Kris Vallotton

HOW TO BECOME COURAGEOUS WHEN FEAR IS SURROUNDING YOU

WHY ENCOUNTERING GOD MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN YOU EXPECTED

By Kris Vallotton
•
01 Oct, 2021
•

Has your heart longed for an encounter; a moment where God walks on the scene and radically changes everything? We hear the terms “God encounters” or “encountering the Holy Spirit” often in our environment — they have been a part of the Bethel culture from the start. The word encounter has been a word used to try to explain the experience we have as believers when the Holy Spirit touches us and impacts our lives. But, I want to challenge you, have encounters become glorified moments and grand monuments in our lives? Have we limited encountering God to a physical manifestation and ignored the work He has done on the inside? The danger with the word encounter occurs when we ascribe it to one kind of event — when we limit the power of God to our personal history and our own preferred understanding. When we trap the power of God in our preferred comfortability and popular conformity we forget we serve a God far larger than the encounters we see happen in the sanctuary on Sundays. For years I questioned if I was truly encountering God, because I saw others around me experiencing the Lord through what seemed to be powerful encounters. They would fall down, be slain in the Spirit, and roll over in uncontrollable laughter, but this wasn’t the way God encountered me. I did not experience physical manifestations or uncontrollable emotions. But, the truth is I have encountered God ever since I have been saved; He has met me and ministered to me in ways beyond physical manifestations of His grace. I understand the shame you can feel when your encounters don’t “look” the same, but I would challenge you to adjust your view and become aware you are living under an open Heaven and you were made for the Presence of God; He is eager to encounter you! In this week’s video blog Hayley Braun joined me to discuss encountering God. Hayley is a Senior Leader at Bethel Church and the Associate Overseer of BSSM online .

CREATING A LIFESTYLE OF INTIMACY WITH GOD

HOW TO OVER COME EARTHLY PROBLEMS WITH HEAVEN’S SOLUTIONS

By Kris Vallotton
•
24 Sep, 2021
•

Have you ever been faced with a problem that feels impossible to solve? The kind that grieves your heart, brings worry to your mind, and leaves you lying awake as you think of all the ways there could be resolve? There are problems that feel miles deep and cycles that feel generations long that leave even the experts left uncertain of how to move along. I’d propose even with our best effort and intent we will not solve the world’s most pressing problems if we limit our thinking to earthly thoughts. If you have been on the earth for much time at all you have probably faced a few challenging circumstances. Challenges can wear us out, and drag us down, but I would propose that God uses the challenges in our lives to prepare us for our divine destiny! In the Kingdom of God ashes turn to beauty and takes our challenges and turns them to victories. The challenge is many Believers feel dismayed because they don’t realize the power they have access to. It is clear that we must be aware of where the problem is coming from. What I am getting at is there is a first, second, and third Heaven. In Genesis 1 the first Heaven was created — this is the visible world, the dimensions that our five senses are acutely tuned in to. Then we see mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:2 that Paul was taken up to the third Heaven. Paul reveals through his own spiritual experience that there is a third heaven two levels above our earthly experience and one level above the spiritual realm. This leaves us with a mention of the first and third Heaven, so what does the second Heaven entail? In Ephesians 6:12 we know “ our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and against spiritual forces of wickedness in the Heavenly places. ” Notice that the apostle Paul said that there are evil forces in heavenly places. Let’s be clear: There are no demonic, satanic or evil forces in the third heaven. Thus, we call this realm from which Satan rules the second heaven. We are not going to solve a first heaven problem that was caused by second heaven devils, without taking our third heaven seat. Ephesians 2:4 says that we have been seated in heavenly places. But, so often we get stuck on first Heaven problems without seeking third Heaven solutions. It is time to adjust our thinking, grab hold of our authority in Christ, and lean into the solution available to us as Believers. Many Christians have a third Heaven experience where the impossible becomes possible as God busts through the door and lays His divine hand on the situation; paving the way for a miracle, curing the illness before our eyes, or opening doors that were bolted shut in our lives. The challenge is, when we come up against another impossible situation, we sometimes forget the eternal power that changed everything! For example, one day we experience the supernatural power of God in our lives; we see him feed the 5,000, heal the leper, raise the dead and the next day we are panicked trying to solve all our problems in our own strength. But, what if third heaven solutions were our first line of defense? Fear keeps us on our earthly seat, but faith places us on our Heavenly throne. What if problems became our faith builders and terrible situations increased our strength? I encourage you to watch this week’s video blog as I share further about the first, second, third Heaven, and how as Believers we can access Heavenly solutions.

UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES

HOW TO OVER COME EARTHLY PROBLEMS WITH HEAVEN’S SOLUTIONS

By Kris Vallotton
•
24 Sep, 2021
•

Have you ever been faced with a problem that feels impossible to solve? The kind that grieves your heart, brings worry to your mind, and leaves you lying awake as you think of all the ways there could be resolve? There are problems that feel miles deep and cycles that feel generations long that leave even the experts left uncertain of how to move along. I’d propose even with our best effort and intent we will not solve the world’s most pressing problems if we limit our thinking to earthly thoughts. If you have been on the earth for much time at all you have probably faced a few challenging circumstances. Challenges can wear us out, and drag us down, but I would propose that God uses the challenges in our lives to prepare us for our divine destiny! In the Kingdom of God ashes turn to beauty and takes our challenges and turns them to victories. The challenge is many Believers feel dismayed because they don’t realize the power they have access to. It is clear that we must be aware of where the problem is coming from. What I am getting at is there is a first, second, and third Heaven. In Genesis 1 the first Heaven was created — this is the visible world, the dimensions that our five senses are acutely tuned in to. Then we see mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:2 that Paul was taken up to the third Heaven. Paul reveals through his own spiritual experience that there is a third heaven two levels above our earthly experience and one level above the spiritual realm. This leaves us with a mention of the first and third Heaven, so what does the second Heaven entail? In Ephesians 6:12 we know “ our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and against spiritual forces of wickedness in the Heavenly places. ” Notice that the apostle Paul said that there are evil forces in heavenly places. Let’s be clear: There are no demonic, satanic or evil forces in the third heaven. Thus, we call this realm from which Satan rules the second heaven. We are not going to solve a first heaven problem that was caused by second heaven devils, without taking our third heaven seat. Ephesians 2:4 says that we have been seated in heavenly places. But, so often we get stuck on first Heaven problems without seeking third Heaven solutions. It is time to adjust our thinking, grab hold of our authority in Christ, and lean into the solution available to us as Believers. Many Christians have a third Heaven experience where the impossible becomes possible as God busts through the door and lays His divine hand on the situation; paving the way for a miracle, curing the illness before our eyes, or opening doors that were bolted shut in our lives. The challenge is, when we come up against another impossible situation, we sometimes forget the eternal power that changed everything! For example, one day we experience the supernatural power of God in our lives; we see him feed the 5,000, heal the leper, raise the dead and the next day we are panicked trying to solve all our problems in our own strength. But, what if third heaven solutions were our first line of defense? Fear keeps us on our earthly seat, but faith places us on our Heavenly throne. What if problems became our faith builders and terrible situations increased our strength? I encourage you to watch this week’s video blog as I share further about the first, second, third Heaven, and how as Believers we can access Heavenly solutions.

WHY ENCOUNTERING GOD MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN YOU EXPECTED

HOW TO OVER COME EARTHLY PROBLEMS WITH HEAVEN’S SOLUTIONS

By Kris Vallotton
•
24 Sep, 2021
•

Have you ever been faced with a problem that feels impossible to solve? The kind that grieves your heart, brings worry to your mind, and leaves you lying awake as you think of all the ways there could be resolve? There are problems that feel miles deep and cycles that feel generations long that leave even the experts left uncertain of how to move along. I’d propose even with our best effort and intent we will not solve the world’s most pressing problems if we limit our thinking to earthly thoughts. If you have been on the earth for much time at all you have probably faced a few challenging circumstances. Challenges can wear us out, and drag us down, but I would propose that God uses the challenges in our lives to prepare us for our divine destiny! In the Kingdom of God ashes turn to beauty and takes our challenges and turns them to victories. The challenge is many Believers feel dismayed because they don’t realize the power they have access to. It is clear that we must be aware of where the problem is coming from. What I am getting at is there is a first, second, and third Heaven. In Genesis 1 the first Heaven was created — this is the visible world, the dimensions that our five senses are acutely tuned in to. Then we see mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:2 that Paul was taken up to the third Heaven. Paul reveals through his own spiritual experience that there is a third heaven two levels above our earthly experience and one level above the spiritual realm. This leaves us with a mention of the first and third Heaven, so what does the second Heaven entail? In Ephesians 6:12 we know “ our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and against spiritual forces of wickedness in the Heavenly places. ” Notice that the apostle Paul said that there are evil forces in heavenly places. Let’s be clear: There are no demonic, satanic or evil forces in the third heaven. Thus, we call this realm from which Satan rules the second heaven. We are not going to solve a first heaven problem that was caused by second heaven devils, without taking our third heaven seat. Ephesians 2:4 says that we have been seated in heavenly places. But, so often we get stuck on first Heaven problems without seeking third Heaven solutions. It is time to adjust our thinking, grab hold of our authority in Christ, and lean into the solution available to us as Believers. Many Christians have a third Heaven experience where the impossible becomes possible as God busts through the door and lays His divine hand on the situation; paving the way for a miracle, curing the illness before our eyes, or opening doors that were bolted shut in our lives. The challenge is, when we come up against another impossible situation, we sometimes forget the eternal power that changed everything! For example, one day we experience the supernatural power of God in our lives; we see him feed the 5,000, heal the leper, raise the dead and the next day we are panicked trying to solve all our problems in our own strength. But, what if third heaven solutions were our first line of defense? Fear keeps us on our earthly seat, but faith places us on our Heavenly throne. What if problems became our faith builders and terrible situations increased our strength? I encourage you to watch this week’s video blog as I share further about the first, second, third Heaven, and how as Believers we can access Heavenly solutions.

