot that Jesus is in charge of all the fish.  God wants to show you something you’ve never seen.  A miracle!  A promotion!  Healing!  Get out of debt!

Jesus said, “Unless you have the faith of a child, can’t grasp these things…”  Many of us are lost in the woods!  Look for a signpost; direction, guidance and provision!  Remember to slow down and look, and when you see the signpost, you will be captured by God’s surprise.  At that moment stop and stare.  Take it in!  Be surprised by Joy!  Let the laughter and tears roll down your cheeks because you are loved that much!

Get ready, God has some more First Times.  He’s coming looking for you!  His favor will thrust you into abundance!

I was thinking this morning about what the Word says God is.  It says, He is “Love!”  This lover of the universe who was God became man to bring the truth to undo sin's impact upon our lives.  Listen to His loving words, 1Thes. 4:13-14 Message, "And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will bring those who have died in Jesus, back home."

 I love the Story!  The Bible says we were named before time.  We existed as a created spirit being oriented and in total understanding of the image we bore, that of Love.  Satan was cast out of Heaven and the War began between 2 Kingdoms in a garden.  The Kingdom of God with the Kingdom of Satan.  It was not about Adam and Eve, they were used in the War to  birth sin.

Sin’s assignment was to separate man from God and dehabilitate Love.  And then in time, we were called into a physical body where our state of being, ground in love was lost because of sin.  At conception, death and sin weaved it’s way through our thinking, instincts, actions and reactions losing who we were intended to be.  Understanding and the ability to live in the power of this love was lost. 

Being totally deceived, independence became the over riding trait of mankind.  We truly believed we could fix anything and make it all by ourselves.  But the day finally came when we collided with our Creator, a Loving Father who sent His Son to pay the debt of our sin, to dehabilitate sin and death’s grip upon us.  At that time we were called us into a spiritual body, the Church of Jesus Christ.

Out of the riches of His grace, love and mercy, this Loving Father made us alive in Christ.  Old things pasted away and we were made new in Jesus, and began to discover Who We Are!!

We have been captured by the Relentless Lover of the Universe to become the Lover that touches and impacts all the lives He brings into our lives.

 

This process of being rehabilitated may seem slow, but do not despair, this Loving Father will restore, transform and establish you to live life fully alive, driven by a love that reflects the relentless tenderness of the image we bare.

This Loving Father says, Isa. 41:10, “fear not, for I am with you; Do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you in your difficult times, yes I will help you.   I will hold you up and retain you with My victorious right hand.”

Love Never Fails!

Carol and I have been reading 1 Cor. 13 giving us a fresh picture of God’s love for us which says, Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.  Love never fails.

The teachings we grew up with depicted the Holy Spirit as being easily hurt and offended and that God was mostly angry where He gave us an offer we could not refuse: “Turn or burn!”  He has to be short tempered, or we might just go out and sin.  We’ve wonder many times if Christians found out hell was officially closed, how many would really choose a relationship with God.  But we read 1 Cor. 13 and discover a loving God that always gives a second chance to the end!

We were also taught to use the name of Jesus and Scripture in an effort to “legally” force God to follow through with what He said He would do for me.  Sermons many times seemed to be “How To” teachings regarding provoking God to answer and bless us.

Have you ever been in a church service where the speaker said, “The Spirit of God is in this room?”  Many times we felt the audience didn’t know whether to be sensitive, careful to not hurt the Spirit or be careful to not make God angry.  Biggest problem was so many went home disappointed.

Have you ever been made to feel that if you don’t pay your tithe you can’t ever expect God to hear you let alone answer your prayers?  God would never take something as beautiful as giving and force it into something mechanical.  Your Father doesn’t need to be provoked into helping you; He finds personal pleasure continually blessing the ones He loves.

Be encouraged today.  God will never turn His face from you!  His eyes are constantly on you in loving affirmation.  To even say that God would turn from you is an anti-Christ mentality.  It denies the work of Christ on the cross.  It will simply never happen.  Don’t ever worry that God is not watching over you.  You are everything to Him!  Nothing you ever do will cause Him to be provoked and turn away from you.

