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5 Ways for a Christian to Rebuke or Correct a Friend

By Church, Encouragement, Family, Leadership

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17

Wounds from a friend can be trusted… Proverbs 27:6

rebuke |riˈbyoōk|verb [ trans. ]
express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions

Years ago I had a friend tell me I was hanging out with the wrong people. I listened to the advice, switched my sphere of influence, and looking back, it’s one of the best decisions I ever made, considering the different paths our lives took.

There are times when you have to rebuke a friend. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to tell another where he or she is doing wrong. If you choose to accept the assignment of rebuking a friend, you should be sure you are correct in your assessment, you should pray through the correct timing of your approach, and you should address the person and not others to keep from spreading gossip.

When that time comes, here are 5 ways to rebuke a friend:

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5 Do’s and Don’ts to Help Pastors and Ministers at Christmas and in the New Year

By Church, Family, Leadership

One of my goals in ministry is to help protect the minister and his or her family. Through this blog I reach hundreds of men and women who serve God in a vocational role. My heart is heavy when I hear from those who are drowning with burnout and whose family is suffering. Having been on both sides of the pulpit, as a pastor and a layperson, I have a unique view of the pastorate. I previously wrote THIS POST and THIS POST about the issue.

With the Christmas season upon us, I thought I’d share a few things you can do and a few things not to do for your pastor or minister to encourage them this year. The reality is that the December calendar will be packed with Sunday school and small group socials, Christmas parties, and holiday open houses. People in ministry have accepted a call of God to care for people. Most ministers have a hard time saying no to people and can easily become overwhelmed with the never-ending demands of ministry. That’s especially true this month. If a minister is not careful, he or she will spend so much time with others that their own family will feel neglected.

With that in mind, here are a few suggestions:

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