Friday, December 5, 2008
Christmas Prayer
My prayer for you is that you experience God's goodness, grace, and glory this season. I believe that these gifts are always available but sometimes we need to see them through eyes of faith. But how do we "see" them? We must grow spiritually to have spiritual sight. I Cor.2:10-14 Is there a "gift" you would like from your Father in heaven? Ask anything according to His will and He will grant it! Matt.7:7 By faith look under the tree (the Cross) and see if there isn't a gift with your name on it! Rev.3:10-12 Merry Christmas, pastor Bill
Friday, November 7, 2008
Basic Theology
This will be the last segment of this series. I would like to invite those interested to call me @ 704 245-3755 for help with Bible questions or interest in a new small group study called "Starting Point". Future Prophecy has so many differing views. How do we Know what is True? Dispensational Theology can be helpful since it is a comprehensive way of viewing the entire Bible. A dispensation is a distinct period of time in which God tests mans obedience. Man always Fails! Then God gives a new test with new promises. In their "innocent" state Adam and Eve failed so God promised a Redeemer and allowed mankind to be tested by "Human Conscience". But mankind did what was right in their own eyes. God saves Noah and then tested man through "Human Government". Next came a period of "Promise" to Abraham and then the "Law" of Moses. Now we are in the dispensation of "Grace". Salvation has always been by grace but now we have freedom in Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit. The final period of testing before eternity begins is the "Kingdom" of Christ on earth for 1000 years. The distinctive of this theology are two-fold: 1. Consistent normal, literal, grammatical rule of interpretation. 2. Keeping the Church and Israel distinct in God's plan for each.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Small Group Options
If you would like to be in a new small group with others who have recently made a decision to follow Christ please call me at 704 245-3755. This group will allow you to meet new friends, study the Bible at a slow easy pace, and ask all the questions you have! Please call me for the details about "Starting Point". If you have a heart for people and enjoy engaging people in meaningful discussions God might be calling you to lead a small group. Even if you are in a small group but know you are not ready to lead one please call me about meeting together to learn how. This would be informal mentoring at your own pace with myself and one or two others at most. Call me! 704 245-3755 Also if you know a friend or family member struggling with substance abuse or relationship problems like codependency tell them about our Celebrate Recovery small group on tues. 7 pm at the church. All are welcome whether they attend church or not. pastor Bill
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Basic Theology
Last week we discussed the distinction the Church (Body of Christ) and Israel (The Nation). God gave the Law of Moses to Israel but grace and truth come through Jesus Christ.John 1:17 The Covenant of the Law was conditional upon Israel keeping those laws. But the New Covenant is unconditional! Unconditional promises depend not on our ability but on God's faithfulness.Hebrews 6:13-20 So the Law ended at the cross! Jesus mentioned the New Covenant before He died on the cross. Matt.26:26-28 And He promised to send the Holy Spirit who would be our Teacher under the New Covenant. Acts 1:8 The New Covenant is also called "the Law of Christ" Galatians 6:2. But what about the Ten Commandments? Good question! Jesus included 9 of them in the New Covenant by re-stating them in the epistles. The Sabbath was not re-commanded for a good reason. All believers are the "temple of the Holy Spirit" I Cor.6:19 and therefore we continually offer worship in our heart 24/7. So the "New" Covenant does include some things from the "Old" Covenant but only what is clearly stated in the epistles of the New Testament. We are taught not to judge a weaker brother who does not understand our freedom in Christ. Romans 14 But we are commanded to obey the Spirit so that we produce the fruit of the Spirit which is superior to the Law! Galatians 5:16-25 Be free in Him! Gal.5:1 yet serve one another and thus fulfill the Law of Christ.Gal.6:2 pastor Bill
Friday, September 26, 2008
Basic Theology
The Holy Spirit baptizes every new believer into the Body of Christ. I Cor.12:13 So now let us examine the doctrine of the Church as the Body of Christ. Did the Church exist before Pentecost? No, it did not! Jesus said, "I will build My Church" in Matt.16:18. The Church could not exist before Jesus came into the world since He is the Head of the Body. Ephesians 1:22 Also, until Christ ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost there would be no functioning spiritual gifts in the Body. Ephesians 4:7-12 The Church is distinct from Israel in that now both Jews and Gentiles who trust the Messiah, Jesus Christ, are a "NEW MAN" Eph.2:13-15 and unsaved Jews are still related to Israel which God has temporarily "HARDENED" until He is finished building His Church. Romans 11:25 Presently, individual Jewish people may trust Messiah and be saved the same way we are. Romans 10 What other evidence of this distinction do we have? Paul makes this distinction in his letter to the Corinthians. "Give no offense either to the Jews, or to the Gentiles, or to the church of God." I Cor.10:32 Why is this so important? Because the Church is under a new set of commands than believers were in the Old Testament! We are under the New Covenant, also called the Law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) while Israel was under the Law of Moses.When did Moses end? At the cross! Galatians 3, Romans 10:4 More about what this means next time. pastor Bill
