We wrapped up our series DISCONNECTED this week and we did so by answering your questions and discussing practical ways to apply everything we’ve been learning.
Read MoreUNDER PRESSURE - Disconnected, Part 3
It’s not enough to just worry about what I am SAYING.
I need to understand what others are HEARING.
You aren’t yourself when you’re hungry. That is true not only physically but emotionally as well. We all handle stress and conflict in different ways.
But based on our temperaments, we can understand some of the patterns that probably have plagued us for years and (hopefully) find ways to actively work on improving in those areas.
That’s this week’s message in part 3 of DISCONNECTED.
Read MoreWORDS WE NEED - Disconnected, Part 2
Every word you USE is a word you CHOOSE.
We’re in week 2 of DISCONNECTED and this week I invited two special guests to join me as we discuss the “words we need” based on our temperaments. The same words that motivate some, discourage others. The same words that some brush off quickly; others hold on to for years.
But the more we understand ourselves and those around us, the more we can speak to their needs and communicate more effectively.
Read MoreThe 4 Temperaments - DISCONNECTED Part 1
“Even though we’re all using the same words, we might not all be speaking the same language.”
We kicked off a new series yesterday and I was so excited about it, that I decided to invite a special friend to join me…MY WIFE!
Check out our latest series DISCONNECTED as we examine the unique ways in which God wired us, and how understanding those differences can help us communicate more lovingly and effectively with the people we love the most.
Read MoreAnger Management, Part 3 - BOUNDARIES
Our goal isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule.
Our goal is GRACE and TRUTH.
That’s our main takeaway from Part 3 in Anger Management where we’re talking about boundaries: what they are and how to establish healthy ones in our relationships.
Unfortunately though we had a technical difficulty with our equipment during the first half of the message and the audio ended up being of very poor quality. My apologies to everyone listening. We did our best to salvage what we could and this is what we ended up with.
But if you stick with it through the first 24 minutes, the issue gets corrected after that.
My apologies again and thanks for your understanding.
Read MoreAnger Management, Part 2 - RESOLVING CONFLICT
“Your success in life is largely determined by your ability to resolve conflict.”
That’s what I believe. If life is all about relationships, then your ability to navigate through the inevitable conflicts is critical in terms of “winning” at life.
And that’s why we’re talking about how to resolve conflict in week 2 of ANGER MANAGEMENT. In this week’s message, I share both an overarching strategy about how to deal with conflict as well as four practical steps you can take today.
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Why We All Need to Work on our Marriage
“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:4-6
Several years ago, I did something that I strongly encourage every married couple to do – I attended a Weekend to Remember marriage getaway hosted by FamilyLife. I had heard many good things about the getaway, but I had no idea how beneficial and needed it would be.
Marriage isn’t easy. Anyone who says it is probably isn’t married. We all dream about marriage and have ideas about what it will look like one day, but rarely does the reality ever line up with the expectation. That could be due to a myriad of reasons, but the point is that marriage isn’t easy. It's hard work and if you want to have a successful marriage, you’re probably not going to stumble upon it by accident.
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The Foundation of Success in Every Marriage
I refuse to accept 50/50 in my marriage. No way. Not me. I know what the statistics say – that 50% of marriages end in divorce. And I know that the other 50% are mostly just sputtering along – keeping it together but not really finding the true intimacy and closeness that they each so desire. I know all of that. BUT I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT MY MARRIAGE WILL BE LESS THAN GREAT!
50/50 odds are not good enough for me. I want better for my wife, and for my kids, and most importantly, FOR MY SELF! I don’t want the same results as everybody else – and that is why I believe I must live differently than everybody else.
So with that said, I want to talk about what I believe is the most important factor upon which a successful marriage is built. There is one factor that I believe will contribute to your success in marriage more than anything else. This one commitment, if you keep it, won’t lead to a perfect marriage at all times – but it will certainly lead to one that is long-lasting and fulfilling for many years to come.
Read MoreConfessions of a Bible Powercouple, Part 3 - Abraham and Sarah
It’s Part 3 of our series Confessions of a Bible Powercouple and this week we’re looking at one of the most famous and well-known powercouples ever: Abraham and Sarah.
Abraham and Sarah are two GIANTS when it comes to faith. They’re known for their incredible trust in God. But was their faith always strong? Or did they ever falter? Did they ever have any moments of weakness?
YOU BET! And through their story, we learn some critical lessons about what it means to “trust in God.”
Read MoreConfessions of a Bible Powercouple, Part 1 - JACOB AND LEAH (and Rachel)
There's nothing quite like a juicy love story...the romance, the intrigue, the drama, and maybe a little scandal. In this series, we'll travel back in time and take a closer look at four famous marriages from the Old Testament. We'll see what lessons we can learn and allow their stories to speak into our lives to empower and enrich our marriages.
