November 14, 2023
by Eric Stillman
This fall, I have been leading a book study through part one of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic book The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer was a German pastor during the time of Hitler, and made the difficult decision to remain in Germany and join the resistance against Hitler despite the danger this would put him in. Ultimate, Bonhoeffer was arrested and executed for his role in a plot to assassinate Hitler. The integrity of Bonhoeffer’s own life gives great weight to his challenging words on discipleship....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Bonhoeffer
October 3, 2023
by Lynne Pleau
If you are a fan of the television reality show Survivor, you know every player’s ultimate goal—the one that shapes just about every decision they make—is winning the game (and the million dollars).
But what if they don’t win?
After all, there is only one winner. And sometimes, through no fault of their own, even the best players are blindsided and voted out of the game. Was their Survivor experience a waste of time?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Trusting God
September 12, 2023
by Michael Bird
One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Hebrews 11, which shows the great people of God clinging to their faith in him despite troubling circumstances. I have some “unsung heroes” I think of when I read this passage.
From the Old Testament, the example of Jonathan comes to mind....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Hebrews 11
September 5, 2023
by Eric Stillman
If you are anything like me, your life can quickly become pretty undisciplined if you’re not vigilant. All of my best intentions and carefully chosen habits can suddenly get flattened by the tidal wave of life when I lose focus. My diet turns into chips and ice cream, my bed time careens past midnight, and life begins to feel like a chaotic mess....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Be still and know that I am God
August 15, 2023
by Eric Stillman
This coming Sunday, we will be baptizing four people at NewLife at Mill Woods Park after the worship service. Baptism is the sign of the new covenant, which is a fancy way of saying that the act of baptism points like a sign to the gospel of Jesus. As the individual goes under the water and then is brought back out, they are identifying with the death and resurrection of Jesus, proclaiming that they have died to their old self and have been raised to new life with Christ, as the water symbolically washes away their sins. While many churches baptize infants into the community of faith, our understanding of the Bible is that because baptism is a sign of the new covenant, it is something that should be entered into when an individual is old enough to profess faith in Jesus....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Sin, Baptism
August 9, 2023
by Eric Stillman
Near the end of Revelation, John, the author of the book, records God speaking about the new heavens and the new earth, the final destination for all who have trusted in Jesus for salvation. In verse 8 of chapter 21, God shifts his focus to the lake of fire, the final destination for all who have not trusted in Jesus. Among the types of people He lists are some of the usual suspects: the unbelieving, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the idolaters. But the first kind of people listed are surprising: the cowardly. Why would that be on the list, let alone listed first?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Culture Tags: Discipleship, Courage, Cowardice
May 30, 2023
by Eric Stillman
Hebrews 11 is one of the most fascinating chapters in the Bible. The writer of Hebrews recounts numerous displays of faith by the men and women of the Old Testament, some which resulted in God doing miraculous things, and others that ended up in suffering or death this side of eternity but glory thereafter. The writer follows up in the beginning of chapter 12 by encouraging us that, since we are surrounded by these great examples, we should cast aside every hindrance and sin and “run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” fixing our eyes on Jesus, who endured all the way to the cross out of His love for us (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Soon after that encouragement comes this incredible verse:...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Jesus, Discipleship, Sin
May 2, 2023
by Eric Stillman
This Thursday is the National Day of Prayer, and we will be hosting the Wethersfield prayer meeting from 12-1 on that day. Prayer, like many elements of the Christian faith, is on the one hand so simple that even a toddler can do it (as we saw this past Sunday when Grace Collibee prayed out loud during the opening prayer time!). On the other hand, however, there are heights and depths of prayer that would take a lifetime of devotion to learn. When you read Jesus’ promises that He will do whatever we ask in His name, and then experience how often our prayers go unanswered, the conclusion is either (a) God is a liar, or (b) there is a level of prayer that we have yet to reach. Jesus often speaks of Master’s level praying, while our prayer life is often still stuck in grade school....Keep Reading
Posted in: Prayer Tags: Prayer, Discipleship, E.M. Bounds
April 11, 2023
by Eric Stillman
There are few things as inspiring as someone sharing a testimony of God’s miraculous work in their life: a disease healed, a marriage restored, a wayward child brought to faith. We love to hear the stories of God’s intimate activity in the lives of those He loves. But if we’re honest, those testimonies can often be painful to hear for those whose diseases have not been healed, whose marriage has fallen apart, or whose wayward child never returned to God. For those people, hearing testimonies of God’s saving activity can lead to two difficult questions: Has God forgotten me? Or: What am I doing wrong?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Faith, Hebrews 11
March 7, 2023
by Eric Stillman
It is probably impossible to truly understand the motivations and desires that operate within us at any given time as we go about our daily life. This past Sunday, for instance, I led the music at church. During communion, we sang a new song called “Glory, Honor, Power” that begins with the line “Most worthy, worthy of praise.” That line, of course, is meant to be a declaration to God that He is the one who deserves the highest glory and praise. And, in my head, I believe that to be true.
But if I’m being honest, there is a part of me that is singing that line to myself....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Worship, Gospel, Discipleship
February 21, 2023
by Eric Stillman
In Philippians 2, Paul exhorts the Philippian church to strive for loving unity by putting the interests of others above their own and following Jesus’ example of sacrificial service. While this mindset translates to every possible situation in which we might find ourselves, let me share eight practical ways that you can put your neighbor’s interests above your own on Sunday morning at NewLife, or at whatever church you attend:...Keep Reading
Posted in: Church life Tags: Discipleship, Love, Church life
February 14, 2023
by Eric Stillman
In chapter 6 of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells the listening crowd that the religiosity they see on display in many of their spiritual leaders is not genuine, but fraudulent. He uses the Greek word for an actor on a stage – hypocrite – a word that has come down through the ages to refer to anyone who is pretending to be something that they are not. Jesus tells the crowd not to be like the hypocrites, who give and pray and fast in a showy way in order to curate public perception of themselves as godly people. Jesus tells his audience instead to give in secret, to pray to God where no one else can see, and to not make it obvious when they are fasting. This kind of secret devotion, He says, reveals that you are truly living for an audience of One, not for the applause of the watching world. And God will honor and reward that kind of devotion....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Hypocrisy
January 31, 2023
by Eric Stillman
One of the best Christian speakers I ever heard was a missionary named David Pierce, who travels around the world with his band, No Longer Music, bringing the message of Jesus to Satanist clubs, anarchy festivals, and anywhere you wouldn‘t normally expect to find Christians. Pierce wrote an incredibly unique book called Dancing with Skinheads and other Bible Study Topics, and one thing he wrote in there that I‘ve never forgotten is this: ‘œDo something small for God.‘ He said that so many people want to do something big for God, to do something that really changes the world. But often it‘s the small, overlooked, seemingly insignificant things that are the biggest steps of obedience to God....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Service
January 31, 2023
by Eric Stillman
The Apostle Paul spent a great deal of his Christian life traveling around the Roman Empire, starting churches, raising up leaders, and sharing the gospel with whoever would listen. But as we found out this past Sunday as we were reading through Philippians 1, he also spent significant time in prison, unjustly persecuted for his devotion to Jesus. Incredibly, however, Paul would not even let prison stop him from sharing the gospel to the limited audience he had. He told the palace guard about Jesus, and wrote letters to the churches that he could no longer visit. Paul may have felt like his audience had shrunk, but he was always going to be faithful to serve Jesus with whatever influence he might have....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, faithfulness
January 24, 2023
by Eric Stillman
In the recovery movement, step 4 is daunting yet potentially life-altering one: “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” In this step, the individual in recovery usually works with a sponsor to examine their past substance abuse or other sins and how they have affected themselves or others, resisting the desire to blame anyone else.
I have been thinking about this step lately as our church has been taking part in a 21-day fast....Keep Reading
Posted in: Sin Tags: Discipleship, Sin
January 10, 2023
by Eric Stillman
I still remember one of the lessons I taught to the NewLife Junior High kids way back when I was the youth pastor of the church. I played for them one of the simplest worship songs, and then encouraged them to change the words to make it more true to their heart and experience. The original song goes like this:
Lord, you are more precious than silver...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, God's love, Fasting
October 25, 2022
by Eric Stillman
As much as I enjoy the musical quality of so many modern worship songs, it has begun to feel like many of them are variations on the same theme: Hold on to your faith, for God is about to bring you a breakthrough! Certainly, we could all use some encouragement and inspiration as we navigate the challenges of life. But God’s ways are not our ways, and the process He uses to answer our prayers does not typically follow the neat pattern of (1) pray hard, (2) believe in faith, and (3) receive your breakthrough!
One classic hymn that would NEVER be written today...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Suffering, Discipleship, God's love, Sanctification
October 18, 2022
by Eric Stillman
I have been trying to pay closer attention to my emotions lately. When I find myself feeling anxious, or sad, or angry, my tendency can be to try to push those emotions away. But a book I have been reading through lately, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero, has challenged me to listen closer to what my emotions are communicating to me.
During this past Sunday’s sermon, I found myself getting choked up as I read from J.R.R. Tolkienn’s short story Leaf by Niggle....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, emotions, Leaf by Niggle, Tolkienn
August 23, 2022
by Eric Stillman
In Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy, he warns him that the time will come when people will seek out teachers who “say what their itching ears want to hear.” I imagine there have always been teachers like this throughout the history of the church, but this warning is undoubtedly prophetic today. But rather than point the fingers at others, we would be prudent to consider where it is that we are most tempted as American Christians to have our itching ears scratched....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Preaching, Discipleship
August 16, 2022
by Eric Stillman
I became a follower of Jesus as a college freshman at age 18. After a couple of years of learning what it meant to follow Jesus and developing some close friendships with my Christian friends, I started to understand the importance of accountability, of having someone that I trusted enough to confess my sins too, someone who would ask me the tough questions about my walk with the Lord. For the past 20+ years, I have always had at least someone that I talk with regularly about my struggles so that I stay sharp in my discipleship. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
But here’s the thing about accountability...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Sin
August 9, 2022
by Eric Stillman
It must have been a frustrating and arduous journey for the Israelites as they trudged through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. It was hot, there were way too many people around, and there was no comfortable place to lay down and sleep. And did I mention the food? Manna for breakfast, manna for lunch, and – you guessed it – manna for dinner. No wonder they grumbled and complained so often against their leader, Moses....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Faith
June 14, 2022
by Eric Stillman
When the Israelites were traveling through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt, God provided for them by causing a bread-like substance called manna to appear every morning on the ground. Moses instructed the people to gather as much as they needed for the day, with two caveats: they could not save any manna overnight, because it would rot, and on the day before the Sabbath, they had to gather enough for two days, so that they could rest on that holy day. And for 40 years, God’s provision of daily bread sustained them through the wilderness....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Bible reading
May 3, 2022
by Eric Stillman
We live in the land of the free, the land of “you do you,” the land of NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CAN NOT DO. This is why it is so essential to understand that “freedom” as our culture teaches it is a fallacy. There is no such thing as freedom. In the end, you are either a slave to God or a slave to sin (Romans 6:16). The choice is not between following God and living free to do as you please. The choice is between serving God, which leads to eternal life, or serving sin, which leads to death....Keep Reading
Posted in: Culture Tags: Discipleship, Freedom
April 26, 2022
by Eric Stillman
As you read through the Bible, every once in awhile you find a promise like the one Jesus gives to His disciples in John 14:11-14 that demands explanation. In the midst of giving a departing discourse to His disciples before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus promises that those who have faith in Him will do even greater things than what He has been doing. He also promises that He will do whatever they ask in His name, because He will have ascended to the Father’s presence, with authority over everything....Keep Reading
Posted in: Prayer Tags: Jesus, Discipleship
April 19, 2022
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday was a wonderful time in the life of our church. We enjoyed an Easter breakfast for the first time since 2019, we saw people return to church for the first time since before COVID, and most importantly, we lifted up the name of Jesus, who died and rose again to give us eternal life.
But after Sunday, inevitably, comes Monday....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Spiritual Warfare
March 29, 2022
by Eric Stillman
One of the tensions of the Christian life is that while salvation is so simple that even a five-year-old can have genuine saving faith, discipleship is so sophisticated that even the most devoted Christian will never arrive at perfection this side of heaven. While “faith like a child” brings us into a genuine relationship with God (Matthew 18:3-5), we will never come close to plumbing the depths of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Romans 11:33).
