reading and journalling through the Bible
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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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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…
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Praying for a Wise Mind and a Spirit Attuned to His Will
This is what all ministry leaders need prayer for… Colossians 1:9-12 (The Message) 9-12Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works.…
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Grumbling and Complaining Only Kills
Grumbling and complaining is contagious and only destroys. It does not build up others, but it only destroys. Galatians 5:14,15 “The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Phil 2:14,…
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Who’s In The Driver’s Seat?
“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do…
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What Makes One Extraordinary?
We think that doing extraordinary things requires extraordinary talent. But, ordinary people can do extraordinary things thanks to simple surrender, love and devotion to our extraordinary Creator. “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly…” (James 5:17a)
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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 Is There Suffering?
This morning I read a passage which gave a glimpse into the purpose of suffering… 1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened…
Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box 