A final word; Be strong with the Lord's mighty power.
Ephesians 6:10

Ernie Banks, the Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer, is known not only for his accomplishments as a player but also for what he didn't accomplish. Even though Banks was one of the greatest players of his era and had a long and productive career, he never played in a World Series or a play-off game. While Banks delighted Cubs fans with his ...

Topics:	Character, Leadership, Limitations, Motivation, Sacrifice, Service
Filters:	Church board, Counseling, Discipleship, Divorce care, Pastor, Premarital counseling, Spiritual director
Purpose:	Ministry
References:	Ephesians 1:4
Date Added:	January 01, 2005

Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving doe, a graceful deer. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. Proverbs 5:18-19

I chuckle when people lambaste the Puritans for supposedly being sexually inhibited. The so-called puritanical attitude toward sex was actually quite progressive, overturning the more ...

Topics:	Marriage, Prayer, Renewal, Sacrifice, Self-control, Spiritual disciplines, Spiritual growth
Filters:	Christian education, Counseling, Family ministry, Pastor, Premarital counseling, Shepherd, Spiritual director
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	Proverbs 5:18-19
Date Added:	October 01, 2002

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. …

Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.

May your fountain be blessed, ...

Topics:	Christian life, Communication, Expectations, Fruit of the spirit, Integrity, Marriage, Priorities, Relationships
Filters:	Family ministry, Men's ministry, Mentoring, Pastor, Premarital counseling
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	Proverbs 5:3-4, Proverbs 5:15-21
Date Added:	July 30, 2007

Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way ...

Topics:	Christian life, Marriage, Relationships, Sin
Filters:	Discipleship, Family ministry, Pastor, Premarital counseling, Shepherd, Singles ministry
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Date Added:	July 30, 2007

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. …

A man finds joy in giving an apt reply-and how good is a timely word! …

A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. …

He who answers before listening-that is his folly and his shame. …

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Topics:	Accountability, Conflict, Conflict resolution, Confrontation, Disagreements, Division, Unity
Filters:	Discipleship, Elder, Mentoring, Pastor, Prayer, Premarital counseling, Small group leader, Small groups
Purpose:	Fellowship
References:	Proverbs 10:19-20, Proverbs 15:23, Proverbs 18:6, Proverbs 18:13, Proverbs 25:12
Date Added:	July 30, 2007

The notion of a "soul mate" has its roots in the philosophy of Plato, not the Bible. Plato surmised that a prototypical human being was somehow split in two, resulting in our desperate search for the one person who can complete us.

The danger in this line of thinking (in addition to its idolatrous nature) resides in the question of how anyone can determine that someone is, in fact, his or her "soul ...