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Am I Joining What God is Doing?
The growth and expansion of the Church is never tied to our comfort. The first expansion of the church in Acts came in a time of persecution. Philip found himself in Samaria (Acts 8) as a result of the persecution in Jerusalem. But persecution wasn’t a reason to quit. They kept proclaiming. Philip was one of the “minor” characters of…
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Let’s go on a journey
For my church, I am planning the summer schedule. Last summer we went on an incredible journey through the New Testament. Several asked about the Old Testament. Since the Old Testament is quite a bit longer, I’ve been thinking about a couple of things and would love your thoughts ESPECIALLY if you are a part of our church. 1. A…
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Snatching Defeat Away from the Jaws of Victory
The compelling truth of Israel’s story in the Old Testament is it hits so close to home in our own lives. It is the story, too often, of making bold promises to God, then turning right around and finding a way to mess it up. Numbers 9-11 are key examples of the attitude we often take when we are incredibly…
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Blessings! Power! Abundance! All YOURS!
Imagine a life where you have wealth and satisfaction! Your children are serving God! Your enemies can’t win! You build a legacy! All YOURS! There is something in me that now wants to say, “All yours for a seed faith offering… operators are standing by!” But audacious claims like that can happen. They can feed certain desires in our own…
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Fire and the Testing of the Heart
3 A crucible is for silver and a furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. (Prov. 17:3, CEB) 8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. 9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch…
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Parables
“The parables, in fact, are told as kingdom explanations for Jesus’s kingdom actions. They are saying: ‘Don’t be surprised, but this is what it looks like when God’s in charge.’ They are not ‘abstract teaching,’ and indeed if we approach them like that, we won’t understand them at all.” — N T Wright, Simply Jesus
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What Sort of People Are We?
If there is one thing I try to maintain in communicating the gospel, it’s this: following Christ isn’t for the lazy. We keep making it too “easy” to think about being a part of a church, or being a “Christian,” but we aren’t doing people any good in making Jesus a friend to “hang out” with and have a good…
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God’s Best
I was glancing through one of my Bibles on my desk, and this handwritten note stood out: “Do we want God’s best or not?” This is THE question of the day for me. And I was given a bit of a test in it. I’m fairly sure I passed… but the initial feelings aren’t always “victorious.” However, the deepest part…
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The Elusive Position of Contentment
12 I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. 13 I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:12-13, CEB) In a culture that…
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Jesus WILL Offend You
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?” (John 6:60-61, NIV) Contrary to contemporary “religious” belief… excuse me, “spiritual” belief… Jesus will not just give you a sloppy wet kiss and hug you into heaven. He will…
Category: Bible Study
