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Jesus knows what holds us back
In Mark 10:17-22 we have the story of the rich young man coming to Jesus and asking what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. He finds out that it is more than checking off a pretty good list.
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The continuous lessons of the cross
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole…
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BEING salt and light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (Matt. 5:13, NIV) A disciple of the kingdom who does not LIVE like a disciple of the kingdom is worth about as much as…
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To remain… to abide… to bear fruit
I have been in the habit of reading through a daily lectionary reading the past several months. It is a joyous journey that keeps me faithfully reading the broad scope of the biblical story. But then there are passages that sweep into my spirit with a fresh wind and I am held there for a bit of time. It messes…
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The power of the greatest commandments
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” — Matthew 22:37-40
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The greatest examples we carry
I have reached a place in the Gospel of John that causes me to walk slowly. It’s difficult for me when I think I’m in some sort of time crunch, or in a “check off” mode. But this is holy ground.
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The difficulty of discipleship
John 6 is at once one of my favorite chapters to chew on… and the most frustrating chapter to read. It is the deep call to discipleship and full participation in Christ. This is the place where Jesus drives a crowd AWAY. In our world, that’s utter foolishness. We are so thirsty for big crowds! We celebrate big crowds! And…
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The community of the saints and sanctification
“The sanctification of the church-community consists in its being separated by God from that which is unholy, from sin… For the community of saints this implies three things. First, its sanctification will manifest itself in a clear separation from the world. Its sanctification will, second, prove itself through conduct that is worthy of God’s realm of holiness. And, third, its…
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How to live with others
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matt. 7:12)
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The heart of the Great Commission
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you…
Category: Discipleship/Spiritual Formation
