The “Foundations of Honor Study Guide: Building a Powerful Community”
(Loving On Purpose, Nov. 17 2015) teaches readers to build solid
foundations of honor in their lives, homes, businesses, churches and
communities.The Foundations of Honor Study Guide addresses questions
on honor, confrontation and more through a comprehensive study of the core values, practices,
and cultural effects of honor. Clear biblical teaching and
illustrations, along with provoking questions and targeted action
points, equip and train readers to examine their own foundations and
build a solid foundation of honor in their lives, homes, businesses,
churches, and communities. The Foundations of Honor Study Guide is designed to work with the Foundations of Honor Teaching Series as a 10-session course suitable for both individuals and groups. (from Amazon)
My Review: The definition I heard that seemed to sum up the whole thing is "treat others as you would Jesus." The only other sentence I could add would be Matthew 7:12 (and Luke 6:31), "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you." This is how I was raised. Not how I always act, but I have always tried to be courteous and respectful of others. And, I am usually surrounded by people who are the same in their treatment of others.
Of course, I have seen people who scream at or are disrespectful to others. I have had it directed at me. So, I am guessing the point of this study is dealing with people who do not know how to treat others, especially with confrontations, or how to respond. I have to confess, this is not the study for me. Ten weeks of people talking about talking is more than I can handle. Then, there is the overuse of the word empower in the study guide. That word annoys me---a lot. The meaning of it is to help people gain confidence, and there is nothing wrong with that; it just sounds so egocentric that it has negative connotations when I see it.
I received this study at no cost in exchange for an honest review from Shelton Interactive.
Danny Silk, a member of the leadership team of Redding, California's Bethel Church, wants to raise the standard our culture has on the definition of love. He wants people to have a mature Jesus-focused love instead of our more immature version of love that is based more on emotion and what we are feeling. Silk offers ways for people to "keep their love on" during all times and not give up easily during times of conflict. According to Silk, there are 5 ways to help you to choose love.
1. Consider the other person’s love language. Based onThe 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, knowing your own love language, as well as your loved ones can make a tremendous difference. 2. Become powerful. Power is not about controlling others. Powerful people learn to control themselves.
3. Turn your love on. Know that love is a choice and it is up to you to seek a connection and commitment. 4. Communicate. You don't have to agree on everything, but you do need to listen to what the person says, thinks, and feels. Find a point of connection.
5. Set limits. Boundaries are important to maintain a healthy relationship. Creating levels of who has priority in your life is vital. If you drop everything to please everyone, and neglect those nearest and dearest to you, it is bound to cause resentment.
My Review: I loved it and and, sometimes, I really disliked it. There were times to be honest, my toes were stepped on---HARD! I mean the book started out pretty good. Silk was talking about something from The 5 Love Languages that fit a personal situation so closely that I could have sworn he was spying on me. It made me laugh, but also helped clarify things to add some resolution to my personal conflict. I was feeling pretty good. And, then...I began to read truths I did not always want to accept. Sometimes we let ourselves get comfortable and that's not always a good thing. Change can be difficult, but I recognized several things that need tweaked. Also, a couple that I need to completely revise. I wish I had been given some of this advice as a younger woman, but there is still time to grow and improve. I definitely recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book from Shelton Interactive for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.
