Tag: action
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Reconciling Fruit
Psalm 144; Isaiah 27:1–6; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (ISV) In times to come, Jacob will take root, and Israel will blossom, sprout shoots, and fill the whole world with fruit. Isaiah 27:6 ISV All of this comes from God, who has reconciled us to himself through the Messiah and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians…
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Sackcloth and Ashes
Psalm 115; Ezra 9:5–15; John 16:16–24 Collective guilt has been on the top of many lists in the last year. Regardless of your political, philosophical, or religious perspective of the collective guilt issues, it does allow us to better understand the pressure that Ezra felt…somewhat. Ezra was trying to make up for generations of sin…
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How We Wait
The stage is being set. The Disciples are getting ready. Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem. They didn’t wait in a state of inaction. They readied what they believed was right and in such a way that they could respond. Then they waited for the fulfillment of the promise Jesus made.
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Take the Message Forward
Psalm 150; Jeremiah 30:1–11a; 1 John 3:10–16 We have a lot in front of us. The end of the COVID-era seems to be approaching. Although there seems to be a step back for every step forward, at least we are moving forward. This doesn’t mean we’ll be going back to normal. In fact, the normal…
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Beyond Sight/Site
Psalm 119:9–16; Haggai 2:1–9, 20–23; John 12:34–50 Haggai and Zechariah were the two prophets that accompanied the Israelites from exile to home. Their primary focus was the restoration of Israel, not so much as a powerhouse, but as a people and nation of God, including both temple worship and the Davidic kingly line. Later on…
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Before and After
Psalm 105:1–11, 37–45; Genesis 21:1–7; Hebrews 1:8–12 “Remember the wondrous works he has done…” It would be nice to say that part of the culture and religious practices of the Jews made them different than others. Christians don’t have that luxury. We are the spiritual descendants of Abraham. The wondrous works of God did not…
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We Love Talking About It
It is the motive behind our use of money that is the point of tithing and giving. God created the world. God already has the money (as if God needed it). God wants our heart.
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Power Granted
Isaiah 41:14–20; John 1:29–34 ♫ Nobody likes me; everybody hates; just because I eat wo-oorms ♫ I don’t know if you remember that song from your childhood. I recall it as some weird camp song. Really, who would eat worms? At the same time, I did learn that other cultures ate maggots, caterpillars, and even…