Friday, September 19, 2008
Basic Theology
The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is vital to sound doctrine. The Holy Spirit is God, one of the divine persons, along with the Father and the Son. See Acts 5:3-4 Jesus said that He would send the Spirit at Pentecost and He would teach us and be with us forever. John 14:16-17; John 16:13-15 All believers since Pentecost are permanently indwelt by the Spirit. We are baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ at salvation. I Cor.12:13 There is no "second blessing" that we are to expect. All believers have been given at least one spiritual gift but not all have the same one. I Cor.12:30 We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 This means the same thing as being "controlled" by the Spirit, "walking" in the Spirit, or simply "obeying" the Spirit. See Galatians 5:16-25 There are some gifts that were given during the days of the Apostles that are no longer operational today. Ephesians 2:20 tells us that the apostles and prophets were the "foundation" of the church. The purpose of these gifts were to authenticate the Gospel message before the N.T. scriptures were written. Now that the Gospel has been established and we have a complete Bible these gifts are no longer needed just as a builder does not need to lay a foundation on the 21 st floor of a building. We have all the spiritual gifts Christ desires us to have to build each other up. Appreciate your gift but remember to evaluate your spiritual growth by the "FRUIT" of the Spirit and not by giftedness! See Galatians 5:22-23 pastor Bill
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Basic Theology
We have discussed two of the three important doctrines which do not conform to human logic: The Trinity and the Dual Nature of Christ (that He has both a human and a Divine nature). We called these "paradoxes" because they seem to be contradictory yet the Bible teaches them. The third is the doctrine of Election and Human Free Will. Divine Election teaches that God has chosen certain individuals to salvation and predestined them to be conformed to the character of His Son Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 8:29-30 However, we are also responsible to receive the gift of salvation by faith. Romans 10:9-10 We must accept both as true and live with the tension since as I said before, this is illogical. We must not assume that because God elected some to be saved that He elected the rest to be lost. God has not "elected" anyone to be lost! They choose that fate on their own and they are responsible before God because He provided for everyone! John 3:16 The other error is to say that we play no role at all. Faith may be a gift but it does not precede regeneration by the Holy Spirit. If you played no role in Salvation then Ephesians 2:8-9 would read: "By election are you saved through doing nothing" but it says: "By grace are you saved through faith" and we must come by faith before we can even know about election. Both are true! Live with it! pastor Bill
Friday, September 12, 2008
Basic Theology
Why is our security in Christ a big deal? Because Jesus is calling us to take big risks in following Him! He wants us to know that we belong to Him and can never be condemned so that we can serve Him without any fear. So what is there for us who leave everything to follow Him? Great reward! Read Matt.19: 27-30 and I Cor.3:10-15 and consider all the passages that mention "crowns" for the faithful disciple. Remember that Heaven or Eternal Life is a free gift not a reward! John 5:24, Ephesians 2:8-9 All believers go to heaven but not all believers will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" The word "crown" in Greek is Stephanos which can also mean wreath. Just as the winners of Roman chariot races came up to receive a laural wreath from the Emperor we will stand at the Bema (a raised platform) seat of Christ (II Cor.5:10) and receive crowns which are earned rewards for faithful service. Please look at the five different Crowns you may receive in these passages: "Joy" I Thess.2:19; "Righteousness: II Timothy 4:8; "Life" James 1:12; "Glory" I Peter 5:4; "Imperishable" I Cor.9:25. Only Christ will wear the Royal Crown (Diadem) but you can wear these crowns (Stephanos) and when we receive them we will cast them at the feet of Jesus and worship Him! Its all about Him, trusting and serving Him! Revelation 4:10-11; Revelation 5:12-14 Wow! Casting Crowns is Biblical! pastor, Bill
Friday, September 5, 2008
Basic Theology
