Courageous Contender Podcast: Navigate Difficult Communication & Boundary Issues

If you’ve ever watched the movie “The Matrix” or become a fan of Star Trek Next Generations or Voyager, you get the concept of matrix living. Totally immersed in an outwardly controlled world that conditions you into believing and living in a deceptive reality, you move through life making decisions and relating to people “liefully.” […]

It is so common, and has been for ever so long, for Christians to huddle and focus on the well-being and development of its own community. Over the years we’ve developed our own culture, with distinctive vocabulary, concepts, businesses, schools, etc. We’ve learned to do life within this bubble and taught our children to do […]

Stay stuck or move forward: we’ve all been at that juncture. Feel safe and secure in your comfort zone, or step out, take a risk, and discover the adventure God has for you. Doing the latter describes a Courageous Contender…someone no longer content to live in status quo mode, but ready and desirous to go […]

The last couple of weeks we’ve been talking about boundaries as they apply to us personally and in our dealings with others. What about our relationship with God…do they apply there as well? I’m going to explore that question with you in today’s episode. I will be drawing from some of the concepts we’ve been […]

Susan looked at the gap in the fence and began to ponder her repair options. “I could put up a cinder block wall…that would certainly keep me from wandering over the property line again,” she thought sarcastically. But it would be cheaper to just replace the panel,” she concluded. The back gate opened suddenly, and […]

After Carie left, Susan retreated to the back yard, staring at the gap the fallen panel had left in the fence. It didn’t look as inviting as it had just a few hours before. Propping the panel against the side of the house, she began revisiting the choices she’d made that afternoon. All of a […]

Boundaries serve to provide healthy limits in our lives, be it with ourselves, with others, or in our relationship with God. They provide a sense of safety and security that enables us to grow into healthy, mature adults that can relate to others in healthy and respectful ways. Without them we feel threatened, learn to […]

Having listened to last week’s episode about 3 Unacceptable Characteristics of Sunday Morning Sermons that Call for a Conversation, you see it…one or more of those characteristics are present fairly regularly. You are now convinced you need to have that conversation with your Pastor. But how do you do that? How do you prepare for […]

Have you ever felt restless or unsettled while listening to a sermon on Sunday morning? Something just feels “off” about what you’re hearing…but you just can’t pinpoint it? I have too…a number of times…and it wasn’t due to something I ate or a rebellious heart. Can you relate? Today I want to discuss with you […]

You stroll into a popular business where people go to get a snack, study, read, or just take a break. As you look around, the behavior of various customers catches your attention. An individual here…a couple there. Everyone is consuming…not only their food and drink, but text messages, whatever is on their computer screen, whatever […]