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Some days a theme emerges across several pieces of writing and reflection. Today the theme has been welcome. More specifically, the subtle signals communities, organizations, churches, and businesses send that tell people whether they belong—or whether they should keep their distance. The idea began with a reflection on a passage from Matthew 8, where Jesus…
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“Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.” – Psalm 107:6 It gets pretty rough for folks sometimes. There is an old spiritual that expresses the twin emotions of helplessness and hope for the one who is trusting the Lord. “Sometimes I feel discouraged and think…
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“And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.”— Genesis 35:15 There are moments in life that become spiritual landmarks. Places where something changed.Where clarity appeared.Where we sensed that God was speaking into our lives. The Bible tells us that Jacob had such a place. He called it Bethel. The…
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“Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will protect them.” – Psalm 12:5 God saw the oppression of the weak and heard the groaning of the needy, bound in the chains of sin and wickedness. Thus, he came to us as…
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Guercino Abramo ripudia Agar “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” – John 3:8 “For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” -Romans 4:13,…
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False Prophets and Christian Leadership Discernment Matthew 7:15–29 There are many voices asking for allegiance. Some are theological.Some are political.Some are cultural. Jesus anticipated this. In Matthew 7:15–29, He gives explicit criteria for identifying false prophets and discerning true spiritual leadership. He begins with a warning: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in…
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Many are searching for God. Jesus said that those who seek, find (cf. Gospel of Matthew 7:7). But sometimes what we are seeking is not truly God at all. Sometimes we are searching for a projection — a deity shaped by our fears, our wounds, our need for control, or our assumptions about justice. Then…
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“And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.” – Nehemiah 12:30 It is hard to comprehend the importance of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem without understanding the times in which Nehemiah and the people of his day lived. Unwalled cities were always vulnerable to attack…
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Matthew 7:1–14 In preparing this week’s sermon on Matthew 7, I found myself wrestling with one phrase that has unsettled readers for centuries: “Enter through the narrow gate… for the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life.” What does Jesus mean by narrow? Is it narrow to keep people out?Is…
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The time has come for shouting and not holding back. Shout out; do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! – Isaiah 58:1 The prophetic moment has arrived. The Word of God is laser focused on our day in history and upon us who profess to be the people of God. God is…
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