The fact that we are secure in Christ and cannot lose salvation does not mean we have a free pass to sin. Romans 6 makes that plain. The practical benefit to believers is that we can climb higher in our journey of spiritual growth without fear of falling , much like a climber who is secured by a safety rope. Yes, we all sin as believers. John explains that we have immediate cleansing through the blood of Christ if we confess our sins. I John 1:7-9 But what about deliberate serious sin and no confession of it? If we cannot lose salvation then what can we lose? God will gently discipline us when we stray but He will allow severe loss if we persist to the point of rebellion! Was Jonah saved? Of course he was! But look at what God allowed to happen! When we rebel against the known will of God we lose fellowship with God, fellowship with other believers, and a sense of inner peace. We also lose opportunities to serve Christ and the future rewards He promises. We can even lose assurance of our salvation. True believers might "feel" lost because they are "grieving the Spirit of God". Finally God may take us home early! Yes! That is what is called the "sin unto death". I John 5:16-17; I Cor.11:30 where "sleep" means death! So let me ask you, "Don't we have a good reason to press on to maturity? Hebrews 6:1 We have both strong encouragement and strong warning to "live out our salvation" in fear and trembling. We are bought with a price! We are not our own! God saved us for a purpose and that is to glorify Him! I Cor.6:19 For those who insist that we can lose salvation I would ask, "What can you possibly accomplish for God by your own merits?" John 15:5 But through Christ we can do all things! Phil.4:13 Next time we will discuss "Rewards". Even though every thing good we do is by His power and grace God promises rewards for those who love Him! Hebrews 11:6 See you next time! Bill
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Basic Theology
Last week we talked about "imputed righteousness" which is one of the results of trusting Christ as Savior. What this means is that in Christ we have a new standing before God which is total righteousness. God's own righteousness is credited to our account! Have you ever checked your bank account when you have an automatic draft from your employer? Like magic your full paycheck has been credited to your account! Have you checked your spiritual account lately? According to Romans 4:1-5 and 4:22, 5:17-19 all believers have God's own righteousness credited to their accounts. This is the only way we can have fellowship with God and the only basis by which anyone goes to heaven! And of course this is all made possible by Jesus who shed His blood in our place. Now we must establish the doctrine of "security" which flows naturally out of the firm foundation of trusting Christ. Those that believe that a true believer can lose salvation cite passages that speak about obedience in discipleship and not about salvation at all. While there are numerous scriptures that teach security the central passage is Romans 8:29-39 where Paul lists 4 reasons why a born again believer can never lose salvation. The first is found in v.30 which says that ALL who are justified (saved), will also be glorified! The second is found in v.32 in which Paul argues that because God already gave His best, His Son, He will certainly complete all His promises. The third reason is that Christ Himself defends us against any and every charge against us! v.33-34 along with Hebrews 7:25 and I John 2:1 make this a solid case.Finally the love of God will never let us, His dear children, go! Read those final verses v.35-39 which list every thing including our own selves. God's love is so strong that nothing in all creation can ever separate us from Him. Since all of these promises depend on God's faithfulness we are absolutely secure in Him.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Basic Theology
Last week we shared about the meaning of the Atonement (Jesus' death). Because Jesus died as our Substitute we have a completed salvation. Jesus said, "It is finished." John 19:30 Also check out the phrase "Once for all" in Hebrews 7:27, 9:26, 10:10. The result for the believer is called Justification which means God declares us to be righteous. This is the same as a guilty sinner standing before God and hearing, "Not Guilty by reason that My Son took you punishment!" But there is more! The means of Justification is that God adds His own righteousness to us. We exchanged our rags for His righteousness. (Isaiah 64:6- II Corinthians 5:21) Whenever you see the phrase "in Christ" it means that we are prefect before God because of our new position. Now we are called to live out that life of Christ as we obey God with help from the Holy Spirit.But we must never boast because it is "...by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God,and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption..." Hallelujah! It is His life working in us!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Basic Theology
