Author: Jeffrey Bush

Jeffrey Bush has served with Vision Baptist Mission since May 2012. Prior to this assignment the Bush family faithfully served the Lord for 8 years in Argentina, South America. During their time in Argentina, God blessed their efforts resulting in five churches, a radio ministry, and a Bible college to train those called to the ministry.
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Spirit-Controlled Temperament

By Tim LaHaye (summary by Jeffrey Bush)

  • Temperaments are the inborn traits that affect all behavior. They are based on
    hereditary factors, and six people contribute to these: the two parents and four
    grandparents.
  • Character is the real you. This is the hidden person of the heart – 1 Peter 3:4.
    Sometimes referred to as the soul of a person.
  • Personality is the outward expression of a person, which may or may not be the
    expression of a person‘s character. The place to change someone’s behavior is on
    the inside, not the outside.
  • Temperament can be changed through the Holy Spirit – 2 Corinthians 5:17
  • You can use your background as an excuse for your behavior only until you accept
    Jesus Christ. At the point of salvation, you have the power to change your conduct.
  • There are four different types of temperaments: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and
    phlegmatic.
  • Each temperament has its strengths and its weaknesses. Not one is better than the
    other.
  • The sanguine is a people-person, and enjoys talking and being with others. Simon
    Peter from the Bible was a sanguine. Most salesman, preachers, and actors are
    sanguine. They are never moderate about anything.
  • The choleric is a hot, quickly-reactive temperament. The apostle Paul was a choleric.
  • The melancholic is analytical and perfectionist type. He is a faithful friend, but does
    not make friends easily. Most musicians, theologians, scientist, engineers, and artist
    are melancholy. Moses was a melancholic.
  • The phlegmatic has a high boiling point and rarely explodes in laughter or anger.
    They can easily make everyone laugh while keeping a straight face. They are masters
    of things that take patience and detail. Abraham is a good example of a phlegmatic.
  • Rarely is someone composed of only one temperament. Usually, they have a
    predominant and secondary temperament, and possibly more.
  • Abraham went from being timid to a man known for his trust in the Lord. In God,
    personalities and lives are changed.
  • Because temperament is based on the natural man, it’s easier to diagnose the
    temperament of a lost person or carnal Christian than that of a spiritual person.
  • The temperament with the greatest strengths and potential also have the greatest
    potential of weaknesses.
  • Faith in Christ lifts a person above their temperament.
  • Selfishness is a basic weakness of every one of the temperaments.
  • Our strengths and weaknesses prevail by our choice.
  • We maximize our strength and minimize our weaknesses through the indwelling of
    the Holy Spirit.
  • Any spirit-filled Cristian will have the strengths of Galatians 5:22–23, without
    weaknesses.
  • The greatest goal of a Christian is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
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Love Her Well

By Kari Kampakis (summary by Jeffrey Bush)

  • Remember that God chose you for your child.
  • Let your daughter know that only Jesus is perfect, and you need Him just like she
    needs Him.
  • Remember that God loves your daughter much more than you can. Remember also
    that you are not alone, and you need help from God and others.
  • Your relationship will never be perfect, but it can be exceptional.
  • Your daughter needs you, and you need her.
  • We don’t give up on what God has given us (daughter) because God does not give
    up on us.

10 ways to find joy and connection with your teenage daughter:

  1. Choose your words and timing carefully.
    Criticism is a killer of relationships.
    Words have power, and your words as a parent have superpowers.
  2. Listen and empathize with her world.
    Listen to your daughter attentively.
    Proverbs 18:13.
  3. Be her mom.

You can outsource many things, but you cannot outsource your God-
given role as a parent.

Don’t be afraid to parent.
Your child might not understand rules now, but you are the parent.
Make your daughter aware of choices and consequences.
Don’t wait to have the difficult conversations with your daughter.
Help your daughter learn to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. She
will need to make decisions to do what’s right in life and it will not always
be comfortable.
Some parents work on rules with their children, and some parents work
on relationship – a wise parent does both.
Proverbs 29:17.
The question is not if your daughter will mess up rather how will you help
her when she messes up.

