Category: Christian Life
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Practical Importance of Doctrine
If there was one thing I could impart to the members of our church, or to other pastors, it would be an appreciation for the practical importance of doctrine. I think it was R.C. Sproul who pointed out: “We are all theologians… the question is whether we are good theologians.” Sprouls’ point is valid. Everything…
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Out of Whack
In his book, The Call, Os Guiness observes a few ways our cultural and personal priorites are a little out of whack: We Worship our Work We Work at our Play We Play at our Worship
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Of Paramount Importance
Take a moment to ponder these observations about the paramount importance of God’s Word: Since there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the holy scripture than in any other book, it has more power and ability to convey the Spirit and make us spiritual, by imprinting itself upon our hearts.…
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Saved From What?
Several years ago I was asked by a neighbor couple to meet with them for marriage counseling. They were a pleasant couple, so I willingly agreed to assist them in any way I could. Early during our first meeting I asked each to tell me about their spiritual journeys. Hers was simple but heart-felt. His… well…
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Putting Off My Procrastination
Here are some words I would be wise to regularly remind myself: No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterward, and that the remembrance of…
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Prevailing: An Honest Look at Philippians 4.13
Sometimes I want to scream! One thing that makes me want to scream is people, Christian people, who under the guise of faith, take scripture out of it’s God-given context and apply it to their own pretentious favor. ARGH!! I wonder, is there any passage where this more frequently occurs than it does with Philippians…
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Gospel-Centered Lives
From time to time I am asked by some in our church what I mean when I repeatedly declare that we are – and we must be – a Gospel-Centered Church. I think it may be the hyphen that confuses people. To be “something”-centered is simply to focus on the relation an individual or a church…
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Another 10+ Questions for the New Year
Proverbs 20.5 says: The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. In short what Solomon explains is that everyone has desires and designs, but often we may not be conscious even of our own. Our purposes are deep down. But the wise person, the…
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Building a Bridge to Puritan Days
In Building a Bridge to the 18th Century, author Neil Postman suggests that in many ways we have not so much advanced, as a culture, as we have drifted over the years. Postman seems to believe we would do well to return to and reconnect with our philosophical roots and rebuild upon them. I might say…
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10 More Questions for the New Year
Sir Francis Bacon once mused: Who questions much shall learn much, and retain much. On New Years Day I posted a set of questions to ponder at the start of the New Year. The following are 10 more questions, from Donald Whitney, to ask ourselves here at the beginning of the New Year: What’s the…
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10 Questions for the New Year
Donald Whitney has a knack for asking pertinent probing questions. His questions could be used for getting to know one another in a new small group. But I think they might best be used for personal reflection. Whitney’s questions penetrate into the recesses of our hearts. And if we take the time to reflect upon…
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Difference Between Faith and Hope
The question may occur to us: What difference is there between faith and hope? We find it difficult to see any difference. Faith and hope are so closely linked that they cannot be separated. Still there is a difference between them. Consider the following distinctions offered by Martin Luther, from his commentary on Galatians: First,…
