Month: August 2019
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Freedom From Earned
Genesis 15:1–6, Romans 5:1–11, 1 John 1:5–2:2 One of the ongoing struggles that people have is earning their salvation. They think they can, or that they must. This is what is often called “works” in Christian circles. Theologians have discussed what “works” is from a more philosophical perspective. Some have argued that Abraham completed a…
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Paths To Choose
1 Samuel 5:1–6:12, Jeremiah 42:1–43:7 Asking God what to do can be a “dangerous” prayer. It may lead to something that puts you outside of your comfort zone. It can also be the most fulfilling thing you ever do. Fulfilling God’s plans sometimes means that you don’t know you’re doing it. Let’s take the story…
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Resurrection Avoidance
Acts 24:14–21, 1 Corinthians 15:29–38, 1 Peter 1:13–25 Resurrection. It’s kind of important to what it means to be a Christian. However, in our scientific age, it’s often hard to convince non-believers of it, and even a lot of church-goers (who do call themselves Christian) struggle with believing it. Why is it? Really, it’s kind…
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God’s Broken People
2 Samuel 13:11–39, Ephesians 4:13–19 Parenting is hard. Parents struggle with their own failures personally and with their children. For the deeply afflicted parent (and child), parenting is not just brutal, but it is unending pain. For a normal parent, having children is a blessing and one of the hardest jobs ever (there is a…
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Sign of the Flesh
Joshua 5:1–9 You’ve been literally following (cloud by day; fire by night) God for 40 years. In that time, you’ve eaten mysterious white stuff that shows up at dawn and melts by noon. Your clothes and sandals don’t wear out. Water mysteriously appears in the desert. In other words, 40 years of nothing much. Nothing…
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Called Me To…
Esther 4, Jeremiah 29:4–14 “Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this” Ester 4:14 “The LORD called me before I was born. He named me while I was in my mother’s womb.” Isaiah 49:1 “I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you…
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Respond How?
Haggai 1:4–14, Amos 7:10–17 It would be nice if nice things just happened. It would be nice if all the stuff that needs to happen, just happened. It doesn’t work that way. Someone has to take responsibility. God had fulfilled his promise that the remnants of Israel would return from exile. Now they were starting…
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Stone to Grace
Exodus 28:15–30, Ezekiel 36:24–30, Luke 3:7–9, Luke 19:37–40 “I’ve done too much.” “God would never forgive me.” “I would be [struck by lightening/catch on fire/combust/die] if I walked through the doors.” “If you (or God) knew what I had done…” Have you heard any of these statements from people? It is so completely human to…