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Fond Memories of Egypt
The children of Israel had watched Egypt go down hard. A nation of slaves had just walked out on the most powerful nation on the face of the earth and deliverance was theirs. Hundreds of years of slavery were wiped out… and they complain. They get outside of Egypt and all of a sudden Egypt sounds like Disney World. They think of the great…
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Isn’t It Time to Leave Egypt?
4 You saw what I did to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to me. (Ex. 19:4, CEB) There are so many thoughts, discussion, articles, etc., on the angst of the American Church. There are some I agree with, and some I don’t. There are certainly those who are so politicized that the…
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Just Keep Still
The hard stuff usually comes right after a nice victory. There will be some incredible moment of great news that touches our lives… and then we get blindsided by some bad news, or a tough battle. Panic may even set in. We were walking in victory one minute… then… WHAM! We’re on the ground looking around… dazed. It’s in those…
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The Roundabout Way
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn’t lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though that was the shorter route. God thought, If the people have to fight and face war, they will run back to Egypt. 18 So God led the people by the roundabout way of the Reed Sea desert. The Israelites went up out of…
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The God Who Watches Over You
We have celebrated Resurrection Sunday. We have worshiped the risen Savior. For us at Heights Church, it was a great day. We sang with our hearts. We worshiped the mighty King. These are great days of celebration. It doesn’t take away from the battles we face in our lives. Christ triumphs… and we have to know that triumph even in…
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Sweeping Victory
What is the power of the resurrection? It is “sweeping victory.” This is where I like how the Common English Bible puts some phrases. They take some very familiar passages and bring a fresh perspective. The resurrection is power. 11If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the…
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Lord, Is It Me?
17 That evening, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 During the meal, Jesus said, “I assure you that one of you will betray me—someone eating with me.” 19 Deeply saddened, they asked him, one by one, “It’s not me, is it?” (Mark 14:17-19, CEB) Jesus prepares this meal on this night among chaos. He prepares a meal in love knowing he is about to be…
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Taxes and Who We Owe
No better time than tax season to have a story on taxes from Mark 12. And it’s always a great question in our culture. Just bring up TAXES and see what kind of response we get! 13 They sent some of the Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap him in his words. 14They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know…
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Did a Shooting Happen… or not?
Yesterday the news was all over the internet in what I consider “main sources.” It was the first thing you saw when the news page would come up. When newspapers were actually printed, it would be called “above the fold.” It was front and center. I thought there was yet another shooting at yet another college campus. Seven dead. And…
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Liking the Common English Bible Bit by Bit
Teaching a New Testament class on some of the “general epistles” I keep several translations with me. I will use my Nook and the Olive Tree Bible Reader to compare, take notes, etc. While the Common English Bible certainly has a lower reading level than more “literal” translations, what continues to impress me about the CEB is it is truly a…
Tag: CEB Blog Tour