Last week we ended a brief discussion of the Trinity and the Deity of Christ. Before we discuss Salvation itself let's consider the meaning of the death of Christ. There are several "theories" of what the Atonement means. However, their is only one that is supported by scripture. Jesus died in our place as our Substitute taking the full punishment for our sins that we justly deserved. Biblical support includes: Mark 10:45 Says that Jesus died as a ransom "for" the many. The Greek word "ANTI" always means "in place of" or "instead of". The sacrifice of Isaac in Gen. 22 depicts Substitution as well as the Law of Moses in Leviticus 16. The apostle Paul's theology is in complete harmony as found in Romans 5 and II Cor.5:21. Liberal mainline churches weaken this truth by attributing "moral example" instead of Substitution as the meaning of the Atonement. This does not mean people need to understand theology before they can trust Christ for salvation but the motivation to present the Gospel with conviction is certainly compromised if a preacher rejects Substitutionary Atonement. The Roman Catholic view makes the R.C. Church itself the mediator of salvation through graces received from their sacraments. The Bible tells us plainly that Jesus Himself is the only Mediator between God and man. I Timothy 2:5. So before we even discuss the Gospel of Salvation we must understand the important root meaning of why Jesus put Himself in our place and poured out His life so that we might be forgiven and become the Righteousness of God in Him! II Cor.5:21
Friday, August 15, 2008
Basic Theology
Now that you have learned about Worldviews let's look at some of basic theology that forms a Biblical Worldview. Last time we touched briefly on the Triune nature of God. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible and Christ Himself taught this important truth. All cults like J.W.'s and Mormons deny the deity of Christ and therefore the Trinity is denied as well. Any group which denies or distorts the Trinity is a cult, period! This would include all "word-faith" teachers like T.D. Jakes and Joel Osteen and the Oneness Pentecostal groups. Remember cults fool true believers who are untaught but their doctrines are false. Much can be said about the importance of this doctrine but here are some key scriptures for you: Matt.28:19; Matt.3:16-17; II Cor.13:14 all contain the Three divine Persons. The deity of the Holy Spirit is found in Acts 5:3-4 and the Deity of Christ is found in numerous texts but note these: Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3-8; I John 5:20; Titus 2:13 and check out what Jesus said in John 8:24 and compare it to Isaiah 43:10-11. Whenever Jesus says, "I Am", He is claiming to be Jehovah God!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Basic Theology
Before we start a new topic I would like to give you a reading list for further study on Worldviews. "Seven Men That Rule the World From the Grave" by David Breese, "Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline" by Robert Bork, "Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, and Religion" David Barton, "Mind Siege" Tim LaHaye, "Kingdoms in Conflict" Charles Colson, "What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?" D.James Kennedy, "Understanding the Times: The Religious Worldviews of Our Day and the Search for Truth" David Noebel, "Inside American Education: The Decline, the Deception, the Dogmas" Thomas Sowell. If you will read even three of these books you will have a real grasp of what is really going on in our society. Remember, only 9% of Christians have a Biblical Worldview! Now lets begin a survey of basic theology. Please e-mail any questions or comments so I can address them. For today I wish only to make a brief statement about the Trinity. This vital truth is biblical and clearly taught yet misunderstood. The reason for that is because it is a Paradox! Most of but not all doctrines in the Bible conform to human logic. A Paradox is an apparent contradiction yet true. There are no human illustrations that really do justice to explaining the Triune nature of God. However I will give you one Hebrew word that can help. The word can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4 which reads: "Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!" The Hebrew word for "one" is "echad". It happens to be the PLURAL form and refers to a complex oneness or UNITY! For instance, if you wanted to say "one" grape in Hebrew you would use "yachid". But if you wanted to say "one" cluster of grapes you would use ECHAD! So the very verse which traditional Jews use to proclaim the "ONE" true God really means that God is way more than we can comprehend! And that is exactly why the Eternal God, Jesus Christ, humbled Himself and became a man so that we could understand the nature of God. JOHN 1:18 PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Worldviews
Having a Biblical Worldview is our only defense against the lies we encounter every day in our humanistic society. Every time you watch T.V. read the newspaper or go to the movies you are bombarded with vain philosophy and fallacies designed to lure you away from your devotion to Christ. If you are interested in a deeper study of these issues please let us know so we can offer a HR Institute class this fall. How would you answer this student's comment? "The truth is, there are no absolute truths. I mean; even God doesn't work that way." Would you respond as Pilate, "What is Truth?" or would you quote Jesus, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..." ??
