The church is God’s family. To participate in church, is to participate in “together.” What if “together” is difficult for you? In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kristen Schwind and Ron Messner give voice to the introvert in church. They highlight both the weaknesses and the strengths our personalities pose in how we experience the “together” aspect of church. 

 Who is an introvert?  

• A person who finds solitude as life-giving and human interaction as life-expending.  

 Who is an extrovert? 

• A person who finds human interaction as life-giving and solitude as life-expending.  

 How can introversion in the church be challenging?   

• Fellowship can be difficult. 
• By being reserved, individuals can be misjudged as aloof or uncaring. 
• By being reserved, individuals can be passed over for duties. 
• By not being always present, individuals can be misjudged as uncommitted. 

 How can we walk in an understanding way towards the introvert in church? 

• Be a safe person to talk to. 
• Use their gift of listening and employ them in discipleship opportunities. 
• Learn from their ability to find life in solitude. 
• Provide structure in social settings. Corporate worship, small group Bible studies, committee work and various church duties are excellent examples of this. 

 What encouragement is there for the introvert? 

• Be careful not to fall into isolation. 
• Challenge yourself to step out and engage the community of the church. 
• Make full use of the structured social events such as worship, teaching and more. 

The church is God’s family. To participate in church, is to participate in “together.” What if “together” is difficult for you? In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kristen Schwind and Ron Messner give voice to the introvert in church. They highlight both the weaknesses and the strengths our personalities pose in how we experience the “together” aspect of church. 

 Who is an introvert?  

• A person who finds solitude as life-giving and human interaction as life-expending.  

 Who is an extrovert? 

• A person who finds human interaction as life-giving and solitude as life-expending.  

 How can introversion in the church be challenging?   

• Fellowship can be difficult. 
• By being reserved, individuals can be misjudged as aloof or uncaring. 
• By being reserved, individuals can be passed over for duties. 
• By not being always present, individuals can be misjudged as uncommitted. 

 How can we walk in an understanding way towards the introvert in church? 

• Be a safe person to talk to. 
• Use their gift of listening and employ them in discipleship opportunities. 
• Learn from their ability to find life in solitude. 
• Provide structure in social settings. Corporate worship, small group Bible studies, committee work and various church duties are excellent examples of this. 

 What encouragement is there for the introvert? 

• Be careful not to fall into isolation. 
• Challenge yourself to step out and engage the community of the church. 
• Make full use of the structured social events such as worship, teaching and more. 

The communication process is hard enough with just words. Add emotion to the mix and sometimes we might as well be speaking a foreign language. This is because the present moment meaning we attribute to emotions has been constructed in the past. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer untangles the knot spousal communication can find itself in because we are not decoding the emotions in the room correctly.

• There are six basic emotions common to all people: happiness, sadness, surprise, shame, anger and fear.
• Each of these emotions has a lot of shades. For example, anger spans from irritation to rage with many experiences in between.
• The meaning we make out of emotions is not common among all people. For example, anger for one person means something different to another.
• The meaning we make out of emotions was constructed in past experiences. For example, how a person did or did not experience soothing when anger arose in their past largely formed up the meaning they attribute to anger today.
• In marriage relationships, emotional messages can get mixed and can set off an unhealthy cycle of communication. Each one “hearing” the incorrect meaning from the other.
• Emotions teach us about ourselves. Slowing down and noticing the cues that trigger emotions and the meaning we construct is very instructive.
• By understanding our emotional experience and that of our spouse, we can better interact in an understanding way.

Identify formation follows a simple path: Exploration to Commitment. Exploration must precede commitment. Commitment must precede a settled identity. Yet, taking the path is not necessarily easy. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr. explains some of the finer points along the journey to belonging, purpose and worth.

Identity answers the question, who I am and who I am not. An answer that is multi-faceted -both objective and subjective. Sometimes obvious and other times obscure. And to make it trickier, it shifts over time. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr helps us understand the nature of identity formation and how we can better steward this area of our life.

Show notes:

Identity is:

• The sense of self - who I am and who I am not.

