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The Essence of Christianity — Orthodox Style
The interview in Christianity Today with Bishop Kallistos Ware is an interesting read. Here is the bishop’s take (in a Q&A format) on the essence of Christianity: If I were to meet you on a train and ask you, “What is the center of the Christian message?,” how would you succinctly put that? I would answer, “I believe in a…
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Matthew 10 — Freely You Have Received
I am extending the conversation from my Sunday morning message on Matthew 10. There is so much to discuss on “The Marks of Discipleship” that to do justice to this passage would take several weeks of examination on Sunday morning. Instead, I am inviting people to join me through the week as I reflect on some of the things we…
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Why Evangelicals Struggle… But Should Learn
This article is a good reflection and they point out a couple of things I’ve thought of over the past few years. It does not cause me to repudiate evangelicalism, however. It causes me to reflect. There are still numerous reasons I identify more readily with evangelicals and “classical” Pentecostals than the “liberal” side of Christianity. What really spurs me…
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The Promise of the Spirit
This weekend I am beginning a short series on the Holy Spirit. As Pentecostals, we are sometimes better demonstrating than teaching on this subject. It needs to be both. There is more that is stirring. What the Spirit is stirring will need to be spoken more “in house” (meaning more TO the Body of Christ) than “out here” (meaning broadcasting…
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Amazing Generosity
I love being involved in my community. Last night was one of those great nights. As president this year of a service organization (Kiwanis) I got to present scholarship awards to two graduating seniors from our city’s high school. This is a huge night to give out scholarships. In a town with a population around 20,000, an inner ring suburb,…
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The Weariness and the Whining
Numbers 11 The parallels to our own attitudes is astounding. We just can’t be happy. Israel was being delivered from Egypt and were standing at the edge of the Promised Land. So, they go to complaining. They can’t take the hardship anymore. They dream of the great food back in Egypt! (Culture shock has set in. When we’re out of…
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Generosity
This past Sunday was a great day of giving. In the morning before church we hit the annual Kiwanis pancake breakfast. The club that runs the breakfast raises several thousand dollars for projects for kids. It’s always a great opportunity for giving… and I get to eat! In the afternoon after church I went over to a fundraiser for a…
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The Great “I LIKE” Campaign, Part 2
For a fuller explanation of what this is about, go HERE. Basically, I am choosing to say something GOOD about a subject or people when it’s normally easy pickings for criticism. My aim is also to choose “opposites” on a given day. This is a personal project because I can be an “equal opportunity offender.” My goal now is to…
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Mourning the Loss of a Prophet
This word of David Wilkerson’s passing is just coming out. For better or worse, this man stood as a watchman on the wall of our nation and prophetically pastored a church in Manhattan that is doing an amazing work today. His words have angered me, challenged me, and brought me to my knees. The Church in America has suffered a…
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Living With the End in Mind
I am working my way through 1 Peter right now and the words of Peter are so incredibly challenging. This is one reason I write about multi-generational churches. We need the wisdom. Peter talks about it. But more than that, we need a higher calling. We need to be reminded of the great price of salvation. There is a call…
Category: Church Life
