One Man One Heart

Foundations can't be moved without destroying a building. If the foundation of this building we're in right now were moved, what would happen to the building? It'd collapse. Now you can move the building and put it on another foundation, but that foundation it's there. Because foundations are secure. Because this nation, we know what the foundation is. It's all over the Constitution, it's all over the walls of the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial. It's written throughout history. Regardless of what the politicians believe, regardless of what you and I attest to, truth is truth. The founding fathers built it on the truth of the word of God. Everything about the laws were taken from the Scripture, from the Old Testament. They were right from the Old Testament books of the law. And so, you can't move away from that foundation without destroying the nation. And so this whole debate and argument over what's truth and what's not truth, the only...

We all know what it feels like when anger starts rising within us—we want to be right, have the last word, or prove our point. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to become quick to speak and slow to listen. Stephen Covey says, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” It’s no wonder we live in a culture with so much division. If believers aim to live counter-culture like Jesus, we must lead the way in listening, understanding, and showing empathy despite our differences. The Chinese character “Ting” is translated as “to listen,” but it’s an overly simplified definition. Each part of the symbol represents a different facet of listening—the ears, eyes, heart, mind, and undivided attention. It’s a picture of active listening, attuned to the other person with the intent to understand. If we want to become quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, as James instructs in this passage, “Ting” is a great place to start. If...