bondChristian

When to be happy, when to be sad

There’s some tension between what the Bible says about “rejoicing always” and “mourning with those who mourn.” So how do you and I resolve it? Do we pretend the opposing passages don’t exist, leaning one way while ignoring the other? Or is there a better answer, one that takes both sides into account? [Click to [...]

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Permission to be hurt

In the church, we talk a lot about grace, but we often don’t extend it to one another. What I mean is that when someone’s going through some crazy stuff – like when my friend lost her job or my other friend lost his mom – we tend to push back with a bunch of [...]

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Matchmaker tips for recommending friends

Who’s your best friend… or at least one of your really, really good friends (but not related to you)? Got a name and face in mind? Okay, why are you close? Is it just a result of circumstances, or is there something you really enjoy about this person? Once you’ve answered those questions, I encourage [...]

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Inviting yourself: An alternative to pimping YOUR stuff

Everyone knows hanging out with other people is a great way to make friends. We’ll invite people we know to a mid-week Bible study or a Labor Day picnic or maybe a weekend movie. As a friender, I love extending those invitations. Sometimes, though, it gets to be too much. At first, your friends really [...]

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3 steps to creating your own version of how to make a friend

These three steps are, briefly, how I created my version. Now, you too can do the same… 1. Make a list Start a list of all the specific things your friends have done for you, to you, or with you that helped deepen your friendship. Did they take you shopping? Did they buy you lunch? [...]

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