Aspects that make up identity:

• Demographics: age, sex, address
• Relationships: child, father, mother, husband, wife
• Roles: job, family, volunteer
• Values: likes, dislikes, religion, beliefs, loyalties
• Experiences: health, hobbies, accomplishments, ownership
• Personalities: gifts, character traits, talents

Events that unsettle identity:

• Development
• Loss
• Transition
• Role shifts
• Experiences
• Belief shifts

Process for forming identity:

• From exploration: trying, investigating, experiencing, researching
• To commitment: being settled, resolved and grounded

Troubles in forming identity:

• Moving to commitment without exploration.
  • This person’s sense of self appears settled. But it is not their own. They have adopted another’s identity. Crisis in life will likely cause distress.
• Remaining in exploration and not moving to commitment.
  • This person is restless, always searching without resolve.
• Not exploring and not committing.
  • This person is unaware of their need for identity formation.

Identity brings about:

• A sense of belonging, grounding, purpose, priority and worth.

The most important identity:

• A Christ-centered identity, being a child of God, is the identity from which all other identities rest. This identity offers stability when all others may ebb and flow.

We don’t like it when things are out of reach. Especially when they are good things. But sometimes they just are. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter helps us understand what health looks like amid the disappointment of our inabilities.   

Definition: Limitations are those things that we cannot do or achieve regardless of effort or resources. 

• Potential examples: IQ, Physical limitations, Mental limitations, Human developmental stage, Economics 

Reality: Limitations are often sources of pain in a person’s life. We don’t like to be told “no” you can’t do that. 

Healthy Mental Processing: Limitations are losses to be grieved. 

• Acknowledge the limitation. 
• Grieve the limitation. 
• Listen for the lie limitation has posited in your thinking. (ex. You are stupid.) 
• Correct the lie with truth.  
• Accept the limitation. 

Healthy Mindset: Do not identify yourself according to your limitation. Rather, understand your limitation to be part of your unique story and an aspect beloved by God the Father. Pivot your thinking away from limitations and on to opportunities. 

Healthy Action: A lot of good is instore for you even with your limitation. Invest in those areas you can contribute and improve in.  

Definition: Weaknesses are those things that we struggle to do well, but with effort and resources, can improve.  

• Potential examples: Improving a skill, Learning a trade, Growing positive character qualities 

Reality: The ceiling of our abilities is most likely untried. We can make meaningful gains in many areas of our life. 

Healthy Mental Processing: We need to discern the difference between limitations in our lives and weaknesses. 

Healthy Mindset: God has given us the responsibility to steward our abilities. Continuing to grow and learn is part of the human flourishing He calls us into. 

Healthy Action: Growth is a function of effort over time. Engage the growth process. 

Many explanations for our present realities harken back to our past. After all, who of us has not been shaped by the layers of life upon life? The marriage relationship is a crucible whereby these past experiences have a very present voice. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer explains the impact past trauma plays in present marriages. Understanding this unwelcome visitor in our today marriage relationship provides a great deal of explanation for the interactions we experience between spouses. It also, unlocks a hopeful path for an increasingly healthy marriage.

What is trauma? Sometimes our present experiences trigger danger, even when we are objectively safe. This may be a sign of trauma. In our past, traumatic experiences threatened our safety. Today, experiences may trigger that past offense and send negative reactions surging through our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Trauma can affect all areas of our life including the marriage relationship.

Thoughts are triggered by trauma: Trauma strikes at the perceived safety of an individual. The offense against a spouse’s safety in the past leaves them vulnerable to this perceived lack of safety in the present. Triggers prompt thoughts that say “I’m not safe in this moment!”

Feelings are triggered by trauma: Past painful memories hold intense negative emotions. Thoughts of jeopardized safety cause feelings of fear, unwanted exposure, a sense of helplessness and feelings of loneliness.

Behaviors are triggered by trauma: Perceived “over-reactions” can occur by those wounded by past trauma. Present situations trigger a reaction conditioned by the past. Individuals might fight, take flight, or freeze. They might pull away to avoid vulnerability. This can be disorienting to the individual and their spouse. Relational connection is broken and reception of love in these moments are difficult.

Understanding is helpful: Understanding when past trauma is speaking in the present can be helpful. It can provide explanation for the unwanted reactions that happen in present situations. This can lead to compassion and empathy.

