God

A Time Decision

John Hawkins, Sr
2 Aug 2015
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time decision

  In the words of those 1960’s philosophers, The Animals, “It’s my life and I’ll do what I want.” The life philosophy championed by them and others in this decade was “I’ll spend my life or time the way I think best.” Is the most satisfying and profitable use of our time found in doing what we want? Time is a valuable commodity. It is the essence of life and once spent is forever gone. When born into this world each of us are assigned a limited amount of time (Psalm 90:10). None of us knows when our allotment is […]

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When The Theology Of Grace Is Challenged

Paula Masters
1 Aug 2015
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  The message of grace has been a sweeping movement in the Christian world and is gaining traction. No matter what background a person happens to come from, it is shaking things up in a good and big way. Yet, recent scandal in the life of one of “graces” biggest proponents, Tullian Tchividjian, (former Senior Pastor of a Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church) has caused many skeptics to question the message’s validity. While controversy may be difficult, it’s benefits may be many. One being that God often uses conflict as an opportunity to remove dross from the silver of our faith. […]

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Resources to Combat Three Enemies

Jeremy McKeen
7 Jul 2015
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The Christian life is one of great peace but also great conflict. A Christian is someone who is at war with three great enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The devil and his attack In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul dealt with the sinful flesh in chapter four, the influences of the world in chapter five, and the attacks of the devil in chapter six. And he explains that the devil is the evil behind all the evil. The devil is the Christian’s great adversary. But what should Christians know about him, and how do they […]

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Supernatural Strength Is Not Just For Superheroes Like The Avengers

Dr. Tommy Boland
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Supernatural

A few weeks ago, Katie, Tank and I went to the opening night of the “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” at the movie theater. Now I don’t like to go opening night because of the crowds, but Tank spends much of his play time with the Avengers action figures, so I let them both talk me into it. We had a blast watching these superheroes with their supernatural strength fighting against evil and winning the day. When the movie ended, Tank said, “Papi, I will always remember we went to see the Avengers on opening night!” Well, that certainly made it […]

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Calvary Chapel & Church By The Glades Touch Lives in Hungary and Nicaragua

Geoffrey Still
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Many local church groups will head out on short term mission trips this summer, taking their charge from the verse that spurred the modern day missions movement, the Great Commission of Mark 16:15: “And then he told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” With bags packed and ready to change lives, Church By The Glades and Calvary Chapel International left in mid-June on two different trips for one similar goal. From Calvary to Hungary Calvary Chapel International, a combination of all Calvary Chapels worldwide, has an annual mission’s trip to Hungary. Two local […]

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Calvary Chapel & Church By The Glades

The Gospel Ministry

Jeremy McKeen
4 Jun 2015
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Over the past decade there has been a great resurgence of the gospel in church ministry. As one writer put it, “There has been an explosion of gospel-centeredness.” On the whole, this is a very encouraging development. And yet there’s a danger that the word “gospel” can simply turn into the latest buzzword or church-growth trend where the word is used so much that it loses its meaning and value. So, what does a healthy and effective gospel ministry look like in a church? How can church leaders and church members tell if their ministry really is gospel-centered? In the […]

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Kids flock to Vacation Bible School Programs

The Good News
3 Jun 2015
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Full of hands-on Bible explorations using skits, songs and stories, interactive games, cool crafts and delicious treats, Vacation Bible School (VBS) is designed to give kids a memorable summer experience that conveys a gospel message. A summer tradition for almost a century, VBS was originally begun by a doctor’s wife, Mrs. Walter Aylett Hawes, who wanted to get kids off the street in New York, and it has been adopted by many churches as a way to engage young children with the word of God in a fun and enjoyable way that helps them learn to overcome obstacles with the […]

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Vacation Bible School

A Case of Mistaken Identity

The Good News
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mistaken identity

In a culture obsessed with self-image and success, it is natural to see our own self worth in terms of our own achievements. It is easy to believe that our value is defined by our abilities, that the smarter, richer and more powerful we are the more important we are. However, this way of seeing ourselves is very different from the way God sees us. God’s Word takes this narrative and turns it completely upside down. For God, nothing is everything.   They story of Sisyphus The entire book of Ecclesiastes paints a vivid picture of the futility of human […]

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The Focus Has Shifted

Tullian Tchividjian
2 Jun 2015
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A shift has taken place in the Evangelical church with regard to the way we think about the gospel and it’s far from simply an ivory tower conversation. This shift affects us on the ground of everyday life. In his book Paul: An Outline of His Theology, famed Dutch Theologian Herman Ridderbos (1909 – 2007) summarizes this shift which took place following Calvin and Luther. It was a sizable but subtle shift which turned the focus of “the gospel” from Christ’s external accomplishment to our internal appropriation: While in Calvin and Luther all the emphasis fell on the redemptive event […]

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The Focus Has Shifted