In the same way, while it is accurate to say that on the one hand, prayer is as simple as “talking to God,” there are also heights and depths of prayer that are so much more advanced that than simple definition....Keep Reading
Posted in: Prayer Tags: Prayer, Discipleship, E.M. Bounds
March 8, 2022
by Amy Swanson
Going into this season of Lent, I admit to being unsure on how, or if, I would even participate. That changed one morning, as I opened my Bible to the reading plan I'm in. This day’s reading landed on Deuteronomy 9 and brought with it some unexpected conviction....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Fasting
February 8, 2022
by Eric Stillman
What price would you be willing to pay to experience more of the love, joy, peace, and fullness of God in your life?
Honestly, that question frightens me. Even though I know in my head that God is good, that He is the pearl of great price that is worth selling everything for, I still have a great deal of fear when it comes to following Him. Specifically, I am afraid to give things up, afraid that it will not be worth the sacrifice. I think that many of us struggle with our faith, wondering where God is and what He wants of us. What if the answer is really simple, but our issue is not really a lack of understanding but rather a lack of willingness to do what He wants us to do?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Fear
December 22, 2021
by Eric Stillman
In the first chapter of Paul’s first letter to his protégé Timothy, Paul has just finished listing a number of ways that people break God’s laws. But soon after calling out all of these examples of sinful behavior, he shines the spotlight on himself. He tells Timothy that he considers himself the worst of all sinners. But Paul follows up that indictment with the amazing truth that, despite his rebellious past, he has been shown incredible mercy and patience by Jesus in order to show that no one is beyond God’s reach.
...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Sin
December 14, 2021
by Eric Stillman
In sports, there is an expression “leave it all on the field” that encourages athletes to give such a strong effort that they will have no regrets when they look back at how they played. In Acts 20, Paul displays the spiritual version of “leave it all on the field” as he meets with the leaders of the Ephesian church before he leaves for Jerusalem....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Ministry
December 7, 2021
by Eric Stillman
The Corinthian church was a mess. A careful reading of the Bible reveals that Paul probably spent a year and a half planting the church, wrote 3-4 letters to them confronting them of various issues (only two of them survived), and made at least one “painful visit,” as he calls it. In chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians, Paul seems to quote a familiar Corinthian saying, “everything is permissible,” and then follows it up by admonishing them even if something is permissible, that does not mean it is beneficial or constructive. And he continues by telling them that as believers, they should not simply evaluate things on the basis of whether or not they can do it, but on whether or not it is good for others.
“Everything is permissible” – but not everything is beneficial....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Discernment
November 16, 2021
by Eric Stillman
You know when you’re sitting in church, listening to the sermon, and you find yourself saying, “I really hope my spouse/child/friend is hearing this,” or “I really wish so-and-so were here to listen to this”? I know I often have those moments, when I am sure that someone I know needs to hear the message, while I sit there oblivious to the fact that I probably need to hear it just as much as they do....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Judgment
July 20, 2021
by Eric Stillman
Many years ago, I remember someone telling a story that went something like this:
There once was a little girl who had a necklace made of plastic pearls that she loved to wear. One night, her father came and kindly asked her, “would you please give me your pearls?” The little girl refused, because she did not want to give them up. Night after night, her father would say good night, tuck her in, and then ask “would you please give me your pearls?” And night after night, the little girl would say no.
...Keep Reading
Tags: Grace, Discipleship, idols, Trust
July 13, 2021
by Eric Stillman
What price would you be willing to pay to experience more of the love, joy, peace, and fullness of God in your life?
Honestly, that question frightens me. Even though I know in my head that God is good, that He is the pearl of great price that is worth selling everything for, I still have a great deal of fear when it comes to following Him....Keep Reading
Tags: God, Discipleship, Sacrifice
June 22, 2021
by Eric Stillman
Another day, another report of a pastor behaving badly, ruining his reputation, disillusioning his flock, and shipwrecking the witness of Christ’s church. While I know that “there but for the grace of God go I,” I am also resolute in my heartfelt desire to bring God the maximum amount of glory possible through my life.
In Paul’s first letter to his protégé Timothy, he tells him to watch his life and doctrine closely....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
June 8, 2021
by Eric Stillman
There are few activities that are as dangerous to my spirit as looking at the websites of other churches. Far from being a neutral exercise, this endeavor typically ends with either despair, as I compare myself and our church and feel inadequate, or disdain, as I smugly criticize what I am seeing. Lord, have mercy....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Envy, Contentment
May 18, 2021
by Eric Stillman
This Sunday is Pentecost, the day which commemorates the events recorded in Acts 2, when God poured out His Holy Spirit into the hearts of His people, empowering them to launch the new Christ-centered community that would become known as the church. Before Jesus had ascended to heaven, he had promised to his disciples this gift: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). And as the disciples waited in prayer, this world-changing event happened: “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:2-4).
...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Holy Spirit, Pentecost
May 11, 2021
by Eric Stillman
One of the podcasts I have listened to on occasion over the past few years is called The Happiness Lab. In this podcast, a Yale professor named Dr. Laurie Santos looks at the science of happiness, often exposing how our minds are lying to us about what will really make us happy. One of the memorable episodes, called “A Silver Lining,” examined why it is that Olympians who come in third place tend to happier about their finish than those who come in second place. The reason, according to Dr. Santos, is that our perspective on life is largely affected by what we are comparing our situation to. Those who win silver medals look at how close they came to winning gold, and come away disappointed. Those who win bronze medals, by and large, are just happy to have won a medal, as they compare themselves to everyone behind them who missed out....Keep Reading
Tags: Grace, Discipleship, perspective
April 13, 2021
by Eric Stillman
Most people who grew up attending Sunday School are familiar with the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho (“and the walls came tumblin’ down”). By following the Lord’s peculiar commands, Joshua leads the army of Israel to a miraculous victory, with a heavy reliance on marching and trumpets.
Before the battle, however, there is a powerful encounter between Joshua and an angel who calls himself “the commander of the army of the Lord.” When Joshua sees this angel in the appearance of a man, he asks the angel whether he is on their side or against them. I’m sure most of us would have expected the angel to answer “I am on the side of Israel.” But surprisingly, he answers “neither.” The implication is clear: it’s not about whose side I am on, Joshua, but whose side YOU are on....Keep Reading
Tags: Joshua, Discipleship
March 27, 2021
by Eric Stillman
“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4)
In Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy, he warns him that the time will come when people will seek out teachers who “say what their itching ears want to hear.” I imagine there have always been teachers like this throughout the history of the church, but this warning is undoubtedly prophetic today. But rather than point the fingers at others, we would be prudent to consider where it is that we are most tempted as Americans to have our itching ears scratched.
1) I want a God who affirms my lifestyle and does not expect me to change. Don’t preach to me about holiness and sanctification. Don’t remind me that my sinful nature is deceitful and hostile to God. Don’t tell me that being a new creation means that I should walk according to the Spirit. And please don’t teach me the Bible and challenge me to obey God. Just tell me that God loves me just as I am and that I’m already going to heaven, so I can live however I please.
2) I want a God who wants me to gain all I can in this world. Don’t tell me about the cross, about denying myself and following Jesus. Don’t teach me that a servant isn’t above his master, that if Jesus suffered than I will too. Don’t refocus my heart on eternity. Just tell me that if I truly believe in God, that I will be rich, that I will get that promotion, and that I will have everything my heart desires.
3) I want a God who would never let bad things happen to me. Don’t tell me about suffering as the path to glory. Don’t teach me about the suffering of Jesus or the suffering of the apostles. Just tell me that if I have enough faith, that I will never get sick, that God will overcome every obstacle in my life, and that this life will be amazing.
4) I want a God who exists to serve me. Don’t remind me that I am not the center of the universe. Don’t tell me that are billions of people out there in need of Jesus. And don’t tell me that the Bible ...Keep Reading
Tags: Preaching, Discipleship
March 16, 2021
As I was reading the news today, I came across this line regarding embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo: Mr. Cuomo, our politics reporter writes, “finds himself sliding from hero-level worship to pariah-like status with the kind of astonishing speed that only the friendless suffer.”
Politics and morality aside, that quote made me think of Jesus. ...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Trust, Opinions
March 9, 2021
by Eric Stillman
Hebrews 11 is one of the most fascinating chapters in the Bible. The writer of Hebrews recounts numerous displays of faith by the men and women of the Old Testament, some which resulted in God doing miraculous things, and others that ended up in suffering or death this side of eternity but glory thereafter. The writer follows up in the beginning of chapter 12 by encouraging us that, since we are surrounded by these great examples, we should cast aside every hindrance and sin and “run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” fixing our eyes on Jesus, who endured all the way to the cross out of His love for us (Hebrews 12:1-2)....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Hebrews 12
March 2, 2021
by Eric Stillman
Every year, I write up a self-evaluation for the elders on how I am doing as a pastor, looking at my leadership in the church across various categories like discipleship, evangelism, worship, and my own personal relationship with God. And every year I write out the highs and lows, the successes and failures of the past year, trying to give myself as fair a review as possible.
Soon after I wrote up this year’s evaluation, however, a question began to nag at me: by what standard am I evaluating myself? Or to whom am I comparing myself?...Keep Reading
Tags: Jesus, Discipleship, Evaluation
February 9, 2021
by Eric Stillman
When I was in seminary, I attended a church that had, about 25 years prior to my arrival, been named “outreach church of the year” by some Christian publication for its impact on its community. This was an impressive testimony to God’s activity in this church’s life. It was also 25 years in the past....Keep Reading
Tags: God, Discipleship, Faith
February 2, 2021
by Eric Stillman
I’ve often heard the analogy that for those whose job it is to spot counterfeit money, the best training is to study the real thing, to become so familiar with genuine money that spotting the fraud becomes second nature. When this analogy is applied to God and to His Word, it truly becomes some of the best advice a Christian can receive. The better acquainted you become with who God is and what the Bible says, the easier it is to spot the charlatans. Along those lines, part of my testimony of coming to faith in Jesus includes attending a youth group the summer after I graduated from high school, before I matriculated at UConn. I distinctly remember going around to parties the first couple of days at UConn, and feeling like they were so fake after what I had experienced that summer. God, and the life found in Him, was the genuine article; all the parties had to offer was a poor imitation of the good life.
...Keep Reading
Tags: God, Prayer, Discipleship, Revival
January 26, 2021
by Eric Stillman
As a church, we have been reading through the Bible in 2021, and the first book we finished was Job. One of the fundamental questions raised by Job for me was this: “What if God were to tell you, ‘I am going to make your life an inspiration to millions of people for generations to come. But in order to do that, I am going to have to take away almost everything that matters to you, including your children, your health, and your possessions.’” How would I answer Him? Would I be willing to give up that which I love for the sake of His glory and the salvation of others?...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Glory, Job
January 19, 2021
by Eric Stillman
One of the fundamental values of our culture is that every person should have the freedom to choose for themselves how to live (within the bounds of the law). But our culture’s definition of freedom (the absence of restrictions) differs from the Biblical concept of freedom. The Bible tells us that in the end, you are either a slave to God or a slave to sin (Romans 6:16). The choice is not between following God and living free to do as you please. The choice is between serving God, which leads to eternal life, or serving sin, which leads to death.
The best analogy I have heard to explain what true freedom is was something I read in Tim Keller’s book The Reason for God....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Freedom
December 15, 2020
by Eric Stillman
If you were able to hook up a secret camera in the church sanctuary and watch me in my morning prayer time on some weekday mornings, I swear that you would think a crazy person had entered the building. It’s hard for me to put into words what happens to me in those moments. On most Sundays, or when I am worshiping with others, I am fairly reserved, often preferring silence and introspection to loud music or many voices. I do not find inspiration in stadiums filled with dancing Christians or at large conferences. But get me alone in the sanctuary with God, and my spirit comes alive, with an insatiable hunger and thirst for Him, an other-worldly desire that completely transforms me into a charismatic Christian. I yell, I run, I cry, and I fall to the ground, unable to get low enough before my great God....Keep Reading
Tags: Prayer, Discipleship, devotion
December 1, 2020
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, I preached on the first chapter of Malachi, a confrontational passage that raises the important question of whether we prioritize God with our time, talent, and treasure, or whether we give Him our leftovers. I have found the passage to be potentially life-changing as I experienced God’s conviction and responded in repentance and obedience. I hope it was the same for you, and if you have not listened to the sermon, I encourage you to listen to it on our website or watch it on our YouTube page. I believe that if you prioritize God, you will experience the power and presence of God in your life, because God will bless those who honor Him....Keep Reading
Tags: Jesus, Discipleship
September 15, 2020
by Eric Stillman
In Proverbs 4:20-23, the heart is depicted as both the receptacle of external influences, as well as the place from which action originates. In order that his son might experience life and health, the writer of Proverbs implores him to guard his heart, and particularly to keep his father’s words within his heart. The writer of Proverbs is communicating a fundamental principle to life: the influences we allow into our lives have a huge impact on what comes out of our lives.