The Holy Spirit is focused on your heart.  He is sensitive because He is sensitive to you.  Don’t ever worry about hurting His feelings.  He is secure, and He loves you, and love is not easily provoked.

When we speak Vangela, Brock or Sasha’s name, it erupts with power the moment it leaves my lips.  Even though they are not here, we can hear their voices the moment their namea are spoken.  We can feel their hair in our hands and smell their breath as if they were standing right before us.  Their names has the power within it because of our relationship.  Before we had them, their names meant nothing.  It was just another name among millions.  But once we knew them personally, it exploded with meaning and power.

The name of Jesus is much the same way.  It was never meant to be used as a bobby pin to pick a lock in the spiritual realm, or as a clove of garlic to ward off vampires.  Its power is contingent upon relationship.  Only in relationship can the essence of Jesus hit the air when the name is spoken from your lips.

The same is true with faith.  As we exercise faith, it becomes aroma of our relationship, not keys to get what we want.  Believe it or not, when your name is spoken by God, it explodes with power in the same way.  God does not use things like your job, your children, and your marriage as tools to manipulate you to greater performance.  The power comes from relationship.  Faith viewed through the lens of love and relationship will come to be more than you ever dreamed, something beautiful and life-changing.  Never again will you worry about God’s being easily provoked because that’s 1 Cor. 13.

We Love You, Paul and Carol

Born to Join the Dance!

Every once in a while something crosses my mind and leaves me breathless.  One of those breath taking ideas is definitely the Trinity; the belief that God is One and Three, Three and One all at the same time.  Trying to grasp this concept stretches me beyond myself into the supernatural or into the mystical.  Thinking about the Trinity, have you ever wondered what they did together before time began, before the sun, moon and stars were created?

Many Theologians have asked that question, “What was God doing before creation?”  After much study, they have landed upon a word that describes what God was doing, “perichoresis.”  It describes the interpenetrating and mutual indwelling of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in One Another.  So what are they doing?  The Father and the Son and the Spirit were in an endless dance of endless love and surging joy and delightful play as they enjoyed the depth of their love for One Another.  They were dreaming of human beings and their personal relationships with each other, relationships that go to the guts of eternity, discovering this dance of Life for themselves. 

God created the first movement, a revolution of love generating the very core of life, in God’s own life where there is this throbbing joy of mutual indwelling.  It’s called love.  Love is God’s gift to us to enjoy this love in and through one another.  When we love, we enter in and participate in this mutual indwelling of one another.  Entering this dance of eternity is stepping into the adventure and plans for eternity.

This deep mystery of life reveals that Life itself is personal.  To believe in God through Jesus is to enter this mystery.  God came to earth in Jesus and became human.  Through Him this dance becomes possible.  The deepest dimension of the Kingdom dream and of life itself that we are persons who dwell with other persons, and only in loving others do we tap into the core of that mystery.  When we experience this, we unlock our future!

Scott McKnight says, “If you want your job to matter, then keep in mind that life itself is about perichoreting with others – with your spouse or with your family or with your friends or with your community of faith or with your city or with your country or with the world and with those with who you work.  What we do matters when what we do is seen as something designed for persons.”

I grew up with the idea that I could find “God’s Will” for my life.  Frederick Buechner said God’s will is this, “The place where God calls you is where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger.”

If you seek the Kingdom of God and pursue the place where your deepest gladness and the world’s deepest needs meet, in that place your life will speak!  This intersection of what God is doing, and what you are asked to do creates the dance of love.

Andy Crouch, a well known Christian thinker said, “We shouldn’t try to 'save the world' but play our part in the redemptive work of this world with a small group of friends.”

Keep your eyes on the Kingdom.  Make it personal and do what you are called to do well, and do it with others.  Dance with your Creator!

Five Distinct Behaviors that Undermine Self-Confidence and Block Trust in Marriage

  
As ministers, we take a huge hit everyday by thrusting ourselves out into the population of people who desperately need wisdom, care and a listening ear.  Because the needs are so huge, many times we neglect our marriages.  We can't take them for granted, because our marriage is the launching pad for our ministry.  When marriage goes down, it all goes down.  Here are a few barriers and builders to provoke your thinking.  Each barrier is replaced by a builder causing us to enjoy much greater improvement in our relationships as a couple.

