Freedom from the Performance Treadmill
Paul Tautges I had been finding myself constantly frustrated and, at times, depressed. I thought of myself only as a constant failure who could never measure up to my perfectionist expectations and, therefore, did not feel fully accepted by God...
On Nude Selfies
Practical Theology for Women Shame and power. Most of us are familiar with the tug and pull of these dynamics, particularly around women's issues...
The Downward Spiral of My Discontent
Melissa Kruger There’s a crack in my windshield. My husband and I are on edge with one another. My daughter has a cavity. My dog has an ear infection. The ice-maker stopped working last night. I find myself feeling Eeyore-like with a black cloud over my head and a target on my back...
How Can We Be Angry and Not Sin?
Jon Bloom “Be angry and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). Is this even possible? Not if perfect, sinless anger is the requirement, since sin infects everything we think, say, and do. But I don’t think Paul had perfect, sinless anger in mind. Paul’s point seems to be that not all anger Christians experience is rooted in the prideful, selfish soil of our sin nature...
14 Daggers that Help to Kill Worry
Paul Tautges Faith battles are fought in the mind. In other words, what we say to ourselves controls much of what we do, whether right or wrong, true or false, which is the fruit of what we believe. Therefore, counseling ourselves with pithy statements rooted in biblical truth is an exceedingly important, but oft-neglected discipline of the Christian life...
Regular Exercise & Depression
Paul Tautges In his new book Fit for the Master: Glorifying God in a Healthy Body, pastor and physical education enthusiast John Lehman cites a case study illustrating the importance of regular exercise and its benefit as one factor in fighting depressive moods...
Scripture's "Top Two" List
Ed Welch The Apostle Paul has a tendency to give us lists of sins. He gives us at least five of them.* At first glance, it feels like he is simply piling it on. But his lists include a recurring structure that brings keen insight into the human condition. He identifies the overarching category of renegade desire, and he typically calls out two expressions of this desire: sexual sin and anger.
Some Thoughts on the Sin of Anxiety
Paul Tautges In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus provides extensive teaching on the subject of anxiety. Meditating on this passage of Scripture will renew our minds as we submit to God’s truth and feed our sometimes-feeble faith. We learn seven lessons from this passage...
How do you counsel a Christian who is being sued by a non-Christian?
Brian Croft A dear Christian brother and friend once came to see me a day before he was due in court. He was being sued by a non-Christian over a property line dispute. My friend had done all he could to try to resolve this issue outside of court. He has handled himself all throughout this ordeal with grace, patience and self-control in the face of a less than pleasant opponent...
Scriptures to Fight Anxiety
Paul Tautges As I war against the continuing influence of my depravity, one of the chief sins I wrestle with is anxiety. And the more I talk to other believers, the more I realize just how common this struggle is, which is not a surprise in light of 1 Corinthians 10:13. Whether it is worry over tomorrow’s provision, insecurity in our relationships...
The Deep Ditches of Doubt
Josh Buice The ditches of doubt are often deep and painful. When a person falls into one of those ditches, it often takes a great deal of time and work to climb back out onto the road of peace. How does one fall into the these troublesome ditches? Sometimes it happens as a result of open and rebellious sin and guilt that follows. At other times it comes as a surprise,..
Resources: Anxiety, Fear, Panic
Paul Tautges This resource list gives book suggestions and resources to help you counsel yourself and others who are dealing with anxiety, fear, and panic.
4 Ways to Battle Bitterness
Jen Wilkin A young woman asked me to meet with her recently to help her learn how to deal with bitterness. She had suffered harm at the hands of a fellow believer in the form of hurtful accusations and outright hypocrisy. Though months had gone by she found that bitterness toward this person kept creeping back into her thinking...
The Attitude of Gratitude: A Bible Study Suggestion
Paul Tautges Here’s a project for you. Take some time this week in your personal, family, or small-group study to mine some treasure from Colossians 3:1-3; 15-17. Here are four practical application points to get you started...
Freedom in Grief, Not Freedom From Grief
Jason Tippetts As Kara’s and my story has been shared with so many people, I have received many emails and messages asking how to walk through grief in a healthy way—some are losing a wife, a child, some are wanting to help their friends in their grief, and some are running away from it and want to stop. I thought I would just share some things I’ve learned as I’ve traveled this journey...
25 Ways to Provoke Our Children to Anger
Paul Tautges As parents, fathers in particular, we need to heed God’s Word from Ephesians 6:4. One of the ways our sinful flesh displays itself is by provoking others to anger. And the easiest place to do that is in our own home...