Consider for a moment what influences you have allowed into your life already this week....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Influences
July 28, 2020
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, I looked at the parable of the treasure hidden in the field and the parable of the pearl of great price in Matthew 13:44-46. These short parables illustrate how knowing and following God is worth giving up all that we have, that the rewards of discipleship far outweigh the cost. I spent some time in my sermon trying to clearly outline why it is that knowing God is such a treasure, including such benefits as eternal life, complete forgiveness, meaning in suffering, and a joy and peace that is not contingent upon our circumstances....Keep Reading
Tags: Jesus, Suffering, Discipleship
March 10, 2020
by Eric Stillman
One of the greatest book titles ever was the 1985 Neil Postman book Amusing Ourselves to Death. Postman’s groundbreaking book was an insightful look at the corrosive effect that television was having on our politics, journalism, education, and even religion. I’ve been thinking about that book title lately, as it feels like it’s time to write a similar book for 2020. I call it Distracting Ourselves to Death....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Technology
February 11, 2020
by Eric Stillman
I think that one of the most humorous things in the Bible is that the all-powerful, holy and mighty God of the universe, after creating the world, rested on day seven. Was He really worn out from shaping all those llamas and aardvarks and mountains and stars and oceans? Or was there another reason behind that act?...Keep Reading
Tags: Culture, Work, Sabbath, Discipleship
December 3, 2019
by Eric Stillman
It must have been an annoying and arduous journey for the Israelites as they trudged through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. It was hot, there were way too many people around, and there was no comfortable place to lay down and sleep. And did I mention the food? Manna for breakfast, manna for lunch, and ...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Faith
November 26, 2019
by Eric Stillman
What price would you be willing to pay to experience more of the love, joy, peace, and fullness of God in your life?
Honestly, that question frightens me. Even though I know in my head that God is good, that He is the pearl of great price that is worth selling everything for, I still have a great deal of fear when it comes to following Him. Specifically, I am afraid to give things up, afraid that it will not be worth the sacrifice. I think that many of us struggle with our faith, wondering where God is and what He wants of us. What if the answer is really simple, but our issue is not really a lack of understanding but rather a lack of willingness to do what He wants us to do? For example:...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Faith
October 29, 2019
by Eric Stillman
I still remember where I was the day I realized that the world did not revolve around me. I was in Washington D.C., 21 years old, sitting in the top section of RFK Stadium at a Promise Keepers conference. All around me, thousands of men from all over the country stood, many with their arms raised to the sky, worshiping their God. As the swell of their voices echoed around the stadium, a sweet sound in our Lord’s ears, I suddenly realized that I was not the center of the universe. I was just one among many who had gathered that day to worship God and to commit our lives to His service....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, pride
October 15, 2019
by Eric Stillman
What comes to mind when you hear the word “righteous,” and what is your understanding of what it means to be righteous? Perhaps, like me, you instinctively think that to be righteous means to achieve some kind of moral perfection, that the righteous person is the one who lives a moral and ethical life. Let me ask you to consider a better way of understanding righteousness....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Righteousness
October 1, 2019
by Eric Stillman
At the end of a lengthy chapter on the significance of Jesus’ resurrection, Paul concludes by exhorting his listeners to live their lives completely for God, because it all matters. In a world where it is so easy to question the significance of our daily struggle and toil, I find this passage to be cold water in a parched land. Because Jesus rose from the dead, Paul argues, we know that the things that we do this side of heaven have eternal significance. ...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Significance
September 24, 2019
by Eric Stillman
King Saul was the first king in Israel. Tall, strong, and handsome, he certainly looked the part. But from the beginning, his insecurities held him back. In fact, when the prophet Samuel went to anoint him as king, they could not find him because he was hiding “among the baggage” (1 Samuel 10:22)!
Despite his anxieties, Saul’s early days as king were full of success. But eventually he lost his way...Keep Reading
Tags: Worship, Discipleship
September 4, 2019
by Eric Stillman
I became a follower of Jesus as a college freshman at age 18. After a couple of years of learning what it meant to follow Jesus and developing some close friendships with my Christian friends, I started to understand the importance of accountability, of having someone that I trusted enough to confess my sins too, someone who would ask me the tough questions about my walk with the Lord. For the past 20+ years, I have always had at least someone that I talk with regularly so that I stay sharp in my discipleship. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
But here’s the thing about accountability and the sincere desire to avoid sin:...Keep Reading
Tags: accountability, Discipleship
August 14, 2019
by Eric Stillman
“Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” This stirring quote comes from the pen of Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision and one of the men responsible for Samaritan’s Purse, two of the leading Christian relief organizations in the world (Michael Wrang shared this past Sunday about his service with Samaritan's Purse).
With a resume like that, you probably envision a passionate man of God, giving his all to share the love of Christ with all who came across his path......Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Sin
August 6, 2019
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, during my sermon on overcoming guilt and shame, I discussed the importance of finding our identity and self-worth in who God says we are. I am fairly certain that we have all been the victims of individuals who have shamed us at some point in our lives and told us terrible things about us (or done terrible things to us) that have shaped the way we see ourselves. And for many of us, we are our own worst enemies, berating and belittling ourselves in ways that we would never do to another person. But the more we come to believe the things that God says about us, the more we can reject the insults, scorn the shame, and walk in the humble confidence that comes from knowing who we are in Christ. And who does He say that we are? Read below:...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Identity
July 30, 2019
by Eric Stillman
In the last chapter Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he writes vividly about the spiritual battle that we are in and our need to be clothed in the armor of God, supported by the prayers of God’s people. Every once in a while, there are weeks where being a pastor feels like running a marathon while simultaneously trying not to get taken out by the flaming arrows of the evil one, while you watch some of your running partners get knocked out of the race. This is one of those weeks....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, pride
July 24, 2019
by Eric Stillman
This morning, I was watching a video in which a couple of counselors were teaching a unique way of doing premarital counseling. Their approach was focused on helping a couple understand each other’s stories, so that they might love and support each other better. As I observed the couple who was being counseled, I immediately noticed that the woman was wearing a lot of makeup and seemed to have given a lot of attention to her looks. As I followed along with the session, the counselor asked each individual to share a scene from their story that stood out to them as particularly influential in their lives. The woman shared about a scene from health class in elementary school. ...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Judgment, Love
July 16, 2019
by Eric Stillman
Every month, I try to spend one work day away from the day-to-day responsibilities of being a pastor. I travel to the Center for Retreat and Renewal in Simsbury and try to avoid email and phone calls for the day. Instead, I spend extended time with God, I try to bring order into the scattered pieces of my life, and I work on aspects of my job that require extended, uninterrupted time....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Music
June 18, 2019
by Eric Stillman
Most of the Psalms are directed towards the community of believers, encouraging them towards praise and communion with God. Other Psalms are directed towards God as expressions of worship or lament. But some Psalms, like Psalm 42, are directed inwardly. They are much needed reminders that often our biggest enemy in our life and faith is ourselves and the messages we are telling ourselves. Listen to how the great Welsh preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it in his commentary on Psalm 42:...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Psalms
June 12, 2019
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, we sang a gospel song called “Use Me” for the first time at NewLife. The chorus is very simple:
If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.
If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.
Take my hands, Lord, and my feet,
Touch my heart, Lord, speak through me.
If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me....Keep Reading
Tags: Worship, Discipleship
May 7, 2019
by Eric Stillman
These past two Sundays, we have taken a sobering look at David’s slide from his status as a King after God’s heart to a man who could covet and sleep with another man’s wife and then have that man murdered. After David’s confession, we saw the incredible, undeserved grace of God shown to David, but also the terrible consequences that came about in David’s life, family, and nation as a result of his choices. One of the clear applications that comes from reading such a passage is the necessity of accountability. After all, even David would not have repented unless God had sent Nathan to confront him about what he had done....Keep Reading
Tags: accountability, Discipleship
April 23, 2019
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday was truly a high point in our church year ...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Spiritual Warfare
March 26, 2019
by Eric Stillman
As I type these words, I am sitting in the airport with the Peru mission team, preparing to spend a week of our lives ministering with Compassion International in Barranca, Peru. This trip was made possible by the generous financial contributions, prayer support, and tangible support of our church family, biological families, and friends, so from our whole team, thank you very much for your love and generosity. As we get ready to board, I wanted to share a reflection on one of my favorite verses, a passage that motivates me daily, 1 Corinthians 15:58....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Missions, Peru
March 12, 2019
by Eric Stillman
Last Wednesday was the beginning of Lent, the time of year when Christians around the world give up chocolate or Facebook for 40 days in order to “identify” with Jesus, who was betrayed, abandoned, beaten, scourged, nailed to a cross, suffocated to death, and forsaken by the Father as He endured the terrible wrath of God for all of our sins. Oh, the suffering we must endure as we eat our dessert of strawberries with whipped cream....Keep Reading
Tags: Lent, Discipleship
February 26, 2019
by Eric Stillman
There is a dangerous myth floating around our culture that the healthier you are, the more you do not need anyone. In counseling circles, therapists use words like “codependent” and “enmeshed” to negatively label people who are too reliant on others for their own functioning. While there are certainly ways we can negatively relate to and need others, the truth is that a stubborn independence is just as unhealthy. We were created for relationship, and we need others if we are going to live a healthy and fulfilled life....Keep Reading
Tags: Friendship, Discipleship
February 12, 2019
by Eric Stillman
In Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy, he warns him that the time will come when people will seek out teachers who “say what their itching ears want to hear.” I imagine there have always been teachers like this throughout the history of the church, but this warning is undoubtedly prophetic today. But rather than point the fingers at others, we would be prudent to consider where it is that we are most tempted as American Christians to have our itching ears scratched....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Culture
February 5, 2019
by Joe Barone
Worry. It’s a word that brings to mind skipped meals, knotted stomachs, cold sweats and sleepless nights. Worry is a heavy burden to carry. For something that causes our minds and bodies to endure so much distress, why do we do so much of it? No worry, no headaches. Easy, right? So will all those who don’t worry please step forward. We want to hear about your success in letting everything go. Umm! Not one? Max Lucado was right when he penned, “Do you worry? I worry about you if you don’t’ worry! All of us worry, but we shouldn’t. Jesus commands us a half a dozen times, ‘Do not worry’.”...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, worry
January 8, 2019
by Eric Stillman
Who are you when no one is watching? What do you do, and where does your mind go, when there is no audience? Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 are most likely directed at the Pharisees, the religious leaders who loved to show off how religious they were through their public displays of giving, praying, and fasting (Matthew 6:16-18). Jesus boldly calls them hypocrites. In Jesus’ day, the Greek word “hypokrites” was the word for actor, someone who is playing a part for an audience. By using this term, Jesus tells us to resist the urge to give, pray, fast, or do any other good works in order to receive the applause of the crowd. In our day of social media, this admonition is more timely than ever, as we are regularly attempted to live for the “likes.”...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Integrity
December 11, 2018
by Eric Stillman
As I write this article, I am three days away from finishing my counseling internship and graduating with my Masters of Professional Counseling. Two weeks ago, I shared one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from my internship: everyone has a story, so take the time to listen before you judge them. Last week, I shared another important lesson I have learned from my internship: Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind. This week, I wanted to share one more lesson: Show up with a plan....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Counseling
November 6, 2018
by Eric Stillman
One of the most fascinating/scary verses in the Bible is James 2:19: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-- and shudder.” These confrontational words of James let us know that the word “faith” must mean something more than intellectual assent; true saving faith manifests itself in obedience. The demons of Hell believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God ...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Bible study
October 30, 2018
by Eric Stillman
