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Meekness—It Is More Than You Think
Ever since our church small group discussed meekness last week, I’ve been thinking about it—trying to make sense of it. It seems simple enough until you really pause and consider Jesus’ words. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Meekness isn’t something we talk much about. It’s often seen as being weak, timid, or passive—hardly qualities we want to possess. But take a second look, and you quickly discover meekness is much more. The biblical view of meekness is strength under control. It’s the middle ground; the place where we struggle to live. Most of us choose to either keep the peace at all costs.…
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Decrease, Increase?
John the Baptist’s words in John 1:29 cause me to pause and wonder. Why would his simple words, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” seem so profound? Who was John the Baptist? What can I learn from this unique man that lived over 2000 years ago? These types of questions sent me on a search that revealed some life lessons for me. By God’s great mercy, John the Baptist was born to Elizabeth and Zachariah. Elizabeth was from Arron’s line, Zachariah was from the division of Abijah, they were both elderly and considered righteous in the sight of God (Luke 1:5-7). Because there…
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The Treasure We Give Back
All of us have something we value above all else. Something we can’t live without. Something that gives us a sense of importance or hope. What can we learn from a woman labeled with capital SHAME who relinquished the treasure she was saving?
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Believe Boldly
Scripture uses “courage” and “boldness” (including derivatives) over 110 times. To live boldly, we must believe boldly. How can we live and believe boldly?
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A Year of Courage
Repeated words are words to pay attention to. The past few weeks, the word “courage” has echoed in various forms and contexts. From dictionary.com, the definition for courage reads, “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain,etc.” Quality and character are key in courage. The definition reminds us that it is a quality or characteristic of our mind and spirit that our actions our based on. Courage is something that can be built up, strengthened and possibly remain quiet until called upon to step forward. Where does this courage come from? What is it based on? When do we…