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Be A Flame

Be A Flame

“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, Down in my heart, Down in my heart, Down in my heart; I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, Down in my heart, Down in my heart to stay” (George William Cooke, 1925) Can...

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God Don’t Make No Junk!

God Don’t Make No Junk!

You are fearfully and marvelously made. How can I tell you that? Well, the Bible tells us that in Psalms. We’re also told that God has uniquely made each of us and knows us by name. The unique...

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Would You Have Listened?

Would You Have Listened?

My dad became infinitely strong in my eyes, when he became most vulnerable through confession to me. “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When...

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Be A Flame

“I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, Down in my heart, Down in my heart,  Down in my heart; I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, Down in my heart, Down in my heart to stay” (George William Cooke,...

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Another Day

I’ve always been an early riser.  And that does not mean that I don’t sleep in.  I often get up between 3:30 am and 4:00 am and read.  Pray.  Drink coffee.  Ponder. ...

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Preemptively Pardoned

How did you respond when hearing the news that President Biden had preemptively pardoned many people, including his own family, that he felt might be “targeted” for prosecution by the incoming...

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What is Your Name?

“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of...

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Reflect or Deflect

“Dad and E are okay and we are leaving the hospital now. And we are bringing E home with us.” Those were the words spoken by my mother when she called to give me an update after my dad had been...

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Jagless

NOTE: No Jaguar owners were harmed in the writing of these thoughts. Years ago I found myself sitting in the Jaguar of Palm Beach dealership. Now this statement alone is fraught with all kinds of...

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Radically Grateful

I have a phobia of my zipper being down. I don’t know why and surmise this is the result of some embarrassment as a child that caused a trauma that now lives within me as a silly, unsurrendered...

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Mamaw’s Eggs

The Good ‘Ol Days “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward...

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Lemon Twist

There is a saying that goes “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I remember a relative once saying this to me and I quickly uttered ‘when life gives you lemons, take them, cut them apart,...

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Time Travels

“I went to bed a young man and woke up an old man.” William Danny Mullins, Jr. I’ll never forget those words spoken by my father in the latter years of his life. It was in that moment of...

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Attn: Satan

You cannot have our kids. You cannot have Megan and my kids. You cannot have the friends of our kids. You cannot have our friend’s kids. I declare in the name of the Almighty God that you can no...

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Pay Raise

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great...

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Arms Wide Open

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 NIV On Thursday evening I...

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Without Condition

“Fear not, for I am with you;Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,Yes, I will help you,I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NKJV Father, how did the...

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To His Kids

“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 NLT To...

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Step, Walk, Journey

What if you took the life walk that God has prepared for you? Life is not a tryout, it is a walk in. Walk into the purposes you were created for. Walk in to the lives that cross your path. Walk in...

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The Haves & Haves

Earlier this Summer ‘24 our family did what has become an annual tradition and went to the beach. We ‘glamp’ as a resort that is nothing short of 5-star spectacular. It is a negotiated truce between...

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Life Unlimited

“Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people...

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What If?

What if today you chose to stop believing every limiting word, action and experience that has brought you to this place?  To this moment?  To this seminal event in your life?  What if...

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Limitless

Your past is not chasing you. You are inviting your past into your current which is limiting your future. "Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from...

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Who let the dog in?

Several years ago, I was talking with my dad about a new car that Megan and I were looking at and that she liked it in white and I liked it in black. To which my dad quickly and simply said, “enjoy...

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Mind-Full Life

"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord...

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Life Awaits

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my...

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A Fruitful Life

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be...

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Time Is On Your Side

Rest. There is no trophy for busiest nor is there a ‘there’ for most active. “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his...

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A Present Father

Happy first Father’s Day in Heaven dad. I had you for Father’s Day on earth for 59 years and I love knowing that this day and every day you are in the presence of the Father of us all, God the...

