Tag: church
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Conviction about Christ’s Call
King Josiah was just about my age when a secretary told him “they found a book” in the temple. Hearing it read, he tore his clothes. Soon, all the people in the land heard the words of the book. They sought God, and reformed their practices. Hundreds of years of idolatrous landmarks and openly sinful…
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3 Ways to Swap for Better Comparisons
Like it or not, life is made up of comparisons. We compare our food choices in order to make an informed decision about what we eat. Our employers compare our work to industry standards to help us succeed. God in His Word compares the things of the flesh with the things of the Spirit to…
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Are You Acting Like a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?
One of the questions we often ask when reading Scripture is “how does this apply?” We’re usually thinking in terms of what the Word means for our lives or what promises it holds. Sometimes we ask how it might comfort or exhort us. Scripture can also warn us about our own nature. Do you know…
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Her Utmost for His Highest
The greenish book seemed odd to me as I quickly paged through. “Thank you,” I murmured with confusion as the older woman patted my hand and said she’d be praying. I was off to the mission field, and she’d given me a copy of Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest. She didn’t know it,…
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What The Millennial Generation Needs to Know About the Goal of Faith
For many millennials entering adulthood, the truth that we all compete for a prize is a shock. Painted high on the concrete wall of my elementary school gym, next to a friendly cartoon character, were the words, If you had fun, you won. It was as simple as that. We received participation trophies whether we failed…
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Connecting God’s Power to Our Anchor in Christ
To me, Jesus walking on water isn’t the craziest part of the story recorded in Matthew 14. Peter’s response is. What would inspire a man to say “IF it’s you, Jesus, command me to walk on water too?” If I was skeptical that the guy defying physics was actually Jesus, I still would’ve settled for…
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Jesus’ I AM Statements and Your Identity
The unchanging character of God is such an assurance. It seems like everything is always changing- which means there is always something new to adapt to, to embrace, to struggle with. But when we know the great I AM, we have someone to rely on always. What a gift that the unchanging, completely trustworthy, everlasting…
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God’s Reverberating Word
“Sola Scriptura.” I remember reading the phrase (Scripture alone) in High School as our history books tackled the reformation. The concept was mentioned briefly as one of the causes of the divide in Christianity that shook the world at the time. Such a stance was not- and still is not- without powerful consequence. More than…
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The Instrument’s Purpose
Whew. What a flute. What a paintbrush. What a keyboard! …Said no one awed in a concert, enjoying an art show, or mesmerized by a book. The plate, my goodness, it’s spectacular. What a fork! Said no satisfied diner. Ever. Those Christians. So good and righteous and flawless. What a bunch! Said too many people….
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The Treasure of Finished
What happens when your fears come true before your dreams do? I faced this question recently when the very reason I’d avoided obeying the Lord in pursuit of my dreams became a reality. Spread out before me, my big scary reason for reluctance made the truth plain. There is no way around hurt and hardship…