by Jeff | Feb 22, 2015
The Love Is series continues this week with the light topic of honesty. Honestly, it’s a huge discussion. Most of us have been disappointed by someone who has lied. Why is that? Does telling the truth trump being right? Join the TweetBack and add your voice!
Podcast: Download
SERIES EPISODES: Love is Patient | Love Is Kind | Love Is Honest | Love Is Hopeful
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Plus, we’ve got some exclusive interviews with some students who were at Winter Jam at Silver Birch Ranch. We chat about emojis, real life problems and struggles. It was a ton of fun getting to know them and we wanted to share part of the fun with you this week.
[Tweet “Love rejoices in the truth. #HNRTB”]
[Tweet “Get around people who love you and who are honest with you. #trust #HNRTB”]
Challenge
For one day, decide to not tell a lie.
Did you take the challenge last week? Share your experience!
by Jeff | Apr 27, 2014
We’ve all been there. Well, at least most of us have. We’ve made up excuses. We’ve told white lies. We’ve fabricated stories to cover our butts. What’s the funniest or worst excuse/white lies/fabrication you’ve come up with?
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On the show tonight:
FACEBOOK PAGE VOTE: Do you like Peeps?
Share an excuse/lie/fabrication you used to try to save face that sounded good in your head and totally got you busted.
How should we give criticism?
How do we receive criticism?
When does criticism become destructive?
Do white lies really matter?
Should we always tell exactly what we’re thinking/feeling on the inside? Why or why not? Are there things we don’t tell people that maybe we should?
Is it ever too late to tell the truth?
Types of Lies We Tell
White lies, broken promises, fabrication, bold-faced lies, exaggerations, deception, plagiarism, compulsive lying. (Source) We lie to save face or shift blame. Those who lie rarely accept responsibility. That’s the whole point of lying. We always want the praise and responsibility for all the good things we do, but if we mess up, our sin nature is drawn to lie.
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Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes, Stitcher and Tune In Radio! If you like the podcast, support it.
by Jeff | Sep 4, 2013
Reputation (n.) – the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something. A widespread belief that someone or something has a particular habit or characteristic. Synonyms: name, good name, character, repute, standing, stature, status, position, renown, esteem, prestige.
It may be the most important thing you have. Your reputation. What do people know you for? What qualities define you or your personality? I’m not saying you need to be overly concerned about what others think of you. People’s opinions of you change daily. What’s more important is how pleased God is with your character. Are you living like you say you are? Are you concerned about the things that matter to God? If so, great! If not, ask yourself why.
Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.
Here are five ways you can build and keep a good name for yourself
1. Respect yourself and others.
Treat others with the same respect and dignity the way you want to be treated. Even if they don’t return the respect, you can always take the high road. Choosing to respect someone who you feel doesn’t deserve your respect will speak volumes about your character to your peers and those around you. It’s also really important that you respect yourself. Take responsibility for your body, mind and soul. Don’t allow someone or something to rule any one of those areas other than God. You are precious to God.
2. Think of yourself less than you think of others.
This isn’t the same as thinking that you’re less than someone else. What this means is to take your eyes off of you once in a while to notice someone’s needs and dreams. This is true humility. Any person who can help someone else find their God-given purpose and value is a person to be treasured.
3. Watch your tongue.
This seems rather obvious, but more often than not, we find ourselves in discord with friends over something we said to them or about them. The Bible speaks extensively on this topic.
4. Don’t trust your feelings
I need to repeat that. Don’t trust your feelings. Our feelings are a good barometer that we’re alive, but they’re not trustworthy. Why? I’m glad you asked. Have you ever gone grocery shopping on an empty stomach? Or perhaps you’ve had a bad day at school and you took out your discontent on your brother or sister, or worse yet, your dog? Yeah? Feelings or emotions are often self-serving because people are ultimately selfish. Here’s how we can live for God, not our feelings.
5. Get a mentor.
The value of an outside perspective who can lend experience and true wisdom is priceless. This is why I believe students need to be involved in a youth group. Finding a mentor can be hard. Finding a mentor who knows what the Bible says can be even tougher. Not every person should seek to be a mentor, but every person should have a mentor. This is yet another reason we believe in the Online Crisis Chatline partnership with Groundwire. In fact, if you are over 18 and are interested in mentoring, consider becoming an Online Spiritual Coach. You can find information here.
BONUS: Honesty.
As Ben Franklin once said, “Honesty is the best policy.” Be honest and truthful, even when it may hurt your reputation. Your honesty will mean more than any number of lies you could amount to cover a wrong. Think about it.
What other ways can you think of?