Lance Brown

Misunderstandings are annoying, aggravating, often involve unintended hurt feelings and run us right into conflict. Why does that happen? What is going on INSIDE us that makes misunderstandings more likely?  How does that happen? What are we doing that makes misunderstandings more likely? What tools are there to help prevent misunderstandings?

We all desire life-giving relationships, and we all falter when relationships that were once life-giving has withered and become dry. Life-giving relationships must be built and maintained; they just don’t “happen” because we want them to. What tools do we need in our tool box?

Few things sting like failure and shame, especially public failure. It’s easy for us to walk around carrying our shame behind us, imagining Jesus’ eye roll at us and Him sadly shaking His head at our failure. But that is NOT what He does. What He does in John 21 should astound you–and free you!

The Holy Spirit is often misunderstood and minimized in our thinking. In some ways the Holy Spirit operates like a secret agent–behind the scenes, undercover, shining no light on Himself, and yet is vital to us. When life gets very difficult and painful, the roles that the Holy Spirit plays and can play in our life…

John 15 is a metaphor for life. It includes God as the Gardener, Jesus as the vine (think rose bush), and His people as the branches. Our joy and what we need for life comes from the life-sustaining sustenance of walking with Jesus–what He calls abiding in Him.  But the question is, how does God…