  1. Make relationship a priority.

Teenagers are human, and like any other human, they do better listening
from someone they know loves them.
Take the lead in cultivating a strong relationship with your daughter.
Apologize when you are wrong.
Be concise; she most likely will not listen to you give a long lecture, so be
concise.
Let go of regret.
Don’t compare your relationship with that of other parents/teens. Every
relationship has peaks and valleys, good and difficult seasons.
Give your daughter space when needed instead of peppering her with
questions.
Spend one on one time together.
Express specifically what you love about her.
Show affection, even when she does not reciprocate.
Show up, do your best, and keep trying.
Don’t take rejection personally.
Have fun together, don’t be afraid to be silly.

  1. See the good, loving her as she is where she is.

Recognize her potential.
Be the first to believe in her in the last to lose faith.
No one enjoys being around a person that expects perfection.
Be quick to point out when she does something right.
Praise her and applaud her.
Love her as she is.
Love her where she is.
When you become impatient with your daughter, remember how patient
God is with you.
Treat your daughter like she is already the person she has potential of
being.
Remember your own mess-ups.
Remember your influence with your daughter.
Those closest to us are the ones who can hurt us the most, so remember
this before you react or blow up.
Your daughter may look grown-up, but her brain is still developing, so
help her.
Know that your daughter is already criticizing herself.

  1. Help her find good friends and positive influences.

Friendships help get through adolescent years but friendships don’t
always stay the same.
Friendship for your daughter are just like friendships for you, they make
life better.
Help your daughter understand that the closer she is to God, the better
friend she can be.
A great friendship keeps God at the center.
Friendships make life better, but they do not eliminate all problems.
Only God is perfect and can give all the help needed — help your
daughter understands that.
Forced friendships, always expire.
Friendships should be a source of encouragement, not of stress.
Help your daughter know she needs the right friends, and needs to avoid
the wrong friends.
It is important that your daughter knows that good company will help her
while bad company will pull her down.

Your friends reveal your future, so help your daughter find the right
friends.
Get to know your daughter’s friends.

  1. Be her emotional coach.

Give your daughter space for her feelings and emotions.
Teach your daughter how to resolve conflict.
Limit her social media time.
Don’t be afraid of setting boundaries when needed.
Teach your daughter empathy – every day is a new opportunity to
practice empathy towards others.
Help her cultivate a healthy thought life.
Remember to be an example, because your daughter sees more in you
than she hears from you.
See conflicts as opportunities.
Teach your daughter to have an intimate walk with God.
Remember that you need good mental health in order to help your
daughter.
James 1:5 — God offers the wisdom you need.
Your daughter’s emotions can make her or break her, and you have the
responsibility to help her know how to navigate those emotions.

  1. Enjoy her, laugh often, and have fun.

Pay attention to the little things your daughter enjoys.
Randomly stop by your daughter’s bed and pray for her.
Do something fun with her like buy her something out of the norm, or
watch a movie late at night.
Take her to a coffee shop.
Play a board game or cards with her.
Surprise her with a gift or going somewhere.
Plan a party for her by picking up all her friends and taking them
somewhere.
Be present when you are with her.

  1. Take care of yourself and have a support system for hard days.

Exercise.
Go to the doctor when you need it.

Stop beating yourself up.
The script in your head matters, be careful what you tell yourself.
Don’t dwell on past regrets.
Yesterday is over and today is a new day.
Turn outward and not inward. Get help with problems instead of isolating
yourself. God and others are there to help you.
Know yourself and set limits for what you can and cannot do.
Teenagers need space and help, and it’s easier to give them the space
and help they need.

  1. Pray for her and empower her through faith.

Pray for your daughter to make the right decisions.
Pray for God to cultivate a love for Him and others in her heart.
Pray for her health.
Pray for her to seek God’s approval over men’s approval.
Pray for her to have good friends.
Pray for her future spouse.
Pray she will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and have strong convictions.
Remember it’s not in your prayers but in the One to whom you are
praying.

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Is The Commission Still Great?