Moving toward healing: Establishing safety within self and with spouse is the first step in moving forward. Couples will need to work on establishing trust and allowing vulnerability to happen. Being curious is key and seeking not to personalize present triggers to past trauma. Some question prompts can be helpful:

• Help me understand when you feel this way?
• What is it like for you to experience _________?
• How do my actions contribute to your distress?

Couples who want to make healthy gains in this area can make use of resources:

• “The Body Keeps the Score” Bessel Van der Kolk M.D.
• https://accounseling.org/overcomingtraumainmarriagewebinar/ - webinar
• https://www.amazon.com/s?k=how+we+love+by+milan+and+kay+yerkovich&sprefix=how+we+lo%2Caps%2C120&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_9 - How We Love book

In some situations, uncovering the trauma and finding healing may require a counselor.

The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. This classic Bible verse from the Psalms sums up the whole of contentment. Yet, there are some well-worn pitfalls. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Tom Waldbeser and Isaac Funk address these and how they can be avoided.

Contentment is not the ability to do without. Rather, it is possessing all that matters. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Tom Waldbeser and Isaac Funk present this possession from which contentment is a byproduct.

Contentment is:

• A state of mind.
• Being satisfied.
• A learned experience.

Contentment is hindered by:

• Entitlement

Contentment comes by way of:

• Understanding our limitations.
• Managing our expectations.
• Abiding in Jesus.
• Knowing God.
• Taking our pain to God.
• Offloading our desires onto God.

Contentment brings about:

• Thanksgiving.
• A lifestyle whereby we live within our means.
• A relinquishing of control.
• A reduced anxiety about tomorrow.

Sometimes caring comes with a cost. An emotional tax. Overtime we can become spent, tired, irritable and overwhelmed. Living in a world with lots of cares, compassion fatigue is real and is having its impact. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kathy Knochel and Brian Sutter help us understand how to maintain a measure of health while at the same time engaging in a hurting world.

The brokenness of our world is brought to our awareness in increasing measure. From pandemics, natural disasters, wars, famines, injustice, oppression, mistreatment, tragedy, political debacle and societal changes, we are in no lack of matters for which we are aware and for which we care. If the brokenness we are confronted with in our world at large was not enough, matters of deep care and concern fill our personal lives. Loss, divorce, addictions, aging parents, disabilities, financial hardship and more make demands and draw on our physical and mental compassion reservoir.

In many ways, a reservoir is a good illustration for the capacity we have with care. Matters of concern draw on our compassion reservoir. When depleted, we experience compassion fatigue. The emotional toll that comes when we mentally and physically are spent. When experiencing compassion fatigue we can become apathetic, cynical, frustrated or exhausted. When we are experiencing these realities, we are not bringing our best selves to the matters we care about.

The answer to compassion fatigue is not caring less. Rather it lies in proper perspective and proper self-care. By attending to these two areas we can fill our compassion reservoir. 

A proper perspective is one that holds our broken reality in a God-oriented world view. This view acknowledges we were not created with the frame to process all the brokenness around us. In God’s perfect creation intent, He intended to keep at bay this darkness. Yet sin defiled our innocence. This perspective helps us understand compassion fatigue is expected. On the flip side of the coin, we understand compassion is actually an attribute of God. It is His reaction to the brokenness we experience. In His likeness, we example His attribute to our world. We fill our compassion reservoir when we understand God ultimately is the savior of the issues that concern us. He is always active. When we are not “on call”, He is. No situation is solely reliant on us. In fact, often God has many other people as active, compassionate, image-bearers devoted to the matters that concern us.

Proper self-care follows from this perspective. Healthy compassionate people regularly rest from their worries. They intentionally take sabbath rest. They give their bodies the physical rest it requires to be effective. They detach their minds from concerning matters. They know where and how to invest their mental space in restorative activity. This can range from taking a nap to exercising; from working on a puzzle to reading a novel; from making music to painting a picture. They also engage in restorative relationships. They invest in relationships that support them in ways of accountability as well as enjoyment. Healthy compassionate people also know what is not restorative to their compassion reservoir. Not all mental escape is equal. Sometimes individuals think activities are restorative when they are not. For example, in an attempt to distract oneself away from cares, they escape to places that stimulate the brain to more anxiety. Social media is one common example of this. Each person needs to know him/herself and what is and is not restorative.

