For many of us, Christmas is the “most wonderful time of the year”. That’s not true for everyone. There are some of us that will experience significant pain this Christmas. So… how do you cope? What do you do? During this episode of The Next Steps, Kevin will talk through the problem of pain and the answer that the message of Christmas gives us!
The Next Steps: Episode #7 – Little Things & Big Things
During this episode of The Next Steps with Kevin Simmons we’ll deal with the topics of BIG and LITTLE. Often we neglect the BIG things in life and don’t understand how our little decisions impact them. This is expanded in detail in the teaching of Jesus in The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. Let’s learn together how to be faithful in the little things so that we can grow the big ones.
How To Have Lasting Friendships
Statistically, you probably can count your friends on one hand. The average American only reports having two close friends. You could’ve lost a few fingers in an accident and still count your friends on one hand if you’re living the average life.
This is a huge deal.
You probably think you don’t have time for all this. You’re too busy for friendships. As one of my friends recently said, “I barely have time for my kids and wife. How in the world can I keep a friend?”
It’s an issue of life and death.
The Basics Of Friendship
Friendship is an enigma wrapped in a riddle.
My friend Bob used to say that about things that were confusing. I don’t really understand it, but I get what it means. It’s a confession… a confessing of complication and confusion. It’s as if you’re saying, “This topic is so convoluted and difficult to understand that we can all have different opinions on it and all be right.”
Understanding friendship is like trying to nail down Jello (that’s another one of my favorite sayings from Bob… he has a lot of them).
Here’s a very simple principle for when things seem convoluted:
When things are confusing, go to the Bible for timeless wisdom.
The Next Steps – Episode 6: When You’re Overbooked
During this episode of The Next Steps with Kevin Simmons you’ll see that many of us have confused wants and needs. It’s not just a STUFF issue, while that is a major issue for many of us. It’s a TIME issue, too. Listen and be encouraged to clear out your schedule to make time for what really matters!
Why They Aren’t Your Friends Anymore
We’ve all experienced it…
We made a friend, got close to them and shared our hearts and lives, only to months or years later to look back and feel like we’ve lost them.
For many of us, that perspective is filled with pain. We hurt in the loss. It’s hard to open up to someone, and it’s even harder to feel like you’ve lost that connection after being vulnerable and loving someone.
The truth is we don’t have to hurt because there are often practical reasons why they are not your friends anymore. Here are just a few…
The Next Steps – Episode 5: Hope Does
During this episode, you’ll hear how hope affects our daily lives. We all need hope, but often we’re not willing to endure the inconvenience of hope. It’s much easier to give in to doubt, worry, and fear. Hope has so much more to offer. We can ALWAYS have hope, even in our darkest moments, and this episode will help you see that!
They’re Not Your Best Friend
How many best friends do you have?
My son Klay has about fifteen. He uses that term very freely. If you’re playing with him and it’s going well he’s probably going to tell you, “You’re my best friend.”
He’s not being manipulative in his use of the term. He’s just very situational.
I’ve noticed the same thing among adults. We have lots of “best friends”, and I don’t really think the culture of friendship we’re creating is very good for us.
“Best friend” is a very sacred title.
It implies that someone has significant influence in your life and that you, inversely, have great access to theirs. A best friend is someone who knows you inside and out, with all the ugly and broken. A best friend is also someone you can find rest with, simply be who you are, and be fully accepted for that.
We don’t stumble across those friends often.
The Next Steps – Episode 4: Positioning Yourself For A Miracle
In this brief conversation, you’ll see that the way we approach God has a lot to do with how we experience His power! God answers all of our prayers, but some of His answers are “No” or “Not Now”. When those answers anger us, we need to check the position of our heart. During this episode, you’ll see how to position your heart to receive from God.
The Next Steps – Episode 3: Heart Issues
During this episode, you’ll see that HONOR positions us to experience the power of God in our lives. Honor is a heart issue, and our capacity to show honor will affect all of our lives. Not only does honor affect how we treat others, but it positions us to experience the miracle-working power of God!