Posts by Tom Pryde

Abuse is much harder to recognize and define than we first tend to think. The term commonly evokes images of a bruised victim of physical violence, but this image is far too simplistic to be broadly useful. The reason is because physical abuse can stop short of leaving visible marks, or the fear of a…

The first and most important step in recognizing genuine repentance is this:It has nothing to do with how emotional someone appears. Tears can be misleading. Strong emotions can be present in both worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. The real difference lies not in the display of emotion—but in the fruit that follows it. The Fruit…

At its core, abuse is a profound lack of love. A victim needs to learn to distinguish between an abuser’s control and love. It is important to know that love does not co-exist with fear and torment (1 John 4:18). When a pastor determines that an abuser is really loving their victim based upon what…