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Suffering and All Its Glory
There are several ways to approach teaching God’s Word. There are those who focus on teaching the principles, others on the doctrine, and still others put the focus on the words or the content of the passages. They tell the stories, they highlight the words and they emphasize the historical facts. They carefully teach the who, what, when, where, why, and even the how of the story. I have tended to use this method. Through this form of teaching I learned a lot of the characters, places, and events in the Bible. I have seen how God works and how people respond to His person, power, and promises. After over…
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Christian Parenting Mistakes: #4 Raising Cultural Christians
The difference between religion and life in Christ, which is what God intended in Christianity, can be summed up in one word, RELATIONSHIP. We must guard against just handing down our rules and ethics like a religious preference. Christianity is not inherited or genetically passed on from one generation to another. It is not a way of life that is taught because how we live doesn’t make us Christians. Being a Christian determines how we live. We cannot give anyone a relationship with God. Relationship is personal. Relationship must be developed by the individuals at a personal commitment level. Christian parents are sadly mistaken when they think that if they…
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Change of Seasons or a Change of Heart?
Did you ever wonder why God created the sun to rise in the East? Is it coincidence that Jesus rose in the Middle East to save the world from the darkness of sin? “The true light, who gives light to everyone . . . was in the world, . . . but the world did not recognize him. . . We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.” John 1:9,10,14 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them…
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The Christmas Refugee
Did you ever wonder why Jesus was born in a stable? It wasn’t just coincidence, a lack of planning, or slow travel so that by the time they arrived they just happened to be too late. It wasn’t bad luck that they had to stay in a stable. God carefully orchestrated this. If for no other purpose, I am convinced it was done so that His invited guests would feel right at home when they came to worship. Only a certain few were invited. What an invitation it was! “. . . the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news…
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3 Ways to Encourage a Love for the Bible
You can’t force someone to like something just because you do, but that doesn’t mean you have no influence. As a famous saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. However, you can always feed him his salt.” Sometimes we underestimate our influence over others, especially our own family members. One of the reasons I love the Bible so much today is due to the influence of my parents, older siblings, and respected adult leaders in our church. Here are 3 Ways to pass on a love for the Word of God. 1.) Be excited about God’s Word & show it. In baseball,…
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Another Recommendation–Enrich your Lenten season, see Risen
All week I've asked the Lord what to write in my blog and all week no answer–until this evening. David and I just returned from viewing the new film Risen and I simply want to add my hearty recommendation along with my friend, Sandi Glahn, and her friend Chrissy. (See their blogs 2/19 and 2/15) The earlier blog contains the film trailer. I fought back tears during multiple scenes, and I'm not a crier. How refreshing to view a creative work that isn't sappy or contrived. Invite a non believer to go with you. Productive discussion is likely to follow. For you who demand that every Christian film follow verse…
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Can you spare 15 minutes?
Do you read the newspaper for at least 15 minutes a day? Do you watch at least 15 minutes of television daily? Do you spend at least 15 minutes a day on Facebook? Do you surf the internet for at least 15 minutes a day? Do you check your email for at least 15 minutes a day? If you answered “yes” to any one or more of those questions, let me tell you a story and offer you a challenge? A friend of mine recently diagnosed with serious cancer is fighting for his life. For the past several years he chose to read the bible through each year. In addition,…
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Truth: Does it Blind or Break?
Leadership is broken because leaders are unbroken As long as truth is theory it blinds. As soon as truth becomes real it breaks. This is something I’ve learned across the years of my life. When I first graduated from seminary, I knew much truth. I could answer nearly every question in some way, often with biblical support. What I could not see was what I did not know. I still can’t, but I’m better at seeing some of my blind spots than I used to be… Every once in a while in my teaching preparation, I go back to an old file and review previous work on a particular passage.…
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Transforming the Heart
Leadership is Broken Because Leaders are Unbroken Nearly three hundred years ago, Jonathan Edwards wrote on of the greatest Christian classics of all time entitled, Religious Affections. By “Affections” Edwards meant the deepest desires and drives of the heart. For Edwards, this is what our faith is about, and, while he doesn’t need me to confirm him, I believe he is absolutely right. I also believe his perspective is missing in today’s thinking. Edwards said, “. . . no one is ever changed, either by doctrine. . . or by preaching or teaching of another, unless the affections are moved by these things. . . . there is…