Rediscovering the True Meaning of Christmas
Rediscover the true meaning of Christmas by reflecting on the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. A timeless story of awe, joy, and salvation.
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Church | Discipleship | Leadership | Outreach
Why Pastors Should Be Filling the Tank More Often
It was a chilly Sunday morning in February 2009. Our pastor was wrapping up his sermon. As he moved into his conclusion, he explained that we would be having a couple of scheduled baptisms to wrap up our service. Then he gave an open invitation to anyone else who would like to be baptized; they should come forward during the next song.
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Should Merry Christmas Always Be Our Festive Greeting?
Should Merry Christmas always be our festive greeting? Discover how to share Jesus’ joy with kindness and love this season.
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Why We Need to Embrace Sacrificial Love
Love has lost its true meaning. In modern cultural language, love is often replaced by the complexities of sexuality. During my time as a youth pastor, I witnessed too many teenagers have a revolving door of partners, whom they supposedly loved. They would return the statement of I love you, but really meant to say…
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Uniting America by Overcoming Evil With Good
Reflecting on the US Presidential Election one month later, December 10th, 2012. As we find ourselves one month beyond the conclusion of the 2012 US Presidential Election, it’s apparent that the echoes of discontent persist on social media platforms. Despite Obama securing re-election, a substantial segment of the American population adamantly resists embracing a Democrat-led…
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Bible | Church | Discipleship | New Testament
Would the Western Church Benefit From Persecution?
It’s common to hear us church-goers get into a heated debate over church politics, leadership structure, etc. Every once in a while, I’m reminded and humbled that the Church doesn’t just exist in our Western world circles. The Church is alive and active all over the world. Much of it, experiencing terrible persecution for their faith. In our Western culture, I wonder if and/or when we will experience persecution.
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Church | Discipleship | Leadership | Ministry
The Impact of a Widening Generation Gap Within the Local Church
My starting point for today’s post is a caveat; generally, I do believe the old adage that, “With age comes wisdom.” The older a person gets, for the most part, the stronger their ability to make the right decision in various situations. That being said, we can’t ignore the conflicting cultural motto, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
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Church | Discipleship | Leadership | Ministry
How Has Increased Life Expectancy Impacted the Church?
The widening gap between the old and the young. I’ve been thinking about the difference between today’s paid ministry staff compared to the voluntary workers in the early church. Specifically, I was asking the question, “Who was in their twenties and thirties during Paul’s day, and what were they doing?”
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Reminiscing About the Days of My Youth…and Christian Punk Rock
The teens before us (in the 80s) had broken through a lot of the legalism regarding playing cards, pool halls, going to movies and best of all, listening to rock music! By the 90s, Christian rock options were coming out of every major city faster than we could memorize lyrics. Christian artists were coming out of the woodwork, creating sounds that drove teen culture; yet carried positive or at least neutral messages with every note.
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Reminiscing About Fresh Starts
Our first residence in Alaska was supposed to be a ground level, a two-bedroom apartment within a couple of miles of the church. We soon found out that we’d be temporarily staying in a traditional Alaskan log cabin!
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Bible | Books | Discipleship | Old Testament
How You’re Being Included In God’s Purposed Plan
Take a moment to meditate on the deeper level of this Scripture. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21) It’s next level, isn’t it? One of those reflections of time and space. I often find myself getting lost in Scriptures like this one. I’m consumed by thoughts of how God is guiding my life, and my eternal life for those willing to accept that statement. God’s sovereignty always seems to be on my mind and always has been.
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What Does a True Christ-Follower Look Like?
Being a Christian can be rough. One of the challenges is journeying through seasons of doubt. Not so much doubting whether or not Jesus exists. It’s more like doubting whether or not following Jesus’ example is really worth it. (Yup, I really said that.)
