Tag: christianity
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Running to the Refuge
God is my fortress and my refuge, a very present help in times of trouble. I’ve read that Scripture, and I’ve sung that song, but now I’m living that life. It has become very real to me. There’s one thing I’ve figured out about life in my nearly 50 years of living it: in this…
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Selective Reading
I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of selective listening, and if you’re a parent, you’ve likely accused your children of it. It’s when you listen but only hear the messages you want to hear, while somehow ignoring everything else, even if it’s said. It’s as if you’re deaf to any instruction other than those…
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Armor Up: Fighting the Battle Within
The best generals and warriors understand that battles aren’t always won by might; they are also won by perception. If you can convince someone they are defeated, they will stop trying to fight. These are tactics that aim to deceive, confuse, and psychologically break your enemy’s will to fight rather than relying on a direct…
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When I don’t
There is a newer, and really fun praise song people sing at churches all over. It’s actually just called “Praise.” There’s a line in that song that I was thinking about this morning. It says, “I’ll praise when I feel it, and I’ll praise when I don’t.” I’ve been reflecting on this idea of moving…
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Lifting Up Weary Arms: A Journey of Faith
I haven’t been writing lately. When I try to tap into that part of myself that’s inspired, I find very little. Why? Absolute weariness. Weariness can lead to many symptoms, and a lack of creativity is just one of them. It also has a tendency to take me down that dark road where I wonder…
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Trials of Many Kinds
Recently, I’ve been reflecting a lot on life and its challenges. I’ve written about the importance of approaching the Lord with sincerity and seeking His help when we need it. Our faith strengthens through exercise, and we all know that it gets exercised only when we actively use and work it. Often, it’s the difficulties…
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The Fear of God
In my journey through the Old Testament, even the parts that might feel less exciting or harder to understand, I found myself at the book of Job. I really enjoyed the book of Job and thought I fully understood it already. To my surprise I discovered a new lesson, a truth that we all can…
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Finding in God What we Need: Overcoming Life’s Challenges
Today at the end of the day I felt myself in desperate need of some time with the Lord. So many thoughts and feelings, anxieties, and the heaviness of life had been bombarding me. I guess I get mad at myself sometimes or disappointed in myself because I am affected by the heaviness of life.…
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Live Like Jesus… (Know when to Rest)
Previously I spent time writing about what it meant to be like Jesus. After all we’re called Christians which means Christ like, so what does Christlike mean? What was Jesus really like? I investigated several aspects of Jesus life: How he was an example of studying and knowing the word of God, how he used the…
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Keep the Fire Burning! (Dive Deeper)
Having gone to churches all of my life, some lessons or messages just become less impactful over time. Regrettably familiarity, I would argue, not only at times can breed contempt but it can also cause indifference. We start taking for granted these messages, even amazing messages, and find the impact of them has become dulled.…
Devotions For Real Life 