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Beautiful Bruises

What do you see? I asked a chef friend of mine why restaurants do not offer pears in fruit or other dishes. He told me that pears are all about timing and only good for a few days when ripe. And...

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Fight the Right Fight

Have you ever stopped and wondered ‘why am I fighting so hard to protect this life that I am living?’ I am a living example of a broken human who fought the wrong fight for decades. The fight of...

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Just Get In

You're special in the eyes of the Creator of all things. "I walked into a hotel and after going through the menu, I ordered some food. After about 20 mins a group of guys and ladies walked in &...

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Let it Rain

I love when it rains. I love the sound of the rain as it lands on the leaves in the woods that surround our house. I love that rain often changes plans for the day. I love to walk in the rain and...

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No Comparison

Stop comparing an Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient God to a human being. I am so taken aback at the proliferation of posts comparing the trial and conviction of Jesus to the trial and conviction...

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Gold Shoes

“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 ESV Happy 91st...

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Deflated Not Defeated

“And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 2 Kings...

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Your Choice

”Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 NLT There is always a reason. Always a purpose. Always hope....

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Soar and Roar

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it....

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A Matter of Matter

“Love one another with brotherly (sisterly) affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:10 ESV To the beautiful young lady (G__y) that worked so diligently to help Megan and me with...

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Numbers Matter

Do you ever wonder about your worth and value in this World? We live in a time where value is based upon numbers. Numbers of social media friends. Numbers of cars. Number of square feet in a house....

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Eclipsed

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand...

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Tears and a Towel

"Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned...

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Get Up, Let’s Go

"Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him, and began to be...

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A New Day

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” Psalm 46:1 Father, yesterday was a bad day. So many frustrations. I allowed my mindset to be influenced by the circumstances of the...

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1000 Generations

“Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey...

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Sixty…

No, I am still not interested in joining AARP! Yes, I will gladly take the senior discount. Malia and I were in a Columbia outlet store and I was buying a pair of hiking shoes a couple of years ago....

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You Feed Them

“But Jesus said, “You feed them.” Mark 6:37 NLT Mark chapter 6 in the Bible is for for me one of the greatest. It speaks to me in many ways. Containing such significant amounts of content that...

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What Next?

"With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he...

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White or Green Grandma?

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—“ John 1:12 NIV “Are we going to green grandma’s or white grandma’s house first?” My...

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A Valentines Life

“What did the one watermelon say to the other on Valentine’s Day? You’re one in a melon.” “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each...

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Who Am I?

"The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40 NIV I found myself yesterday in a situation that...

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The Gift of Gratitude

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1 I wake this morning to a need for gratitude. There are things pressing in and pressing...

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Reflection Matters

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ...

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Ready?

There was a song written in 1969 whose words and message resonate with me more and more the older I get. The song was titled “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” and the message was about the rapture, when...

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Six Months

“My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11-12 ESV You’ve been gone...

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Make Today Count

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ...

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Isolated but Not Alone

“Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” John 6:15 ESV “Do you have any friends?” I remember those...

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My Sixth Day 2024

Listen. Really? Listen? “The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and...

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What the Mind Hears

If you will listen, the World will lie to you and limit you. “Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.”” Genesis 41:9 NIV. (He remembered Joseph, two years...

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Beauty in the Storm

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you...

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Getting Pickled

Years ago when I was a boy, my parents would always plant a garden in our backyard. Partly for the joy and satisfaction of planting and watching things grow and partly out of need to provide because...

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Be Willing to be Naive

“‘The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40 NIV I recall when our kids were young we would...

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Experiential Ramblings

I’m not sure why God has placed upon my heart to reminisce about my childhood Christmas memories this year. Maybe it’s the loss of my father and facing this and every Christmas to come without his...

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My Bethlehem

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."...

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Join Me

‘I can’t wait for you to get here.’ What if God is saying that to you right now? “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in...