In chapter 4 of his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul explains that God raises up certain people to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Their role, however, is not to be the trained professionals who do all of the ministry work. Rather, their primary role is, according to verse 12-13, “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” God’s vision for the church, in other words, is that every member would be a minister, using the gifts God has given them to serve each other, love their neighbor, and to build up the church....Keep Reading
Tags: Church, Discipleship
October 23, 2018
by Eric Stillman
I can’t say that I was surprised to read in chapter 3 of The Kingdom Unleashed that one of the biggest differences between the church in the Global North and the Global South is our attitude towards prayer. I have personally walked through too many days spending minimal time in prayer before God, and I have presided over too many sparsely attended prayer meetings, to know that this description is sad but true. Trousdale and Sunshine argue that not only do we not pray enough in the Global North, but when we do pray, our priorities tend to not be the same as God’s priorities. According to Jesus’ answer to his disciples in Matthew 6 when they asked him how to pray, our priorities should be...Keep Reading
Tags: Prayer, Discipleship
October 9, 2018
by Eric Stillman
Next March, a team from our church will be joining with a team from First Church of Wethersfield to travel to Peru to minister at a Compassion International site in the town of Barranca. When we discuss missions in our American churches, I think our assumption is that we American Christians need to bring the gospel, as well as tangible ministry work like building houses, digging wells, and sharing resources, to the developing world in order to help them. However, it is becoming more and more apparent that while the church seems to be shrinking in power, influence, and spiritual vitality in America, it is growing exponentially on all fronts in the Global South. The fact is that we may end up learning more about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus from our brothers and sisters in Peru than they may learn from us!...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Missions
September 11, 2018
by Eric Stillman
AW Tozer was a prominent American pastor and author in the early to mid-20th century, best known for his enduring works The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy. I wanted to share a summary of a short treatise he wrote called “Five Vows for Spiritual Power,” which can be read in its entirety here. His approach in this treatise is to argue that if you are truly concerned about growing spiritually, then you should make vows and keep them. If you fail to keep them, don’t give up, but confess, repent, and start over. Don’t let the possibility of failure keep you from making vows that point your heart in the direction of God and holiness....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Vows
August 21, 2018
by Eric Stillman
In my opinion, Romans 8 the greatest chapter in the whole Bible. Filled with promises about the love of God and His commitment to us, it builds from verse 1’s declaration that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” to the crescendo of verse 35-39, where we are exhorted that NOTHING can separate us from God’s love. Hallelujah! But perhaps just as important as Romans 8 is the end of the preceding chapter, Romans 7. After all, Romans 8:1 begins with “therefore,” which should prompt us to ask what it is “there for.” Romans 8, the passionate declaration of God’s great love for sinful, undeserving humans, follows Paul’s most candid confession of his complete inability to live up to not only God’s standards, but even his own. Listen to these words:...Keep Reading
Tags: Gospel, Discipleship
July 17, 2018
by Eric Stillman
At this time last year, I received a call from the Fearon family while they were in Maine, letting me know that Brian’s breathing had gotten much worse, and they were not sure he would be able to make it back down to Connecticut. Over the previous few years, Brian’s lungs had been getting steadily worse, and a few days after they called me, on July 20th, Brian stopped breathing and entered into the presence of His Lord....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Death
July 10, 2018
by Eric Stillman
It was a little over five years ago, on May 24th, 2013 that I received a call from one of our elders to let me know that Michael and Sarah McCoy had woken up that morning to discover that their four month old son Henry had stopped breathing in his crib. As quickly as I was able, I drove to Manchester Hospital to join the McCoys, but despite our cries and prayers, there was nothing that could be done. Tragically, and without warning, Henry had passed away....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Death
June 19, 2018
by Eric Stillman
In Matthew 12, Jesus is speaking to a crowd, and someone tells him that his mother and brothers are outside, wanting to speak with him. In reply, Jesus says, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Then, pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 21:46-50).
One of the most beautiful things about the church, when it is done right, is that you gain a whole family of spiritual brothers and sisters, parents and children....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Death
June 12, 2018
by Eric Stillman
My first exposure to Ray Labbe happened unknowingly as a student at UConn back in the mid-90’s. I had begun to attend a church in Hebron called The Worship Center, and I kept seeing cars with bumper stickers that said “Pray for Ray.” I assumed that “Ray” referred to Ray Allen, the All-American UConn basketball player, but I wasn’t sure why he needed prayer. It was only a few years later that I learned that the prayers were for Ray Labbe, a member of The Worship Center who was fighting cancer....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Death
June 5, 2018
by Eric Stillman
An important part of the Prayer Wall that I include with every Pulse of NewLife (our weekly e-newsletter) is the “prayer focus for the week,” which is typically based on a verse or passage of Scripture and is often in line with whatever I have written in my article. Every time I write that prayer focus, I am reminded of the woman who encouraged me to add that to the Pulse, Eve Christie. Eve was a woman of great faith and prayer who was a long-time member of NewLife before dying of cancer in June of 2010. Her trust in the Lord through many difficult circumstances was a testimony to the power of faith and prayer....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, In memoriam
April 24, 2018
by Eric Stillman
Have you ever listened to a convicting sermon and found yourself saying to yourself, “Boy I hope SHE is listening” or “How I wish HE was here to hear this.” Because, after all, THAT PERSON has sins that need to be confronted, not us. In our pride, we are so often blind to just how desperately we need the amazing grace and refining fire of God.
In keeping with the theme of pride, I want to share an excerpt from a Charles Spurgeon sermon that I read recently and found especially encouraging and challenging: ...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Heaven
April 10, 2018
by Eric Stillman
There may be no more poignant reminder that Jesus was not only fully God but fully man than this passage from the last days of Jesus’ life. Facing an impending betrayal and certain death, Jesus walks into the Garden of Gethsemane to be with his Father, and says to Peter, James, and John, “stay with me.” In this moment of incredible agony, where he will be confronted by the temptation to give up his march to the cross, Jesus does not want to be alone, but asks his friends to remain with him....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Love
April 3, 2018
by Eric Stillman
It has often been said that “adversity does not create character; it reveals it.” Going through difficult times is like a heavy truck going over a small bridge: it doesn’t cause cracks so much as it reveals where there are already weak spots....Keep Reading
Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
March 13, 2018
by Eric Stillman
A common approach to reading the Bible is what you might call the fortune cookie approach: search for inspirational sayings or insightful aphorisms that will help you face the challenges of your day. That isn’t always a bad thing; often we genuinely want to know what the Bible has to say to help us in our fears or anxieties, or to find hope for our future in a dark time. And the Bible has plenty to say to encourage us in those seasons. But that can’t be the only approach....Keep Reading
Tags: Bible, Discipleship
March 6, 2018
by Eric Stillman
The past two Sundays, one of the main points of emphasis has been about the contrast between the Pharisees’ focus on external obedience to the rules of God (and sometimes their own manmade rules), and Jesus’ focus on internal faith and the need for God’s grace. While I admit that it’s easy to sit and point fingers from 2,000 years away at the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, the reality is that any of us can slide into a place where our faith becomes going through the motions, and the rhythms of our devotion become empty rituals.
One of the best things we can do for our faith is to approach those rhythms of devotion from a new angle....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Lord's Prayer
February 27, 2018
by Eric Stillman
Last week, Billy Graham passed away at the age of 99. Plenty of articles have been written in memoriam about his life all over the internet, and I have read a number of them. I wanted to take this opportunity to focus on two words that showed up most regularly when these writers remember Billy Graham, and consider why these character traits are so worthy of honor and emulation....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Billy Graham
January 23, 2018
by Eric Stillman
The fourth chapter of “This is our time” is entitled Shopping for Happiness. In this chapter, Wax sets his sights on the American Dream and the goal that many of us have in our society to accumulate more money and stuff until we have everything we need and have reached a place of comfort and security. He argues that the longing for stability and comfort, where we can rest and enjoy the fruit of our labor, is a good longing. But the lie our culture is feeding us is that the goal of life is to accumulate more money and possessions, and that financial aspiration is a good primary driving force for our actions and choices. ...Keep Reading
Posted in: Culture Tags: Discipleship, Money
January 2, 2018
by Eric Stillman
For the first two months of 2018, I will be using this space to interact with “This is our time” by Trevin Wax, a book that appeared on many “Best of” Christian book lists of 2017. In this book, Wax looks at the myths our culture teaches us, affirms the good longings underneath those myths, and then challenges those myths with the gospel. I believe this will be a good exercise for us in how to be discerning as we live in our world, so that we might be as Paul exhorted the Ephesian church: “Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)
The first chapter of “This is our time” is entitled Your phone is a myth-teller. In this chapter, Wax looks at the place smartphones increasingly hold in our lives and what they are telling us. If you own a smartphone, it is probably almost always within reach; you may even be reading this on your smartphone right now! The temptation to constantly check your phone, scroll through Facebook or Twitter, play mindless games, or click on your favorite app, is seemingly ever-present. And even if you don’t own a smartphone, hopefully this chapter will help you to understand how it is impacting the people in your world who do....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Smartphones
December 19, 2017
by Eric Stillman
R.C. Sproul, one of the spiritual and theological giants of our day, passed away last week at the age of 78. He was a pastor, a prolific author and speaker, founder of Ligonier Ministries, teacher on the radio program Renewing your Mind, and so much more. His best known work was his 1985 book The Holiness of God, which was a powerful treatise on God’s perfection and our standing as sinners in need of His mercy. In honor of Rev. Sproul, I wanted to share some of his best quotes in the hopes that they might help you to know and love God more:...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, R.C. Sproul
November 28, 2017
by Eric Stillman
One of the first questions that pastors tend to ask each other when they get together is, “How big is your church?” As pastors, it can be hard not to evaluate the job we are doing by the numbers ...Keep Reading
Tags: Church, Discipleship
October 24, 2017
by Eric Stillman
Taken out of context, the passage above is a stirring charge from Paul to the believer to spend your time living and working for the Lord. Paul’s words are an inspiring challenge, a reminder that while there are many ways we can waste our time in this world, when we serve the Lord, it all matters.
But when you put the verse back in its context, the meaning becomes even more profound...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, eternity
September 19, 2017
by Eric Stillman
There is a dangerous myth floating around our culture that the healthier you are, the more you do not need anyone. In counseling circles, therapists use words like “codependent” and “enmeshed” to negatively label people who are too reliant on others for their own functioning. While there are certainly ways we can negatively relate to and need others, the truth is that a stubborn independence is just as unhealthy. We were created for relationship, and we need others if we are going to live a healthy and fulfilled life....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Friendship
September 12, 2017
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, I shared a quote from Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision and one of the men responsible for Samaritan’s Purse, two of the leading Christian relief organizations in the world. The quote, which was so true in his ministry, was “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.”
With a resume like that, you probably envision a passionate man of God, giving his all to share the love of Christ with all who came across his path. And you would be correct to a large extent. But there was much more to the story of Bob Pierce....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Bob Pierce
June 6, 2017
by Eric Stillman
If there is no God, suffering has no ultimate meaning, since we all will die and cease to exist. But even with a belief in God, suffering can feel meaningless, as we wonder what possible good can come out of terrorist attacks, crippling depression, mental illness, or the death of a child. There are many reasons the Bible gives for why suffering exists, chiefly that we live in a fallen world that is the product of humanity’s rebellion against God. But God is still sovereign over it all, always working even the worst events in the world for His ultimate good purposes (Romans 8:28), and so we trust that there will be meaning in the suffering. Remember John 9:2-3, where Jesus’ disciples see a blind man and ask him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus replies, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”...Keep Reading
Posted in: Suffering Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
May 9, 2017
by Eric Stillman
What were you created for? What is the work that energizes you, that gives you life, that makes you sing?
And are you doing that work?
Or have you even figured out what that work is?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Service Tags: Discipleship, Service
April 18, 2017
by Eric Stillman
I work best with a deadline. In college, I was notorious for knowing how long it would take to write a paper, and then waiting until the last possible moment to start the paper. Inevitably, I would finish with minutes to spare. Even when it comes to preparing sermons, I do a lot of work during the week, but it’s when I sit down with my draft on Saturday evening that my brain kicks into high gear and everything comes together. For some reason, it’s the pressure that brings out the best in me.