HOW TO OVER COME EARTHLY PROBLEMS WITH HEAVEN'S SOLUTIONS

WHY EVERY LEADER NEEDS SELF-REFLECTION

By Kris Vallotton
•
10 Sep, 2021
•

Sometimes you meet a natural born leader — one that leads the pack, takes the reins, and makes everyone feel secure and safe. Then sometimes we see the unlikely hero rise to the scene, the one that is quiet, sits in the back, and comes from a broken home. Maybe you have questioned your own ability to lead or wondered if you have what it takes. I would propose everyone is a leader; whether you are leading yourself, another person, a family, or a country. The Bible is filled with unlikely leaders; consider the life of Moses, a fugitive at birth who became the greatest lawgiver in history. Or the life of David, once an insignificant shepherd boy wandering in the field who became one of history’s most famous kings. The list is endless of people stepping into a throne that are not “fit for the crown.” There is a leader deep within you with a distinct blueprint needed for the world around you to succeed and it may not look like “sitting on a throne in a fancy red robe” but, the truth is you are already sitting in heavenly places, with access to the greatest Leader of them all. I did not always “feel” like a leader and the path I was on did not look like it would ever lead to one of significance and esteem. The home I grew up in was unstable, the foundation was broken by the loss of my father, and the beams were shattered by the abuse of my stepfathers. If the picture is not already clear, my life was not one that should have naturally led to owning multiple businesses, or leading a global movement. Rather, I was a poor young man looking for purpose and someone to show me the way. But, even in the midst of my mess I look back on the course of my life and I see the hand of God molding and shaping the leader in me.

A SEASON OF REFORMATION

WHY EVERY LEADER NEEDS SELF-REFLECTION

By Kris Vallotton
•
10 Sep, 2021
•

Sometimes you meet a natural born leader — one that leads the pack, takes the reins, and makes everyone feel secure and safe. Then sometimes we see the unlikely hero rise to the scene, the one that is quiet, sits in the back, and comes from a broken home. Maybe you have questioned your own ability to lead or wondered if you have what it takes. I would propose everyone is a leader; whether you are leading yourself, another person, a family, or a country. The Bible is filled with unlikely leaders; consider the life of Moses, a fugitive at birth who became the greatest lawgiver in history. Or the life of David, once an insignificant shepherd boy wandering in the field who became one of history’s most famous kings. The list is endless of people stepping into a throne that are not “fit for the crown.” There is a leader deep within you with a distinct blueprint needed for the world around you to succeed and it may not look like “sitting on a throne in a fancy red robe” but, the truth is you are already sitting in heavenly places, with access to the greatest Leader of them all. I did not always “feel” like a leader and the path I was on did not look like it would ever lead to one of significance and esteem. The home I grew up in was unstable, the foundation was broken by the loss of my father, and the beams were shattered by the abuse of my stepfathers. If the picture is not already clear, my life was not one that should have naturally led to owning multiple businesses, or leading a global movement. Rather, I was a poor young man looking for purpose and someone to show me the way. But, even in the midst of my mess I look back on the course of my life and I see the hand of God molding and shaping the leader in me.

