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Month: April 2011

What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?

What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?

How are you implementing faith into your life? How are you practicing resurrection? How is Jesus part of your everyday life? How do you exercise daily in God? What does it mean to follow Jesus? Important questions and I would love to hear your responses. Before starting this discussion I am sharing few Bible quotes and Eugene H. Peterson quotes from The Jesus Way to fuel our conversation and hopefully encouraging you on your pilgrimage. Stay clear of silly stories…

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How Big Is Your Heart?

How Big Is Your Heart?

Peter stated it very clear: “Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one [Jesus].” (Acts 4:12, MSG) When we have come to know the saving knowledge of Jesus and when we believe it by grace we have been set free. But what do we do with this knowledge, this joy, this freedom? How big is our heart? We are called to accept Jesus…

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An Ability to Marshal & Direct Our Energies Wisely (Re-post)

An Ability to Marshal & Direct Our Energies Wisely (Re-post)

Self-control has always been the spiritual fruit that has intimated me. Somehow it has felt like a court order, a requirement that I could never meet. Then I read about the nine spiritual fruits in the Message and I had a revelation that has changed my approach to self-control, the ninth spiritual fruit found in Galatians 5:22-24. But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an…

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From an Admirer of Jesus to a Follower of Christ

From an Admirer of Jesus to a Follower of Christ

It’s time! It’s time to move from an admirer of Jesus to a follower of Christ. Too often we believe God but we don’t let our faith change our actions. We are spectators in God’s story but we don’t enter in the story. We are fans of Jesus, we ooh and aah the great things God performs but we don’t become active participants in God’s work. Where are you in this picture? Are you a spectator? Or are you a…

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Do You Doubt the Resurrection of Christ?

Do You Doubt the Resurrection of Christ?

Easter is such a huge event in the lives of Christians that we prepare for it for 40 days and now we celebrate it for 40 days. The meaning of resurrection really needs this much intentional reflection time. It is so unbelievably amazing and profoundly wonderful! But, most of all, it is life-changing! It’s resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live. If there’s no resurrection, “We eat, we drink, the next day…

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Witnesses of Resurrection & Followers of the Risen Christ (re-post)

Witnesses of Resurrection & Followers of the Risen Christ (re-post)

The empty tomb on the Easter morning is a terrific symbol of Christianity. The tomb was opened so we could get in to see that Christ was risen. Christ did not need the tomb to be opened for him to get out. All the time God helps us to see the power of the resurrection. We have a mighty powerful God! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! God has prepared us the way back to him in Jesus….

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The Tomb Is Not the End!

The Tomb Is Not the End!

It is disheartening to hear news of illness and death of loved ones. Even Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus. Illness, suffering and death are part of life here on earth but we are not without hope. Even if it might look like Good Friday ended every good thing it is not so. Even though it might look like the tomb is the end of everything it is not so. Even if it might look so that dead is the…

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God vs. World = God Wins

God vs. World = God Wins

The English-speaking world calls the day Jesus was crucified Good Friday. The same day is called “Long Friday” in Finnish. The Finnish version emphasizes the long hours on the cross. The English version emphasizes the outcome of the crucifixion of Jesus. Either way it is because of us that Jesus was crucified. It is pretty hard to admit that we are such sinners that without the sacrifice of Jesus we would never have an access back to God. It is…

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Book Review: The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher

Book Review: The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher

During this Holy Week I’ve been reading  The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher. This is a book in the Ancient Practices series published by Thomas Nelson. The Sacred Meal is about the practice of Holy Communion. What makes this book special is the writing style of Nora Gallagher. Reading the book feels like sitting at a coffee shop with a good friend and comparing notes on the Lord’s Supper. The book is not a theological reference book but a conversational…

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Through Repentance to Readiness

Through Repentance to Readiness

Throughout this season of Lent I’ve been trying to ready myself for Easter joy by praying, fasting, and listening to God. Today I will share the biggest repentance trigger of my Bible readings this Lent. Does this speak to you as loud as it did for me? Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he…

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