Fuller

Coconut trees

Live Fruitfully Throughout Your Life

According to the Bible, we can be fruitful throughout all seasons of life.

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Orange, grapefruit, and lemon slices

Fruitfulness is in Your DNA

You were created to make a difference in this world.

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A lemon tree

What Is Your Fruit?

Jesus says that “each tree is known by its own fruit.”

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A barn set up for a party with tables and many colored lanterns

The Great Banquet

Once again, we see God’s glory weaving through stories where it is unrecognized by many of those present. But this time, the banquet is not being thrown to spite God’s love, but because of God’s love.

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A stained glass window showing the Israelites bowing before the golden calf

The Golden Calf

In a story woven through with appearances of the glory and majesty of God, have we thrown a party for any golden calves instead?

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A cliff overlooking an ocean

Prayers for Workers: God’s Word and Work

God’s word is always true, always reliable. God’s work is always faithful, always solid.

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A person holding up eyeglasses to look down a city street

Practical Advice for Splinter Removal

Jesus expects us to be there for each other for the long haul, helping our brothers and sisters to grow as mature disciples of Jesus even as they help us to do the same.

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A family at an Asian restaurant preparing a large meal

Splinter Removal is a Family Business

Jesus encourages us to help others “take the splinters out of their eyes,” that is, to deal with the stuff in their life that keeps them from seeing clearly and living rightly. We begin this process by removing the logs from our own eyes. But, according to Jesus, splinter removal is something that happens in his family, among those who are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are able to help each other deal with the hard stuff in our lives when we are deeply committed to loving relationships with each other.

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A person's large hazel eye

The Case for Splinter Removal

There are times when out of love for others, we should help them deal with the negative “stuff” in their lives, things like sin, misunderstandings, unhealthy habits, and the like. But Jesus is clear that this sort of care for others must come after we’ve dealt with our own “stuff.” This enables us to approach others with humility, compassion, and grace.

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A large log in a forest

Jesus and the Laughable Log

Jesus uses a humorous illustration to make a serious point. Before you offer to take the splinter out of your neighbor’s eye, he says, deal with the log in your own eye. Yes, we are to care for others, to help them deal with their “stuff.” But we do so as people who acknowledge our own “stuff.” Therefore, we help others from a posture of humility and graciousness, not self-righteousness or judgmentalism.

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Trees beside a river on a cloudy fall day

Be Still and Know that God is God

When the earth shakes, we can never put it back together just as it was before. We can never quite replace the moments we missed or the things we hoped for that didn’t pan out. God invites us to take any hopelessness or discouragement and be still.

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A crack running across concrete

When the Earth Shakes Beneath You

Sometimes change feels like the ground is shifting beneath us. Right in the middle of those moments of chaos, God promises to be near—a very present help in trouble.

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Graffiti of Jesus with a crown of thorns

Mental Models

The best leaders change the way that we see the world by changing “mental models” – just as Jesus did.

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A field of wheat

God Gives the Increase

Christian leadership is like farming.  There are no guaranteed outcomes.  All we can do is create the environment for growth and then pray that God gives the increase.

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A large crate of strawberries

Generous Giving

Jesus tells his followers to give, and to give generously. He promises that if we do, we will receive overflowing blessings from God. These blessings may or may not be financial. But when we give unsparingly, we have the assurance of knowing God is pleased. Plus, we are able to rejoice in the good that our giving supports. Our generosity makes a difference, not only “out there,” but also “in here,” in our hearts.

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