Bill J Carpenter

@branthansen I love you and the work you do. I give your Unoffendable book away. I have sought to live an unoffendable life before I read your book. I ordered your new book Living Unoffended. I first read your book while I was preparing to teach a class called Repentance and Reconciliation.

I've been doing a weekly podcast about living a life of radical forgiveness, and how to love our enemies. It's called "Living Unoffended" and it's on all the usual podcast platforms. Short episodes. I hope they're great reminders of what it means to actually follow Jesus.

@BethMooreLPM I love you, Sister. God bless you!

I’ve said about a jillion times that what I really am is a classroom Bible teacher. I just ended up with some oversized classrooms and a PowerPoint screen for a chalkboard. I’m not a great speaker. I do it when the occasion calls for it, but it’s not where I’m free. My love is teaching and I’ve been known to do just about anything to make a point stick or to get the class to do their homework. I’ve taught hard, as hard as I’ve known how, and studied hard, as hard as I’ve known how, and prayed hard, as hard as I’ve known how, and taken the calling seriously and fearfully for over 40 years. And simultaneously, oh my word, I’ve had the best time with my classes. I pray, God willing and filling, I will to the end. I’ll be wrapping up our series on the book of Job tomorrow night. People can be so superstitious and scared to study it for fear God is getting them ready for something awful. We can’t approach the scriptures that way. Our lives are not left to luck. They are timed, cherished, planned, purposed and tended to by the Lord. So I had the sticker on the left made for the first night of the Job series and had the sticker on the right made for our last lesson tomorrow night. And do not think many of them will leave that sanctuary without their sticker. Because we can be serious Bible chicks and yet share some ridiculous moments that make us laugh. For as long as there’s a God in the heavens and a Bible that claims it, laughter, my friends, is good medicine.

“It will never get easier. What happens is you handle hard better.” —Kara Lawson, head coach @DukeWBB

I long for a day when the United States has a president who, just for starters, not to even get into more serious matters, is not older than Methuselah and does not sound like a 13 year-old on TikTok talking about middle school classmates. I don’t think this is too much to ask. And do not say to me, I guess you wish we had so-and-so and think what they’d do. We don’t have so-and-so. We have this one. And I don’t think it makes me woke to wish he acted like a grown-up.

@branthansen I hear you. I am grateful for you, sir.

I buried my dad today. There was no funeral. It was just my brother and me, standing in windswept and freezing rural Illinois. He wanted to be cremated. I don't know why. So this is his box. My brother brought one thing to be buried with him: The sign that my dad would hang on the office doors of all of "his" churches: "Phil Hansen, Minister." Darin brought it, and I immediately knew why. "He should be buried with this, because it's what he cared about: Himself, and his title." And so we did. I cried, but not for him, honestly. I cried because I was so thankful to have a brother, who, like me, still loves the Lord in spite of it all. "Though He slay me," Job said, "Yet I will trust in him." We thanked God out loud for all that he has done in our lives to live out the antithesis of what we went through growing up: The terror, the trauma, the embarrassment. And what we've been dealing with as adults for so many years. We honestly wondered if it would end. Here we were, together, after all that. Some things only a sibling can understand. Please know that a life that's All About You may well conclude this way, even after decades of "ministry": Just two people, if they bother to show up, standing in the cold, praying blessings over each other's families, and thanking God that he rescued them from you.

@DefendTheSheep I'm so sorry that happened... ugh.

Well, Joseph, my husband was easily deceived and brought me and our 7 kids into a cult. I'm the one who saw the truth long before he did and told him we needed to leave. He disclosed this to his close friend who told him: "she's right, listen to her."

@BethMooreLPM 7/10

Question out of pure curiosity for you who are part of a denomination. In no way throwing shade on denominations. Always been part of one. Would you say you are in total agreement with every doctrinal interpretation of your denomination? Not asking where you differ. Asking IF you differ &, if so, roughly how much. If your denomination is distinguishable by, for example, 10 tenets, do you line up 100%? Then answer 10/10. If, say, you mostly lineup, estimate how much. 7/10? 8/10?

@BethMooreLPM Beth, my wife, and I love you and your heart. We listened, cried, rejoiced, and worshipped through Your Knotted Up Life. Ours are also redeemed, knotted up beautiful lives in Christ. Ty, for being such a heroic gift to men and women.

I started preparing inspirational messages 42 years ago then Sunday school lessons 40 years ago which immensely helped me then develop deeper messages for conferences then chapters of Bible studies and books. I’m rattling all of this off for you who constantly prepare messages.

@pastordmack I'm 69 and a lifelong Republican. I shocked my adult sons by telling them I can't and won't vote for Donald Trump. I'll vote for the Vice President for the reasons you beautifully stated. I trust God to sort it all out. I'm with you, Pastor.

