This week I spent 3 days with my core staff members from Faith Lutheran Church on a retreat.  We were trying to get ready for the busy fall schedule ahead.  To do this, we spent lots of time in prayer and devotion around God’s Word.  We had a lot of great conversations together about our shared mission and vision. We also looked at a book titled Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph...

It’s a problem for teens, adults, children … everyone.  We want what makes us FEEL good.  Plain and simple.  We’re driven by our feelings.  We don’t like pain and discomfort.  We crave what feels good and makes us happy. This gets us into all kinds of trouble because short term gratification often means long term problems.  Examples are numerous.  The sexual escapade that leads to pregnancy and the responsibility...