Author Archives: Don Follis

Often thinking on the painful emotions I feel — rolling them over and over in my mind — is neither healthy emotionally nor pleasing to God.  Like you, I’m in a fight (Eph. 6). The negative thoughts I nurse about others are not consistent with God’s will and character. I know that.  (We are responsibleContinueContinue reading “Sometimes doing a complete 180 is absolutely the right thing to do!”

  Essentially, you say four things when you truly forgive someone, including yourself, maybe especially yourself.  “I will not dwell on this incident.””I will not bring up this incident again and again, using it against you.””I will not repeatedly talk to others about this incident.””I will not let this incident stand between us or hinderContinueContinue reading “How do you know if you’ve truly forgiven someone?”

Well, my friends, on that one we must part company.  You are just plain wrong…* After fasting and prayer by the leaders in the church in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas are set apart for the work of the Lord …  Clearly, the Lord had spoken!13 1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers:ContinueContinue reading “Will you commend those with whom you disagree?”

Menu in Chinese script at Golden Harbor restaurant in Champaign, ILThere are now thousands of Chinese students (both undergraduate and graduate students) studying at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and living in the twin cities. One of the favorite restaurants among Chinese students has the menu up on wall all in Mandarin [普通話].  It’sContinueContinue reading “What’s the difference between all these churches anyway?”

As I talk to people every day, I ask a lot of what questions…* What is going on?* What do you want to do?* What are your options?* What would you do to improve this situation, say, 2 to 3 percent?I’m careful with the why question because people can hear, “Why in the world wouldContinueContinue reading “God asks Why questions, and well, so can you!”

As the early church spread and grew, she experienced persecution.  On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, heContinueContinue reading “The power of God always starts, always continues from a pure, humble, contrite heart!”

A husband and wife team in the first community of faith sold a piece of land and brought all the proceeds to the Apostles. At least that’s what they said in the story recorded in Acts chapter 5.But…They actually kept part of the proceeds for themselves.  Luke, the writer of Acts, says that they liedContinueContinue reading “Truth-telling & the fragile fabric of trust are so important in God’s Kingdom”

I wrote this column on smartphones going to church.  It appeared in the October 20th, Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette.  I wrote it mostly for those newspaper readers who wonder about those who take their smartphones to church every Sunday.  Of course, that would be millions and millions of people.  And I I don’t see that changing…