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Grace and Identity

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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Goldilocks Planets Myth: BUSTED

For well over 2,000 years, since before the Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, mankind has been trying to find ways to deny the divine creation of the world and to worship the creation rather than the Creator. One manifestation of this presupposition is the research done by scientists seeking to show that the Earth and the intelligent life therein are not unique in the universe and are, therefore, a product of natural forces and random chance. On December 5, 2011, Science Daily reported that a team of researchers, including Carnegie’s Alan Boss, had discovered what could be […]

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Noise Addiction: Unplug

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

“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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Taking Israel Out of the Bible

New Christians struggling to study their Bible are often taught to read the scriptures as though they were written personally to them, even reciting the scriptures using one’s own name in place of the verse’s subject. While it is important to apply scripture to one’s own life, it is equally important to not ignore the original context of the scripture and the original recipient of that particular promise. For example, a special verse that brings comfort to a person who may be experiencing difficulty is Isaiah 49:16 “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.” This […]

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Faithwalker

The smell of buttery popcorn filled the living room as the microwave announced its readiness. On cue, I procured the bag, ripped it open, shook it into a bowl and with a quick spritz of I Can’t believe It’s Not Butter, headed back to the couch to start the movie. It was “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and Bilbo Baggins was the unlikely brave hero. In this prequel of the classic Tolkien tale, Bilbo and his team were on a destiny quest. A journey of bravery into a land of danger to reclaim what was stolen: the right to […]

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The Privilege of Partnering with God

God in His sovereignty has chosen to partner with man in the execution of His will. What a humbling and convicting thought that is. He is certainly not limited by man and can execute His will quite on His own, yet He has elected to work through and in partnership with us. C.S. Lewis once wrote concerning this partnership with God: “For He seems to do nothing of Himself which He can possibly delegate to His creatures. He commands us to do slowly and blunderingly what He could do perfectly and in the twinkling of an eye.” This helps to […]

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Overcoming Regrets

Have you ever said something or done something that you regret? Have you ever wished you could go back and change the past? Have you ever felt trapped in wanting to undo what can’t be undone? Often the failures of yesterday become the regrets of today. So what is regret and how do you overcome it? The regrets of life In the English language, regret is often used as a synonym for being sorry, but regret is one step further than remorse over the past; regret is a rehearsal of the past. Regret is a rewinding of the tape, imagining that […]

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Learning How to 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

“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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