SEXUAL PURITY – A CLARIFYING CONVERSATION ON A COMPLICATED TOPIC

HOW TO DEAL WITH OFFENSE: YOUR QUESTIONS ON MY LATEST SERMON ANSWERED

By Kris Vallotton
•
03 Sep, 2021
•

I am deeply concerned by the offense that I see boiling over in the hearts of the Church today! In the midst of these tumultuous times, I feel it is extremely important to lay down our offenses, examine our hearts, and protect our innocence. It can be easy to take on bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness when our world is divided, personal opinions are loud, and the stakes feel high. Yet I’d propose that the Lord is asking us to protect our innocence and purify our hearts. Because this has been weighing heavily on my heart, I recently shared a message with Bethel Church on a Sunday morning in regards to protecting our innocence and guarding our hearts from offense. It’s important to note that the message I shared was just as much for me as it was for everyone. As I opened my Bible that morning and began to preach the Word you could feel the relevance of the word settle into people’s hearts as the Holy Spirit ministered across the room. There is not just one road that leads to the fast track of a virtueless life. Small pit stops in arrogance, entitlement, offense, bitterness, disillusionment, unforgiveness, lack of gratitude, and self-will are pathways to the pitfall of lost innocence. We see this in the life of David, starting in 2 Samuel 11. We are pulled into the heated and pinnacle moment in King David’s life in 2 Samuel 11; the beloved king is faced with the temptation of a beautiful woman while at war with his enemies. In a fleeting moment David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his greatest men. When David found out Bathsheba was pregnant with his child, the reality that faced him and the shame that plagued him sent him scrambling to cover his mistake. He attempted multiple times to have Uriah lay with his wife Bathsheba so he would be known as the father of the spurious child. David even stooped so slow that he got Uriah drunk, hoping that Uriah would go home to his wife. Yet Uriah had better character drunk than David had sober — he refused to lay with his wife while the king’s men and the whole Israelite army was at war with their enemies. When all of David’s attempts failed, he plotted the death of Uriah, ultimately killing one of his greatest warriors in order to cover his wrongdoing. As we can see throughout David’s journey, innocence isn’t lost by one virtueless act, but rather death by a thousand paper cuts or multiple pit stops in arrogance, offense, and unforgiveness. When offense, bitterness, entitlement, or unforgiveness take root in our heart, weeds begin to grow. If you do not pull the weeds and tend to the garden of your heart, the fruit of your heart will wither and weeds of offense will grow over. I’d propose that one of our greatest responsibilities is to care for the health of our heart; to tend to the weeds of bitterness, offense, unforgiveness and so on. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” I challenge you to consider the areas of your heart where weeds have grown over and need pulling today. Invite the Lord into those places and to heal your heart from the pain. In this week’s video blog I answer questions that were submitted in regards to the sermon I preached on Sunday, August 22, 2021 on overcoming offense and living a life of innocence.

THE ORIGINAL WOMEN'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT

HOW TO DEAL WITH OFFENSE: YOUR QUESTIONS ON MY LATEST SERMON ANSWERED

By Kris Vallotton
•
03 Sep, 2021
•

I am deeply concerned by the offense that I see boiling over in the hearts of the Church today! In the midst of these tumultuous times, I feel it is extremely important to lay down our offenses, examine our hearts, and protect our innocence. It can be easy to take on bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness when our world is divided, personal opinions are loud, and the stakes feel high. Yet I’d propose that the Lord is asking us to protect our innocence and purify our hearts. Because this has been weighing heavily on my heart, I recently shared a message with Bethel Church on a Sunday morning in regards to protecting our innocence and guarding our hearts from offense. It’s important to note that the message I shared was just as much for me as it was for everyone. As I opened my Bible that morning and began to preach the Word you could feel the relevance of the word settle into people’s hearts as the Holy Spirit ministered across the room. There is not just one road that leads to the fast track of a virtueless life. Small pit stops in arrogance, entitlement, offense, bitterness, disillusionment, unforgiveness, lack of gratitude, and self-will are pathways to the pitfall of lost innocence. We see this in the life of David, starting in 2 Samuel 11. We are pulled into the heated and pinnacle moment in King David’s life in 2 Samuel 11; the beloved king is faced with the temptation of a beautiful woman while at war with his enemies. In a fleeting moment David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his greatest men. When David found out Bathsheba was pregnant with his child, the reality that faced him and the shame that plagued him sent him scrambling to cover his mistake. He attempted multiple times to have Uriah lay with his wife Bathsheba so he would be known as the father of the spurious child. David even stooped so slow that he got Uriah drunk, hoping that Uriah would go home to his wife. Yet Uriah had better character drunk than David had sober — he refused to lay with his wife while the king’s men and the whole Israelite army was at war with their enemies. When all of David’s attempts failed, he plotted the death of Uriah, ultimately killing one of his greatest warriors in order to cover his wrongdoing. As we can see throughout David’s journey, innocence isn’t lost by one virtueless act, but rather death by a thousand paper cuts or multiple pit stops in arrogance, offense, and unforgiveness. When offense, bitterness, entitlement, or unforgiveness take root in our heart, weeds begin to grow. If you do not pull the weeds and tend to the garden of your heart, the fruit of your heart will wither and weeds of offense will grow over. I’d propose that one of our greatest responsibilities is to care for the health of our heart; to tend to the weeds of bitterness, offense, unforgiveness and so on. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” I challenge you to consider the areas of your heart where weeds have grown over and need pulling today. Invite the Lord into those places and to heal your heart from the pain. In this week’s video blog I answer questions that were submitted in regards to the sermon I preached on Sunday, August 22, 2021 on overcoming offense and living a life of innocence.

