Desert Father on Self-examination

They who are conscious of their own sins have no eyes for the sins of their neighbors.

—Abbot Moses (10th century)

Man's Reaction Misinterpreted as Criticism

I showed up at the house of a friend and rang the doorbell. I was supposed to bring some chairs. He opened the door and said, "Ron, where are the ...

Comedian Steve Martin on Criticism

Comedian Steve Martin said, "Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you'll be a mile away ...

Stumbling-Block or Stepping-Stone?

The following is an object lesson you might use in a sermon:

Text: "Let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to ...

Old Man Regains Hearing

An elderly man had serious hearing problems for a number of years. His family tried again and again to convince him to get a hearing aid. Finally he relented. ...

Jonathan Edwards Not Exempt from Criticism

Jonathan Edwards, pastor of the prestigious Northampton, Massachusetts, Congregational Church, was a leading figure of the eighteenth century First Great ...

Giving Advice

An efficiency expert concluded a lecture with a note of caution: "You don't want to try these techniques at home."

"Why not?" asked ...

Criticism Avoiders Anonymous

"Hello. My name is Clark." (The people gathered in the room respond, "Hi, Clark.")

"I am a…" (Group says, "You ...

Ministry Means Problems

One big demoralizer in ministry is not having enough people to do the work. A few years ago at Leadership journal, we'd been short-staffed for three ...

Slander Destroys Churches

About 20 years ago, I said something impromptu to the new members standing in a row across the front of the church. As we received them, the Holy Spirit ...