Hey Reader,

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Something’s been on my heart this week. Bitterness has a way of slipping in quietly, but it never stays hidden. It doesn’t just affect you; it affects everyone around you.

Your home, your team, your business; they all feel what’s rooted in your heart.

This week’s message is about spotting that root before it spreads, pulling it up, and letting grace take its place.

What I’m Thinking

You know, bitterness never stays private.
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Hebrews 12:15 says, “Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”

That last line hit me hard because bitterness doesn’t just live quietly inside of us. It seeps into our homes, our teams, and our businesses.
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What’s in your heart will always show up in your culture.

So today, I want to walk you through three simple steps to identify the root, pull it up, and replace it with grace before it poisons the people you lead.

1. Identify the Root​
Bitterness grows in the dark.
It starts with hurt or disappointment, and instead of dealing with it, we bury it.
But just because it’s underground doesn’t mean it’s gone.

If you keep replaying a moment or conversation in your head, that’s where the root is.
You can’t heal what you don’t name.

Ask God, “Show me what’s growing beneath the surface.”
Or even simpler: “Lord, show me what I can’t see.”

2. Expose and Confess It​
What’s hidden can’t be healed.
Bitterness thrives in secrecy but dies in honesty.

When you confess it to God, or even to the person involved, it loses its power.
You can’t out-dark the light.
Leadership integrity is formed in humility, not by hiding our pain but by handing it over for healing.

As we say around here: Nothing to hide, nothing to prove, nothing to lose.

3. Replace the Root​
You can’t just remove bitterness; you must replace it or it will return sevenfold.

Ephesians 4:31 says,

We forgive because we’ve been forgiven.
That’s the soil of grace, forgiveness, and gratitude, and it’s what produces good fruit instead of rotten fruit.

So ask yourself today:​
👉 What root might be growing unseen in my heart?

Because whatever is rooted will eventually bear fruit.
And everyone around you, even if they don’t know the details, can feel it.

Rip it out. Replace it with truth.
Let grace and forgiveness take root instead.

What I’m Studying

Hebrews 12:15 | Ephesians 4:31
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Reflection prompt: Who or what am I still rehearsing in my head?

What I’m Yoked To

This week, our team is practicing “replace before it repeats” by choosing to replace bitterness with grace in every small frustration.

Your Turn

What’s one root you’re asking God to reveal and replace this week?
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Hit reply. I’d love to hear from you.

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Grace and strength,

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​Peter​
​White Stone Leadership Brief

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