Why can’t I judge?

2019-01-08 Stan Mitchell

The problem with criticism is that the victim simply cannot win. A critic does not feel the need to be consistent, or fair, simply critical. He is condemned if he does, and condemned if he does not.

But note that the standard that will be used to judge me will be the standard with which I judge others (Matthew 7:12). Is that a comforting thought? When you think of God using this criteria to judge you, do you sigh with relief or shake in fear? Continue reading “Why can’t I judge?”

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Rumor has it

2017-04-032017-03-27 Stan Mitchell

I have two questions for you:

First, is slander the same as a lie? Not exactly, I guess, because slander implies an added ingredient: A lie told with malice. Sort of a verbal mixture of gasoline and sparks.

Second: When a gossip or slanderer is not gossiping with you, what is he saying to the people he’s with? Continue reading “Rumor has it”

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Digging up evil

2016-10-16 Christine (Tina) Berglund

“I’m going to go dig in the dirt.”

This is a common phrase among gardeners; a self-deprecating way of saying we intend to make something beautiful from something as basic and down-and-dirty as….dirt.

Oh, yes; there is more to gardening than the soil we work in, but the fact is that there is a lot of dirty old dirt involved in the process. Continue reading “Digging up evil”

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Listening

2016-08-182016-08-01 Stan Mitchell

If you are not a charming conversationalist you might still be a big hit as a charming listener. You can win more friends with your ears than you mouth. Did you notice that you can earn an entire degree in communication, yet not take a single class on listening? Apparently “Listening 101” is not considered a part of communication at a university, yet 50% of any communication transaction involves the part where someone listens.

Have you ever taken the time to think about what qualities make one a good, or a poor listener? A nod of the head, eye contact, a word of encouragement (“Go on, I’m listening”) would certainly help. In Jesus’ parable of the soils (Matthew 13:1-23), the verb to hear is used 15 times, and such figurative terms for hearing as “see,” and “perceive” are used 16 times. Continue reading “Listening”

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