But the truth is that I, along with you, and everyone else, have the ultimate deadline looming....Keep Reading
Posted in: Death Tags: Discipleship, Death
April 11, 2017
by Eric Stillman
In Donald Miller’s book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, he writes about what he learned about his life and God’s grand story while the screenwriters “edited his life” for the movie version of his book “Blue Like Jazz.” As he reflected upon his boring, uninspired life and contrasted it with the ways in which his life was being made more interesting for the movie, it got him thinking about the grand story of risk and adventure that he believed God was calling him to live. Let me share a few quotes from the book that really challenged me:...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Story
March 28, 2017
by Rob Freyer
Jesus speaks these words to his disciples and the rest of the population surrounding him, and it can be understood as both a challenge and a command for those who at this point still aren't sure who he is ... a prophet, John the Baptist, or some other figure of importance. This statement is a make or break ultimatum. Will these people follow, and what are they willing to give up to do so?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Gospel, Discipleship
March 14, 2017
by Eric Stillman
In Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy, he warns him that the time will come when people will seek out teachers who “say what their itching ears want to hear.” I imagine there have always been teachers like this throughout the history of the church, but this warning is undoubtedly prophetic today. But rather than point the fingers at others, we would be prudent to consider where it is that we are most tempted as Americans to have our itching ears scratched....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Preaching, Discipleship
March 7, 2017
by Eric Stillman
When I was a youth pastor, I remember engaging in a conversation with a friend of one of my youth group kids who was questioning whether or not God was real. At one point, as I was sharing with her how God was the most important person in my life, she asked the question, “Isn’t that offensive to your wife?” It’s an understandable question. After all, I know that there are non-Christian spouses who are bitter about their significant other’s devotion to Christ, because they feel that their marriage takes second place.
My answer,...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: God, Discipleship
February 28, 2017
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, I preached from Romans 6-7 about the question of motivation: If I am saved by faith in Jesus, not by my good works, then what is my motivation to “be good” or follow God? Why not just live however I please if God has already saved me?
One of the reasons given in Romans 6 is that “freedom” as our culture teaches it is a fallacy. In the end, you are either a slave to God or a slave to sin (Romans 6:16). The choice is not between following God and living free to do as you please. The choice is between serving God, which leads to eternal life, or serving sin, which leads to death....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Freedom
February 21, 2017
by Eric Stillman
I love sports, but I hate running. During my high school career, I played soccer, basketball, and baseball for four years, but I could not stand running just for the sake of running. When I tried to run in my first 5K, in college, I discovered quickly that I completely lacked the mental toughness necessary to overcome the physical pain and mental monotony that for me accompanied running long distances.
Unfortunately, I have found that much of life is similar to running a long race. ...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Running
February 14, 2017
by Eric Stillman
One of the best Christian speakers I ever heard was a missionary named David Pierce, who travels around the world with his band, No Longer Music, bringing the message of Jesus to Satanist clubs, anarchy festivals, and anywhere you wouldn’t normally expect to find Christians. Pierce wrote an incredibly unique book called Dancing with Skinheads and other Bible Study Topics, and one thing he wrote in there that I’ve never forgotten is this: “Do something small for God.” He said that so many people want to do something big for God, to do something that really changes the world. But often it’s the small, overlooked, seemingly insignificant things that are the biggest steps of obedience to God....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Service
December 20, 2016
by Eric Stillman
I read a number of blogs by pastors and theologians, and one pastor I used to read regularly always promoted his upcoming Sunday service as “the best one ever!!!” or one “you have to bring all your friends to!!!” or one that “God is going to do AMAZING things at so you have to be there!!!!!!!” I never got the sense that the pastor was just trying to artificially sell his church; it truly seemed that he loved his church and believed that God was going to do great things every Sunday. But still, after a while the message began to lose its ability to inspire anticipation.
I’ve been thinking about that pastor recently, and reflecting upon how opposite my approach, as well as our church’s approach, can be....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Passion, Discipleship
December 13, 2016
by Eric Stillman
This past Saturday, I attended the funeral service for Nancy Butler, a pastoral colleague who pastored Riverfront Family Church, a church which was recently located in Glastonbury but now meets in Hartford. I first met Nancy in 1999, when I was the youth pastor at NewLife and she was looking for a youth group for her daughter, Liza. Our paths crossed again in 2005, when she hosted a regional Emergent conversation (for those who remember the Emergent movement). Soon after that meeting, she started Riverfront Family Church, and on occasion we would meet for coffee and to catch up. While we had our theological differences, I appreciated Nancy’s love for Jesus and enthusiasm for building a church community that would be welcoming to everyone....Keep Reading
Posted in: Death Tags: Discipleship, Death, Nancy Butler
November 29, 2016
by Eric Stillman
For the past eight years, my wife Michele and I have been licensed foster parents. We began this journey by taking in one teenage girl at a time for as long as DCF would keep them with us, and as the needs of our children increased, we eventually transitioned into becoming an emergency placement home, providing a home for a night, a weekend, or sometimes as long as a week to a child of any age who had been removed from their home for abuse, neglect, or during a time of transition. Like any ministry or service, it is not always easy, often disruptive and stressful, but also very rewarding and transformative, not just for us but for our children as well.
Given that background, I was intrigued when an online article came across my screen this morning entitled “Why you should let complete strangers stay in your home.”...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Hospitality
November 15, 2016
by Eric Stillman
Most of the Psalms are directed towards the community of believers, encouraging them towards praise and communion with God. Other Psalms are directed towards God, expressions of worship or lament. But some Psalms, like Psalm 42, are directed inwardly. They are much needed reminders that often our biggest enemy in our life and faith is ourselves, and the messages we are telling ourselves. Listen to how the great Welsh preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it:
Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? ...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Gospel, Discipleship
November 1, 2016
by Eric Stillman
It is worth noting that Jesus, when asked what the greatest commandment was, did not say “BELIEVE in God.” He said “LOVE God.” I know many people who have a hard enough time believing in God, and others who would point to their belief that God is real as evidence of their faith. But Jesus has the audacity to say that we are not just to believe in God, but to love God. In fact, James goes as far as to say that belief in God puts us on par with the demons of hell, for even they believe in God (and probably with greater certainty than we do!) (James 2:19)....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Love
October 18, 2016
by Eric Stillman
A common approach to reading the Bible is what you might call the fortune cookie approach: search for inspirational sayings or insightful aphorisms that will help you face the challenges of your day. That isn’t always a bad thing; often we genuinely want to know what the Bible has to say to help us in our fears or anxieties, or to find hope for our future in a dark time. And the Bible has plenty to say to encourage us in those seasons. But that can’t be the only approach....Keep Reading
Posted in: Bible Tags: Bible, Discipleship
October 11, 2016
by Eric Stillman
It seems so obvious, doesn’t it? If I could only spend my time doing the things that I really enjoy, then I would be truly happy. If I could just eat doughnuts for breakfast and have a big bowl of ice cream (or two bowls) every night, I would be happy. If I could just spend my days watching the shows I like and playing the games I like and avoiding those things that I don’t like, then my life would be great.
But Jesus dares to disagree....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Happiness
October 4, 2016
by Eric Stillman
I became a follower of Jesus as a college freshman at age 18. After a couple of years of learning what it meant to follow Jesus, and developing some close friendships with my Christian friends, I started to understand the importance of accountability, of having someone that I trusted enough to confess my sins too, someone who would ask me the tough questions about my walk with the Lord. For the past 20 years, I have always had at least someone that I talk with regularly so that I stay sharp in my discipleship. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
But here’s the thing about accountability and the sincere desire to avoid sin....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: accountability, Discipleship
September 20, 2016
by Eric Stillman
Although I may hide it well, I am often an anxious person. At times, my anxiety overwhelms me so quickly that I respond out of my fear without even thinking. My anxiety has caused me to lie, to avoid stressful situations, and at times to act with a lack of integrity and courage, all out of a desire to stuff down my anxious feelings and regain the peace I so desperately desire. I hate the way my anxiety affects me.
What is beneath my anxiety? If I stop and think about it, it is often one of two related reasons:...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Anxiety
September 13, 2016
by Eric Stillman
In John Ortberg’s book, The Me I Want To Be, the author talks about the unique ways God grows each of us spiritually into the people we were created to be. One of the parts that really spoke to me was where Ortberg said this:
“The Bible does not say you are God’s appliance; it says you are his masterpiece (Eph 2:10, NLT). Appliances get mass-produced. Masterpieces get hand-crafted. God did not make you exactly like anyone else. Therefore, his plan for shaping you will not look like his plan for shaping anyone else. If you try to find a generic plan for spiritual growth, it will only frustrate you.”
(Can anyone say journaling?)...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: God, Discipleship
September 6, 2016
by Eric Stillman
I still remember where I was the day I realized that the world did not revolve around me. I was in Washington D.C., 21 years old, sitting in the top section of RFK Stadium at a Promise Keepers conference. All around me, thousands of men from all over the country stood, many with their arms raised to the sky, worshiping their God. As the swell of their voices echoed around the stadium, a sweet sound in our Lord’s ears, I suddenly realized that I was not the center of the universe. I was just one among many who had gathered that day to worship God and to commit our lives to His service....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: God, Discipleship
August 30, 2016
by Eric Stillman
What are you pursuing? What do you instinctively look to in order to fill you up or give you life, or to escape from the pain?
And is it working? Is it filling you up? Giving you life? Removing the pain?
In Isaiah 55:1-3, God speaks through the prophet Isaiah to his people, and he asks them why they are spending their time, energy, and money on things which can not satisfy them. He goes on to invite them to come to him, to experience His covenantal love, to find true life for their souls....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, God
August 2, 2016
by Eric Stillman
I’ve been leading a book study this summer through Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline, a classic book on the central spiritual practices of the Christian faith: prayer, meditation, fasting, confession, worship, etc. This past week, one of the chapters we read was on the discipline of solitude, sometimes known as the discipline of silence. This practice is essentially about listening: having an inward attentiveness to God, even in the midst of noise and confusion.
Which naturally makes me think about Pokemon Go....Keep Reading
Posted in: Culture Tags: Discipleship, Pokemon Go
July 19, 2016
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday before the benediction, I referenced an older pastor in my life who has the distinct ability to make me feel like he has nowhere else to be and all the time in the world whenever I see him. I have always been touched by his ability to be present with me, to listen well, and to show genuine care for me, without ever feeling like I am interrupting him or holding him up from something more important. I hope and pray that I will be able to be more like him someday....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Rest
July 5, 2016
by Eric Stillman
When you are under pressure, when the stress levels are rising, what comes out of you? How do you instinctively respond? In Mark 7:20-23, Jesus makes the point to his disciples that it isn’t the external things that defile a person. No, Jesus says: there is more than enough evil in our own hearts to defile us ten times over....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Stress
June 21, 2016
by Eric Stillman
There is a popular saying that goes like this: “God works in mysterious ways.” Which is another way of saying, “GOD, I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!!”
Can anyone relate?
We believe that God is sovereign, that He is good, and that He loves us. And we like to believe that if we were a good, sovereign, loving Father/Deity, we would know how to treat our children. And so, naturally, when we suffer in ways we can not understand, we question the character of our God who seems to so often enjoy working in “mysterious” ways....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
June 7, 2016
by Eric Stillman
Here in the United States, we pride ourselves on our freedom. We believe that our country stands as a beacon of freedom to this world, as evidenced by the Preamble to our Declaration of Independence, which testifies to our belief that we have all been given unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
But just what is freedom, really?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Freedom
April 12, 2016
by Eric Stillman
Skubalon. In Philippians 3:8, Paul uses this Greek word, which the New International Version translates as “rubbish,” to describe all the things in his life that he once boasted of but that now mean nothing compared to knowing Christ. When you consult a Greek lexicon, you find that the word skubalon was the word commonly used not just for garbage but for animal excrement. You know, that stuff in your yard that you step in and proceed to track into your house until you realize what you’ve done and gag from the stench. Animal excrement. That’s a little more evocative than rubbish, don’t you think? Paul emphatically states that his desire to know Jesus, to know his power, to share in his suffering, to look and act like Him in every way, was such an all-consuming passion that all of his earthly awards, noble qualities, and previous reasons for pride meant as much to him as a hot, steaming pile of skubalon....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
March 29, 2016
by Eric Stillman
What if you only had one month to live?
