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The Simple Life

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well Matthew 6:33 Ok, so this is my second try at this.............I timed out on my first one, didnt save everything, and lost it all. That means this one will be shorter, more to the point because I dont want that happening again. Here was the working definition we reached yesterday - Simplicity is the opposite of duplicity; it is about one thing, not about two. (if you didnt get to hear the message on Simplicity, and the heart attitudes that it…

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New Year's Revolutions

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13 My family has had some classic mixups in words. At one point in her life, my wife enjoyed listening to the rock duo Hauling Oats (of course the name of the group is Hall and Oates, dont worry, she knows now so you dont have to tell her). This Christmas, my youngest son Tanner was singing along with the Christmas classic Winter Wonderland. But in the middle of the song he asked my wife, Who is…

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Evil

But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. Romans 2:8 Evil. This is one of those words that seems to hiss when you say it. It is like there has been a combination of multiple hideous words to form this epic term. Vile and Ill come to mind as root words for EVIL. And God doesnt look at theactivity that this word representslightly. It seems that the verse above doesnt have much of a place in our vocabulary anymore. And it sure doesnt sound like it belongs in the Bible does it? For…

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Interruptions

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus mother said to him, They have no more wine. Dear woman, why do you involve me? Jesus replied. My time has not yet come. John 2:1-4 It seems that Jesus life was full of interruptions. Everywhere he went he ended up seemingly working off book by healing someone or helping someone, or even having to answer questions from critics who interrupted his teaching. Literally,…

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Thanks

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened Romans 1:21 It is hard to imagine a real follower of Jesus, an authentic Christian, who is ungrateful. A lack of gratitude is so unbecoming of a believer. It really looks nothing like Christ when we are ungrateful, and usually speaks to our understanding (or lack thereof) of the work of grace that Christ has done in our lives. To be ungrateful is to not comprehend the cross. To be…

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Sissies

Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. Galatians 6:17 Maybe its because Im sick. Maybe its because I havent felt well for over 2 weeks and it doesnt seem to be progressing the right way. I dont know what it is - but here is what is on my mind: Christians in the United States are sissies. The more I understand about the global Church, the more I realize that I am product of a too-comfortable, elitist, sissified version of Christianity that much of the majority world Church doesnt know anything about. Ok,…

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Oxymoronic

..may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.....Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us... Ephesians 3:18-20 Ok, let me get it out by way of confession and full disclosure - I am sick as a dog today. I wish I felt like pooh because that would be an improvement. I cant be around anyone right now, cant talk, can hear out of one ear, my back is achy, and I have…

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Investigation

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting Psalm 139:23-24 I cant log on to my home computer, with its news homepage,without seeing that someone is being investigated for something by somebody somewhere. Literally, its every day. Politicians are being investigated. Moms and Dads under investigation for killing or molesting their kid or somebody elses. Celebrities under investigation for some financial issue. We are a culture that loves…

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Produce

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done Genesis 2:2-3. Some days are just not productive, or soit seems. Too bad that production is the name of the game, so to speak. We see it in our questions, Was the meeting productive? Did you have a productive day at school? How is that employee producing for you? I guess in some places, with some people, that is…

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Blessed

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Psalm 103:1 Sometimes my soul is telling me things that I dont fully comprehend, but that I need to give attention to. On occasion, it is some pang in my soul that something is not right with me and I need to confess it to God. At other times there is a hollowness that is saying to me that I cant find all of my satisfaction in this life - there is more to come to fill that hunger inside. And on days like today, I woke up with my soul telling me how blessed I am and it…

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