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Month: October 2012

Why Faith Is Still Alive

Why Faith Is Still Alive

People who don’t know better think believing in God is just about rules, regulations, and religious behavior. If this was true, I’d be the first to quit. I am not drawn to religiousness. I am drawn to God. And not to a statue somewhere. But to the Living God: personal, relational, active. Christian faith is not about keeping alive a bunch of rituals and commemorating a fairy tale. Christian faith is celebrating the freedom we receive by grace through faith…

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Unlikely Qualifications for God’s Work

Unlikely Qualifications for God’s Work

Sometimes we think that God calls only impressive, competent people into his service. But I think we could not be more wrong. God is looking for willing people whom God would like to bless and equip for his service. Moses is a great example of this. Moses objected, “They won’t trust me. They won’t listen to a word I say. They’re going to say, ‘God? Appear to him? Hardly!’”(Exodus 4:1, MSG) Moses could not believe that he would be able…

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Weekend Prayer Wall {Oct. 27-28}

Weekend Prayer Wall {Oct. 27-28}

To say prayers in a decent, delicate way is not heavy work. But to pray really, to pray till hell feels the ponderous stroke, to pray till the iron gates of difficulty are opened, till the mountains of obstacles are removed, till the mists are exhaled and the clouds are lifted, and the sunshine of a cloudless day brightens-this is hard work, but it is God’s work, and man’s best labor.~ E.M. Bounds

Thriving by Grace

Thriving by Grace

“God majors in impossibility” is one of those uplifting, encouraging, and empowering facts of faith Mary DeMuth writes about in her new Everything book. Impossible is nothing to God, he is mighty powerful! Also nothing is impossible with God, he will empower us to thrive by grace. This quote encourages me to embrace life fully no matter what happens: “God’s heart…is not that we escape our lot, but that we learn to thrive in the midst of it” (Mary DeMuth)….

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Forgiveness Means Freedom

Forgiveness Means Freedom

Forgiveness means freedom. For real. First of all, God forgives us for Christ’s sake. When we receive God’s liberating grace, we are truly free. Nothing quite like it. Suddenly there’s air in your lungs, you can breathe! Everything looks brighter and more beautiful. Life gets the meaning and there’s a new spring in your step. Priceless. But that’s not the end! We are also called to practice forgiveness. When we have experienced life-giving forgiveness ourselves, we are asked to do…

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The Battle Within Christians

The Battle Within Christians

What does help you to stay strong and steady on your Christian walk? Are you aware of the enemy’s sneaky ways to steal your joy and peace? How do you deal with joy-stealers, doubt-raisers and hope-snatchers? I’ve found that I need to turn to God as soon as I wake up in the morning. Like John Piper says in his recent sermon “every morning there is a war in the Piper household”. Well said. I think there is a battle…

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The Everything Life

The Everything Life

How can Jesus be our everything? That’s the key question in Mary DeMuth‘s book Everything. Mary’s answer is simple yet life-changing: “Jesus is the pathway to the Everything life. That’s why an Everything life has more to do with surrender than personal triumph.” We can’t achieve the everything life. It’s all grace. We only need Jesus for abundant life. And Jesus is God’s gracious gift to us. God gave his only son to die for our sins that we could…

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