Church Life
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Whether it’s hot topic issues like “gay marriage” or “abortion,” or “books” like the hot selling trilogy on just plain hot sex and the current flap over how we, as evangelical Christians, should handle it, this much we know to be true: sex still sells. We are definitely not getting is this: no matter who… Read more
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Near Emmaus put together a nice synopsis of recent articles regarding “liberal” and “conservative” Christianity in America. I found Ross Douthat’s piece in the New York Times to be a great read. As I have read the comments on Douthat’s page and other responses, what I have wondered about is just how far we will go… Read more
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Over the past several months I have taken part in two blog tours for the Common English Bible. This has been an incredibly rewarding experience because it allowed me to really dig into a new translation. I am a translation junkie, so this was a great exercise for me. I have found the CEB to… Read more
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You’ve run into them. I’ve run into them. After several years of actually having cell phones, one would think some sort of etiquette would develop, but it doesn’t. I can be preaching and someone’s cell phone will go off. Instead of scrambling to get the thing silenced, everyone keeps acting like it’s not theirs. Then,… Read more
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As Yakov Smirnoff would say, “I LOOOVVVEE this country!” So, please, understand what I am saying. We have a civic calendar and often we substitute it for the church calendar, especially in the American church. Tomorrow is Flag Day, and I salute what this country does and means. I love living here. But, here are… Read more
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8 We were glad to share not only God’s good news with you but also our very lives because we cared for you so much. (1 Thess. 2:8, CEB) Before we moved to Minneapolis we lived for a few years in Colorado. I was working outside the church at the time. The church we attended… Read more
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In Luke 14 someone declares to Jesus, “Happy are those who will feast in God’s kingdom!” Jesus’ illustration that follows gives a chilling thought: Not all will feast. Some will just refuse. They are invited. The invitations are given without hiding anything. The invitations are given ahead of time. But people find all kinds of… Read more
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21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed… Read more
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We are on a journey in our church. This week starts our summer reading. We want to go all the way through the New Testament. This week’s reading is the Gospel of Luke. All of it. The challenge before us is to prepare the way of the Lord. WE need to be prepared. We need… Read more
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Last year this time the word was “hell.” Rob Bell, Mark Galli, Francis Chan… all got in on hell. Now… the buzzword is CREATION. CREATIONISM. DARWINISM. All kinds of things flying around. Must be some new books flying off the presses in the next few months… Have fun. Read more
Apprentice 2 Jesus 