Called: Back to One

There are days you just wish you could have a “do-over” on.  Things just aren’t going the way you’d like and, if you could just start again, things could be so much better.  Unfortunately, these opportunities are very rare in our every day lives… yet when it comes to our spiritual lives with Jesus, these […]

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Called: Out of Fear

We walk boldly in our call!  We go into the unknown trusting God with with us and that He is guiding our path!  That is, until fear sets in.  When fear hits, it often gets us off track.  Fear makes us do a lot of stupid things.  It makes us forget the promises of God […]

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Called: Answering Your Call

When we talk about the “call of God,” we tend to think big picture and big calls.  God calls pastors, missionaries, and evangelists.  But what if the call of God was actually bigger than that?  What if God was calling not just a select few to a few select roles but instead calling all of […]

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Problem of Pain: The Dam Builder

No one ever wants to walk through a season of pain and hardship.  When we’re there, we often can’t imagine life getting any harder.  We wish God would give us more goodness and blessings.  We wish He would ease our discomfort.  But what if He actually is?  What if the downpour we find ourselves standing […]

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Problem of Pain: Logical Implications

In the midst of pain and suffering, we often can find ourselves in a very dark places.  We feel like the whole world is closing in on us.  We feel like we are all alone.  And yet, when we pause and take a step back to remember what we know… not what we feel… but […]

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Problem of Pain: Count It Joy

No one ever chooses pain… yet it’s a reality of our world.  So when we encounter James’ words to “count it all joy whenever you face trials,” we tend to want to run away.  No one thinks pain is joyful.  But what if that’s not what James is telling us?  What if he’s actually helping […]

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We all face days and seasons of pain and suffering.  As hard as these times can be, we shouldn’t really be surprised by them.  Jesus told us they would come.  Yet Jesus also tells us to “take heart” and “have peace” when facing pain; and honestly, that doesn’t come easily!  Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t just tell […]

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Problem of Pain: Why?

We live in a world full of pain and suffering.  But why? We serve an all-powerful, all-knowing God.  Why, we wonder, does He not step in and do something? Today we begin to explore the problem of pain and suffering in our world as we look to God to find strength, endurance, and understanding.

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Love vs. Like: Loving God First

Jesus commands us to love one another… and we often try really hard to do so.  Yet when Jesus was asked what the GREATEST commandment was, He didn’t tell us to love others – that was actually number two on His list.  No, Jesus says that the most important command is to love God with […]

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Love vs. Like: Love Values All

We enjoy showering love on those we love.  Our family and friends know we love them because we show them.  We show them that they have value and meaning in our lives.  But what about those outside our circles?  Those who don’t quite fit our mold?  Jesus calls us to love others but He doesn’t […]

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