By Steve Richardson (summary by Jeffrey Bush)

  • It’s often thought Jesus gave the Great Commission at the end of His life, almost like
    an afterthought right before He left. This is not the case. The Great Commission was
    the plan of God before Jesus was born in a manger.
  • Many Christians are not sure how crucial the Great Commission really is.
  • Reaching the nations is not just one of the ways to please God.
  • The Great Commission is the central of God’s message, and the primary
    responsibility of His church.
  • You’re not responsible to finish the Great Commission, but you are responsible to be
    faithful to the Great Commission.
  • Drifting from missions is a great threat to both the Christian individual and the
    church.
  • A difficulty is when missionaries start churches in other countries without teaching
    them missionary DNA. In other words, they teach how to be a witness in their
    community, but not the need for sending missionaries.
  • The church is not short on missionaries because they are too expensive, but
    because we have not given missions proper priority in our decision-making and
    finances.
  • If we stop sending missionaries, we become disconnected from the work.
  • We will not all be missionaries, but we should all have a missions mindset.
  • There’s a healthy tension we should feel to get the Gospel to the nations. If you do
    not feel the tension, consider whether or not you’ve lost the vision for your
    community and the nations.
  • Discipleship is a process, not an event.
  • Every pastor and staff member should take an international missions trip at least
    every other year. Your congregation is not the field. The field is the world. Your
    congregating contains a force given by God to help reach the world.
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How to Talk So Kids Can Learn

By Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish (summary by Jeffrey Bush)

  • As teachers, our goal is greater than just passing along facts and information.
  • If we want our students to be caring human beings, we must respond to them in
    caring ways.
  • If we are going to help our students in academic ways, we need to learn to help them
    in emotional ways. In one sense, we are parenting our students.
  • What is going on in their home life will affect their school life as well.
  • Punishment does not always deter misconduct, it merely makes the offender more
    cautious in committing his crime, more joy in concealing his traces, and more skillful
    in escaping detection.
  • Instead of immediate punishment, present expectations and offer choices.
  • Let your students overhear you saying something nice about them.
  • Who knows what any of us could become if we knew that someone believed in us.
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How to Get and Stay Motivated

By Grant Cardone (summary by Jeffrey Bush)

  • If you’re not motivated, you’re not going to get up and take action.
  • No one can tell you what you are capable of, only you know your true potential, so
    work towards it.
  • Shoot for the extra ordinary, not just the ordinary.
  • Do what others are not willing to do.
  • Be willing to fail.
  • Be unique . Be set apart by your actions and attitudes. Don’t try to be like everyone
    else, be different.
  • Do things that push you and challenge you. Most people do the easy things,
    therefore they are not motivated.
  • Give more than is expected of you. Don’t worry about people taking advantage, you
    will actually receive much more by giving more.
  • Surround yourself by winners. Get a mastermind group. Be around people that
    stretch you and become fuel for your dreams.
  • Read one book a week. The average American reads one book per year. If you want
    to separate yourself and reach your full potential, aim to read one book a week.
  • Cut out the negative people in your life. Reach up, not sideways or down, or you will
    kill your dreams and motivation.
  • Stay uncomfortable. Your discomfort is an indication that you are pushing through
    something.
  • Do things you’re scared to do. It will give you more confidence, boldness, and
    motivation.
  • Motivation isn’t something that you go and fill up on, you have to refuel yourself. Do
    things you are afraid of, and you will be refueling.
  • Surround yourself with positive reminders. Great people create their own
    environment. Surround yourself with positive messages and you will be positive and
    stay motivated.
  • Avoid people that refuse to accept responsibility in their life.
  • Throw the concept of balance out the window and seek to be exceptional. Seek to
    be exceptional in every area of your life.
  • Look to control time and not manage time.
  • Make quality time for your family every day. Don’t look for the time, make it.
  • Use and keep a full calendar.
  • Go to sleep early at night. If you stay up too late, you likely waste time or take in junk
    from TV that you do not need.
  • Get things done before the deadline. People that wait until the deadline usually don’t
    accomplish as much. It will motivate you to beat the deadlines.
  • Have a daily battle plan – write a to-do list for every day. Let everyone else just show
    up for work, but you show up with a daily battle plan, and you’ll accomplish more
    and be more motivated.
  • Be the most professionally, best dressed person in the room. Motivation is an inside
    job, so don’t take shortcuts on how you dress. Don’t worry how everyone else
    dresses.
  • Take enough time off that you are tired of taking off. Don’t go away for two days,
    take the amount of time you need until you are fired back up and can’t wait to go
    back to work.
  • Avoid drama TV and drama radio. You do not need the negative drama influence in
    your life, so get it out. Most news channels are not really giving news rather giving
    opinions and drama.
  • Look for an opportunity to help someone every day. Each person and circumstance
    will be different, but look for new opportunities every day. When you seek to help
    someone else, you will end up being energized and motivated.
  • You need to get a little bit of exercise every day. The hardest thing about exercise is
    getting started, but once you do, it will motivate you.
  • Eat healthy foods you can afford, and it will affect the way you feel.
  • Be energetic, whether you feel like it or not. It doesn’t matter if you are in your
    groove; force yourself to be energetic.
  • Take a power nap. Doesn’t matter what others think, if a nap will help you, then do it.
  • Listen to some music that will energize you. You don’t have to listen all day, but do
    listen.
  • Stop saying no to everything and start saying yes. You don’t need to think about it or
    get back to someone, say yes, even if you are not comfortable or enjoy it. You might
    find that you like new foods and new hobbies if you will just learn to say yes more
    often.
  • When people say things cannot be done, be deaf towards it. You will most certainly
    hear negative news, but be deaf towards the naysayers.
  • Be the originator of news instead of the receiver of news. Make news instead of
    watching it.
  • Become the expert in your space, be the person that people go to in your area of
    expertise.
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Have You Felt Like Giving Up Lately?