It’s a common question these days, showing up everywhere from songs (“Live like you were dying”) to books (One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life) to YouTube videos (“The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch). It’s a powerful question that has the ability to inspire, to bring life into focus, and to help us take risks that are in line with what we really want.
It’s also a misleading question. The better, more accurate question, is this:
What if you will live forever?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, eternal life
February 9, 2016
by Eric Stillman
In my opinion, Romans 8 the greatest chapter in the whole Bible. Filled with promises about the love of God and His commitment to us, it builds from verse 1’s declaration that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” to the crescendo of verse 35-39, where we are exhorted that NOTHING can separate us from God’s love. Hallelujah! But perhaps just as important as Romans 8 is the end of the preceding chapter, Romans 7. After all, Romans 8:1 begins with “therefore,” which should prompt us to ask what it is “there for.” Romans 8, the passionate declaration of God’s great love for sinful, undeserving humans, follows Paul’s most candid confession of his complete inability to live up to not only God’s standards, but even his own. Listen to these words:...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Sin
December 1, 2015
by Eric Stillman
I am by nature an introvert, a pretty quiet person. I enjoy extended times of silence, and don’t have an overwhelming need to get together with other people. In some ways, then, the above passage from Ecclesiastes is right up my alley, and has long been one of my favorites. The writer of Ecclesiastes exhorts his listeners to be careful in the words they speak and the vows they make before God, and instead come inclined to listen to God....Keep Reading
Posted in: Prayer Tags: Prayer, Discipleship
September 29, 2015
by Eric Stillman
This past weekend was our annual men’s conference at NewLife. On Friday night, I shared about the gospel of Jesus, and contrasted it with two tendencies we have in our Christian walk: legalism and antinomianism. The main belief of the legalist is “If I perform well, God will accept or bless me.” The legalist tends to believe that if he is praying regularly, having his quiet time, and living victoriously over sin, that God loves him more. But if he is falling to temptation and not spending much time in prayer or devotion, that God is angry or disappointed with him.
The antinomian, on the other hand,...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Gospel, Discipleship
September 15, 2015
by Eric Stillman
One of the books that has been most challenging and influential in my faith has been Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic book The Cost of Discipleship, published in 1937. There are many Christian books out there, but few carry the weight and integrity behind them that this book does. Bonhoeffer was a German pastor who actively opposed Adolf Hitler, even to the point of returning from England to Germany in order to stand in solidarity with his countrymen who were suffering under Hitler’s reign. At age 37, he was arrested, and at 39, he was killed for his resistance. As Bonhoeffer wrote before returning to Germany:...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Bonhoeffer
August 11, 2015
by Eric Stillman
Psalm 23 is probably the most widely read and beloved of all the Psalms. Its picture of God as a tender, gentle, and loving shepherd who cares for us like sheep evokes images of peace and rest. But anyone who knows what actually goes into caring for sheep ...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
June 16, 2015
by Eric Stillman
On Monday, June 15th, the world lost a spiritual giant as Elisabeth Elliot passed away at the age of 88. Elliot was a prolific author and speaker, perhaps best known for two of her books. The first, Through Gates of Splendor, recounted the story of the martyrdom of her husband, Jim Elliot, along with four other missionaries, at the hands of the Auca people in the Amazonian rainforests of Ecuador as they sought to bring the gospel to them (the 2005 movie End of the Spear also told the story, from another family’s perspective). The second, Passion and Purity, was about honoring God with one’s love life.
The only fictional novel Elliot ever wrote, No Graven Image, was written in 1966 and was loosely based on her experiences as a young missionary to Ecuador. Of all her books, this book is noteworthy because it is so unlike the majority of Christian fictional books and movies. ...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Elisabeth Elliot
May 19, 2015
by Eric Stillman
In Proverbs 4:20-23, the heart is depicted as both the receptacle of external influences, as well as the place from which action originates. In order that his son might experience life and health, the writer of Proverbs implores him to guard his heart, and particularly to keep his father’s words within his heart. The writer of Proverbs is communicating a fundamental principle to life: the influences we allow into our lives have a great impact on what comes out of our lives.
Consider for a moment what influences you have allowed into your life already this week....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Influences
April 21, 2015
by Eric Stillman
So, how is your New Year’s resolution going?
It is probably a safe bet that many of you made a resolution that had something to do with the Bible ...Keep Reading
Posted in: Bible Tags: Bible, Discipleship
April 14, 2015
by Eric Stillman
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:1-4)
In the above passage, Paul is writing to his protégé Timothy, the pastor of the church in Ephesus. Paul tells Timothy that he needs to take care in preaching God’s Word accurately, because there are people who, rather than listen to what the Word of God says, prefer to find teachers who tell them what they want to hear....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Truth
February 17, 2015
by Eric Stillman
So, how is that “read through the Bible in a year” plan going?
Okay, so I’m sure not all of you set that as a goal, but for those who did, I am guessing that you have been slogging through Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers for some time now, struggling to find the relevance of tabernacle dimensions and animal sacrifices to your 21st century life. I can say this confidently because I have also been (unsuccessfully) reading through Leviticus for going on two weeks now.
Can I offer some advice?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Bible Tags: Bible, Discipleship
January 20, 2015
by Eric Stillman
For those suffering from physical pain, unemployment, relational stress, or any other number of heartaches, the well-known phrase “with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years” is hardly comforting. In its original context, Peter speaks these words in response to the belief of some in his day that God’s refusal to judge the wicked during their earthly life proves that we can live however we please without fear of God’s judgment. Peter rebukes such people, telling them that God withholds judgment because He wants to give everyone a chance to repent of their sin, but that one day He will return and judge everyone, and then it will be too late for the wicked.
But back to the whole “day=thousand years” thing. Peter’s point in using that phrase is to make it clear that what seems like a long time to us is like a blink of an eye to God. Certainly those of us accustomed to microwave dinners, high-speed internet, and everything “on demand” should take this to heart. As Peter writes, God keeps His promises ...Keep Reading
Posted in: Suffering Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
January 6, 2015
by Eric Stillman
“Meanwhile his disciples urged him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’ Then his disciples said to each other, ‘Could someone have brought him food?’ ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’” (John 4:30-34)
What were you created for? What is the work that energizes you, that gives you life, that makes you sing?
And are you doing that work?
Or have you even figured out what that work is?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Spiritual Gifts
December 16, 2014
by Eric Stillman
With this in mind, look back over the past year. Where have you seen God‘s purifying work in your life? How are you different in December 2014 than you were in December 2013? Are you more like Jesus? And as you look ahead to 2015, where can you make an intentional effort to grow in your faith? As you reflect upon that question over the next few weeks, consider some of the following possibilities:...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: New Year, Discipleship
November 14, 2014
by Lynne Pleau
Imagine: what if God were a diamond the size of the Earth -"internally flawless and burning with a fire infinitely brighter than the sun, rotating through space and shooting spectrums of light, through billions of facets, into every galaxy of the universe?
And what if we were the facets?
What if we were facets cut exquisitely into the surface of God‘s Being: shaped for overall symmetry, placed where we are with precision, and designed to radiate His light at a specific wavelength, in a specific direction, for a specific time?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Service
October 28, 2014
by Eric Stillman
One of the most neglected spiritual disciplines is the discipline of fasting. While typically thought of in connection to food, the discipline of fasting is a way of setting aside something that is not necessarily a bad thing in favor of an even better thing, namely seeking God in a more fervent manner. Sometimes we fast because we are facing a big decision and want to seek God in a more determined way. Other times we fast because we are struggling through a difficult time and need to depend on Him in a greater way.
But other times, fasting ‘" whether from food or something else ‘" can be a way of ensuring that we are not being mastered by anything, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:12....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Fasting
October 14, 2014
by Eric Stillman
“Every day is a journal page, every man holds a quill and ink
And there's plenty of room for writing in all we do is believe and think
So will you compose a curse or will today bring the blessing?
Fill the page with rhyming verse or some random sketching?
One of the songs that inspires me, whose lyrics are in italics in this article, is Chris Rice’s Life Means so Much. One of my continual struggles is to make the most of my time, to spend each moment doing things that matter, and prioritizing those things that are most important. This song is one of those voices in my life that encourage and inspire me to live my life for the Lord....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, time management
September 23, 2014
by Eric Stillman
It is a continual struggle around our house to keep things clean and in order. As you can imagine, four young children and a few pets wreak their fair share of chaos on a daily basis, and do precious little to repair the damage. Every night, once the kids finally fall asleep, we find ourselves amazed again at the amount of work that goes into simply maintaining some semblance of order. There exists, more so in my wife but still to some extent in me, a desire that everything would be in its right place. Every room would be neat, every chore finished, every crumb off the floor, and every piece of clothing folded neatly in its drawer. Every item on the to-do list would be crossed off, and there would be true rest from the constant work.
But such a state of order is always and forever just out of reach....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Heaven
September 9, 2014
by Eric Stillman
The first seminary class I ever took was New Testament Greek. One of the insights that I have never forgotten was when the professor told us that the Greek word ‘œdiakosune,‘ commonly translated as righteousness, is best thought of Biblically as ‘œright-relatedness,‘ i.e. related rightly to God. I have always appreciated that nuance, as righteousness is a word that tends to conjure up images of moral perfection in my mind. In other words, a righteous person is someone who does not sin, who does what is right and does not do what is wrong. But thinking of ‘œdiakosune‘ as more than just moral perfection, but as being rightly related to God, introduces a whole other element.
...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Righteousness
July 22, 2014
by Eric Stillman
Back in 1921, a missionary couple named David and Svea Flood went with their two year-old son from Sweden to the heart of Africa ��" to what was then called the Belgian Congo. They met up with another young Scandinavian couple, the Ericksons, and the four of them sought God for direction. In those days of much tenderness and devotion and sacrifice, they felt led of the Lord to set out from the main mission station and take the gospel to a remote area....Keep Reading
Posted in: Missions Tags: Discipleship, Missions
June 24, 2014
by Eric Stillman
I‘ve recently been enjoying John Ortberg‘s new book, The Me I Want To Be, in which the author talks about the unique ways God grows each of us spiritually into the people we were created to be. One of the parts that really spoke to me was where Ortberg said this:
‘œThe Bible does not say you are God‘s appliance; it says you are his masterpiece (Eph 2:10, NLT). Appliances get mass-produced. Masterpieces get hand-crafted. God did not make you exactly like anyone else. Therefore, his plan for shaping you will not look like his plan for shaping anyone else. If you try to find a generic plan for spiritual growth, it will only frustrate you.‘...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Spiritual growth
June 3, 2014
by Eric Stillman
In Philippians 3, Paul uses an accounting metaphor to describe how his attitude changed when he met Jesus. Before knowing Jesus, his profit column was filled with all the things that gave him status and worth: his lineage, his morality, his involvement with the religious elite. But after Jesus, all that was in the profit column was moved to the loss column, as Jesus alone occupied the profit column.
