merri ellen g :)
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Hanging On Because You Have To
Aug 29-2010: It’s very hard to not let others’ pessimism affect you while in ministry. This has been one of those years for me. Those who are slowly dying in their faith and trust of a Big God can slowly paralyze you too if you’re not careful. You ask for prayer for families in crisis…
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Making Waves as a Church
Francis Chan says we should stop trying to make people love Jesus, and learn to rely on prayer, elders, and the Holy Spirit instead. “It’s been a gradual thing over the last five years. For several years in my ministry, I really operated as though the Holy Spirit didn’t exist. The truth is I trusted…
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Francis Chan Gives Up | Conversations for Ministry Leaders
Francis Chan shares his insight after 15 years of ministry and seeing no life change in one man in his church… “Churches that are built through our effort rather than the Spirit’s will quickly collapse when we stop pushing and prodding people along. Now we should push, prod, and persuade men, but I’ve learned to…
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Under Pressure
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient…
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Sticking It Out Over The Long Haul
As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into…
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Why Baptism?
I came across this video which wonderfully explains baptism, what it is, and why believers choose to do it… Baptism « What’s Next Kit: What’s next in your relationship with Jesus?. via Why Baptism?.
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A pastoral response to Ann Rice ‘quitting’ Christianity – Mark Driscoll
“…Christians should not be offended by her (Anne Rice’s) rejection of Christianity. We should instead use it as an opportunity to search our own lives to see how we have been vicious, cruel, mean, unloving, and difficult to others, and repent of our own sin without fixating on what we think are her sins. We…
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A Good Example is The Best Form of Teaching
A good example is the best form of teaching. But, being a good example is less about trying harder and more about allowing God to transform your character. Trying harder often leads to failure. Look at Peter (thankfully God brought him back and chose to use him to spread good news). And spending time with…
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Justification by Theology | TheResurgence
Repent of our theological idolatry. While theology is a great thing, it is not an ultimate thing. It is a means to an end to know God and make him known. In what ways have you made it an ultimate thing? Confess them to God. Claim gospel promises. Ask God to help you not make…
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5 Reasons You May Not Be Seeing Spiritual Growth | TheResurgence
Trial and temptation is often a sign of God’s work in our circumstances to draw us away from the fleeting promises of sin into the sweeter promises of grace. Allow trial and temptation to push you closer to God, not away from him. Difficult things often indicate God’s presence, not his absence. He disciplines those…
Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box 