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Dinner Party Downer
Imagine you are in the thick of the Christmas party season. You’re doing the festive tour of parties. The economy seems to be ticking up, spirits are buoyed by the holiday spirit, and you found that big screen plasma on Black Friday and decided you could use it as a gift to yourself. Life is starting to feel much better.…
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Seeking
In Advent we are reminded that he is the One who came seeking us. It is also a good time to remember that in seeking us, our hearts are awakened. We then have journey… a call to go after him! It is joy in the journey to be enthralled with his beauty. Some reminders: 8 I love the beauty[c] of your house, LORD; …
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He Knows Where You Are
This past weekend I finished teaching a college class on the New Testament. As an exercise to see how things would go, I actually had us read the Book of Revelation out loud. It was a challenge at times, but it was a worthwhile exercise overall. The book opened up to us a little more as we tried to set…
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The Expectation of Advent
There are so many things to distract us in Advent. It’s hard enough to get our minds turned toward Christ in this consumer-mad season, but add to it the extra effort of thinking about Christ coming again. Add to that all the crazy predictions of when Jesus is coming… and we’re just too tired to think, let alone hope! But we…
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NIV 2011 Review
Here is a very thorough review of the NIV2011. I have settled into the NIV2011 quite comfortably, along with enjoying the Common English Bible for the most part. It’s too bad this “controversy” over the NIV and ESV may never go away.
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The Great I Am
We have used this song the last two Sundays and I can’t express the power of worship we’ve felt each time.
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The God Who Hears
One of the great lessons of Advent is the reminder of the God we serve. This is the God who came down. This is the God who listens to his people. We pray, he responds. Today’s Advent reading gives us a beautiful reminder: 2 Why do the nations say, “Where’s their God now?” 3 Our God is in heaven— he can do…
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Hey, Jude!
That’s about all I know of that song… the title. (I grew up fairly fundamentalist. I’ve dealt with it. You deal with it. 😉 ) We probably know more about the song than the biblical book. It’s quite the odd collection of thoughts. I really ponder the thought of Michael in an argument with the devil over the body of…
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Thoughts on Pastoring
I have been encouraged by a mentor of mine to put together some thoughts on ministry. It’s meant to be an encouragement for pastors who… well… pastor. It’s more about the ministry and call of pastoring as opposed to all the leadership material we have right now. Mark Galli’s piece, of course, pre-empts all my work! 😉 Since there is…
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We Interrupt This Joyous Season to Bring You a Prophetic Word!
Amos just ruins Christmas. Who let this guy in? Here we are feeling good about billions of dollars spent over Black Friday, and here comes Amos. Truthfully, we need Amos. He is there reminding us that no matter how good the stock market is, or how good the sales are, the priorities of the Kingdom don’t necessarily follow the Dow…
