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Telling the Story: Team Mary and Joseph
A middle schooler recently told his mother he didn’t like Sunday School because he knew all the Bible stories already. I got a little bit tickled but beg to differ with that young man. Even though I am 62, every single time I open God’s Word, He speaks to me. Unfortunately, I’ve been there as…
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Quit complicating the grace of God Part 3
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that…
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Devils
Two 6-year-olds struggled with the problem of the existence of the devil. One boy said, “Oh, there isn’t any devil.” The other, rather upset, said, “What do you mean there isn’t any devil? It talks about him all the way through the Bible.” The first replied, “Oh that’s not true. You know, it’s just like…
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Telling the Story: Spending time with the Nativity
A decades-old nearly life-sized Nativity set needed to be repainted. I volunteered all the artsy people I knew to do it; I would help, too. I’m no artist, but I thought it would be like a humungous paint by number: not too difficult, it would just take some time. My first job was to prep…
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Quit complicating the grace of God Part 2
“Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and…
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The mind is like Silly Putty
“The peace of God which passes understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4.7) Our minds are wonderful creations of God. But did you know they need to be guarded? When I was a boy I used to play with Silly Putty. You could do a lot of neat things with…
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Telling the Story: Trusting when you can’t see
Even when we can’t feel it, God is working. Even when we can’t see it, God has a plan. Those truths are obvious when you look at the X-ray of a child’s tooth. The baby tooth is easy to see, but just above or below it in the X-ray, depending on the location, you can…
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Quit complicating the grace of God
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness…
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Thanks be to God
On Sept. 16, 1620, two ships set sail from Plymouth, England: the Speedwell and the Mayflower. The Speedwell encountered much difficulty as they began their journey, springing many leaks in the ship. So when the two ships went to Port in Plymouth, England, the Speedwell decided to go no further, and 42 passengers from the…
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Telling the Story: Thanksgiving and ‘Thanks-living’
When our pastor, Steve Rice, preached a sermon about “Thanks-living” instead of “Thanks-giving” decades ago, I teased him mercilessly. We were dear friends; it’s what friends do. It was “Happy Thanks-living” this and “Happy Thanks-living” that. (I wasn’t nearly as mature as I am now.) I worked the word “Thanks-living” into every conversation. In his…
Category: Devotionals
