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#65: “Dates”, Common Interests & Other Good Times
I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15)Friendship requires a commitment to spend time together, enjoying one another’s company and finding common interests. Without that commitment, the friendship will never develop any real depth. Very late in Christ’s earthly ministry, He…
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#64: Strength In Gentleness
Let your gentleness be known to all. (Philippians 4:5)I’ve heard it said that words hurt like punches. When we first hear that said, we feel regret because we realise how many “punches” we have hit each other with over the years when we spoke mean or insensitive words. We have thrown many a sarcastic remark…
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#61: By What Authority?
Speak these things and rebuke with all authority. (Titus 2:15)True exhortation is grounded in God’s authority – the Scriptures. Pushing my opinions or advice on my spouse may be giving advice or even nagging, but it is not exhortation. “Exhortation with all authority” as it is stated in today’s Scriptures, is becoming familiar with the…
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#59: Diet Coke Wars
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4) Many of our fights are over trivial selfishness for e.g. over cool drinks, what to order at a restaurant, how to…
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#58: What To Say When We Don’t Want To Talk About It
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. (Proverbs 25:11 ESV)Let’s face it. Sometimes we’re just grumpy. Things didn’t go well with our boss or our kids. We had to fight traffic on the highway or in the car parking not finding a place to park. A coworker said…
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#56: Receive Grace, Then Share It
From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. (John 1:16) Grace can’t be earned or deserved. It can’t be demanded or claimed as a right. It is a gift, freely given by a Giver who has an endless supply. Gratitude is one telltale sign of a recipient of grace,…
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#55: Honoring Your Spouse’s Strengths
Let marriage be held in honor. (Hebrews 13:4)Over the years we need to learn to appreciate our spouse’s character qualities – those strengths within them that bless us and others. For e.g. their supportiveness and loyalty to us, their convicting diligence about getting their tasks completed, their discernment and insight, truthfulness and hospitality. Those are…
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#54: Patient Endurance of Another’s Humanness
Walk… with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2) Tolerance relates to putting up with another person’s obvious humanness and bearing with his or her imperfections. To express tolerance demands setting aside a self-centered focus and adopting instead a God-centered perspective. God sees each of us very different,…
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#52: Honored By The Gift Of God’s Son
You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold… but with the precious blood of Christ. (1 Peter 1:18-19) The power of words is one of those mysteries only heaven will reveal. Our words have the power to bless and to curse. Only humans, created in His image, have been entrusted with such…
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#26: Lost In The Middle Of Your Own Parenting Style (Part 8)
Owner or Ambassador? Today we look into the last area of distinguishing between the two styles. 4. REPUTATION: what tells people who you are and what you’re about.OWNER: Owner parents unwittingly turn their children into their trophies. They tend to want to be able to parade their children in public to the applause of the…
RBW FAMILY MINISTRIES 