Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.
Are you longing to find answers to the deeper issues of life? Join James, a pastor, counselor, and university professor with over 30 years of experience. Hear James as he tackles some of life's biggest questions and helps us find God's solutions to life's struggles. Learn the power of living by God's grace and for His glory. Experience the joy of forgiveness and freedom found in Jesus Christ alone. If you are on a search for freedom, you will love being part of this conversation. Subscribe, and enjoy the show!
Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.
Relational Wisdom in a Divided World
ABOUT JAMES and LESSONS FOR LIFE
Are you seeking hope, wisdom, and practical solutions to life’s challenges? Dr. James Long, Jr., pastor, counselor, and professor with over 30 years of experience, helps people discover God’s solutions to emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges. Each episode of Lessons for Life points you to the peace and freedom found in Jesus Christ.
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Hey everyone, it's James Long Jr. and welcome to Lessons for Life. I'm so glad you're here with us today. We are beginning a series that's an important series, and it's going to be talking about relational wisdom, how we can grow in wisdom so that we can have healthier relationships. Now, if you know me, I've been working in the field of counseling and Christian coaching for decades. And one of the key things that bring people into counseling oftentimes is relational conflict. It's a relationship maybe from your past, or maybe it's current, or maybe it's something that you're worried about in the future. But all of us struggle with relationships in one way or another. Now, over the years, I've used a number of different people and resources in my counseling and coaching. And one of the people that I've used is a man named Ken Sandy. Now, if you're not familiar with Ken Sandy, Ken Sandy is the author of The Peacemaker. He is also the author of a book called Resolving Everyday Conflict. But both books focus primarily on conflict and what are the biblical ways to handle conflict in your life. So if you're struggling with conflict, I would encourage you to grab one of those books, read them, and study them: The Peacemaker and Resolving Everyday Conflict. His wife Corlett also created a series for children in dealing with conflict as well. And all those resources are phenomenal and great. Now, a number of years ago, Ken found himself focusing so much on all of these conflicts that he was dealing with. And he was saying, everybody's calling me in to deal with conflict. What would it be like, as he called it, to get upstream of conflict? How could he help people to develop healthier relationships with each other, healthier relationships with God, and even a healthier relationship with themselves so that they may avoid or minimize the conflicts that will brew in their lives? And so he developed a program called Relational Wisdom 360. And now what he does is it focuses on teaching people how to get upstream of conflict by building strong relationships with family, churches, and a workplace. Now, a number of years ago, I found myself getting connected with Ken regarding this topic of relational wisdom. And I became one of his instructors, and now I'm one of his advanced instructors. I love him, I love his family, I love the ministry that they have. And what I want to do over this series is to talk to you about relational wisdom and how we can apply it. Now, this series is important. It matters now more than ever. We're living in a world where it feels more fractured day by day. Political divides, family tension, cultural outrage, relational breakdown, everywhere we look, there is conflict. And yet, behind all of this shouting and all the withdrawing, many people are quietly longing for something more. They're longing for peace, connection, understanding, and wisdom. And if you're one of those people, this new series is for you. We were created for relationships, but relationships are not always easy. Misunderstandings happen, emotions run high, sin gets in the way. And the truth is, many of us never have been taught how to navigate relationships well, especially when things are hard. That's why I'm launching this 12-week series called Relational Wisdom, Building Emotionally and Spiritually Healthy Connections. Now, every week we'll explore how the Bible equips us to engage our emotions, relate to others, and reflect the heart of God in our interactions. Because here's the reality: relational wisdom is not optional. It is essential. If we want to thrive spiritually, emotionally, and relationally, we need more than good intentions. We need God's perspective. We need practical tools and we need a path forward that leads to peace. What to expect from this series? Now, over the next several weeks, we'll walk through timeless truths and practical skills rooted in scripture and relational insights. Together, we'll explore questions like: Am I self-aware or just self-absorbed? What is God doing in my emotions? How can I respond to conflict in a Christ-honory way? What does it mean to love wisely and to set healthy boundaries? How do I serve others without losing myself? Now we'll look at tools like the SOG plan, the R E A D principle, and the TAUS principle. But we'll talk about forgiveness, confrontation, defensiveness, and emotional maturity. And more than anything, we'll be coming back time after time to the gospel because that is where true transformation happens. Each post will be short enough to read quickly or to listen to quickly, but deep enough to reflect throughout the whole week. You can follow along right here on the blog, or we'll also be doing our podcast, and we'll also include each article in our Friday newsletter for easy access. So if you're not part of our newsletter at this point, go to jamelongjr.org. Just go there, sign up. You can get connected to our newsletter just in the contact section, just put that you would like to be a Torah newsletter. Now, who is relational wisdom for? Now, this series is for anyone who wants to grow. If you've been hurt and are struggling to forgive, if you want to communicate more clearly in your marriage and parenting, if you find yourself avoiding conflicts or exploding in anger, if you lead others and want to model emotional and relational integrity, if you just want to become more like Christ in how He related to others and how you relate to others, then you're not alone and you're not without help. Now here's the invitation. This is more than a blog series. It's an invitation to a new way of living and loving. If you want to go deeper, I personally invite you to join our Lessons for Life community. Inside the community, you'll find weekly teachings and tools through coaching and opportunities, a supportive environment for personal growth, courses to help you handle conflicts, emotions, and relationships biblically, and a place to be encouraged, equipped, and connected. Start your journey today at community.jeslongjr.org. Or if you want to just learn more about us, go to our website, jamelongjr.org. The journey begins now. I hope you'll walk with us. Blessings, everyone. Take care.
