Robert Smelser
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A Foundation of Fear or Love?
Jesus encouraged the populace to listen to the teachings of the Pharisees while disregarding their examples, and this leads to a question: Is it possible to do the right thing for the wrong reason? Does the wrong motivation invalidate the right action? Jonah, for example, is a character who demonstrates reluctance to preach to the… Continue reading
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Testing Every Spirit
God’s people have always wrested with understanding whether or not a doctrine or a practice is from God. However, God has not left His people without solution. In the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 18:20-22, God basically says that the prophets were to be tested in their words. If their prediction comes to pass, they are… Continue reading
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Enduring the Christian Journey
The speaker shared his experiences with his recent hike down and up the Grand Canyon in one day, a challenge that was both extremely difficult and extremely rewarding. Great effort was involved, but the journey was a completely unique experience. This journey contains parallels with our Christian journey. Our Christian Journey Very few attempt this… Continue reading
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Maintaining Our Character
I Thessalonians 5:21 instructs to examine all things, and this process is not only for external influences but for ourselves as well. We have a reputation that others see in us, but it may or may not reflect the character within us – which is what God knows about us. However, that opinion others have… Continue reading
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More Than a Label
Christianity should be more than a label in our lives. It should be a quality that exemplifies our actions. It should be a word that characterizes our entire personality. Faith (to paraphrase Shakespeare) is not a fashion. It is a commitment, and it is a commitment that involves actions driven by that faith. If we… Continue reading
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Growing Through Trials
My grandfather once said, “If you ever find yourself in the doghouse, don’t waste time putting up curtains.” Grandmother once said, “There is no good excuse for bad behavior.” These little phrases and bits of wisdom tend to stick with us and come back to memory when needed. Secular wisdom, quotes, and truisms often help… Continue reading
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Taking After Our Father
There is a certain familial resemblance between parents and their children. In I John 5:18 speaks of those who are born of God, and he encourages to follow a pattern of life that emulates His character. I John 2:1 opens with an encouragement to avoid sin. A parent wishes his or her child to follow… Continue reading
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Washing Away Our Sins
Is baptism for past sins, present sins, or future sins? On the surface this might not seem like a difficult question, but there is some depth here to investigate. What sins are washed away by baptism? Washing Sins Away Matthew 26:26-29 records the last supper of Christ, and, in this, Jesus says His blood is… Continue reading
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I Know Whom I Have Believed
What do you know about your faith? In a recent book called Religious Literacy, author Stephen Prothero critiques the general theological ignorance of the United States – usually credited as the most religious nation in the world. Some statistics cited point to fewer than half of American adults know that Genesis is the first book… Continue reading
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Meaningful Worship
What attitude do we have when we enter into worship of God? How do we view the act of worship, and what importance do we place on that action? We may fall into mundane patterns of comfortable repetition, and we allow life to exit the worship process in our attempts to keep worship proper and… Continue reading
Simply Gospel 