WHY EVERY LEADER NEEDS SELF-REFLECTION

HOW TO DEAL WITH OFFENSE: YOUR QUESTIONS ON MY LATEST SERMON ANSWERED

By Kris Vallotton
•
03 Sep, 2021
•

I am deeply concerned by the offense that I see boiling over in the hearts of the Church today! In the midst of these tumultuous times, I feel it is extremely important to lay down our offenses, examine our hearts, and protect our innocence. It can be easy to take on bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness when our world is divided, personal opinions are loud, and the stakes feel high. Yet I’d propose that the Lord is asking us to protect our innocence and purify our hearts. Because this has been weighing heavily on my heart, I recently shared a message with Bethel Church on a Sunday morning in regards to protecting our innocence and guarding our hearts from offense. It’s important to note that the message I shared was just as much for me as it was for everyone. As I opened my Bible that morning and began to preach the Word you could feel the relevance of the word settle into people’s hearts as the Holy Spirit ministered across the room. There is not just one road that leads to the fast track of a virtueless life. Small pit stops in arrogance, entitlement, offense, bitterness, disillusionment, unforgiveness, lack of gratitude, and self-will are pathways to the pitfall of lost innocence. We see this in the life of David, starting in 2 Samuel 11. We are pulled into the heated and pinnacle moment in King David’s life in 2 Samuel 11; the beloved king is faced with the temptation of a beautiful woman while at war with his enemies. In a fleeting moment David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his greatest men. When David found out Bathsheba was pregnant with his child, the reality that faced him and the shame that plagued him sent him scrambling to cover his mistake. He attempted multiple times to have Uriah lay with his wife Bathsheba so he would be known as the father of the spurious child. David even stooped so slow that he got Uriah drunk, hoping that Uriah would go home to his wife. Yet Uriah had better character drunk than David had sober — he refused to lay with his wife while the king’s men and the whole Israelite army was at war with their enemies. When all of David’s attempts failed, he plotted the death of Uriah, ultimately killing one of his greatest warriors in order to cover his wrongdoing. As we can see throughout David’s journey, innocence isn’t lost by one virtueless act, but rather death by a thousand paper cuts or multiple pit stops in arrogance, offense, and unforgiveness. When offense, bitterness, entitlement, or unforgiveness take root in our heart, weeds begin to grow. If you do not pull the weeds and tend to the garden of your heart, the fruit of your heart will wither and weeds of offense will grow over. I’d propose that one of our greatest responsibilities is to care for the health of our heart; to tend to the weeds of bitterness, offense, unforgiveness and so on. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” I challenge you to consider the areas of your heart where weeds have grown over and need pulling today. Invite the Lord into those places and to heal your heart from the pain. In this week’s video blog I answer questions that were submitted in regards to the sermon I preached on Sunday, August 22, 2021 on overcoming offense and living a life of innocence.

How to Deal with Offense: Your Questions on My Latest Sermon Answered

The Road to Lost Innocence
I am deeply concerned by the offense that I see boiling over in the hearts of the Church today! In the midst of these tumultuous times, I feel it is extremely important to lay down our offenses, examine our hearts, and protect our innocence. It can be easy to take on bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness when our world is divided, personal opinions are loud, and the stakes feel high. Yet I’d propose that the Lord is asking us to protect our innocence and purify our hearts.
Because this has been weighing heavily on my heart, I recently shared a message with Bethel Church on a Sunday morning in regards to protecting our innocence and guarding our hearts from offense. It’s important to note that the message I shared was just as much for me as it was for everyone. As I opened my Bible that morning and began to preach the Word you could feel the relevance of the word settle into people’s hearts as the Holy Spirit ministered across the room.

