Practical Application

Grace and Identity

Tullian Tchividjian
9 Sep 2014
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A few years back I was driving one of my sons home from his basketball game and he was crying. He’s a great basketball player but had a less than stellar performance and he was, as a result, crushed. After doing my best to comfort him by listening to him and reminding him that his game was not nearly as bad as he thought it was, and that even the best basketball players in the world have an off game here and there, I asked him why he was so upset. He told me plainly, “Dad, I played terrible.” I […]

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Noise Addiction: Unplug

John Hawkins, Sr
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Anxiety, stress, depression and anger are major problems today. They are at the root of many physical illnesses and relational conflicts. One major cause of these mood disorders in our culture is “noise addiction.” We are a plugged-in generation that requires constant background noise in our daily life. For many it is too hard to be alone with just the sounds of silence. Be still and know Most people are not willing to live without their modern technology. However, it is worthwhile to unplug from the noise of technology and run silent for a while. This can be a very […]

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Speaking the Truth in Love

The Good News
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“You’re not cute,” she said as she pointed a well-manicured index finger at my chest. Wide eyed, my peers glanced at me, looked at our mentor, eyed the box of tissues and waited. I drew in a deep breath and smiled. “You’re not necessarily headed to the stages where you think you are headed,” she continued. “But, you have a stage. You’re not one of those ‘cutsie’ girl speaker types. You’re powerful. Unique. Dramatic. Inspiring. She demonstrated each word as she spoke them and made her point, “You have your audience.” As my heart filled to overflowing, the resultant tears […]

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A Lion For The Lazy

Dr. Tommy Boland
4 Aug 2014
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Do you know what the world’s greatest labor-saving device is? Tomorrow! That’s right; tomorrow. Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right? But this is not for you! The sluggard says, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!” (Proverbs 22:13 NLT) Notice that it is not the fearful who cry, “There is a lion out there,” but rather the lazy. Why? Because they’re lazy! The sluggard creates all sorts of reasons in his mind for his inactivity and living a life of ease in Zion. Rebellion always finds its reasons, and […]

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lion

Give Up To Go Up

John Hawkins, Sr
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What do you want out of life? The standard answer is something like, “I want to be happy, or I want to be successful.” With these answers people can be focused on different areas of life — relationships, career, finances, spirituality or significance to name a few. Since no one consciously starts life with the goal of being a failure, why do so many feel like one? What does it take to move your life upward in a positive direction? This would seem to be a desire that is consistent with the theology of being created in the image of […]

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How to Trust God More

Norm Wise
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I was asked an important question. “Can you tell me how I can trust God more? Is there a book that would be helpful?” Psalm 9:9-11 tells us: “ The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds” (NLT). What is trust? To trust someone means that we feel we can depend on their competence and character. We have […]

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Learning How to Overcome Procrastination

Norm Wise
9 Jul 2014
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Overcome Procrastination

“I don’t have enough time.” “When I have more time, I am going be with my family more.” “I always procrastinate.” Our time is our lives. To manage our time well, means that we will manage our lives well. Failure to control our clocks and calendars will mean we are out of control in our personal and professional lives. But our 168 hours a week can be controlled and managed well. The key is to examine our use of time and then spend our time consistent with our true priorities. The unexamined life is not lived well. But how do […]

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Fun In the Son

Dr. Anne Arvizu
8 Jul 2014
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“Hi, I’m Chris,” said the soft-spoken 20-something as he stood at our door. My husband and I had the secret charge of mentoring him as a first-time small group leader. As the host home for his group, we quickly realized this shy guy had a real ministry. Over the next 12 weeks, we nurtured his gifts, group leadership skills and talent. For our group Bible study, he chose a book by Louis Giglio on worship, and around this book he creatively designed a photography course. After Bible study, it came time to break out our cameras and iPhones. That’s when […]

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Fun in the Sun

The Pause That Refreshes

John Hawkins, Sr
7 Jul 2014
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The Pause That Refreshes

Summertime is a time to get out of the grind, relax, re-energize and reconnect with family and friends. Vacation can be a time to indulge in the sweet spot of your life’s passions. Does this sound like your vacation? Or do you come back from vacation exhausted and depressed that you have to wait another year for your next one? Stress is the cause of many life problems. In our culture, most people run at a pace that outstrips their ability for renewal. This eventually leads to some type of major malfunction in life. We need more than an annual […]

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Do You Reward Mediocrity?

The Good News
4 Jun 2014
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If you knew a substance was poisonous to someone else’s health, would you give it to them? Of course not, you’d give them a tonic to help cure what ails them. You’d do all you had in your power to make them better, stronger and healthier. And yet, in our culture today we dole out a toxic dose of average all the time, hurting the leaders of tomorrow.  When did excellence become D level? At times it seems we tolerate so much, that sameness and status quo are the only things that are rewarded. From 1st grade to the graduating […]

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