Category: Christian Living
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If in doubt, teach the Bible
Two or three times per week I hear from a youth worker asking me for a resource recommendation. When I’m asked that I’m torn. On the one hand I know (and sell!) a lot of great resources. On the other, I know that too many people are just going from resource to resource to resource.…
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Picking Faithfulness
Each day is full of choice. Most are benign, seemingly meaningless. For some the payoff is immediate, like what to eat or wear or to do after work. For others the payoff is delayed, like plans you make, what you say to your kids, or the work you do. I’m learning that I have to…
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It’s not good for man to be alone
It is not good for the man to be alone. Genesis 2:18 Disclaimer: I own a cat. I really like my cat. I don’t think all cat people are weird. (I’ve been to the dog park, it’s equal opportunity) I just imagined how amazing a companion this kind man would be with someone of his…
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Friends, we need to calm down the rhetoric
My morning devotions found me in Romans 13 this week. These are timely words from Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit: Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against…
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The Rule of Affinity
Two men had robbed a bank a few miles away and while being chased by the police made a wrong turn into our neighborhood. Full of canyons and dead ends the robbers got lost, ditched their car, shot at a cop, and ran into backyards a few hundred yards from our house. Soon a police…
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10 Horrible Halloween Treat Ideas
If you care about being Good News in Your Neighborhood, Halloween is one of the easiest days on the calendar to get out and meet a lot of people. Since 2005, I’ve written a number of posts encouraging fellow Christians to embrace Halloween as an opportunity to meet your neighbors. “We Celebrate Halloween” – October…
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The upside of fear
Stupid spreadsheet. Typically, I’m a pretty positive– upbeat — and self-confident person. I’m told I’m overly optimistic by my friends. But the past few weeks have brought about unfamiliar emotions. Negativity, melancholy, and anxiety. And since these are unfamiliar emotions I haven’t quite known how to respond. In situations where I’m typically chipper I’ve been…
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Be Kind, Not Nice
I think Christians are too nice. Go to church, any church, and everyone is nice. Big smiles and hand shakes for everyone. Some churches hug a lot. Perfect strangers hugging. Lots of perfect strangers hugging. They kind of mash all of the fruits of the Spirit into one thing… being nice. But the fruit of the Spirit…
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He’s God and We’re Not
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Routines
Our house is a series of routines. Kristen is usually the first one awake- her jogs often chase the sun from its slumber. Jackson and Paul wake up next, breaking the quiet in our house. Sometimes Paul will bring Jackson to our bed and we’ll all just kind of snuggle and slowly get up. Watching…