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Being Heavenly Minded for Earthly Good
Our car rolled to a stop on the side of the highway. The difference between 55 mph and 0 mph was startling. Inside and out, our car looked to be in perfect working order––but now it couldn’t move. I watched my Mr. Fix-It lift the hood and investigate. His answer was sure: All the right…
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Before I Go Online Bible Study Review
Dying words tell you something about a person. The way someone chooses to spend their last few days of life on earth matters. Usually, “Before I Go” seasons are spent sharing important moments and words with loved ones. Even though Jesus was going to be raised from the dead, the same was true during the…
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But Jesus
There were big things to do. There throngs willing to listen who needed to hear. There were disciples seeking training and teaching. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” –Luke 5:16 There were people to heal. There were lost souls to share the Gospel with. There were places to get to, people…
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7 Ways to Turn Your Bible Reading Into a Conversation with God
Silly as it may seem, I didn’t see a connection between reading the Bible and praying for a long time. Then one day in my regular Bible reading, I was desperate to understand what a challenging passage was saying. Desperation has a way of making our prayers more honest, doesn’t it? I smacked my forehead…
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The Sore Loser
My competitive side was getting the better of me. As far as we were into the game, it was clear I wasn’t going to win. I’d tried, strategizing my way through, but there was no doubt who would have the victory (not me.) The temptation? To pick up the whole stinkin- board game and shake…
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Leave God-Room
“Leave room for Jesus.” That’s what we’d tease dating friends who always seemed to want to be close to each other. It was a light-hearted way to remind them that God’s way is better than our way. The principle applies to much more than just purity in relationships though. Franklin Graham, in his autobiography Rebel…
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The Ongoing Struggle with Control (And How God Answered My Prayer)
I heard the sound of glass rattling in the kitchen. Peeking in, I saw my guy kindly unloading the dishwasher. My first response? To *almost* inform him he was doing it wrong. How does one unload a dishwasher incorrectly? By breaking everything? By dumping dirt on the plates? Placing everything in the cereal cupboard? Nope.…
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Who (Isn’t) My Neighbor?
Love. That’s the spirit of God’s law. Jesus made it clear, even saying that “loving others” is the second greatest command. When talking with Jesus about the command, an expert in the law asked “but who is my neighbor?”* The question- and Jesus’ answer of the parable of the good Samaritan- are often talked about…
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That You May
Though the preposition in the phrase changes, there is such certainty in God’s words: “that you may”. We encounter the phrase throughout Scripture. These 3 little words are pivotal in directing our feet on His path. Rebekah, in Genesis 27:10, tells Jacob to bring food to Isaac so “that he may” bless Jacob. In Deuteronomy 5:33, the…
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Questions about Loving Well
Paul’s greeting to the church at Philippi warmly displays his godly affection for the fellow believers he was so invested in. Each expression of love in the greeting teaches us something about what it means to build one another up in Christ. Let’s not gloss over this passage as a nicety. Will you take it…