Author: Pastor John
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The Protection of Living by Grace
As we have been studying Galatians in worship at church, I have been really wrestling with the question of living by grace. As a Christian I am very familiar with being saved by grace. The question I often have, though, is, “Do I live by grace?” Paul says, “By grace you have been…
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Ask a good question…
I have noticed that questions are effective tools for getting some one to talk. Questions (especially open ended ones) invite people to give their opinions or share their experiences. Questions also make people think. When thinking happens amazing things are the result. Matthew 16:13 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi,…
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Why Do I Believe?
This is a repost of some thoughts that I had last year around this time. I really do think that it does us good to be reminded why we first believed in Jesus, or if you don’t believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world why you don’t. We don’t believe or reject Jesus…
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The Preciousness of Jesus
On Sunday, our children’s moment was about jewelry. The question was, “Which type of jewelry do you like – the gold and precious stones type or the homemade type?” The vote was mixed. Some liked the prettiness of the store bought jewelry. Some liked that homemade jewelry always reminded us of the person who gave…
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The Message of Jesus – You Can Bet Your Life on It
In poker there is a term that I have heard that means you are risking everything: all in. I don’t know if you use it in other games of chance (I’m not a gambler, so I am no expert), but I have heard it associated with poker. I have also heard a similar idea warned…
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Growing… Patiently
I have a struggle in my life that I think is common to many. I struggle with impatience. When my children were younger, I was always wanting them to learn things or do things faster. I had to fight the urge to just do it for them! I learned that being impatient didn’t help them…
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What do You Fight For?
We live in the age of hyperbole. Maybe it comes in waves (like fashion trends), but I don’t think that we can deny that we see hyperbole everywhere. Advertisers have always used it to create demand, but politicians and pundits have caught the hyperbole bug too. I have yet to hear anyone who is arguing…
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Won’t Get What I Want
Have you ever thought about what you want from God? I know that I have. I know that I have little right to tell God to do things for me, but I also know that God’s Word tells me that He loves me and wants to work in me. I want Him to work in…
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God, Big Enough for the Little Things
I have a horrible habit in my prayer life. It isn’t that I don’t bring my requests to God. It isn’t that I don’t believe that God can answer my prayers. My habit is that I routinely decide which needs are too small to bring to God. Is that humility, or am I making God…
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He is Worth It
There are a couple of ways to measure what we value. The first way to measure what we value is what we are willing to pay or sacrifice to get it. The other way is how does what we value stack up to other similar items. Consider those that love Apple devices. The average iPad…