Abusive Pastors, Understanding Why They Do What They
It seems to be a mystery why a pastor would ever abuse a member of their congregation. But abusive pastors exist throughout the church. This post discusses the reason why some pastors might be abusive and what you can do about it.
Reflections on Francis Chan and We Are Church
Francis Chan left his mega church to start We Are Church. Will it succeed? Here are some reflections on the house church movement.
Best Books on Spiritual Abuse: Broken Trust Tops the List
The book, “Broken Trust” by F. Remy Diederich was ranked as the best book on spiritual abuse by one expert.
Survivors of Spiritual Abuse: Five Ways to Offer Your Support
Survivors of spiritual abuse are so often misunderstood and mistreated. This post will give you practical advice on how to treat survivors of spiritual abuse.
Forgiven by God: How Guilt Can Block God's Forgiveness
When your life gets out of control and filled with guilt and regret, you may think that there is no way to God’s forgiveness. But there is hope. You can start over.
God's Forgiveness Makes You Perfect in His Eyes
Your sin and failure can seem so overwhelming that you may believe you are beyond hope. But God’s forgiveness is so thorough that he sees you as perfect in his eyes. How is this possible?
Your New Life Starts Here: God's Forgiveness
Sometimes past regret causes us to want to give up on life. But what if you could be forgiven and start your life over? Read an excerpt from the book, Starting Over, finding God’s forgiveness when you find it hard to forgive yourself.
Churches That Abuse: Six Warning Signs
Churches that spiritually abuse people often share several common characteristics. This post lists six key traits outlined in the book, Churches that Abuse, which will help you to identify these harmful patterns.
Free Sermon Series for Lent for Pastors
In this post I offer a free sermon series for pastor to preach in the weeks leading up to Easter looking at how to overcome loss, failure and personal setbacks.
Spiritual Abuse: the Fruit of Toxic Faith
Toxic faith and spiritual abuse are related but distinct. Spiritual abuse grows out of wrong thinking about God by both the abuse and the abused.
Unmet Expectations: How Should You Respond?
We face unmet expectations every day. They affect us emotionally and can throw us of track if we aren’t aware of what’s happening. This post offers practical advice on how to respond well to unmet expectations.
Understanding the Powerless and How to Respond
Powerful people don’t understand what it’s like to be powerless. Their lack of empathy causes them to be judgmental. Understanding powerless people can change that.
The Power Paradox: Gaining and Losing Power
This post recaps some of the key lessons from the book, The Power Paradox.
Trump's Apology and Cheap Grace
Restoring broken relationships is an art. It often begins with an apology. But too often our apologies miss the mark like a recent apology from Donald Trump. Let’s learn from his mistakes.
Forgiveness is Not Being Nice
Forgiveness means to give up the right to get even. But there are many things that forgiveness is not. Here are six things that forgiveness is NOT.
Lose Your Christian Cliches and Jargon
Too often, Christians simplify their talks with clichés and jargon. This can feel disrespectful to both people and God. We can do better. This post explains why using clichés and jargon doesn’t help share your faith clearly.
Toxic Pastors and Why They Are Not Confronted
If toxic pastors are so harmful, why are they so rarely confronted? Here are ten common reasons people avoid confronting an abusive pastor — read through them and see which ones resonate with your experience.
The Gift of Cancer, An Unexpected Guest
Cancer is most often seen as the great thief, robbing you of so much. But it can also be seen as a gift. There are things gained through cancer that you won’t find any place else. God is not limited by cancer. He can make good out of it if you let him.
Seven Steps to Handle Crucial Conversations
When conflict happens, do you know how to resolve it? This post looks at a seven step process to approach crucial conversations.
Six Ways to Rebuild Trust
When you’ve broken the trust of someone you love, how to you rebuild their trust in you? Here are six practical steps you can start today.