While we were not created for the brokenness we encounter, we were created for the goodness of God’s creation. Wonderfully, traces of that goodness abound. Healthy compassionate people look for this goodness and engage in it. When they do, their compassion reservoir is filled, and they are able to draw on that compassion to minister to the hurting around them. And when they do that, God’s compassion is brought near to this broken world.

The abortion issue is charged and complicated. Yet there is a simple reality every time - there are two lives to love. In this episode of Breaking Bread this love is made evident by two guests who example what loving life looks like in the hard reality of an unplanned pregnancy. Rita Metz is a sonographer at a pre-abortive ministry called Living Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center and Kevin Knapp is a volunteer staff member with the connected post-abortive ministry called Deeper Still. Together they beautifully elevate Jesus in this crisis.

Living Alternative Pregnancy Resource Center webpage: Pregnancy Resource Center | Living Alternatives

Deeper Still ministry webpage: www.godeeperstill.org

: Perfectionism has a strange advantage among those it afflicts. A need for perfect. Wonderfully there is a perfect answer. Christ came to be our perfection. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr. helps us understand socially prescribed perfectionism and the answer Jesus is to the perfection we long for.

Show notes

We love perfectionists. Who wouldn’t want a perfectionist as their builder, accountant, or surgeon? Perfectionists hold high standards and are successful and acclaimed because they do. This is precisely why perfectionism is tricky…strengths can become weaknesses.

Three types of perfectionism:

• Self-oriented perfectionism
  • Definition: A person with very high, exacting standards for themselves.
  • Unhealthy Measure: Specific performance
  • Unhealthy Mindset: It needs to be perfect, or I’ve failed. There is no “good enough” in their thinking.
  • Unhealthy Result: Harsh self-criticism & low self-compassion leading to discouragement & depression
  • Remedy: They need to rethink success and reward the right thing. Was it adequate?
  • Healthy Measure: Wholistic performance over time.
  • Healthy Mindset: They need to understand that they are ‘in progress.’ Growth over time is the measure. Effort is more important than outcome.
• Other-oriented perfectionism
  • Definition: A person who holds others to very high, exacting standards.
  • Unhealthy Measure: Other people’s performance.
  • Unhealthy Mindset: The belief that they are a guardian of a standard and fear the standard will be dropped.
  • Unhealthy Result: Demanding and controlling towards others. A critical spirit creates distance and resentment between them and for those who they project their very high expectations.
  • Remedy: Don’t be a voice of fear and discouragement to the next “generation”. Rather, teach and empower them.
  • Healthy Measure: Measure the human cost of seeking perfection. Sometimes we can get it wrong by trying to get it right.
  • Healthy Mindset: Trust God. Trust others.
• Socially-prescribed perfectionism
  • Definition: A person who reacts to their perceived beliefs about what other people expect of them.
  • Unhealthy Measure: Trying to guess other people’s perceptions.
  • Unhealthy Mindset: Getting into someone else’s head. “I think, they think…”
  • Unhealthy Result: Insecurity, people pleasing and fabricated offenses that rob otherwise healthy moments.
  • Remedy: Practice getting out of other people’s heads.
  • Healthy Measure: What am I assuming is true and what do I know to be true?
  • Healthy Mindset: I can’t please everyone.

“Do your best and leave the rest” is a tricky balance for the perfectionist. Yet it sums up a measure of health for those who have high, exacting standards for themselves or others. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr. teaches us about two types of perfectionism.

Show notes

We love perfectionists. Who wouldn’t want a perfectionist as their builder, accountant, or surgeon? Perfectionists hold high standards and are successful and acclaimed because they do. This is precisely why perfectionism is tricky…strengths can become weaknesses.

