Encouragement

Encourage Yourself

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8 We discussed yesterday the importance of building others up! Today, as we conclude our exploration of the value and power of words, let me remind you that it’s also important to build yourself up! It’s okay to look in the mirror and encourage yourself. Often, we plow through our trials and hardships without taking into account that we’ve been climbing a steep hill and need to replenish ourselves. Perhaps you have forgotten about enduring your financial hardships, trips to the children’s hospital, or even a brush with death. We briefly tell ourselves we can make it up the hill, but it can be more powerful if we build ourselves up and encourage ourselves along the way. At

January 31, 2023 No Comments

Consider Your Tone First

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” – James 1:21 As we continue our study of words and how we use them, I want you to consider ninety percent of what you say to people is all about tone. Yes, your tone! This is something I learned from my Grandpa Pursley, who is a linguist and taught Spanish for many years. When a baby learns a language, the first thing they learn is tone, not words. When we speak to babies in America, “goo goo ga ga” may carry a different tone than in Thailand or Nepal. The tone of our voice can be distinguished by our little ones. When my grandpa was teaching me Spanish, he taught me tone first. With some Spanish words and phrases, he would guide me to speak in

January 30, 2023 No Comments

Language is a Bridge Builder

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” – Colossians 4:6 Continuing our focus on the power of words, yesterday we spoke of one man’s attempt to unify the world through one language and usher in world peace. It’s important to honor culture and language as we travel, especially internationally. Learning basic greetings, statements, and questions in another country’s language shows you care, even if most people there speak English and you are an English speaker. If you put in a small amount of effort, you will be amazed at the benefits you will receive. On a trip to Paris, I learned that very often Americans would visit and never learn any French or think about the culture of Paris. If you go into a bakery in Paris, the proud owner of the shop will greet anyone who

January 28, 2023 3 Comments

Affirmation Feels Good

“If it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” – Romans 12:7,8 Yesterday, we discussed the power of our words in a team environment. Take, for instance, my missionary trip to Thailand when I was in high school. I remember our 15-person group traveling on a very small, three-wheeled bus. The ride was uncomfortable, hot, humid, and smoky. In addition, one of our team members was super negative, complaining about the heat and smell. Momentarily, we all forgot the importance of our mission: To share the love of Christ. To remedy this, our director, who reminded me of comedian Will Ferrell both in looks and humor, handled the negativity brilliantly. After boarding our bus, he

January 25, 2023 1 Comment

Your Words are Powerful

“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” – Proverbs 31:26 We continue to explore the value and power of words. When you use the right kind of language in organizations, your team’s morale and value stays high! When I went on humanitarian and missionary trips in high school and college, there were always important rules around words. Many Americans and others take comforts for granted, such as air conditioning, an abundance of food, cars, and technology. It’s easy for a westernized American to be disgruntled in a non-developed country when they don’t have access to their everyday conveniences. This is why the rules we had in place for our teams proved valuable! One of the rules was “Not to state the obvious.” If it’s hot outside, don’t say, “It’s hot outside.” If the food doesn’t taste good, don’t say, “The food doesn’t taste good.” If you

January 24, 2023 No Comments

The Unsearchable Love of God

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:17-19 God loves us more than we can fathom. And as hard as we try to stretch our imaginations to grasp His goodness, we will never be able to conceive of how vastly and perfectly He cares. His affection is tailored to meet us in every triumph, heartbreak, and failure, and He is more concerned about our situation right now than we are. He is wonderfully glorious, yet He knows the most intimate details of our lives. No wonder David said in Psalm 139:6 that this knowledge is “too wonderful for

October 19, 2021 No Comments

The Journey to Healing

“Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’” – Luke 17:19 In continuing our study of the story of the ten lepers who cried out to Jesus for healing, it’s interesting to note that He bid them embark on a journey in order to see their miracle manifest. Though He often touched someone — or even spoke a word — and restoration happened immediately, this time it was different. Rather than instantaneously changing their circumstances, He instructed them to go and show themselves to the priest, who happened to be in Jerusalem. Since they were near Samaria at the time, it would have been a three or four day walk from where they were to get to the temple. And while they could have come up with any number of reasons why they shouldn’t make the trip, they started moving with the faith that

September 21, 2021 No Comments

Culture is Key

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2 God cares more about changing us than He does about changing our circumstances. I learned this early in life when I went on missionary trips. I traveled to a number of remote places around the world as a young man, and while I always set out on these journeys with a goal or a project in mind, I quickly learned that they were just as much about transforming my heart as they were about helping others. It’s not that our mission didn’t involve doing good stuff for people, but I always came home different than I was when I left. Because most of my trips were arranged by organizations that had years of experience, they knew that it was equally as important to build into those who were ministering as it was

May 10, 2021 No Comments

Replication vs. Self-Gratification

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew 28:19 Yesterday, we looked at the manner in which Jesus invested in making disciples rather than in building an empire. We saw that by befriending and mentoring a group of people, His influence was replicated in ways that wouldn’t have been possible had He focused solely on His own glory. Interestingly, I believe one of the greatest case studies for these principles in modern-day Christianity is a man named Chuck Smith. Most of us have heard of him, but he was the founder of Calvary Chapel, which started here in Orange County and now has influence all over the world. Surprisingly, when I hear his name, I recognize it, but I’m not bombarded by images of his “larger than life” personality nor do

May 9, 2021 No Comments

Words Come Back

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” – James 3:9-11 Yesterday, we talked about the power of being an encourager and about how speaking words of life can unlock the image of God in others. However, if we’re honest, we don’t always feel like being positive, kind, and affirming. After all, life is hard, and it’s easy to wonder at the end of the day, what’s in it for me? Well today, I want to answer that question. In the ancient world, there was a prevailing belief that if you blessed someone, a little bit of that blessing splashed back on you. Conversely, if you

March 28, 2021 No Comments

Encourage Yourself

Consider Your Tone First

Language is a Bridge Builder

Affirmation Feels Good

Your Words are Powerful

The Unsearchable Love of God

The Journey to Healing

Culture is Key

Replication vs. Self-Gratification

Words Come Back

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