The Heidelberg Catechism - The Foundations Of Our Faith

8 TYPES OF NARCISSISTS 1. Grandiose Loud, confident, and attention-seeking, with a strong sense of superiority. They often dominate conversations, expect admiration, and react badly when they are not the center of attention. 2. Vulnerable (covert) Quiet and sensitive to criticism, often playing the victim while still feeling entitled. They may seem shy or hurt, yet resent others for not recognizing how special they believe they are. 3. Communal Seeks admiration by appearing generous, selfless, or morally superior. Their kindness is often public, and it can come with an expectation of praise and loyalty. 4. Malignant Combines narcissistic traits with cruelty, manipulation, and little remorse. They may enjoy control and can be especially harmful in close relationships. 5. Antagonistic Competitive, dismissive, and quick to put others down to feel powerful. They treat relationships like contests and often belittle people to stay on top. 6. Somatic Draws worth from...

1. THEY STUDY YOUR WEAKNESSES They listen carefully, not always because they care, but because they are collecting information they can use later. 2. THEY LIE WITH CONFIDENCE They can lie while looking calm, innocent, spiritual, loving, or wounded. 3. THEY HAVE NO REAL REMORSE They can hurt people, destroy lives, betray trust, and still act like nothing serious happened. 4. THEY ENJOY CONTROL They do not just want love or respect. They want power over your emotions, choices, money, body, mind, and freedom. 5. THEY FAKE EMOTIONS WELL They can cry, apologize, smile, or act broken when it benefits them, but the emotion disappears when control returns. 6. THEY HAVE A CHARMING PUBLIC IMAGE Outsiders may see them as kind, generous, intelligent, successful, or respectable while you see the darkness behind closed doors. 7. THEY DO NOT RESPECT BOUNDARIES Your “no” irritates them. Your independence threatens them. Your boundaries make them feel challenged. 8. THEY BLA...

Job’s three friends have traveled to show Job sympathy and to “comfort him” (2:11). We have seen that these friends share with Job the privilege of being men associated with wisdom and wise counsel. They are not just any old friends; they are counselors whose advice would naturally be sought. So when they sit for those terrible seven days and seven nights of silence, we know that something is wrong, for there is no advice forthcoming. In chapter 3 Job breaks that silence with the most moving and passionately unsettled lament, spoken, it would seem, to himself more than to anyone else. But his friends are there listening. Or are they really listening?  There is obviously a problem with the views of all of Job's Counselors. We find it out at the end of Job.  To be honest, their counsel seems so right. The reason it seems so right is that we all tend to adopt the worldview of these guys simply because, as D Lloyd Jones put, welfare all Catholics at heart. We all think God s...

SIGNS OF A VERY DANGEROUS PSYCHOPATH 1. Complete lack of empathy   They do not feel or respond to other people’s pain. Harm means nothing to them unless it affects their own interests. 2. Chronic manipulation   They lie, twist facts, and control situations effortlessly. People are tools to be used, not humans to be respected. 3. No remorse or guilt   Even when caught, they do not feel sorry. Any apology is fake and used only to regain control or avoid consequences. 4. Superficial charm   They can appear confident, kind, and impressive at first. This is a mask designed to gain trust and access. 5. Enjoyment of control and power   They feel a sense of satisfaction from dominating, controlling, or emotionally breaking others. 6. Impulsive and reckless behavior   They take dangerous risks without concern for consequences, often putting others in harm’s way. 7. Aggression without warning   They can switch from calm ...

WHY EMPATHS ATTRACT NARCISSISTS Empaths don’t attract narcissists because they’re weak. They attract narcissists because they carry a rare combination of emotional depth, intuition, and compassion that narcissists crave — but can never create within themselves. Empaths are everything a narcissist is not, and that contrast becomes a magnet. 1. Empaths want peace — narcissists thrive in chaos. Empaths try to fix arguments, soften tone, calm energy, apologize first. Narcissists use conflict to regain control. The empath thinks harmony is the goal. The narcissist thinks dominance is the goal. You cannot “love” someone into emotional maturity. 2. Empaths mistake intensity for connection. Narcissists love-bomb with passion and intensity. To an empath, it feels like emotional alignment. They believe they’ve found someone who “feels” as deeply as they do — until that intensity turns into anger, withdrawal, jealousy, or manipulation. The truth? It was never depth. I...

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I have run across several people in dysfunctional churches and unhealthy organizations. Having worked in some such settings myself, I have seen patterns that led me to start thinking … and writing. Maybe that is not such a good idea, but I think it is an important one. The issue is widespread and, although such organizations can actually do good, the harm they cause to many others is immeasurable. I started thinking about writing about dysfunctional churches when a couple I know was approached about working at a prominent Christian organization. They expressed appreciation for how much good is done by this organization. Yet, they were not interested because they knew people who worked there. And although everyone who worked there would readily say God was doing great things, they also used two phrases regularly: “we’re miserable” and “around here, you just keep your head down and do your job.” And therein lies the quandary of dysfunctional churches: it often does good th...

First Things First  Matthew 6:33  Charles Spurgeon began a sermon on Matthew 6:33 by saying, “There is just as much need of this exhortation today as there was when our Savior first uttered it.” These words fell from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago. Yet they are as relevant as the latest “Breaking News.”   Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore ...