Dig Deep

What Can We Learn from Lent?

Bob Woods
1 Feb 2015
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lent

Many Christians today do not associate the celebration of Mardi Gras with any sort of religious observance. After all, the news footage of hordes of people in the streets in various levels of revelry doesn’t seem to depict holiness. For those of us who grew up in a Protestant denomination that did not observe Lent, the whole holiday may seem to be a worldly observance with no spiritual significance. But in fact we can learn about the beautiful traditions of some of the other denominations. For Catholics and some Protestant denominations, Mardi Gras (literally translated “Fat Tuesday”) is the final […]

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Tony Campolo Stirs Up Young Professionals for the Kingdom

Melissa Presser
30 Jan 2015
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Jesus often taught and talked about the difficulty in following Him rather than the things of this world — to put our words into action by continuing to give and help and spend ourselves to glorify our Father in heaven. Riding in on a donkey as a humble servant, He was not what the world expected. Jesus came to die and fulfill His purpose and calling, and spent Himself for the call of the gospel. But are we doing the same? This question was asked during a recent event hosted by the National Christian Foundation of South Florida. Their guest […]

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Meryl Streep Is Probably Exhausted

Tullian Tchividjian
30 Dec 2014
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One of the things I say a lot is that everyone is exhausted. I think that’s true. It may be, though, that no one is quite as exhausted as José Micard Teixeira…or, maybe, Meryl Streep. Recently, a lengthy quotation attributed to Streep (but actually penned by Portuguese self-help author and life coach, Teixeira) started making the rounds on the internet. It’s a manifesto of sorts, announcing to the world a set of things he would no longer do. For instance, Teixeira says that he has “no patience for cynicism, excessive criticism, and demands of any nature. I lost the will […]

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New Devotional Emphasizes Grace

Tullian Tchividjian
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Every year around this time, millions of people begin to contemplate what their New Year’s resolutions will be. However, according to Tullian Tchividjian, senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale and the grandson of Evangelist Billy Graham,.people should think twice before making one. In his upcoming book, It Is Finished: 365 Days of Good News, Tchividjian’s message is that while we have good intentions of fixing ourselves when we make New Year’s resolutions, not only do we all wind up falling short when we break them, but we shouldn’t associate our worth and value to a resolution […]

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The Heart of God?

Jeremy McKeen
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What is God really like? It’s easy to think that God is like a divine drill sergeant, just waiting for people to mess up so that he can make them pay. However, that is not the picture of God that the Bible presents. Jesus cleared up any misconceptions of God’s heart in his famous parable of the prodigal son. It’s the classic story about the son who rebelliously walked away from his father and the father who gladly welcomed him back. Jesus used the father in the parable to reveal God’s heart of compassion for the lost and his celebration […]

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The Message of a Manger

Dr. Tommy Boland
6 Dec 2014
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Have you ever considered why our Lord was born in a manger and not a magnificent palace? Well, this month I would like you to consider, actually marinate if you will, in the message of a manger, and see if God does not meet you in your place of deepest need and shower upon you glad tidings of great joy! Away in a Manger “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7 KJV). As pastor of The […]

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manger

The Cradle and the Cross

Jeremy McKeen
1 Dec 2014
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How do you know that God really loves you? What makes you so sure of it? The first thought may be to count up all the blessings in your life, to consider all the good things that are happening around you. However, if that were the only basis for an assurance of God’s love, then people would doubt his love every time something was lost or seemed to go wrong. God’s love would be called into question every time a job was lost, a loved one died or a terminally ill disease was discovered. So how do you live with […]

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Naughty Or Nice?

John Hawkins, Sr
26 Nov 2014
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Do you remember hearing “Santa Claus is coming and he only brings toys to nice boys and girls. If you are naughty all you will get is a lump of coal.” Naughty or nice, does God work like Santa Claus? God or Santa As Christmas approaches how about you, have you been naughty or nice? As adults Santa is no longer the concern. What does God think of you? Does he see you as naughty or nice? Many think God has a negative view of them. Is that true of you? Christmas is such a magical time of the year. […]

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Giving Flows from Gratitude

Shelly Pond
3 Nov 2014
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giving

Thanksgiving is a fitting time to look back and consider our national heritage in the Pilgrims and how this devout group of Christians overcame a harsh first winter, where almost half died of starvation and sickness, only to respond the next season by generously giving thanks and sharing their harvest with their neighbors: the Indians. Despite difficult circumstances, out of gratitude toward God, they gave. Think about it… Less than a year earlier half of their community died of starvation and sickness; a prudent man could argue that a feast would be wasteful and that a wise steward would store […]

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Loving The Local Church

Jeremy McKeen
18 Sep 2014
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What’s so great about the local church? Why should you bother to go into the four walls of a church and risk being hurt or misunderstood? What would compel you to “strive to excel in building up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12)? Here are five reasons to love the local church and be an integral part in it. They’re not exhaustive, but they’re a start. The church is the picture of God’s ultimate plan. Wouldn’t it be nice to know where the world is heading? You can. God’s ultimate plan is to unite all things under the rule and reign […]

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