Dig Deep

Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

Dr. Tommy Boland
1 Nov 2017
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sacrifice of thanksgiving

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving… The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me” (Psalm 50:14, 23 ESV). This month we celebrate Thanksgiving, so I would like to give you a word of encouragement that is rooted in the words of the psalmist above, as well as in a number of other places throughout sacred Scripture. Now, at first glance, a “sacrifice of thanksgiving” seems to be incongruent. How could being thankful for receiving some blessing be a sacrifice? It seems like such a natural response. We receive a blessing, and we respond with thanksgiving. But clearly […]

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Time: A Reflection

John Hawkins, Sr
26 Oct 2017
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When younger, most people don’t give much thought to time. It seems to be unlimited, and we don’t have a concern about running out of it. Eventually we cross a line in time when our mortality confronts us. We realize we have less time in front of us than behind us. Some call this mid-life crisis. I call it the existential crisis. It is a time to examine the meaning of our life in light of this scarce and valuable commodity we call time. Take time today to reflect with me on your time, so you can use what you […]

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Is Bible Prophesy Being Fulfilled in Our Time?

Jerry Newcombe
19 Oct 2017
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There’s an item in the news that caught my attention and made me wonder if Bible prophesy is possibly being fulfilled in our time. Having written a book almost twenty years ago that compares the major views Christians hold on the return of Christ, I think we must be wary of “newspaper exegesis.” Don’t read into every current event some aspect of the return of Christ. Nonetheless, the book of Revelation says this about “the beast of the earth,” a major helper to the beast, who is the Antichrist to come: “It also forced all people, great and small, rich […]

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Why The Church Can’t Be Colorblind

Rob Hoskins
31 Aug 2017
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“Perhaps the most powerful weapon we have, in having significance in our life and an impact on the world, is the love we have for each other.”- Rob Hoskins Discussing race, cultural diversity, and equality can be a harrowing ordeal because of all the differing perspectives and opinions on these topics. Especially on the heels of yet another racially charged attack, this time in Charlottesville, VA. Yet, regardless of the challenges to navigate, these are necessary conversations to have if we desire to see wrongs righted, hurts healed and a Church that reflects the heart of God. Don’t be colorblind […]

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Mack Truck

Stephan Tchividjian
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mack

A Mudded Mind Like a Mack Truck The mind drifts when you are relaxed. I often wonder why we are designed to need a break from time to time. A day off, a long weekend, a vacation or sometimes just a rainy summer afternoon with a good book. The fact is we all need a break from time to time; we are made that way. I believe that changing your surroundings certainly helps. I remember, as a child, being mesmerized by the granite mountains called the Swiss Alps or a moss forest by a stream in North Carolina. Living in […]

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The Mother of Us All

Dr. Susan Michael
1 May 2017
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Hebrews 11 is the well-known New Testament Hall of Fame — or as some call it, Hall of Faith — because it lists the great heroes of the Old Testament who exhibited extraordinary faith. One such hero is Abraham. We are familiar with Abraham’s story and the great faith he exhibited when he obeyed the voice of God and left his home, not knowing where he was going. He then lived in the land God promised to him by faith — as a pilgrim in temporary dwellings. His greatest act of faith was offering up his son Isaac, even though […]

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Christ in the Passover: Seeing Jesus through a Jewish Lens of Faith

Melissa Presser
3 Apr 2017
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The Jewish roots of our Christian faith run deep. The pinnacle of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was precipitated by a Passover meal, one that represents the Paschal mystery in the New Covenant. Jesus is the true lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world — the final sacrifice for all humankind, manifested first at the Passover, the Last Supper whose celebration would endure forever. In Passover is every element of who Jesus was, what he stood for and why he came. To dig deeper, we look at all that occurred after God freed the […]

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Jesus and Comedy

Dr. Samuel Lamerson
7 Mar 2017
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“The presence of laughter and the comedic imagination is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us, and Jesus certainly made use of it.” How comedic are the sayings of Jesus? Are any of the things that Jesus says meant to be funny or comedic in the Hebrew or Greek sense of the word? To answer this question we must first decide exactly what constitutes the comedic. After all, the Church has been reading these sayings for these many years and very few people have been laughing in church (and most of those who have been were usually […]

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Who Will Rescue Us?

Daniel Ebert
1 Mar 2017
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Refugees often experience fear, confusion and shame. Their plight is a picture of the broken human condition. We all live in a time of danger — none are immune. The life and death questions we face desperately need answers. Our brokenness, and the brokenness of our nation, can rob us of our dignity. We, too, can feel shame, like the world’s refugees. Who will rescue us? The question is risky. The wrong answer, in a time of fear, can lead to violence and tyranny, especially if trust we in human saviors. The right answer can finally bring us safely home. […]

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Uncovering the Truth That Walked Among Us

John Houmes
18 Jan 2017
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  As part of the church plant team at New City Fellowship, Ozzie and I often go to Hollywood Beach to share the Gospel with people as they stroll down the Broadwalk. Using an engaging story, Ozzie unpacks how Jesus’ death on the cross pays the moral debt that people owe God, which gets them talking about their own spiritual beliefs. I’ve gone with Ozzie several times and heard a lot of different beliefs. What strikes me more than what people believe is how they believe. People now care less about whether their beliefs correspond to reality, and many do […]

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