Friday, August 1, 2008
Worldviews
Why do some Americans hate America? This week ABC News has told all their reporters they can no longer wear flag pins. Now you could argue that they have some good reason. However, studies show that 90% of the national media do not attend any church. They are simply acting consistently with their worldview. Did you know that Marxism is alive and well on most university campuses across America. Humanist professors openly teach the principles espoused by Karl Marx. Barak Obama openly sought out these professors by his own admission. What is Marxism and why is it opposed to American values? Marx taught that capitalism exploited people. He also taught that belief in God was a crutch for weak-minded people. The State must control all property and economic activity to insure equality for all. Marx taught that Socialism by which the State provides free education, healthcare, and retirement to the people is the first step towards Communism which gives the State full control of all goods and services.So why do some people hate America? Very simply they have embraced a worldview which despises the two things that built America : Faith in God and the free market exchange of private property. Most of the protest groups which demonstrate against our government were organized by Marxist/Communists. Dozens of national groups like the ACLU were founded by communists to aid and promote their worldview. Are you starting to see the BIG PICTURE now?? This explains why most universities have replaced their Western Civilization course with Multi-Culturalism. They are simply ashamed of the principles that made us great! Even intelligent Christian leaders like Tony Campolo have been deceived and enamored by the ideas of Karl Marx. The Liberation Theology promoted by the Catholic Jesuit priests in Central America and used by pastor Jeremiah Wright to promote Black Liberation stems from Marxism. In the name of helping the oppressed Liberation Theology has become the Trojan Horse by which Marxism has gained access to American schools. At the core of Marxist/Communism is militant atheism. Remember when the Berlin Wall fell about the same time the Soviet Union went bankrupt? The real problem with these worldviews is not economic as Dostoyevsky has written, but is rather the problem of Atheism. Thus, the issues of peace,poverty,and prosperity are all ultimately worldview issues that find their roots in how one answers the question of theology-- What about God?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Worldview
What are the consequences of having a "bits and pieces" worldview? We make false distinctions between "spiritual" and "secular" where God has called us to be SALT in a corrupt society. A Biblical Worldview includes every part of our culture such as Law, Politics, and the Media.GOD GAVE US A CULTURAL MANDATE FROM THE BEGINNING! Gen. 1:28 which has been renewed by Jesus in Matt. 5:13-16. What happens when Christians withdraw from the key sectors which shape public opinion and policy? Sixty years ago Christians withdrew from politics and media. Since then national morality has plummeted. We have let godless people shape society while we huddle in our churches. We need to get out of the salt shaker and into the public square and fight to preserve America for our grandchildren! Look at the people God used in the Bible. They came from all walks of life and served in all parts of society. The key is not seminary degrees but a solid core of faith and commitment to Christ- a Biblical Worldview!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Worldviews
A CHRISTIAN STUDENT'S EXPERIENCE: A mother's tear-stained letter describes what happened when her daughter went off to college: "Our daughter was raised in Christian schools and in a Christian home where we taught her values and morals and to trust Christ as Savior. Two years out of high school at 20 yrs old, she enrolled at the University ....We did not know that this was one of the most liberal schools in the nation. Unfortunately she was overwhelmed by the professors and began to believe their philosophies. She graduated two years ago with a political science and English degree and has turned her back on all that she believed in. We are trusting God to bring our girl back. This girl's experience is not unusual. According to a UCLA survey, between 34 and 51 percent of students who claim to be "born again" as freshmen no longer place themselves in that category by their senior year. What do you think causes so many Christians to turn their backs on the faith that they had been taught for 18-20 years? Could it be that we { both local church and parents} are not preparing them to defend their faith against rival worldviews? Francis Schaffer has said that the basic problem is that Christians see things in bits and pieces instead of totals. The Apostle Paul warned, "Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ." Pastor Bill
Friday, July 11, 2008
worldviews