Barrier 1: Assuming:

• An unwillingness to consider the validity of your mate’s point of view.
• Have you ever said, “I didn’t tell you because I knew you would get upset?” 
• When we assume, we ignore the most beautiful characteristic of human beings…which is the ability to learn and change from day to day. 
• Perhaps a good question to ask yourself before we assume is:  “What will happen if I don’t assume?” 
• The answer is simple:  “I’ll find out!”

Builder 1: Checking:

• An openness to understand your mate’s point of view.  “What was your understanding of what I expected?”
• Checking is a way to learn how much understanding we have and how capable they are.
• When we take time to check, we are saying that we respect the fact that the person is capable to make decisions, and that we are trying to make room for his or her growth.
• Rule of thumb is to substitute dialogue and patience for assuming: “How can I use this situation to check out what this person knows, sees, is ready to learn, or can do?” 
• Ask questions, don't make statements!

Barrier 2:  Rescuing or Explaining:

• Disrespect of your mate’s ability to make wise decisions.  “Be sure you don’t forget your lunch!”
• Too often we rescue or fix instead of allowing our mate to experience the consequences of their behavior. 
• When we step in too quickly we are called rescuers or enablers.

Builder 2:  Exploring:

• Listening with purpose to understand your mate’s point of view.
• Explore the What? Why?  And How? Of an experience.
• Ask questions:  “What is your understanding of what was happening?  What might have caused this to happen?  Having had that experience, what could you learn from it that might help you next time?”
• Our patience in exploring experiences conveys this message:  “I see within you the capabilities to master situations and gain understanding.”

Barrier 3:  Directing:

• Disconnecting or judging of your mate’s point of view.  “Pick up your shoes!  Put that away!”
• It’s much easier to step in and direct than to invite their participation and accept that they might do things differently. 
• When we are too quick to step in and direct, we produce hostility, aggression and resistance.
• Directing is probably the most widespread barrier in families.  It is always “easier to do it myself.” 

Builder 3:  Encouraging/Inviting:

• Empathy, which results from careful Listening.
• Your mate feels encouraged when they see themselves as assets rather than objects,
• See mistakes as opportunities to learn rather than as failures,
• And invited participation and contributions rather than directing and demanding compliance.
• When we encourage and invite, we motivate positive attitudes toward learning from experience.  “I would appreciate any help you could give me in straightening up the living room.”

Barrier 4: Expecting:

• Blaming your mate for one’s own personal feelings.  “I was expecting more consideration.”
• Expecting is setting high standards and then pointing out failure to reach these standards.
• This is always discouraging and destructive experience.
• Expecting is rooted in a disbelief in current capabilities and entails criticism of failures.

Builder 4:  Celebrating:

• A genuineness conveyed through warmth and interest.
• Too often we are preoccupied with what is not happening in a relationship and overlook what is.  “I appreciate the effort you put forth in our relationship!”
• Need to celebrate any little movement in the right direction.  
• That is a reason for great joy.”

Barrier 5:  Adultisms:

• Lack of genuineness indicated by a tone of voice which contradicts the spoken message.
• Unrealistic expectations that produce impotence, frustration, hostility, and aggression. 
• The language of adultisms is, “Why can’t you ever?  How come you never? Surely you realize!  How many times do I have to tell you?  Why are you so childish? When will you ever grow up? Did You? Can you? Will you? Won’t you? Are you? Aren’t you?”

Builder 5: Respect:

• Respect for differing points of view.
• The language of respect is, “What was your understanding of what is appropriate?  Let me be sure I understand.”
• When we have shown respect for the uniqueness of each individual’s most beautiful characteristic of the human race: we value our diversity.

Look at the Luke 2:46-47 and find the four reasons the intellectuals of the day were so impressed with Jesus' approach to them.  This secret can change your relationship for ever!