Tag: indianola
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The Needed Mercy of God
I was contemplating mercy this week. Mercy is unusual. It is a reality that can only be accepted by those who need it. And yet, many who need it refuse to admit that they do. Why do we need mercy? We need mercy because of sin. Sin make us lost. Being lost makes us separated…
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Loving the Lost
My wife says often, “If wishes were fishes we would all be in the sea.” We wish a lot of things. As a Christian, I wish often that the people around me all knew Jesus. Sometimes, I even think so highly of them that I avoid thinking about their lostness. I avoid seeing that they…
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I Beg You, Pray
Superman is invulnerable. Pastors are not. Pastors have flaws, temptations, and struggles. Pastors have insecurities. Pastors do not always know exactly what should be done next. Pastors yell or want to yell at their kids. We are clay called to shine the light of Christ. What is the answer? Pastors need prayer. They carry the…
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Conquering in Christ
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:28 It breaks my…
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Not About Me
Isn’t church all about me? Isn’t it about my wants, my wishes, my hopes, and my dreams? Are you saying right now, “No, of course not! It’s about Jesus!”? It is about Jesus, but do we make it sometimes about us? Paul spoke to the Corinthian church about something like this. He said, “For I…
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Praying with Confidence
Think for a moment who you call when you need help… It probably is a short list. Yet, the people on it are people that you can call on with confidence. How do you know that? You know it because those people have shown that they are committed to you. They have been there when…
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4th of July Thoughts
Wow! Another 4th of July. Happy Birthday America! As I think about July 4th, I think about all the history of those days. I think of the people whose lives were made harsher as tyranny increased. I think about how the founding fathers grew more and more impatient with the conditions that they found themselves. …
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Thoughts from Vacation
Psalm 19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. Psalm 139: 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I…
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The Hectic Family – WORRY
For the past several weeks we have been looking at Tim Kimmel’s marks of a hurried family. Have you seen yourself in any of them? We’ve seen people who can’t relax, can’t stand quiet, can’t be satisfied, can’t embrace certainty, and can’t feel valuable without approval. Whew! What a roller coaster! We have two final…
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The Hectic Family – Needing Approval
For the next several weeks I want to identify the marks of the hurried and often run over family. In fact, Tim Kimmel of Family Life identifies seven marks of a family that is overstressed. They are hectic! As we look at them, perhaps we will see a bit of ourselves! Our next hectic family…
Pastor John D Jakes 