As I reflected on this, I began to realize how true this is. Whether or not we are aware of it, we spend so much of our lives trying to convince ourselves and others that we are worth something....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, idols
April 29, 2014
by Eric Stillman
Tomorrow I head in to the hospital for back surgery. Naturally, the verse that has been going through my head is the one listed above: ‘œThough outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.‘ As we age, it becomes more and more obvious that our health, vitality, and youthful appearance are slowly slipping away, never again to be recovered. And not only that, but all else in this world is receding from us like a wave washing back out to sea. Our relationships will eventually come to an end. Our influence on this world will wane. Our finances will be drained. If we live long enough, most of us will one day end up losing even our independence, as we are forced to rely on the hands of strangers to feed and clothe us....Keep Reading
Posted in: Suffering Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
April 22, 2014
by Eric Stillman
One of my favorite places in the world is the Center for Retreat and Renewal in Simsbury. This retreat center, located behind Covenant Presbyterian Church, has proved to be an invaluable place in my spiritual journey, as once every month I get away from the office, unplug from the internet and cell phone, and spend an uninterrupted work day before the Lord. I typically devote the first half of the day to personal reflection and planning: I sing, I pray, I read, I journal, I look back on lessons I am supposed to be learning, and I organize and make plans regarding where I and my family need to go. After lunch, I spend the second half of the day on church work: planning an upcoming sermon series, doing long-range planning, or thinking through deeper issues and plans that require uninterrupted time. I always leave feeling like I have a plan moving forward, and wishing I could come back more often....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Reflection
April 8, 2014
by Eric Stillman
Allow me, if you will, to theologically reflect upon a subject that is admittedly not overtly theological, but is certainly a love of mine: UConn basketball. On Monday night, the UConn men defeated the University of Kentucky 60-54 in order to win their fourth NCAA championship. As wonderful as the other three championships were, there was something especially precious about this one, especially for the seniors, Shabazz Napier, Tyler Olander, and Niels Giffey. After their sophomore year, they endured three tremendous blows from a basketball perspective. Their coach, Jim Calhoun, the man who recruited and mentored them, retired. Their conference, the Big East, broke apart, and UConn ended up a year later in a lesser conference, the American Athletic Conference. And thirdly, the NCAA banned the team from postseason competition for one year because of the poor graduation rates of the basketball players who attended a few years before those three stepped on campus....Keep Reading
Posted in: Suffering Tags: Suffering, Discipleship, UConn basketball
March 11, 2014
by Eric Stillman
As I prepared for the current sermon series on suffering, one particularly moving passage I read was this one from Joni Eareckson Tada‘s ‘œWhen God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty‘:
Suffering fashions us into a ‘œholy and blameless‘ image of Christ (Ephesians 1: 4), much like a figure sculpted out of marble. An artist in Florence, Italy once asked the great Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo what he saw when he approached a huge block of marble. ‘œI see a beautiful form trapped inside,‘ he replied, ‘œand it is simply my responsibility to take my mallet and chisel and chip away until the figure is set free.‘ The beautiful form, the visible expression of ‘œChrist in you, the hope of glory‘ is inside Christians like a possibility, a potential. The idea is there, and God uses affliction like a hammer and chisel, chipping and cutting to reveal his image in you. God chooses as his model his Son, Jesus Christ, ‘œFor those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son‘ (Romans 8: 29)....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
January 28, 2014
by Eric Stillman
Skubalon. In Philippians 3:8, Paul uses this Greek word, which the New International Version translates as ‘œrubbish,‘ to describe all the things in his life that he once boasted of but that now mean nothing compared to knowing Christ. When you consult a Greek lexicon, you find that the word skubalon was the word commonly used not just for garbage but for animal excrement. You know, that stuff in your yard that you step in and proceed to track into your house until you realize what you‘ve done and gag from the stench. Animal excrement. That‘s a little more evocative than rubbish, don‘t you think? Paul emphatically states that his desire to know Jesus, to know his power, to share in his suffering, to look and act like Him in every way, was such an all-consuming passion that all of his earthly awards, noble qualities, and previous reasons for pride meant as much to him as a hot, steaming pile of skubalon....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
January 21, 2014
by Eric Stillman
As I was in preparation for the current sermon series on suffering, I heard the following in a Tim Keller sermon (parphrased):
‘œIf your ultimate love and joy is found in the treasures of this world, then suffering will rob you of your joy and make you sadder and madder. But if your ultimate love and joy is found in God, then suffering will drive you deeper into the source of that joy.‘
Carefully consider those words....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
January 14, 2014
by Eric Stillman
I still remember where I was the day I realized that the world did not revolve around me. I was in Washington D.C., 21 years old, sitting in the top section of RFK Stadium at a Promise Keepers conference. All around me, thousands of men from all over the country stood, many with their arms raised to the sky, worshiping their God. As the swell of their voices echoed around the stadium, a sweet sound in our Lord‘s ears, I suddenly realized that I was not the center of the universe. I was just one among many who had gathered that day to worship God and commit our lives to His service....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Purpose
January 7, 2014
by Jessica Wojcik
In the first chapter of the book of Luke, an angel of the Lord appears to Mary, and after informing her that she is highly favored of the Lord, announces that she will give birth to a son who will be the savior of the world! Upon hearing this, Mary has questions. She wonders, ‘œHow can this be?‘ since she is a virgin, but she listens to the rest of what the angel has to say. And he tells her it‘s by the Holy Spirit that this will all come to pass. Then Mary says something amazing. In verse 38 she says ‘œI am the Lord‘s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled‘, the equivalent of a ‘œYes‘ to God.
A lot of people admire Mary. I do as well, but I think what I admire most about her is her quiet strength....Keep Reading
Posted in: Missions Tags: Discipleship, Missions
October 15, 2013
Do you irritate God? We spend much of our lives getting irritated by others because they don't do things the way we wish they would. Is their failure to meet our personal preferences a valid reason for our losing patience with them? That's a rhetorical question because we know that it is not (as it says in 1 Corinthians 13:5, love is ‘œnot rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs‘). We know that it's very unreasonable for us to hold people accountable to our whims and demands. God doesn't even do this, so how arrogant it is for us to do so! We can be very thankful that God doesn't sport our attitudes. We can be thankful that God doesn't get irritated by our tendency to do things our way instead of his way....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Guest Blogger, Mac Beaulieu
September 24, 2013
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday we experienced an incredible and unique time of worship as we joined together with three other Wethersfield churches for a time or prayer, worship, and the Word in Wethersfield Cove Park. It almost never happened, of course ‘" all week long, the weather forecast was predicting torrential downpours overnight on Saturday night and a miserable Sunday morning. But as we prayed and talked about it on Saturday, the other pastors and I felt that this was such a unique and special opportunity that we wanted to go ahead with the time of worship and pray that God would clear up the skies, relying on a 10:30 indoors service at First Church of Wethersfield as the backup plan.
But God didn‘t need a backup plan....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Faith
September 17, 2013
by Eric Stillman
In my opinion, Romans 8 the greatest chapter in the whole Bible. Filled with promises about the love of God and His commitment to us, it builds from verse 1‘s declaration that ‘œthere is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus‘ to the crescendo of verse 35-39, where we are exhorted that NOTHING can separate us from God‘s love. Hallelujah! But perhaps just as important as Romans 8 is the end of the preceding chapter, Romans 7. After all, Romans 8:1 begins with ‘œtherefore,‘ which means that we should ask what it is ‘œthere for.‘ Romans 8, the passionate declaration of God‘s great love for sinful, undeserving humans, follows Paul‘s most candid confession of his complete inability to live up to not only God‘s standards, but even his own. Listen to these words:...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Sin
June 18, 2013
by Eric Stillman
There aren‘t many people who could tell you the historical significance of Edward Kimball. After all, he is so un-famous that he doesn‘t even have his own Wikipedia page. But through his simple service to God, he has had a worldwide impact.
In 1854, Kimball was a Sunday School teacher in Detroit, and one day he went to visit a 17 year-old boy who was in his Sunday School class who had little interest in God or religion. During his visit with this young man at his job in a shoe shop, he led the boy into a relationship with Christ. That young man was D.L. Moody, who went on to become one of the greatest evangelists in the world, sharing the gospel with 100 million people, as well as founding Moody Bible Institute and The Moody Church in Chicago.
But the story doesn‘t end there....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: NewLife, Discipleship
April 16, 2013
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, Jim Quigley preached from Matthew 5:13-16 on how Jesus calls his disciples the salt and light of the world. The implication is that wherever there is darkness and decay, Jesus‘ followers should be there, acting as a preservative and purifier like salt, and shining the light of Christ through word and deed.
I was reminded of this truth recently during of all things, a college basketball game......Keep Reading
Posted in: Evangelism Tags: Outreach, Discipleship
April 9, 2013
by Eric Stillman
‘œElijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. ‘˜Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.‘™ Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.‘ (1 Kings 19:3-5)...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Faith, hope
April 2, 2013
by Eric Stillman
‘œSo, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.‘ (1 Corinthians 10:12-13)
Paul‘™s words in 1 Corinthians 10:12 have been words I have never forgotten since that day back in 1997 when I first heard it shared from a small group leader in my college Christian fellowship group. The leader was talking about how we all struggle with sins, but that sometimes we can get to the point where we have experienced some degree of victory, and no longer feel like it is a struggle. However, she said, that is precisely when our sin can often sneak up on us and cause us to fall to it once again, because we have grown confident and let down our guard. The moment you think you are standing firm, watch out - you just might fall....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, temptation
November 27, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ”s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)...Keep Reading
Tags: Grace, Discipleship
October 16, 2012
by Eric Stillman
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
October 9, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” (1 Corinthians 4:5)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
October 2, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’ When he saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him” and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’” (Luke 17:11-19)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
September 25, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“Everything is permissible for me” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me” but I will not be mastered by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
July 10, 2012
by Cathy Eldridge
During our July and August Sunday morning worship gatherings, I will be preaching through selected Psalms, using that section of the Bible in order to help us connect in deeper ways to God. During that time, I will be using the NewLife blog as a platform for the people of our church the opportunity to share about particular songs that help them connect to God....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Guest Blogger
June 12, 2012
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, I spent a good portion of my sermon looking at Galatians 6:7-9, where Paul outlines the law of sowing and reaping. As he writes, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” As I prepared to preach on this passage, I focused mainly on the “sowing” part, challenging everyone to sow to please the Spirit instead of the sinful nature....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
June 5, 2012
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, I preached on Galatians 5:26-6:10, focusing to a large extent on 5:26, which reads: “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Paul was reminding the Christians in Galatia that because they were justified (made right with God, given eternal worth, deemed important and valuable) by faith in Jesus and not on the basis of their performance, they were now free from the comparison game. In other words, they no longer needed to base their self-worth on whether they were better or worse than other people. It no longer mattered if they were more religious, or more successful, or a better parent, or had more money, or were better looking than those around them; they no longer needed to look to those things to justify themselves, because they were already justified. Conversely, it no longer mattered if they were less religious, less successful, a worse parent, had less money, or were uglier than those around them; they no longer needed to look to those things to condemn themselves, because they had already been justified by God. And as a result, they no longer needed to be conceited" to think of themselves more highly than they ought" or provoke or envy each other, looking down in superiority or looking up in anger at others....Keep Reading
Tags: American Culture, Discipleship
May 29, 2012
by Eric Stillman
Consider this quote, which I heard recently:
“Christianity is not primarily a teaching nor a philosophy nor even a way of life. It is before everything else a relationship to a person. The New Testament in a sense will not even discuss with us the kind of life we are going to live until we have come to a satisfactory answer about him. All along the bible shuts us down to this one matter and holds us up against this one thing. It refuses to even discuss our questions and our problems with us. Before we can discuss how to live, what have you made of Him?”...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
May 8, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)...Keep Reading
Tags: God, Discipleship
May 1, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:40)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Missions
April 24, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
April 17, 2012
Today’s Pulse article is written by Anthony Varesio, in another installment of his Imperfekt Chronicles.
