Ridge Staff Q&A
What benefits do you experience from confessing your sins to someone else? (James 5:16)
"Although there is great power in confessing our sins to God through Jesus Christ, I gain a great sense of peace when I confess my sins to someone close to me. It holds even more power if I have sinned against the person I am confessing to. The greatest benefit I receive in confessing to someone is that it is truly authentic and I am able to rely on them for accountability going forward to not sin in the same area of my life."
Blaise Clark, Ridge Groups and Parking Team Coach
WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL
WEEK 1
DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5
WEEK 2
DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5
WEEK 3
DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5
READING PLANS
Trusting God's Process (5 Days)
Life often presents unforeseen bends in the road that can throw us off course. It's important in the trials and seasons of difficulty that we hold to the course God has placed us on. Learning to trust God's process will renew and strengthen you to face the journey ahead.
I'm Encouraging (4 Days)
Being an encourager is more than just cheer leading. Let this four-day Bible Plan from LifeChurch.tv help you discover the beauty and strength of encouragement. Start reading part three of the six-part Stay Positive series.
Living With Integrity (7 Days)
What comes to mind when you think of integrity? Good morals? Honesty? Trustworthiness? Integrity includes each of those values but transcends them all. Our English equivalent for “integrity” is derived from the Latin word meaning “to be integrated, complete.” It’s the idea that an individual’s outward behavior is consistent with his or her deeply held values. And that’s a character trait that improves every area of life – from our relationships and career, to personal and spiritual growth.
BOOKS
Life’s Healing Choices by John Baker
LIFE HAPPENS. Happiness and Healing are yours for the choosing.
We've all been hurt by other people, we've hurt ourselves, and we've hurt others. And as a result, every single one of us ends up with some sort of hurt, hang-up, or habit. But the question we all face is, where do we go from here?
Life's Healing Choices offers freedom from our hurts, hang-ups, and habits through eight healing choices that promise true happiness and life transformation. In addition to practical, encouraging biblical teaching, each chapter includes two real-life stories of men and women whose lives have been transformed by living out the eight choices in this book. Through making each of these choices, you too will find God's pathway to wholeness, growth, spiritual maturity, happiness, and healing. You'll find real answers, real hope, and a real future -- one healing choice at a time.
*Available in our Next Steps room for $10
Encouragement: The Unexpected Power of Building Others Up By Larry Crabb and Dan Allender
According to Drs. Larry Crabb and Dan Allender, encouragement is more than a compliment or a pat on the back. It’s a skill that can be mastered by anyone. Crabb and Allender ask: “What must we know in order to fulfill the biblical exhortation to ‘encourage one another?’” Encouragement provides the answer.
Part one deals with understanding encouragement, and part two explores the process of encouragement, including such practical how-tos as developing a careful selection of encouraging words; cultivating active listening skills; using biblical fellowship to move beyond superficial smiles and shallow greetings; and recognizing subtle opportunities for encouragement.
Without the encouragement of a caring community, biblical truth taught in church tends to just thicken people's defense layers. But authenticity, freedom, and greater love for God and others are the fruit of encouragement, and evidence of the tremendous power God invests in individuals who practice it.
ARTICLES
Can I Ever Trust Again?
This article explores suggestions for coping with being let down by others.
19 Ways To Encourage Others
Read these practical ways to encourage others throughout the ups and downs of life.
Confessing Our Sins Together
Read why we should confess to each other and why we avoid doing it.
VIDEOS
How to Build Trust and Relationships
Learn some very simple ways to build connections with others.
The Power of Encouragement
Making words of affirmation a habit is powerful.
Confess to Each Other
Experience grace by reaching out to others for help.