March 19, 2019 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
My fear of public speaking
I have a fear of public speaking. But it’s not what you think. It has been well-established that public speaking is the number one fear of most Americans ...Keep Reading
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The NewLife Blog
March 12, 2019 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
Losing your life to find it
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
March 5, 2019 by Eric Stillman 2 comments
Would you go to church if you were struggling?
This past year, I finished my Master’s of Professional Counseling degree through Liberty University. One of the classes I took was on substance abuse counseling, and one of the assignments was to visit a couple of AA, NA, and Al-Anon meetings. I had always heard that these groups often succeed in creating the kind of atmosphere and community that the church is meant to display. My experience proved this to be correct, especially in one important way that I think is worthy of consideration....Keep Reading
February 26, 2019 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
The friends you need
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
February 19, 2019 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
Fear, anxiety, and love
I am a very fearful person. I often feel as if anxiety is my predominant emotion, as I walk through my life avoiding conflict and difficult situations that, for some unknown reason, I fear will be the death of me. Never mind, of course, that typically when I have to face one of those situations, I find myself surviving unscathed, and even grateful that I went through it instead of working so hard to avoid it. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that I struggle with fear and anxiety on a daily basis....Keep Reading
February 12, 2019 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
The messages we want to hear
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
February 5, 2019 by Joe Barone 0 comments
Guest blogger: Joe Barone - What, me worry?
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
January 29, 2019 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
True self-esteem
This past Sunday, after I preached on confession and forgiveness, we read in unison a prayer from a book called The Valley of Vision: a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. If you have never read this book, it is a unique and fascinating read, full of rarely used SAT words but also with a theological and devotional depth unmatched by modern-day prayer and devotional books. Below is the prayer we read on Sunday, entitled Continual Repentance: ...Keep Reading
January 22, 2019 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
Step into the light
In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus tells his listeners that the difference between the wise and foolish person is whether or not they put into practice His words. James, in his letter, says something similar, that it is of no value to hear the word and not act on it, but that the power lies in doing what the word says (James 1:22-25). There are some times in which the important thing is not to tell eloquent stories that move or inspire you, but to simply challenge you towards obedience. This is one of those times....Keep Reading
January 15, 2019 by Eric Stillman 1 comments
A prayer answered
One of my favorite stories of answered prayer from my own life came when I was 23 and the youth pastor of NewLife. Our growing youth group of about 20-25 senior high students had been meeting at my apartment in Manchester. Things were going great, but the bad part was that the walls were paper thin, and my neighbors could hear every screaming teen, every beat of the conga drum, and every song being sung, and I felt horrible about it. When the lease year was nearing the end, I began praying that God would provide a house where we could meet. I had two friends who lived in the same apartment complex as me, and we decided that together we would look for a house to rent. ...Keep Reading