Christian Living
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Where I Intended, Where I’m Needed
Life very seldom turns out exactly as we plan. Think back twenty or thirty years. Back then, if someone had asked you where you would be in as many years, what would you have answered? Where did you picture yourself living? How many kids would you have expected? What kind of house or car would Continue reading
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Knowledge, Attitude, & Willingness
Success in any project is dependent upon knowledge of the situation, a proper attitude, and a willingness to do what is necessary. These three things are evident in the establishment of the church in Acts 2. Here, a large crowd is gathered together who had a knowledge of God. They had gathered to observe a Continue reading
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Getting Out of the Boat
Peter can be described in many ways – impulsive, reactionary, impetuous – and he had a knack for speaking or acting without thinking. In all this, he was still one of Jesus’ closest disciples. He was full of good intentions, and he eventually grows to a mature Christian. One story really seems to characterize much Continue reading
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Being Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate was responding to several pressures in his decision to crucify Jesus, and different people have different assessments in how he handles the situation of Christ. Early on, Pilate comes to the conclusion that Jesus is an innocent man, and that He was brought before Pilate for political reasons. However, he displays a lack Continue reading
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Christian Ignorance
In Religious Literacy, author Stephen Prothero cites the general lack of ignorance regarding religions in general, and our own experiences among our brothers and sisters can speak to a lack of knowledge of Christianity among those who claim to be Christians. We laugh at the ways children might mix up Biblical stories, but, after a Continue reading
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Standing In the Gap
Early in their history, Israel wanted a king, a decision that eventually left to a divided kingdom and a great deal of unfaithfulness. During the reign of the final king if Judah, in Jeremiah 4:14 and 24 the people are described as lacking understanding, as foolish children, Also, in chapter 5:1-5, God gives Jeremiah a Continue reading
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A Bad Case of Pride
Selfishness or pride is really at the center of our problems with following God’s word as we should. In our previous lesson, we looked at how being spiritually mature involves putting others first. Regarding pride, Proverbs 16:18 warns us that it leads to self-destruction, and I Peter 5:5 says that God resists the proud. Certainly, Continue reading
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Reflecting the Name We Wear
Names can be fascinating, and, when we name a child, we go through a great deal of preparation and research in the process. We make associations with names, and they mean something to us. What does our name of Christian mean to us? The name literally means that which belongs to or pertains to Christ. Continue reading
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Being Faithful
We may define “faithfulness” in a few different ways – being full of faith, having a true conviction, being dependable or loyal. In Galatians 5:16, Paul begins speaking of behaviors we should avoid and those we should adopt. In this, in verse 22, he considers faithfulness a fruit of the spirit, a quality we should Continue reading
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Who Will You Eat With?
Remember the Pharisees in Matthew 9:10-11 when Jesus was eating with those scorned by the (self-proclaimed) righteous of the day? “…they said to His disciples, Why does your Teacher eat with tax gatherers and sinners?” What if we modernized the words a little? “…they said to His disciples, Why does your Teacher eat with gays Continue reading
Simply Gospel 