November 22, 2022
by Eric Stillman
In some ways, the story recounted above is the simplest of all lessons: a lesson about the importance of saying thank you. Ten lepers received healing from Jesus, but only one came back to say thank you, and as a result, only that leper received the deeper healing (seeing as how Jesus had just healed him and his friends of leprosy, I’m assuming “your faith has made you well” refers to the forgiveness of sins, like the paralytic in Matthew 9:2). But even simple lessons can be much-needed reminders....Keep Reading
Posted in: Thanksgiving Tags: Thanksgiving, gratitude
November 15, 2022
by Eric Stillman
In September of 1997, I found myself in the Homer Babbidge Library at UConn, reading an article in Christianity Today on trends they were seeing in youth and young adult ministry. I was a senior at UConn, thinking about where I would end up when I graduated. It had been quite a journey at UConn. On the second day of college, I had committed my life to Jesus. Since then, I had gotten involved in a Christian fellowship group called InterVarsity, joined the staff of a parachurch ministry called Musicon, and served two summers as the Youth Program Director at South United Methodist Church in Manchester, making many wonderful friends along the way. As I entered my senior year, I knew that I wanted to keep following Jesus wherever He might lead....Keep Reading
Posted in: Church life Tags: NewLife, Church life, God's leading
November 8, 2022
by Eric Stillman
This past Sunday, I referenced the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery from John 8. In the story, the Pharisees try to set a trap for Jesus by bringing before him a woman caught in adultery. They tell Jesus that the Law of Moses commands them to stone her, and they want to know what he will do about that. As they see it, Jesus has two options: he can either uphold the law, stone the woman, and lose the favor of the crowd of outcasts and misfits that has been following him, or he can show compassion to the woman and disregard the law, and show himself to be no true prophet. As far as the Pharisees can tell, Jesus has no way out....Keep Reading
Posted in: Church life Tags: Church, Grace, Truth, John 8
November 1, 2022
by Eric Stillman
In this past Sunday’s sermon on the gospel and personal growth, I made the case that underneath every sin is idolatry: we are looking to something other than God to give us satisfaction, comfort, peace, glory, etc. And, if you are willing to dig even deeper, underneath every idol is something we don’t believe about God....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: God, Sin, Truth, idolatry
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
October 11, 2022
by Eric Stillman
A common refrain I have been hearing from older generations of workers is that younger employees require what feels like an unhealthy amount of affirmation and praise simply for doing their job. Whether this stems from helicopter parenting, the “everyone gets a trophy” mindset or from being used to getting “likes” and “follows” for everything you do online, it does feel like, more than ever, any criticism is seen as doing violence to another person. And that is a dangerous mindset to have....Keep Reading
Posted in: Relatonships Tags: Love, Friendship, Criticism
October 4, 2022
by Eric Stillman
The story goes that the great 19th century British preacher Charles Spurgeon and his wife would sell, but refused to give away, the eggs their chickens laid. Even close relatives were told, “You may have them if you pay for them.” As a result, some people labeled the Spurgeons greedy and grasping.
They accepted the criticisms without defending themselves, and only after Mrs. Spurgeon died was the full story revealed....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Insecurity, Approval
September 27, 2022
by Eric Stillman
I’m worried about my soul. And I am worried about the souls of generations younger than me who are growing up continually distracted, with a smartphone glued to their hand and earbuds secured in their ears. In Psalm 46:10, God invites us to “be still, and know that I am God.” With such a profound invitation, why have we given into the temptation to fill every waking moment with noise?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Psalm 46:10, Information overload, Be still
September 20, 2022
by Eric Stillman
Last week I went to our town high school’s open house in order to meet some of my children’s teachers. One thing I was struck by as I toured the school was what felt to me like an insane number of posters lining the walls that were designed to boost the students’ self-esteem. Wall after wall was plastered with phrases like “Instead of saying ‘this is too hard’ say ‘I can do hard things!’” and “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think.” With all the affirmation and positivity everywhere a student looks, you would think the school would be filled with confident, high-achieving children!
So why are the rates of anxiety and depression higher than ever?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Culture Tags: Identity, Self-esteem