Three types of perfectionism:

• Self-oriented perfectionism
  • Definition: A person with very high, exacting standards for themselves.
  • Unhealthy Measure: Specific performance
  • Unhealthy Mindset: It needs to be perfect, or I’ve failed. There is no “good enough” in their thinking.
  • Unhealthy Result: Harsh self-criticism & low self-compassion leading to discouragement & depression
  • Remedy: They need to rethink success and reward the right thing. Was it adequate?
  • Healthy Measure: Wholistic performance over time.
  • Healthy Mindset: They need to understand that they are ‘in progress.’ Growth over time is the measure. Effort is more important than outcome.
• Other-oriented perfectionism
  • Definition: A person who holds others to very high, exacting standards.
  • Unhealthy Measure: Other people’s performance.
  • Unhealthy Mindset: The belief that they are a guardian of a standard and fear the standard will be dropped.
  • Unhealthy Result: Demanding and controlling towards others. A critical spirit creates distance and resentment between them and for those who they project their very high expectations.
  • Remedy: Don’t be a voice of fear and discouragement to the next “generation”. Rather, teach and empower them.
  • Healthy Measure: Measure the human cost of seeking perfection. Sometimes we can get it wrong by trying to get it right.
  • Healthy Mindset: Trust God. Trust others.
• Socially-prescribed perfectionism
  • Definition: A person who reacts to their perceived beliefs about what other people expect of them.
  • Unhealthy Measure: Trying to guess other people’s perceptions.
  • Unhealthy Mindset: Getting into someone else’s head. “I think, they think…”
  • Unhealthy Result: Insecurity, people pleasing and fabricated offenses that rob otherwise healthy moments.
  • Remedy: Practice getting out of other people’s heads.
  • Healthy Measure: What am I assuming is true and what do I know to be true?
  • Healthy Mindset: I can’t please everyone.

Desires can be tricky. Is it okay to have them? Is it okay to voice them? What if I get my way? Does that make me selfish? In this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter helps us understand how having and voicing desires is not all bad, in fact, it can be healthy.

Vulnerability has become a popular ideal. Authenticity, openness, and being “real” are touted as admirable qualities in our culture. Yet, how does Jesus shape this virtue? In this episode of Breaking Bread, Arlan Miller and Isaac Funk cast a vision for healthy vulnerability and draw from the example of Jesus.

Vulnerability Identifiers…

Jesus teaches us…

• How to be vulnerable.
• How to receive the vulnerable.
• How beauty can be made from the fruit of vulnerability.

Community has become a popular ideal. A reaction, no doubt, to the ill-effect of our increasingly independent lives. Clubs, groups, associations, and fellowships offer much needed connection and identification for people feeling more and more alone. How is the Christian community unique in providing the connection we fundamentally need? In this episode of Breaking Bread, Arlan Miller and Isaac Funk elevate the community of Jesus.

Community Identifiers

The Christian Community is…

• God’s ordained way of extending His love to His own people and with the world.
• The communion of the Holy Spirit living among its participants.
• A place where people are known and loved.

The words we use matter: alcoholic, depressed, narcissist, bipolar - these are all examples of labels we use to describe people. Labels stick - for good or bad. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr. helps straighten us out with what sometimes turns into adult name-calling.

There is a difference between using labels “for” or “against” people. When labels are used responsibly, they should reflect reality with the intent to bring understanding and help to people.

Using Labels "for a Person:

• Labels accurately reflect reality and are used to chart a healthy path forward.
• Labels are not the primary identification of a person. Rather, for the Christian, Christ’s identity is primary.
• Change and redemption is possible.

Using Labels "against" a Person:

Our young people transition into adulthood gradually and with assistance. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kathy Knochel explains the role community plays in this process. She highlights the responsibility that is ours and equips us with the tool set needed to get the job done.

Connect with the young people in your life.

• Know them.
• Listen to them.
• Care for them.
• Challenge them.
• Equip them.
• Give responsibility to them.
• When they fail, receive them.

Forgive, overlook and acknowledge - three verbs that give the embittered a path to freedom. None are easy. In in this episode of Breaking Bread, Craig Stickling brings them near and demonstrates the path out from his own life experience.

Show notes

 Bitterness has a root:

The root starts with hurt. Hurt that is not properly cared for. This hurt leads to anger. Anger left to seethe and build over time leads to stubbornness. Impenetrable walls are then built to protect. Behind these walls a rebellion settles in.

Bitterness grows:

Minor and major hurtful events stacked one on top of the other over time breeds a canker. The canker travels  its way into many areas of our lives.

Bitterness has a fruit:

The fruit tastes of isolation, division and hardness.