By David Wilkerson (summary by Jeffrey Bush)

  • In one way or another, everyone is hurting in some way.
  • Time heals nothing, only God can truly heal.
  • God never promised you a painless life, He promised you a way of escape and
    strength to continue.
  • You cannot depend on others for your happiness.
  • God is the only source of true satisfaction and happiness; not your spouse, best
    friend, pastor, psychiatrist, or anyone else.
  • When your relationship with Chris is not right, every other area is affected.
  • A sparrow never falls without God knowing, and He also knows when His children fall
    and still loves them.
  • The devil wants to destroy your faith.
  • God doesn’t hide when we sin. Just as He came to Adam and Eve in the garden
    when they sinned, so He is still available and present with us.
  • Our guilt and shame tells us that God doesn’t want to hear from us, but that’s a lie.
    Go with bended knee and heart and speak to Him.
  • Going to the Father in prayer is the solution to every dry spell.
  • Sin causes Christians to live in discouragement and defeat.
  • Fear is the power the devil has over man, but God can break that power and give
    victory.
  • Satan has no right or claim on a Christian.
  • As a child of God, one of the most important steps is what you do after you fall.
  • Satan has one big goal with believers, and that is to turn them into unbelievers. To
    make them doubt and quit believing what God can do.
  • The three steps to atheism is guilt, doubt, and unbelief.
  • A great lessons a Christian should learn from their inner, fleshly struggles, is to stop
    throwing stones at others.
  • You can’t save yourself, help yourself, or please God yourself, you need His help. Let
    God be in charge of your growth and holiness, for He wants to help you.
  • The way to holiness is through humility. All our pride must be smashed.
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Grieving

By James R. White (summary by Jeffrey Bush)

  • God’s promise is that He’ll be with His children as they mourn, not that He will keep
    them from such things.
  • Christians are not spared from grief, but they are spared from grief without hope.
  • The culture avoids speaking of grief. It is expected for one to handle things on their
    own, but grief is not handled well alone.
  • The big question about grief is how much time someone needs to get over it. The
    truth is that one will never fully get over it.
  • The greatest pressures through the grief process is not from others (employers,
    friends and family), rather from one’s self.
  • Grieving is natural, it takes time, and it is individual.
  • How one deals with the grieving process will determine if one becomes angry, lonely,
    or bitter.
  • Isolation feeds on fear, and fear feeds on isolation.
  • Shock and numbness comes first. Then comes the storm of feelings and emotions
    we must work through. Then we must unlearn old habits tied to the person no longer
    with us, and learn new ones based on our new reality of life.
  • If we do not believe God is in control and works all for our good (Romans 8:28), we
    might have a real problem.
  • It’s ok to be happy. Many in grief feel like they cannot enjoy themselves, or it’s a lack
    of respect to the lost loved one.
  • Grief deceives making us think we’ll only be happy getting back how things were
    before.
  • Avoid the temptation of giving up when it’s not easy. Move ahead with necessary
    actions.
  • Take advantage of the grace God has given through talking to others. There are good
    people in your church and community that are there for you.
  • A big thing that has helped so many to refocus and get back to a joyful life is service
    to others. When one starts helping others, it pulls them from the downward spiral of
    looking downward and inward.