Hosting Your Best Self
Several years ago in college, I had the privilege of reading Dallas Willard’s Spirit of the Disciplines. That book, among other of his works, impacted me deeply. One of Willard’s explanations that caught me was his view on the spiritual quality of hospitality. The spiritual gift of hospitality is commonly described as hosting someone in your […]
The Origins of the False Self
At Life Model Works, we ask a lot of “how” questions. Often in churches, we are told what the Bible teaches, but too often we are not taught how to pull it off in real life. How do we love the people around us like Jesus loves them? How do we love the difficult people in our lives, […]
Happy New Year!
By Jen Pfeiler Happy New Year! I’m sure by now there have been plenty of emails streaming in, promising you deals on how to better yourself in 2024. As humans with an inner desire to grow and mature, we like the idea of a fresh start. We want to be determined that this year will […]
Do You Know When to Yell?
Neuroscience tells us that our brains are wired to seek intensity. Ideally, this intensity should come from joyful interactions and be the foundation for our attachment to people. However, if we experience intense abandonment or dysfunction early on, our young minds can’t discern the difference between good and bad intensity, and we go through life […]
Immanuel & Grief
By Mercy Johnson It happens to each of us at some point, that internal longing for someone who is gone. One of the sorrows of our sinful and broken world is relational disconnection through death, unhealthy relationships, or other causes. Within Life Model-based training, we refer to this as attachment pain. Unresolved attachment pain causes […]
Passing the Peace
There’s a lot going on in the world. When current events in the church and in the world at large threaten to steal our peace, we have a better way through Immanuel. Watch our latest video as Michael Sullivant and Jen Pfeiler demonstrate the simple steps to passing the peace amid life’s hardships. Download the […]
Reflections on TRANSFORM 23
by Jen Pfeiler What a delightful time it was to be together at TRANSFORM 2023! As a member of the Life Model Works administrative staff, I expected to be caught up in the hustle and bustle of making sure things were in order, but I was pleasantly surprised by the inundation of relationally connective people […]
Escaping Enemy Mode Together
It will be exciting to see many of you in Denver this month. We are going to experience joy and learn to stay connected to Jesus and to our people, even when we are in enemy mode. We are going to share stories from the field and hear how it is going. How is escaping […]
Partnering at Every Turn
A Blog by Marlene Allen What excites me about the executive director position? I can sum it up with the word partnering. First, partnering with God’s incredible design of the brain is foundational to our message. For example, Dr. Wilder said, “Jesus knew when he created the brain that one day He would have to […]
The Moped Lady Started it!
A Blog by Marlene Allen She drove up on what Thais call a motorcycle, but it was a moped. Quite impressive that a woman would drive one in the crazy traffic of Chiang Mai, Thailand, but it was good to see my friend, Dr. Esther Wakeman. I had so much to share with her. By […]
Recordings that Reach & the Translator’s Journal
This blog is sponsored by the special donations made to help Life Model Works share the love and peace of Jesus with people in Ukraine! Thank you to all who contributed to the Ukraine trip for LMW. We were able to teach passing the peace in the middle of a war. Our team was active […]
Testimonies from Friends in Kiev
This blog is sponsored by the special donations made to help Life Model Works share the love and peace of Jesus with people in Ukraine! Thank you to all who contributed to the Ukraine trip for LMW. We were able to teach passing the peace in the middle of a war. Our team was active […]
Passing the Peace During Kiev Air Raids
This blog is sponsored by the special donations made to help Life Model Works share the love and peace of Jesus with people in Ukraine! Thank you to all who contributed to the Ukraine trip for LMW. We were able to teach passing the peace in the middle of a war. Our team was active […]
Resources for Creating Transformational Small Groups
(Part 10 of 10 from the article, “Through the Eyes of Heaven: Does ‘Talking It Through to Find Peace’ bring Shalom?”) By Jim Wilder and Ed Khouri Having explained the practices, pitfalls, and perils of talking things through to find “peace,” let’s turn our attention to resources that can help. These materials encourage the development […]
Finding Identity and Transformation by Seeking Things Above
(Part 9 of 10 from the article, “Through the Eyes of Heaven: Does ‘Talking It Through to Find Peace’ bring Shalom?”) By Jim Wilder and Ed Khouri Followers of Jesus are in the process of being transformed into the image of Jesus. We are born into an entirely new identity from the moment we receive […]
Grace as a Foundation for Peace in Your Small Group
(Part 8 of 10 from the article, “Through the Eyes of Heaven: Does ‘Talking It Through to Find Peace’ bring Shalom?”) By Jim Wilder and Ed Khouri The word grace was around for hundreds of years before Paul used it in his epistles. Grace is a relational term that implies an ongoing, mutual connection between […]
Breaking Through the Fog
(Part 7 of 10 from the article, “Through the Eyes of Heaven: Does ‘Talking It Through to Find Peace’ bring Shalom?”) By Jim Wilder and Ed Khouri Looking back over the previous blogs, it is clear we have been misapplying what the Bible says. In a sense, we have been creating fog around the topic. […]
The Shortcomings of Denying Wounds to Fake Peace and Building Community According to the Flesh
(Part 6 of 10 from the article, “Through the Eyes of Heaven: Does ‘Talking It Through to Find Peace’ bring Shalom?”) By Jim Wilder and Ed Khouri Hurt and wounding is destructive. Such experiences fester within us. That is why it is blatant stupidity to deny or try to toss away wounds by claiming they […]
Shortcomings of Enveloping Our Identities in Sticky Sin to Build Spiritual Community
(Part 5 of 10 from the article, “Through the Eyes of Heaven: Does ‘Talking It Through to Find Peace’ bring Shalom?”) By Jim Wilder and Ed Khouri Our perception of reality is skewed by all the wounds and hurts we experience — whether they result from our sin or someone else’s. Throughout every life, Satan […]
Sharing Wounds and Pain to Develop Attachment and Intimacy
(Part 4 of 10 from the article, “Through the Eyes of Heaven: Does ‘Talking It Through to Find Peace’ bring Shalom?”) By Jim Wilder and Ed Khouri Getting to know each other by talking things through is often used in Christian circles to form spiritual community. We get to know each other by discussing as […]