Dig Deep

What is Religion?

Dr. Warren Gage
9 Oct 2019
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religion

The word “religion” is derived from Latin and means “to tie or to bind together.”  In popular usage religion means the web of beliefs that inform how a worshiper understands God. Religion “ties together” how we think about God and how we behave as a consequence. Last month we asked the question, “What is God?”  We asked the most fundamental questions about God.  We asked these questions in a search to identify the most basic theology.  We concluded that the best conjunction of reason and revelation finds expression in the word to Moses on Sinai, “I Am that I Am” […]

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Worshipful

Dr. Gary Hewins
8 Oct 2019
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There is a place where you can go-a great expansive, yet intimate “room.” Expectantly and cautiously climbing the stairs upward through an open door, one can enter an ongoing celebration. At the epicenter of all things is a throne. From that throne emanates flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. The color is so very brilliant and intense, but not as beautiful as He on the throne. The area around the throne cannot contain the visual splendor. The colors and brilliance are reflected as in a failed attempt to diminish their intensity. There before the throne is sea of glass, […]

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Unsinkable

Robey Barnes
17 Sep 2019
one comments

I wish I could say that I took it in stride. But the honest truth is, I was shocked. I was sitting at lunch across from a young couple. They were both sharp professionals. They had asked me to officiate their wedding, and the purpose of the lunch was to find out where they were at spiritually. Over the course of the conversation, I said something like, “…that is why the resurrection of Jesus is so important.” I continued, but they interrupted. The groom-to-be said, “Wait, what did you just say?” I said, “You know, the fact that Jesus rose […]

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What is God?

Dr. Warren Gage
12 Sep 2019
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One of the most popular search terms on Google is the question, “What is God?” This question shocks most Christians, who would have expected the question, “Who is God?” But Christians assume a personal God. Let’s back up for a moment to the very beginning and consider the Great Question from its inception.                                                                                                […]

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You Are Bountiful

Dr. Gary Hewins
9 Sep 2019
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In Christ, you have a grasp of the far-reaching implications of generosity. You know that you are never more like your Lord than when you give. “For God so loved the world that He gave…” (John 3:16). For you, faith, generosity and love are inseparable. Your faith is fully alive and fully energized by Spirit-led biblical generosity. While others think they own what they have, they can actually be owned by what they have. You are aware of the truth that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. You own nothing. God owns everything. You steward all that […]

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Shoves and Tugs

Stephan Tchividjian
5 Sep 2019
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I recently read an interesting article in Forbes magazine regarding the unexpected retirement of Andrew Luck, the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. There were several items that stood out to me while reading this article. Andrew retired from a very promising career in football, leaving upwards of $500 million of unearned potential on the table because of both physical and emotional injuries. He said he lost his joy. The article went on to state that he had been sacked a league-high 156 times in the first 70 games of his career (ouch!) and that his offensive line had been mismanaged […]

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tug-of-war

A Loving God Must Be A Judging God

Dr. Tommy Boland
4 Sep 2019
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Loving God

Unbelieving skeptics frequently tell me, “I’m OK with your loving God, but I have no interest in following a God who judges!” Those who express this objection simply have not given careful thought to what they are saying. Before we go any further, let me make one thing perfectly clear: In order for the world to have a God of love, this God must also be the God who judges men for their sins. Scripture is quite clear; God is love, to be sure (1 John 4:8), and He is also a judge (Genesis 18:25). Let me explain. The loving […]

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Uniting the Church In Worship

Julie Anne Vargas
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Sometimes it takes a single spark in the heart of one that God uses to spread something impactful to a community. The vision of Village Hymns began four years ago inside the heart of a local South Florida worship leader. Josh Bramos pulled together a small group of worship leader friends who wrote songs for their churches. Each of us had something in common: we were writing songs for our church contexts and leading them on Sunday mornings right alongside mainstream worship songs and hymns.    Themes We found that there were themes that were rising up from pulpits and […]

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worship

Discover Meaning, Purpose and Mission In Work

Brad Schmidt
3 Sep 2019
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Barna Group recently released a study called “Christians at Work” that explores how Christians experience their work in relation to their understanding of the mission of God. What it revealed was that the majority of Christians cannot connect their everyday work to God’s work. Barna characterizes them as “compartmentalizers.” They think that what the pastor does and what happens on Sunday morning is important to God, and what happens Monday-Saturday is a means to an end. As a result, worship is something you do on Sunday and work is something you do on Monday. So…what’s the big deal? If we […]

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Stigma

Stephan Tchividjian
14 Aug 2019
one comments

Do you have a stigma? You might ask, “What actually is a stigma?” Our wonderful dictionary (yes, they do actually still exist) defines stigma as the following: stig ma – a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality or person Stigmas can be subtle, and stigmas can be bold. Sometimes stigmas are self-induced, and other times they are placed upon us, often against our will. Many of us are born with a stigma, and some of us inherit them. We are also masters at creating them, putting ourselves in situations where they are given life, grow and are […]

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stigma