Up first: Jacob and Leah…….and Rachel.
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The Confessions of an INDEPENDENT-aholic
My name is Fr. Anthony and I am an independent-aholic.
You know what that is, right? An independent-aholic is someone who wants to do everything on their own; they never want to ask for help. Independent-aholics are usually pretty successful in life, but eventually we all meet our match. At times we’ll find ourselves face to face with a problem that is bigger than us and we have to decide what to do.
Read MoreDesigner Differences - HANDCRAFTED, Part 3
OUR differences are for MY benefit.
That's the key thought for the final installment in our latest series, Handcrafted. Throughout the series, we've been looking at how God made us each uniquely - as a masterpiece created for a specific purpose.
But in this week's message, we flipped the script a bit and saw that not only are WE masterpieces, the people who are different than us are also masterpieces as well.
And why did God make us all so different? OUR differences are for MY benefit.
Read MoreHealthy Relationships - SPEAKING OF HEALTH, Part 4
It's the finale in our series, SPEAKING OF HEALTH, and as always, we like to end with a bang! We not only talked about our need for authentic and vulnerable relationships, but we had a live example of what that authenticity and vulnerability looks like.
Be sure not to miss the special cameo appearance from a special guest at the end of this week's message.
And stay healthy everyone!
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The Poverty of Loneliness
“What’s the poorest country you’ve ever been to?” That question was once famously asked to Mother Theresa by an American reporter in the 1970’s. Her response?
“I have been to many countries and seen much poverty and suffering. Everywhere I go people tell me of their hardships and struggles, and ask for help, and I give what I can. But of all the countries I have been to, the poorest one I have been to is America.”
Obviously unprepared for such an answer, the reporter informed Mother Teresa that America was one of the richest countries in the world and questioned why she said it was the poorest. “Because”, she replied, “America suffers most from the poverty of loneliness.”
That was close to 40 years ago. What do you think she’d say today?
Read MoreCARRYING OUT KINDNESS - The KIND that Breaks, Part 4
It's Part 4 in The KIND that Breaks and this week we're moving from THOUGHTS (nixing negativity) and WORDS (practicing praise) to ACTION! But what we discovered is that it isn't always the big actions that communicate love; often it's the small ones.
So as we set out to Carry Out Kindness this week, remember to think SMALL, not big.
Read MorePRACTICING PRAISE - The KIND that Breaks, Part 3
It's time for the 2nd element in our 30 day kindness challenge: PRACTICING PRAISE. The goal is to find one positive thing that you can sincerely praise or affirm about your person and then tell them AND tell someone else.
According to research, that one simple activity can make a HUGE impact on even the most challenging of relationships.
Why is that? Check out part 3 of The KIND that Breaks and see for yourself.
Read MoreTHE SUPERPOWER OF KINDNESS - The KIND That Breaks, Part 1
Ever thought about what it would feel like to have a superpower? If so, you're gonna love the latest series we kicked off at The Well this week: "The KIND that Breaks".
It's all about a superpower that can change just about any relationship there is - no matter how difficult and hopeless it might seem. It's the superpower of KINDNESS and you're invited to join us for a 30 day challenge as we seek to exercise this superpower in our lives.
And be sure to check out http://stsa.church/kindness for resources and more fun stuff!
Read MoreNO ONE TOLD ME THAT - Into the Wild, Part 5
Our INTO THE WILD journey has now come to a close but we ended with a bang! For this final session, I invited my lovely wife, Marianne, to join me on stage as we answered questions from the audience and shared three critical lessons that we've stumbled upon over the past 16 years in our marriage.
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The Value of a Friend
This is a guest post from Natasha Cklamovska – a psychology student at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia who is also a second degree taekwondo black belt (how’s that for an interesting combination). In today’s post, Natasha provides a simple yet beautiful reminder about the importance of friendship. If you too are interested in guest posting on my blog, please visit my Guest Post guidelines for more info.
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17
Throughout the Bible, we see many examples of "best friends", such as Elijah and Elisha:
2 Kings 2:2 - "And Elijah said to Elisha, 'Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel.' But Elisha replied, 'As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!' So they went down together to Bethel."
Read MoreWhat Every Woman Needs to Know About Men - INTO THE WILD, Part 3
Alrighty ladies, this week it's your turn! Last week I was preaching to the gentlemen and this week it's time to turn our attention to you. In this week's message, I share the one choice you can make that can take your relationships to new heights.
What is it? Check out the video above and see for yourself.
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