Bitterness has a remedy:

The embittered must engage with the hurt in three ways. Applying forgiveness where they have been sinned against. Overlooking misunderstandings and imperfections where they exist in their offender and acknowledging whatever truth that may exist in the hurt for their personal betterment.  

Hurt, not properly cared for, can turn to bitterness. Bitterness, not properly cared for, defiles much. In this episode series, Craig Stickling addresses properly caring for hurt and bitterness.  

Do we love each other because we agree? Or is our love based on something deeper? Surprisingly, conflict exposes the answer. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Matt Kaufmann and Brian Sutter address the nature of conflict and highlight the role our consciences play.

• God has given everyone a conscience.
• The conscience gives us a sense of right and wrong.
• We should listen to our conscience.
• Our conscience is not perfectly tuned to truth.
• We should be a steward of our conscience.
• Scripture should inform our conscience.
• The Holy Spirit should direct our conscience.
• Relationships should refine our conscience.
• When our consciences differ with others, conflict can result.
• Conflict can help mature our conscience.
• We should honor another person’s conscience.

God wants us to know Him. He wants our thoughts towards Him and our feelings about Him to be guided by truth. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr. helps us evaluate our God image and provides tips on how to have an increasingly more accurate view of God.

It is important to note:

• There are common inaccurate God images. Below are a few examples:
• • “The God of Impossible Expectations” – God holds us to impossible standards and punishes us when we don’t meet them. He is never satisfied.
  • “The Emotionally-Distant God” – God withdraws from us when we go through struggles and difficulties.
  • “The Gotcha God” – God is out to get us. He doesn’t like to see us happy.  He is always looking for a way to ‘pull the rug out’ from under us.
  • “The Hiding God” – God has a will for me but He won’t tell me what it is and will punish me if I don’t find it.

• There are good ways to recapture an accurate God image. Below are a few suggestions:
• • Don't superimpose your experience onto the scriptures. Instead let the scriptures inform your experiences.
  • Surround yourself with people that model grace and truth and point out God image distortions.
  • Be patient. It takes time to bring healthy correction to our long-held God image. 
  • Memorize Bible verses. Truth is required.
  • Meditate on Bible truth. Personalize the Scriptures by moving the knowledge you’re your head to your heart. 
  • Take time to be still. Sit quietly and deliberately imagine God’s nurturing care, love and reception of you.

Revealing God the Father to human beings was one of the purposes of Christ’s ministry. He wanted His hearers to know God and to view Him accurately. In this episode, Ted Witzig Jr. explains how our God image is formed and the impact that it has on us. While we will never understand God perfectly in this life, we can work to be sure we are not viewing Him through distorted lenses.

It is important to note…

* Everyone has a God concept and a God image.

* How we picture God and believe He feels toward us are very impactful in how we relate to Him.

* Those things we know about God (i.e., ‘head-knowledge’) make up our God concept.

* Our God concept is formed by information that we learn about Him from the Bible and what others teach us.

* Those things we feel about God, including how we picture Him, feelings we feel toward Him, and how we imagine He feels towards us is called our God image.

* Our God image is formed through life experiences including our relationship with major attachment figures (primarily one’s father and mother).

* Positive influences such as love, security, mercy, and relationships with benevolent authority figures lead toward the development of a healthy God image.

* Trauma, mental illness, loss, and wounded trust are all experiences that can have a negative impact on our God image.

Am I okay? What do people think of me? Should I be happy with myself? These self- questions highlight insecurity. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter walks us through the finer points of insecurity and presents to us true security.

Insecurities are common among all ages. While the things we seek security in change over time, the fact remains that security is a common human desire. Insecurity is helpful in this way. It highlights our desire for security and prompts us with a critical question, “What should my security be in?” Is it in my job, finances, relationships or looks? Just like financial securities, some are better than others, the securities we desire are not all equal. Who do we seek approval from? What is required for me to be happy with myself? Just how secure are these securities? Most often, we look to securities that are exterior to us-the affirmation of a group, the achievement of a goal. Wonderfully, God is that exterior security He wants us to be settled in. Because of God’s dependability, He is the security that is superior to all others.

Sometimes interactions are charged with emotion. Often, we react to the escalation only to make it worse. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer helps us let the steam out of the charged moment so we can have rational dialogue. The key to doing this is called “validation.”

Validation in interpersonal interactions.