It’s impossible to vote for either party, or major parties presidential nominee without engaging in moral compromise. The Kingdom of God is not on the ballot. Neither is Christ The King. If one were basing their vote solely on the basis of which party, or which candidate was the best moral choice, one would have to conclude: “There is none righteous, no not one.” If one had to qualify to vote on the basis of sinless perfection, or righteousness in the flesh, who could vote? As Jesus said, “Those among you without sin[cast the first vote].” We’d all have to drop our ballots if sinless perfection were required to vote. Therefore, to appeal voting for one party or person on the basis of one party’s morality, or one nominee’s morality is more pleasing to God, than another, is simply a matter of tolerating or accommodating one set of sins, or immoral thinking and actions or behavior, over another. The Bible says, “all unrighteousness is sin.” Neither party has a monopoly on unrighteousness. They’re both guilty. Our voting decision ought not be based on our perception of which party or candidate represents righteousness as we weigh or define righteousness. But, rather which person that we believe will best govern the country, and fulfill the responsibilities of government as spelled out in our founding governance, and aspirational documents. As far me, I will sleep far better at night with the wheel of government in Vice President Kamala Harris’s hands, than Donald Trump’s hands. January 6, 34 felony convictions, racial discrimination suits he’s settled with monetary payouts, multiple allegations, and admission of sexual assaults, is enough evidence for me to not feel anywhere close to confident in placing the government back into the hands of Donald J. Trump. However, I also acknowledge—that if left unchecked, and without the required & necessary checks & balances inherent in federal governance & decision making, required by our founding fathers—certain party platform planks, and stated beliefs of both parties & nominees, give me pause. I have burdens in my bosom regarding both parties, & nominees. At the end of the day though, I’m casting my ballot for the nominee that I believe will be better for the country as a whole, while maintaining strong disagreements. I’m trusting the mandatory checks & balances of government will keep either candidate who wins to keep us from going off the guardrails. I’m limiting my voting this year to one of the two major party nominees, Madam Vice President Kamala Harris. If you’ll refrain from judging me and questioning my morality and commitment to the Christian Faith for voting for Kamala Harris, I’ll refrain from questioning your morality and commitment to the faith for voting for Trump. My major point here is: neither represents the Kingdom of God. So, vote your preference with a clear conscience. There is no preferred or God ordained morally better choice in this election. Certain choices God leaves in our hands and say, “choose ye”!

@pastordmack Jesus, have mercy. The video is terrifying. Wrong spirited. Not Jesus or His teachings. Help, Lord!

America may be headed to a civil race war. One of the end times prophecies spoken by Jesus is that ethnic groups will rise against ethnic groups(kingdoms against kingdoms). There’s a strange feeling in the air. Everything seems uncertain; like shifting sand, unpredictable, out of the ordinary. Grateful to be a part of The unshakable kingdom(Hebrews 12). Grateful to know, the only certainty is the certainty of God’s immutability(Hebrews 13: 8). Encouraged by a song from my childhood: “In times like these, we need a Savior. In times like these we need an anchor. Be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds, and grips the solid rock. This rock is Jesus, yes he’s the one. This rock is Jesus, the only one. Be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds, and grips the solid rock.” I’m certain. I’m very sure. Are you?

@BethMooreLPM We'll said. I honor your wisdom to make space for yourself following the terrible journey embodied trauma.

Want to tell you loves something. I know some of you were and are waiting for my thoughts on recent events and I have a lot of them which is one reason why I haven’t shared them publicly. I’ve had plenty of conversations in private. In my family group, diverse opinions and complex thoughts are not anathema. Thing is, y’all, so few people read anymore. They read into. They hunt down gotcha phrases to fit their narratives of you. And, let’s be frank, nuance is considerably above X’s IQ. My thoughts about the current event are complicated and not well suited here. I will say this much and leave it here. I believe in justice for all. I do mean all. Even people who make the hair stand up on the back of my neck. If that’s what’s underway here, good. I’m for it. Then make it apply across the board. If it’s not justice, then all they’re doing is making a megalomaniac a bigger cult hero. What I think is that Washington is a mess. An embarrassing mess. A TROUBLING mess. Your basic person spending 30 days in county has more scruples than many of our nation’s leaders. My faith is in Christ alone. Last thing. It’s occurred to me recently that I’m dealing with residual effects of a very intense eight years of embodied stress that has played havoc on me physically. My gracious God has me in a recovering mode with him. I’m protecting some of my peace so I can get well. And it’s working. He’s working. Oh mercy, I love him so. He has been so merciful to me. And I love y’all. This is written specifically to my friends on here because all I’m going to get from my opponents is “BUT …!” And right now I’m just wanting to deal with a few less buts.

@RazorbackBSB Wish we were there! What fun!

Welcome to the Hog Pen

@CatherineMcNiel On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand

@InHisgrip Breaks my heart... I'm so sorry.

3 years ago my pastor harassed, abused, assaulted He said it was my fault The church heaped on the trauma when I sought comfort and care They gave me money to try and shut me up They covered the truth Weaponized sermons all but said my name 1/3

@freedomsbride I'm so very sorry. I'm listening.

@TheFigen_ Muscle memory. Beautiful

Wow! What is this called in psychology?

@BethMooreLPM I've followed and appreciated your every post. My wife and I would be thrilled to attend. Ty for being so very brave for Our Lord and His people.

You know what I wish we could do sometime? Wouldn’t it be a blast if a bunch of us who’ve interacted on here set a date and got together for a full Saturday somewhere?Many years ago, we did this with our blog community. After only knowing one another online, we met face to face.

@reachjulieroys Julie? I'm listening. Your voice matters. I was blind to most of what you report. Thank you.

Well then... I think that about covers it.

@martyduren I pray PS 90:17 (NIV/ESV) for you! Help, Lord!