Knowing God
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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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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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“Away From Me” or “Well Done”? (New Year Thoughts)
Wow. Reading Matthew 7 is a good way to end off a year and start a new one. Verses 21-23 is a good wake up call for all Christians. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father…
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You Don’t Have To Be A Dog… or A Pig
Don’t be a dog. Nor a pig. “A dog goes back to its own vomit” and “A scrubbed-up pig heads for the mud.” (2 Peter 2:22) Peter wrote this in a letter to warn people of false teachers who were misguiding people away from truth. He was talking about how some people will hear the…
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Marriage or christ?
I have been pondering the question: “Which is more important if one had to choose: a ‘happy’ marriage without Christ or a broken marriage that has driven one closer to Christ?” The answer affects eternity. We have faith and pray for miracles on earth but ultimately what is essential to our soul? The most gracious…
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Be Who You Are
So many of us cavalierly gloss over what God has done and zero in on what we’re to do, and that shift, though it might seem slight, makes all the difference in the world. Our obedience has its origin in God’s prior action, and forgetting that truth results in self-righteousness, pride, and despair. Read… Be…
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Your Prayers Not Heard?
What if it feels like God isn’t hearing our prayers? These are some possible hindrances to prayer. They will challenge you. They certainly challenged me. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful…
Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box 