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
January 2, 2019
by Eric Stillman
If I could only listen to one sermon for the rest of my life it would be a message Jim Cymbala gave at a praise gathering called “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (you can watch it on YouTube here . Cymbala references the episode where Jesus clears the money changers out of the temple in order to drive home the point that God’s house is meant to be a house of prayer above all other things ...Keep Reading
Tags: Prayer, Faith
December 18, 2018
by Eric Stillman
This past Friday, nine years after I began, I completed my Masters of Professional Counseling. Three 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. Two weeks, I shared another important lesson I have learned from my internship: Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind. Last week, the lesson I discussed was: Show up with a plan. Today, the lesson is straight out of the Bible: Be quick to listen, slow to speak (James 1:19)....Keep Reading
Tags: Relationships, Counseling
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
December 4, 2018
by Eric Stillman
As I write this Pulse, I am ten days away from finishing my counseling internship and graduating with my Masters of Professional Counseling. Last week, 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. This week, I wanted to share another important lesson I have learned from my internship. As the author and speaker Brene Brown puts it: Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind....Keep Reading
Tags: Relationship, communication
November 27, 2018
by Eric Stillman
In the spring of 2009, I enrolled in my first Masters of Professional Counseling course through Liberty University Online. At the time, I was three years into pastoring NewLife, and it had not been an easy road. I was only 30 years old when I was hired, immature and inexperienced in so many ways. By the spring of 2009, Michele and I were raising a 3 year-old, 2 year-old, and 8 month-old, and I was struggling to pastor the church in a way that was healthy for my family or was life-giving to those who were leading alongside of me. Michele and I decided that it would be wise for me to begin working towards another degree, one class at a time, something that would benefit my ministry if I continued as a pastor, or would serve as a backup plan in case things did not work out at NewLife....Keep Reading
Tags: Relationships, Grace
November 20, 2018
by Eric Stillman
During November and the first week of December, our church is joining with other area churches in collecting new, unwrapped toys for the Hartford City Mission Noah Christmas Store. The Noah Christmas Store is a store for parents of children in Hartford City Mission programs, where they can buy toys at a minimal “suggested donation” cost for their children for Christmas. In the Hartford City Mission flyer promoting this event to churches, they use the word “dignity” in describing what this opportunity affords low-income parents. It is worth reflecting on what that means....Keep Reading
Tags: Outreach, Service
November 13, 2018
by Joe Barone
Do you have a friend, relative, or co-worker who you’ve shared the good news of the gospel with? Have you witnessed Christ’s love to them? Did they appear curious and welcoming of additional information? Then, after all your efforts, did their interest wane and did all seem for naught? Are you frustrated? Confused? Ready to give up? There is help, and it’s closer than you think. First, let me tell you my story about a little, lime green train engine....Keep Reading
Tags: Evangelism, Faith
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