Hi, friends! Let me outline the basic core beliefs of the two major worldviews competing for the hearts and minds of the American people. The Humanist core beliefs are: 1. God does not exist. 2. The universe came about by random chance. 3. Humans are merely intelligent animals. 4. Death is the extinction of the human person. 5. Knowledge can be learned from reason and experience but there is no absolute truth. We determine what is true for ourselves. 6. Morality is man-made ,subjective, and relative. 7. Human history has no purpose nor meaning. There is also a religious version to this Humanist Worldview that does accept a "higher power" but the rest of the points are the same. In stark contrast to this view is the Biblical Worldview with these core beliefs: 1. God is the personal loving Creator of all things. 2. The universe was created by God out of nothing! Genesis 1 is literally true! 3. Man is created in God's image but is fallen due to sin. 4. Death is only a separation of body and spirit. The person ( spirit ) is eternal. 5. Knowledge can be learned from reason and experience but must harmonize with God's revelation in the Bible. 6. Morality consists of absolute right and wrong laws given by God and supported by our own conscience. 7. History records God's eternal plan of Redemption, service, and reward. Of course many of us do not hold a consistent worldview in some areas. Here are a few pointed questions to ask yourself and the person you want to be the next president. 1. Do you believe government should be able to remove children from parental care even when there is no physical abuse? 2. Do you favor sex education, contraceptives, or abortions for minors without parental consent? 3. Except in dire emergency, would you vote for government spending that exceeds revenues? 4. Do you favor voluntary prayer in the public schools if led by students? 5. Do you favor a reduction in government? Please call me @ 704 245-3755 if you would like to discuss any of these issues on Worldview. Would you be interested in a class on worldview in the fall? pastor Bill
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Worldview
Our worldview is our perception of reality. A comprehensive worldview is formed by answering seven basic questions: 1. Does God exist? 2. Is our world created by God or a product of Darwinian Evolution? 3. Is man the image of God or a naked ape? 4. What happens after death? Eternal existence or extinction? 5. How do we know anything? God or chance? 6. How do we know right and wrong? Absolutes or arbitrary? 7. What is the meaning of history? God's purposes or no meaning? Your values and behavior flow out of your worldview! you social and political views do also! To a large extent your worldview will determine who you will vote for this fall. Examine the nominees by their worldview and not by single issues. Make sure that a future president who claims to be a Christian has a consistent Biblical Worldview. If His view on human life is not consistent with Psalm 139:13-16 then you would be voting for a Humanist Worldview which opposes God and the founding values of America. If his view on the economy favors large government programs and higher taxes rather than free market enterprise then study Matt.25:14-29. Ask yourself, 'what would Jesus do?" Has this made you think about your own worldview? Next week we will define the Biblical Worldview and its arch rival the Humanist Worldview. See you then! pastor Bill
Friday, June 6, 2008
Codependency
Last blog mentioned "BOUNDARIES". These are invisible fences both internal and external which protect ourselves and others from physical and emotional abuse. If you discover a broken boundary you must recognize the problem and with God's help repair the breach. My mom grew up in an alcoholic family and never developed proper boundaries. I developed a codependent relationship with her need to vent anger and bitterness toward those who she perceived to be against her. years after I had learned about codependency and had become more healthy in my relationships I was still allowing mom to come through my broken boundary and spew her anger at others into my heart. I thought I was compassionate by listening to my poor sick mother. Actually I was enabling her to continue her sinful behavior and to drag me down emotionally. Two weeks ago I set up an emotional boundary to block this codependent behavior. I wrote a kind letter of explanation to mom. Now our conversations will be much less frequent and limited in both time and content. I did call mom yesterday on my Dad's birthday to remember him in a good way. He died 20 years ago. Mom really appreciated the call and agreed that we do better to limit our conversation. I love my mom and I want to continue our relationship. Setting this new boundary allows me to do this in a God honoring way. Thanks for listening. Pastor Bill
Friday, May 23, 2008
Co-dependency and Family Feuds
Maybe you have never heard the term Co-dependency before. Simply put it is an unhealthy way of relating to people learned as a child and continued as an adult. I am still struggling with this issue at age 60! Recently after a family visit for mom's 85th birthday which went very well I find myself angry and perplexed. As I write the most difficult letter of my life to my mom please pray for me. I will continue to share the results for future healing and growth. Thank you to my church family. Pastor Bill Mehrtens
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