There is not just one road that leads to the fast track of a virtueless life. Small pit stops in arrogance, entitlement, offense, bitterness, disillusionment, unforgiveness, lack of gratitude, and self-will are pathways to the pitfall of lost innocence. We see this in the life of David, starting in 2 Samuel 11.

We are pulled into the heated and pinnacle moment in King David’s life in 2 Samuel 11; the beloved king is faced with the temptation of a beautiful woman while at war with his enemies. In a fleeting moment David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his greatest men. When David found out Bathsheba was pregnant with his child, the reality that faced him and the shame that plagued him sent him scrambling to cover his mistake. He attempted multiple times to have Uriah lay with his wife Bathsheba so he would be known as the father of the spurious child. David even stooped so slow that he got Uriah drunk, hoping that Uriah would go home to his wife. Yet Uriah had better character drunk than David had sober — he refused to lay with his wife while the king’s men and the whole Israelite army was at war with their enemies. When all of David’s attempts failed, he plotted the death of Uriah, ultimately killing one of his greatest warriors in order to cover his wrongdoing. As we can see throughout David’s journey, innocence isn’t lost by one virtueless act, but rather death by a thousand paper cuts or multiple pit stops in arrogance, offense, and unforgiveness. 

When offense, bitterness, entitlement, or unforgiveness take root in our heart, weeds begin to grow. If you do not pull the weeds and tend to the garden of your heart, the fruit of your heart will wither and weeds of offense will grow over. I’d propose that one of our greatest responsibilities is to care for the health of our heart; to tend to the weeds of bitterness, offense, unforgiveness and so on. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” I challenge you to consider the areas of your heart where weeds have grown over and need pulling today. Invite the Lord into those places and to heal your heart from the pain. 

 Questions on Offense and Forgiveness Answered 

Question 1: How do we protect our innocence and guard our hearts and be present at the same time?In order to protect our innocence we must first give up our judgements. We need to humble ourselves and loosen the grip on thinking we know why everyone makes the decisions that they do. I want to challenge you to consider the factors your leaders face, not just political leaders, but church leaders, school leaders, bosses, etc. Leaders make decisions that often affect a large group of people and if we assume we know their motives behind the decisions they make instead of recognizing the information and knowledge about their choice, we lose an opportunity to love them well and protect our hearts. Question 2: Does forgiveness mean not judging the person for what I forgave them for?First we must acknowledge there are two kinds of judgement. One form of judgement is when you are making decisions between what is right and wrong. We make these kinds of judgments all day long; whether we should speed up or slow down at the yellow light, or eat another bowl of ice-cream. Then there are the kinds of judgements where we condemn people or think we know the intention of someone’s motives. But, the truth is only the Lord knows someone’s heart. What I am getting at is that we can forgive someone and judge their action as wrong, but we are not to condemn someone for their wrongdoing.Question 3: How do you authentically love someone if you don’t like them? As a believer we are called to love the unlovely; this is our job. Yet, the Lord knew in our own human ability this would be incredibly challenging. This is why He sent His son so that we would have connection with Him. John 14:20 says, “On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you.” The Heavenly Father loves the world, and because He lives in us, we have been given access to His agape love. I’d propose that when we tap into the love of Christ for someone we can actually access our human compassion for the person. You might begin to ask yourself questions like, “I wonder what their story is” or “What are the events in their life that have caused them to make that decision?” The Lord will begin to reveal the gold in the unlovely, because they are His children that are made in His image — there is something to love in each one of them. Question 4: As a leader how do you accommodate all the different views and opinions in one Church? As a Church leader it is not my job to get everyone to do the same thing. My God-appointed job is to love people, teach people about Jesus, and expand the Kingdom. Now, if I teach you noble values and the scriptures and it doesn’t affect the way you vote and the choices you make I am not sure I’ve done a very good job. But, let me be clear, it doesn’t mean you’re going to vote the same way I vote. This is the beauty of the Body of Christ, there is diversity in thought, and beauty in our differences and still we can gather together with one heart and one vision to worship the King and bring heaven to earth. My prayer for you this week is that you would begin to experience the agape love of God. That the areas of your heart that were once offended and burdened with arrogance or bitterness would be overcome with the love of God and you would experience the compassion the Father has for each and every one of His children. May we grow and be known by our love for one another. 

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