Author: Pastor John
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Fear, Good or Bad?
Let’s think today about something we probably try to avoid thinking about: fear. We try to avoid thinking about it because of the other words we associate with it: scared, frightened, trembling, cowardly, etc. These words to be sure are emotional ones. They invoke feelings that we try to avoid. However, there is another important…
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We Need Friends
Friends. They are easy to take for granted. They are easy to see as just happy additions to our lives. Those of us who have gone through hard times appreciate them immensely. However, have we given much thought to how faithful friends can help us in our walk with Jesus? Have we thought about how…
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Preparing to be Courageous
Have you considered what it takes to be courageous? Do you think of courage as the exclusive domain of the fearless? Courage isn’t just available to those who don’t feel fear. It is also available to any who will prepare. Prepare. What do I mean by prepare? The simple definition of preparation is to consistently…
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Finding Delight In the Word
Psalms 1:1-2 1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. English is so sloppy. Specifically, how…
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The Poor You Will Always Have With You
Do you have any projects that never seem to end? They just seem to go on and on. Sometimes we get tired, don’t we? When that happens we are faced with a choice: 1) quit and leave the job undone OR 2) rest so that we can jump back in with both feet. When it…
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The Reality of Heaven
Last Sunday I preached about what the Bible says about Hell. It is a heart wrenching topic. To balance that heavy subject, this week I want to think about Heaven. The great struggle in modern Christianity is that both of these great teachings of the Bible are minimized in our pulpits. We need to embrace…
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Living His Worth
You know the old saying, “You get what you pay for.” We know that there is value in something we have to pay for. How do show something is valuable when you got it for free? Philippians 3:8-10 English Standard Version (ESV) 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of…
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Being a disciple of Jesus, is it radical?
There are two words that are rattling around my head today: discipleship and radical. We are called by Jesus to follow Him. Followers of Jesus are called disciples. What type of disciple does Jesus call us to be? Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross…
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Remember this – People are People
I just came back from an eye opening mission trip. We didn’t go far, but the trip got me thinking about how I see the people in the world and in my community. I am wondering if we see too many as the “enemy.” We have enemies of America. We have enemies of the cross.…
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Do All Things… Through Christ
Who doesn’t love hearing a secret? I am not talking about gossip. Gossip is gross. But, there is something about secrets. Book writers use that in their titles all the time: “The Secret to a Happy Life” “The Secret to Successful Investing” “The Secret Life of Pets”. Paul said that he had learned a secret.…