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” (1 John 3:1)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Guest Blogger
April 10, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.” (John 20:1-8)...Keep Reading
Tags: Jesus, Discipleship
March 6, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1)
As I’ve been reading and preaching through the Gospel of John, I have been struck again by how severe Jesus’ words are for the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day. We don’t know much about individual Pharisees just by reading the Gospels, but I would have to imagine that many of them had a genuine desire to know God and to see Israel, God’s people, become great again. The Pharisees were so devoted to the law of God that they added even more laws on top of God’s law, just to make sure they were doing all they could to honor God with their lives....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
February 21, 2012
by Eric Stillman
Today’s Pulse is a Lenten reflection reprinted from the March 8th, 2011 Pulse....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
February 14, 2012
by James Prignano
Today’s Pulse is written by James Prignano. James, his wife Marcia, and their children Selah, Jonah, and Talia have been coming to NewLife for a few months. This is called “A Midnight Prayer.”...Keep Reading
Tags: Prayer, Discipleship
January 31, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” (Isaiah 29:13)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
January 17, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you... When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
January 10, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
January 3, 2012
by Eric Stillman
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22)....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
December 6, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
November 15, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
November 8, 2011
by Eric Stillman
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10)
It’s been a rough year for college football, as scandal after scandal has rocked many of the elite programs around the country. In 2011 alone, Ohio State’s football coach, Jim Tressel, resigned after he was found to have hidden violations from the NCAA, the University of Miami football team was found to have committed numerous violations so heinous that it could lead to the program being shut down, and this past week, Penn State has been under the microscope after it was discovered that one of its assistant coaches had been sexually molesting boys for years, often at the team practice facility, and that school officials, including the head coach Joe Paterno, had done very little to bring the abuse into the light. Now, the Miami scandals were not much of a surprise, given the tawdry history of the program, but the Ohio State and Penn State scandals were shocking precisely because the head coaches of both schools had been held up as models of integrity. Now, sadly, they find their reputations crumbling around them as it became clear that neither man was as he was portrayed to be....Keep Reading
Tags: American Culture, Discipleship
October 18, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. ‘˜Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.” (1 Kings 19:3-5)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
October 11, 2011
by Eric Stillman
In December of 1997, I sat down with a small group of teenagers from NewLife at Mike and Melissa Smith’s house in Glastonbury. A 21 year-old senior at UConn, I had just recently been hired as the youth pastor at NewLife, and this sit-down was my first “meet-and-greet” with the teens of the church. I remember telling them about some of the people I regularly ate meals with in the UConn cafeteria, and the daydreams I had about challenging the smart atheists to consider the reality of Jesus Christ. In my daydream, I would clearly and cleverly outline the truth of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and skillfully answer every argument thrown my way. Soon, it became clear that the whole cafeteria was listening intently to our conversation. And so, in my daydream, I would stand up and tell all who were listening about the gospel of Jesus Christ. And as the crowd responded in affirmation, I would leave the cafeteria, leading the hungry-for-God crowd up the hill to where our Christian fellowship met. And as person after person committed their life to Jesus, the prettiest girl in the Christian fellowship would come up to me and say admiringly, “you’re my hero, Eric Stillman.”...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
September 27, 2011
by Jim Quigley
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Guest Blogger
September 20, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
As a preacher, I have learned that one of the best ways to connect a message to a listener is to tell a personal story. As I prepare a sermon, my first priorities are to try to faithfully communicate the intent of the original author, as well as to discern what the text means for us in 21st century America. Then, after I have accomplished those goals, I try to make the message more interesting and memorable by adding personal stories, analogies, quotes, and so on....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
July 19, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:5-10)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Sin
July 12, 2011
Today’s guest blogger is Brad Brinkley. Brad and his wife Taylor have been a part of NewLife since last November....Keep Reading
Tags: NewLife, Discipleship
July 5, 2011
by Eric Stillman
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
May 31, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
May 24, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Missions
May 17, 2011
by Eric Stillman
The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:1-10)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
April 26, 2011
Today’s guest writer is Anthony Varesio, a member of NewLife. This is another entry out of his Imperfekt Chronicles....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
April 19, 2011
by Steve Hoyt
Today’s post comes courtesy of an email update by Steve Hoyt, a missionary with Engineering Ministries International in Uganda, who preached at NewLife in October 2009. Steve is also the cousin of John & Tammy Choleva. With our focus this year on “Blessed to be a blessing,” I found Steve’s letter particularly meaningful and challenging....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Guest Blogger
April 5, 2011
by Eric Stillman
I am a huge UConn basketball fan. I attended UConn many years ago, and during my time as a student, I attended every home game, often waiting in line for hours in order to be as close as possible to the court. This past Monday night culminated a few months of great excitement as the UConn men won the national championship. Having followed the team for years, I was amazed that they pulled it off" after all, they weren’t even picked to make the NCAA tournament in most preseason publications, let alone compete for the title. But under the leadership of Jim Calhoun, and guided by the play of Kemba Walker and his supporting cast, they shocked even this diehard fan....Keep Reading
Tags: Evangelism, Discipleship
March 29, 2011
by Eric Stillman
Last week, I discussed possible philosophical answers to the problem of evil. The problem, however, with approaching the question of how a good and all-powerful God could allow suffering and evil from a philosophical perspective is that philosophical answers rarely touch the raw places in people’s lives, where deep pain and injustice has left indelible wounds. Most people who ask “Why, God?” out of rage and despair need more than to be told “God may have reasons that just don’t make sense to your limited mind at this time.” So what are the more personal responses to the problem of evil? Where is God when you are suffering?...Keep Reading
Tags: Suffering, Discipleship
March 9, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?’” (Mark 8:34-36)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
March 1, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him” (Mark 9:15)....Keep Reading
Tags: Gospel, Discipleship
February 15, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.” - Oswald Chambers...Keep Reading
Tags: God, Discipleship
February 8, 2011
by Eric Stillman
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Missions
February 1, 2011
by Jim Quigley
Today’s guest blogger is Jim Quigley.
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:28-32)...Keep Reading
Tags: NewLife, Discipleship
January 11, 2011
by Eric Stillman
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)...Keep Reading
Tags: NewLife, Discipleship
December 14, 2010
by Eric Stillman
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is" his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2)....Keep Reading
Tags: NewLife, Discipleship
December 7, 2010
by Eric Stillman
“One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.’ (Matthew 22:35-38)...Keep Reading
Tags: God, Discipleship
October 26, 2010
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, I finished up the sermon series on Biblical communication and conflict resolution. One of the foundational verses on conflict is James 4:1-2: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it.” That passage reveals a simple yet profound truth - conflict usually happens when we do not get what we want. And more than that, conflict gets worse when our desires turn into demands....Keep Reading
Tags: Relationships, Discipleship
October 19, 2010
by Eric Stillman
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13)...Keep Reading
Tags: Relationships, Discipleship
October 12, 2010
by Jim Quigley
This week’s guest blogger is Jim Quigley. Jim has been a part of NewLife since last August, after moving up from New Jersey, and is an engineer who also works with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Trinity College.
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish.
-Jonah 1:1-3...Keep Reading
Tags: Relationships, Discipleship, Guest Blogger
October 5, 2010
by Eric Stillman
A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. (Proverbs 19:11)...Keep Reading
Tags: Relationships, Discipleship
September 14, 2010
by Eric Stillman
Embarrassing story time: I sucked my thumb at night until I was in third grade. Do you know why I finally stopped? My parents took video of my brothers and me sleeping at night on Christmas Eve, and when they showed it the next day, there I was: eight year-old Eric, curled up with my thumb in my mouth.
Needless to say, I was mortified, and never sucked my thumb again....Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Sin
September 1, 2010
by Eric Stillman
I’ve recently been enjoying John Ortberg’s new book, The me I want to be, in which the author talks about the unique ways God grows each of us spiritually into the people we were created to be. One of the parts that really spoke to me was where Ortberg said this:...Keep Reading
Tags: God, Discipleship
August 10, 2010
by Eric Stillman
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, 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 4:4-8)...Keep Reading
Tags: God, Discipleship
July 27, 2010
by Eric Stillman
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship
July 13, 2010
by Jim Quigley
This week’s guest blogger is Jim Quigley. Jim has been a part of NewLife since last August, after moving up from New Jersey, and is an engineer who also works with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Trinity College.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Guest Blogger
June 15, 2010
by Eric Stillman
One of the highlights of my week this past month has proven to be Fight Club, the new men’s group that began meeting on Wednesday nights in May. What a privilege it has been to see men sharing their lives and struggles with each other, encouraging each other with Scripture and from personal experience, and forming real friendships. I have found that while there is a place for Bible study, there is also great benefit to beginning with our issues and struggles and then bringing Biblical wisdom into those specific situations. One passage in particular that has ministered to our group has been Micah 7:8-9, which reads:...Keep Reading
Tags: NewLife, Discipleship
June 8, 2010
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, I preached about the gospel and personal growth, and how the deeper our belief in the good news of Jesus Christ’s death for our sins is, and the more we look to Him for our hope, peace, love, significance, and life, the more we have the power to overcome the challenges we face. During the sermon, I briefly mentioned my lifelong struggle with time management and prioritizing. I’ve tried every different system under the sun, put up motivational quotes and sticky note reminders, sought out accountability, installed deadlines - all with limited progress. Why is this the case? Do I just need to find a doctor who will prescribe me with a pill? Have I just not found the right system?...Keep Reading
Tags: Gospel, Discipleship
May 11, 2010
by Eric Stillman
I was reading John Shore’s conversion story the other day on The Huffington Post, and as I was glancing through some of the comments, I saw one that read:
“It seems as if this is virtually the same conversion story that I’ve heard from so many Christians. It is primarily based on fear. What a sad reason to change your life as there are so many other ways. Fear, as a motivator, doesn’t seem like a very nice reason to embrace a religion, but it seems as if it is the main reason that so many people do. Just because you are filled with fear about death or your own failings as a person, that doesn’t validate a religion or God...”...Keep Reading
Tags: Gospel, Discipleship
May 4, 2010
by Eric Stillman
One of the most powerful and challenging books I have ever read is Dietrich Bonhoeffer‘s The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer was a German pastor during the reign of Adolf Hitler who participated in the German Resistance movement against Hitler and was eventually imprisoned and executed in 1945 at the age of 39 for this act of treason. As I prepare to preach on how the gospel transforms our approach to money this coming Sunday, I wanted to share with you a very challenging (and humorous, ironically) passage from The Cost of Discipleship regarding Jesus‘ interaction with the man who has come to be known as the Rich Young Ruler:...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Money
April 27, 2010
This week‘s guest blogger is Anthony Varesio. Anthony and his family have been a part of NewLife for a little less than a year, and Anthony was recently baptized. Anthony will be contributing to the NewLife blog once a month with his, as he puts it, ‘œunfiltered and in-progress diary of the personal challenges and revelations that come with my pursuit of becoming a better person and living ‘The Way‘.‘...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Guest Blogger
February 9, 2010
by Jim Quigley
Today‘s guest blogger is Jim Quigley. Jim has been a part of NewLife since August, after moving up from New Jersey. He is an engineer who also works with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. As we focus on spiritual warfare with our memory verses for February, Jim will share on ‘œknowing your enemy.‘...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Spiritual Warfare
January 26, 2010
by Eric Stillman
‘œEarly in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, ‘Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.‘‘ (1 Samuel 15:12)...Keep Reading
Tags: God, Discipleship
December 15, 2009
by Eric Stillman
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘œTeacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?‘ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘œIf any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.‘ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘œWoman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?‘ ‘œNo one, sir,‘ she said. ‘œThen neither do I condemn you,‘ Jesus declared. ‘œGo now and leave your life of sin.‘ (John 8:1-11)...Keep Reading
Tags: Jesus, Discipleship
December 8, 2009
by Eric Stillman
It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. (Ecclesiastes 7:2)...Keep Reading
Tags: Death, Discipleship
November 17, 2009
by Eric Stillman
One of my favorite authors is a man named Donald Miller, who is best known for his 2003 book Blue Like Jazz. Miller writes with wit, creativity, and disarming honesty in the style of a memoir, reflecting on his life and what he has learned about God and himself through his experiences. Blue Like Jazz is currently in the process of being made into a movie, and Miller‘s most recent book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, is about what he learned about his life and God‘s grand story while the screenwriters ‘œedited his life‘ for the big screen. His reflections on the boring, uninspired story he was living and the grand story of risk and adventure that God was calling him to live were fascinating to read, and really challenged me to reflect on the story I find myself in and to walk with faith and courage. Let me share a few quotes from the book that really spoke to me:...Keep Reading
Tags: God, Discipleship
October 27, 2009
by Eric Stillman
Today‘s post comes courtesy of my friend Ben Dubow, who blogs over at www.faithautopsy.com. In one of his latest posts, he referenced A.W. Tozer‘s Five Spiritual Vows. Tozer was a 20th century Christian & Missionary Alliance preacher and author who died in 1963, and whose words are incredibly challenging. You can read Tozer‘s whole discourse at http://www.neve-family.com/books/tozer/FiveVows.html; Ben‘s well-done summary is below:...Keep Reading
Tags: Discipleship, Guest Blogger
September 22, 2009
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday I preached on the fact that God is eternal, that He exists outside of time and is fully present to every moment of time at once. He is the Alpha and Omega, the one who was there in the beginning and will be there in the end. He is the unchanging one, who because He exists outside of time does not change in His character, His truth, His promises, or His purposes. He is the Rock upon which we stand in our faith....Keep Reading
Tags: God, Discipleship
July 28, 2009
by Eric Stillman
Somewhere in this great land of ours, there stands a man who has yet to leave his closet. He is a very spiritual man, but he is not in the closet because he has come to spend time with the Lord in prayer. No - he went in to get a shirt to wear that day. However, after a couple of hours he is still in his closet, because he has been waiting on God to clarify whether he should choose the navy and gray striped button down or the green polo shirt....Keep Reading
Tags: NewLife, Discipleship
