merri ellen g :)
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Turning Your Pain and Regret Into Joy
Does pain or regret paralyze you? John Piper recently tweeted: “Fly this banner over every wound and regret: Satan meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. (Gen. 50:20)” I have to say loudly with arms waving in the air: Yes!! Claim this promise and ask God to take whatever pain or regret…
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It’s a Relationship, Not a Religion
Following Christ is a relationship, not a religious exercise. If we really believe it, then everything we do in church should revolve around growing our relationships—with each other and with Jesus. The danger comes when we sacrifice our relationship with Christ for the sake of religious tradition.
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Cramming Defeats Marriages and Families
We learn how to cram before exams in high school and college in order to get all the info in our heads. Then we grow up and carry the same attitudes in our marriages and in how we raise kids. We goof off all semester and expect our quick fixes to cultivate our relationships. In…
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Family Ministry: Discipleship Starts at Home
Discipleship begins in our marriages, by loving our spouses with the love of Christ and by teaching, loving, and disciplining our children. Read: Family Ministry: Discipleship Starts at Home. (originally I had linked to another person’s post but that blog is no longer in operation sadly, so I have linked back to one of mine…
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Repentance is Good News!
Repentance. When you read or hear that word, what is your first reaction? It’s a word that Jesus used quite often as He proclaimed the coming of God’s kingdom. But it’s an awfully unpopular word in our independent and self-reliant culture. How can we find God’s grace in this word? Reflecting on scripture, I’m finding…
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Passion?
Enthusiasm means: “God in you”. “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. I once asked God for passion for a task. Funny thing is that is one of the compliments I get – about most frequently is regarding my passion. Do you lack passion? Why not ask God for it. If…
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25 Ways to Become a Christian Atheist
A Christian Atheist is someone who believes in God, but lives as though He doesn’t exist. Someone who has gone to church for years but realizes their relationship with God has done nothing to change how they lived. Read… The Way It Could Be » 25 Ways to Become a Christian Atheist.
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Burn-out Isn’t Necessary « Alan Fadling: Notes from my Unhurried Journey
“There is a great difference between working for God and working with God… God hides what He’s doing from the know-it-alls and is pleased to reveal them to the “little ones”—the humble. Ministry must never be the overflow of someone full of themselves! It is the little ones who know themselves to be empty and…
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Over 20 Years And No Disciples?
If your church is over 20 years old and you’ve made no disciples, you know your focus is off.
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Vibrant Churches: Discipleship Plan
Discipleship Plan: Research has demonstrated that churches identified as “vibrant” were far more likely to have a discipleship process that was communicated with clarity, a process where members could understand where they were and what step they needed to take next to continue along the path of spiritual development. (Thom Rainer/Eric Geiger in Simple Church)…
Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box 