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Am I Conducting the Business of My Master?
Matthew 25:14-30 is the parable of the ten coins (or talents). The question I come away with in this parable is this: Am I conducting myself in the way my Master would conduct business? Have I paid enough attention to what he has said that I know how to live life while he is away? The servants all knew the master. They…
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The Bold Brash Claims of Faith
For all the years I have spent reading the Gospels, I still am blown away by the bold claims of faith. 18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to…
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Building Spiritual Muscle
In Matthew 6 we get those verse that talk about trusting God for the basics of life. What to wear, what to eat, etc. Trust him. Easier said than done, I know. Wow, do I know! I live in more anxiety than I’m willing to admit! (And I happen to be admitting some, so just think…) So, how do we get to…
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The Power of the Grace of God
Grace isn’t just about forgiveness of sins. It is the power to live. Titus 2:11-14 gives an outline on the power God gives us through grace. There are things TO do… and things NOT to do. I am reminded of Dallas Willard saying Christians should burn through grace every day like a jet burns fuel on take off. We need…
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Centered in on Christ
Colossians 3 is a great passage for spiritual formation. The “nuts and bolts” of living life in Christ are here. Spiritual formation helps us center in on what is essential. Center to our lives is where we fix our gaze. It is Christ. It is Christ exalted. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ…
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You are DEAD… and That is Good News!
Before there was a TV show about hoarders, I lived it. Well, I didn’t personally live it. My dad was in business and some customers he dealt with were in that category long before there was a TV show. Too bad those folks died so many years ago, those TV producers would have LOVED them! Before there was the TV show, there…
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Our Cues Need to Come from the Living Word
There are passages of Scripture I could just “camp on” like anyone else. Two of those passages are in this week’s reading for our church. One of the books we’re reading this week is Ephesians. That letter restored so much in my life several years ago. Then, we are reading Romans and Romans 8 is one of the finest chapters…
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Truly Loving
1 Corinthians 13 was the most over-read Scripture at weddings for years and years. What a shock to find out it had nothing to do with weddings. It does deal with the spiritual arrogance of a group of people who were using manifestation gifts to beat up on other believers. In the middle of a discussion on manifestation gifts Paul gives…
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Use It or Lose It
I do the vast majority of my work on computer now, but I am a fan of pens. Good pens. I love fountain pens. If I take the time to journal, I try to have a fountain pen nearby. The ink on my hands is just fun for me. My “better” fountain pen has a cartridge where I draw ink…
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Freedom in Christ and Freedom from Arrogance
As I read through 1-2 Corinthians and Galatians, I am constantly struck by our impulses. As humans, we seem to strive for being “one up” on someone else… anyone else. Even in the Church, Paul battled these kinds of attitudes. With the Corinthians, it was being “one up” with spiritual gifts… or being “one up” by being able to sin…
Category: Discipleship/Spiritual Formation