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Purpose in All Things

“As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one.” Romans 3:10 NLT Did you know that Romans 3:10 was quoting Psalms 14 and 51, written over 1,100 years earlier? The point here is that...

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Joy, Joy, Joy

There is an old saying that stands the test of time and truth that states: “It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters.” “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own...

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Unimaginable Success

“For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my...

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Because He Loves

“Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’...

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More Than Enough

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”  Ephesians 2:10 NLTStatistics show that 99% of the visitors to the...

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Thrive or Survive

How we live our lives as children of God should be the light that draws others to Him. “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to...

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How About Hope?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”...

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God Sees Your Next

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 This past week was emotional for me. I spent 60+ hours with a group...

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Agent of Hope

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this...

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Press In and Press On

"But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”  Isaiah 43:1 ESVA Pastor friend...

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Life Empowered

Failing at the feet of Jesus replaces any sense of failure and rising from his feet daily empowers me to live a life committed to the Fruits of the Spirit and a life of purpose and impact. "So I...

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It’s Just Stuff

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke...

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A Servant’s Life

I love this scripture. It is the life, the hope, the expectation, the reality of the Believer proclaiming the name of Jesus and living a life surrendered to Him. Our prosperity comes from the truth...

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The Aftermath Matters

“Some people cannot be cured, but everyone can heal.” Author Unknown We remembered the unimaginable terror that was unleashed on our fellow Americans 22 years ago this past 9-11-2023 and post after...

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Live a Lavished Life

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1...

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Choose Junk Out

"This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow." Isaiah 48:17 (NLT)...

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The Context of Pride

Can I say to you that it is not the issue of the rainbow being used as the reflection of "Pride" in our culture today but rather the sin of pride and the destruction of self, caused by a false...

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Who is Your Donkey?

I am at the marvelous place in life where God is allowing me to meet many, many amazingly talented and gifted people. It is incredible to see and hear the things that God has placed in peoples...

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You Are Enough…

“Whatever the fears, encourage yourself to face them—and then turn them over to God. God loves you, and when we know Christ and have put our faith and trust in Him, we know He’ll never abandon us.”...

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I Wish You Fruit

As new years roar into our lives, I wish you the beauty and silence of life that only comes from the Father in Heaven. I pray that you will laugh in the face of the World's evil and anger, confident...

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There It Is Again…

"Do you hear what hear? A child, a child, crying in the night." There it is again. Do you hear that? I'm telling you there is something different about that cry in the darkness that I am hearing....

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We Are His

I wrote this off the cuff this weekend to encourage an incredible friend of mine. A true brother in Christ. A warrior in life. For someone reason, I feel someone else needs to hear this. To know...

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You’ve Got This

"God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits...

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A Church Home

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Romans 12:4-5 (ESV)...

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We Know Better

"When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go...

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Do Something!

For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced, because they are...

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Generational Skip

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in...

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Why Am I Surprised?

Don't you love how, if you will allow Him, God will use all things as teaching moments for us in our life? The key considerations here are: 1), do I allow Him; and 2) am I teachable? "8 He replied,...

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Be a Tree

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 9:10 The greatest of...

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Trust in His Timing

When I was going through a season of drought 3 years ago and feeling exiled from all that my identity was falsely dependent upon, I prayed and prayed and prayed, read my Bible continuously and...

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He Loves You That Much

"Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne,...

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How We Live Now

There were 28 generations from King David to Jesus. In Acts 13:22 the statement (paraphrased) included ‘...a man after my own heart, he will do everything I want him to do,’ referencing David. As...

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Live It Out

Ever wonder how Potiphar's wife felt when she learned that Joseph had been put in charge of all Egypt by Pharaoh? A couple of takeaways. Regardless of your position, your power or your prestige, be...

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Trust and Obey

"As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived...

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Take a Step

“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the...

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You’re Not Alone

"26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And...

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Choose Thankfulness

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 I am thankful today (and every day) for the gift of eternal life, offered freely...

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