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Peace Requires A New Heart for Our Nation

Krislyn Placide
14 Jul 2020
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new heart

I was numb when I first heard the news. An unarmed black man, 46-year-old George Floyd, was killed while in police custody on May 25. Accused of trying to use counterfeit money when buying cigarettes at a deli, he was pinned under the knee of Officer Derek Chauvin, unable to breathe.  Just a few weeks prior, our nation had mourned the death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot dead while jogging in a Georgia neighborhood on Feb. 23, but the video footage didn’t become widespread until early May.  We signed petitions, we called our elected officials, and we commemorated […]

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A Lesson Learned Amid COVID

Dr. Tommy Boland
13 Jul 2020
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“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 ESV). The COVID Problem After nearly four months of the most unprecedented world events any of us has ever experienced, we are, Lord willing, continuing to make our way out of this pandemic. I plan to go back to devoting these articles in the Good News to sharing truths that will strengthen our faith and prepare us to give an answer for the hope we have within us. But before I move away from sharing my thoughts on living through all the bizarre events that have taken […]

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COVID

My Faithbook Account

Omar Aleman
9 Jul 2020
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Faithbook

Both of my cars are garage dwellers. The tools needed for any project are my neighbor’s, and more often than not he ends up providing the means, the expertise and the labor, given my complete disdain for creating or putting things together. This should make me an “ideas guy,” but that’s another story. So, the box arrives, and to my concern, it necessitates some minimal assembly. Things deteriorate when the instructions are written in a foreign language; I vainly try to assemble it by sight, which only the sight of my neighbor can make right. I feel lost. Altar boy […]

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My Rabbi

Stephan Tchividjian
8 Jul 2020
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I was seven or eight when this little painting of an old wise man, probably a rabbi, caught my eye. The artist was selling his wares on the streets of Paris. I am not sure what about this painting caught my imagination as a young boy, but I insisted in getting it. I remember to this day that the painting was still wet with paint when I bought it, carefully caring for it as we made our trip home to the United States. The painting is still in my possession, hangs in my home and brings back some great memories. […]

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Are We Facing A Spiritual Epidemic?

Edwin Copeland
2 Jul 2020
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spiritual, epidemic

A fellow South Florida pastor recently told me that, “The American Church is spiritually unprepared for this next season.” He’s right. As the country continues to grapple with the spread of COVID-19, renewed racial tension, an uncertain economic outlook, and what is assuredly to be an ugly election, the Church – God’s people – are facing something of a fork-in-the-road moment. Flattening the curve of the coronavirus is and continues to be inconvenient and painful. It has meant major changes to our daily rhythms, comfort and convenience. It has brought pain and grief to those who have lost loved ones. […]

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Where Are The Peacemakers?

Rob Hoskins
1 Jul 2020
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I’m heartsick that so little has changed since writing this as evidenced by Charleston and Charlottesville and most recently Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. Violence is familiar to me, having grown up in Beirut, Lebanon and spent most of my life traveling to the neediest places on earth. Many times I have experienced the scourge of deadly warfare. Headlines are full of racially-charged tragedies. And while the circumstances are different, the underlying causes that perpetuate a culture of distrust and hysteria, that escalates and threatens to shove society into the oncoming traffic of anger and hate remains the same.   […]

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C.O.V.I.D.

Dr. Tommy Boland
10 Jun 2020
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He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5 NASB). As we are now in the midst of our third month of the COVID-19 pandemic, I wanted to take a step back from my usual focus on Christian apologetics and encourage you with a simple COVID acronym that will help us shift our focus and strengthen our resolve during this unprecedented season of shutdowns and social distancing. For too long the word “COVID” has injected fear, confusion, uncertainty, doubt, and perhaps even anger into our hearts.  To be sure, much of the so-called […]

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One Thing is Necessary

Bobby Bemis
4 Jun 2020
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thing

How many things are on your to-do list right now? Go ahead, think about the pressing tasks for a moment. Stuff to do, people to call, things to fix, flabby bodies to whip back into shape (maybe just me?) — anybody else working on a little home reconstruction over the past couple of months?  Maybe you’re thinking about the many needs of the people around you. Mothers, fathers, teachers, pastors, leaders — how much have you felt the burdens of those near and dear to you recently? Worship leaders, how many setlists, recorded worship times, and team zoom calls do […]

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Rat Race

Stephan Tchividjian
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Recently I was reading some Bible verses and the concept of waiting was brought up. I recognize that waiting is a core component of our relationship with God. However, waiting is hard for those of us that live in a hurry up rat race world, yet God promises significant blessings to waiting. I think waiting needs an image makeover, some much needed professional help, perhaps a PR campaign. I ask myself this one question, “what really is waiting and why is it important?” Waiting Waiting is simply the notion that the future opportunity is greater than the current situation. For […]

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