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Simple. Gospel.
Today, live in the power of the simple proclamation of the good news. Let your life be saturated with the prayer, “Lord, is my life speaking out to others the good news of the reign of King Jesus?” It’s not about how our “eloquence” is taken… it’s about the cross. Live the simple gospel. For Christ did not send me to baptize,…
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The urge to give up
The urge to give up a fast or some other deeper commitment comes early. It’s because we are soft. The enemy punches quickly to see if we can be pushed back into mediocrity. The earliest part of the spiritual commitment is the easiest place. For me, when it comes to a fast, or a modified fast, the enemy punches early…
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I hate fasting
There. I said it. People used to think I actually liked it. But it’s been so long since I’ve walked in intentional fasting, or a modified fast like this one for Lent, I now remember why I have let this practice slip. I hate fasting. When I step into this discipline with purpose there is nothing good that comes of…
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Praying for harvest
In this Lent season, we want to continue to pray for a spiritual harvest. We want people touched with the light of the gospel! Let’s not get so focused on where the Lord is leading us months from now that we forget to look at those right around us today! Pray for people you interact with on a daily basis.…
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What we’re giving up for Lent
This collage represents top “tweets” of what people are giving up for Lent. A lot of people are giving up Twitter… and tweeting about it. (Including me, because this post still feeds through my Twitter account.)
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Not our normal Lent
First of all, Lent isn’t “normal” in our tradition. It has become “normal” for us in the past few years in our congregation. We have commemorated Ash Wednesday these past few years and we have focused our ministry on preparation for Easter. But this Lent is not “normal” for us even in that way this year. This is a year…
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Why Lent
From the Orthodox perspective: For Spiritual Exercise Frederica Mathewes-Green “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable …. I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:25, 27, ESV). Lent is a time of year to…
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Prayer going into Lent
Going into Lent, we pray for harvest. We pray for our own souls to be prepared, but we also pray for OTHERS. We pray they may see the greatness of our God. We pray for harvest. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. (Isa. 45:22)
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Free Speech
We like to think it exists (and in reality, it still does), but what we really mean is this: “I believe in your right to speak freely as long as it agrees one hundred percent with me. If it does not, I will have your job, or your company, or your product… or something to show how shameful it is that you disagree with…
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One thing you lack
Mark 10:17-22 gives us the story of the rich man asking about eternal life. One big thing that continually stands out to me from Mark and Matthew on this story: When asked point blank what was needed to inherit eternal life, Jesus did NOT point to himself in a way we would think. He did NOT say, “Well, believe in me! DUH!” He…
Tag: Lent
