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The Warm Fuzzies and Fear
It’s probably best to avoid Jeremiah in your Lenten reading if you’re into the warm fuzzy God stuff. As a matter of fact, you will need to avoid the Romans 3 reading for today as well. In fact, close your eyes, connect your middle finger with your thumb, and just start singing “Kumbaya.” If your view of God is the…
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A New Reformation
The sad thing is a call for “new reformation” is old hat. It could be called a new “manifesto,” but that’s been used as well. Simply stated, I have a stirring in my heart for the Church in America to do something the culture in America is refusing to do: grow up. In America we are moving more and more…
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A Whole Lotta Nuthin’
All the talk of “sequestration” and drastic cuts continue. We are on the verge of catastrophe, I’m sure. Or, maybe not. In this article, there are both extremes. To one side: California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters cautioned that “over 170 million jobs” were at risk. (That would mean negative employment, considering there aren’t even that many jobs right now in…
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Yeah, Sure, We’re “Evolved”
I think of great words that have inspired in the past, often uttered by self-educated people who simply took care with language. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us–that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion–that we…
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Please Try Another Religion
Following Christ is not the cream puff, cotton candy, all sugar stuff we’ve seen promoted in our current culture. It is not about just “hangin’” with the “crew” (or whatever slang is being used in this 24 hour period). Following Christ is not a hangout. He is LIFE. He does not lie to you about that. Maybe some other “Christian”…
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Justified Through Faith
Attention all Greek scholars! Figure this one out for me! Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Rom. 5:1, NIV) Therefore, since we have been made righteous through his faithfulness combined with our faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:1, CEB) Therefore, since we have been declared righteous…
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Joy in the Church
Lord, give more joy to your church…Without the church, the whole world is joyless and miserable, and there is no end to hunger and thirst. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer (@DailyBonhoeffer) February 27, 2013
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What We Love
“What we love we shall grow to resemble.” Bernard of Clairvaux — Marlena Graves (@MarlenaGraves) February 27, 2013
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Sexual Sin
The particular reading guide I am using for Lent breaks down a reading of the early chapters of Romans. I really don’t like breaking down the first three chapters into “bite size” pieces because it really leads to bad small group discussions. If we stick with Romans 1, the inevitable discussion turns to sexual sin. And that chapter gets camped…
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Broken Cisterns
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. (Jer. 2:13, NIV) We exchange the glory of God for our own glory. We insert our own efforts and abilities in where the grace of God and the power of the Spirit should…
