Kingdom
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HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE ME?
My four-year old grandson is experimenting with the concept of like and love. Out of the blue he’ll tell me where I fall in his hierarchy of affection. One day he’ll “like like” me. Another day he’ll love me, “but not as much as Mommy.” It’s almost as if he’s rolling the thoughts around in…
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A LIFE WORTH LIVING
Whenever I see a caged hamster frantically racing around in his wheel, but going nowhere, I think I know how he feels. Maybe you do too—wondering what all the busy activities and tight schedules accomplish, fearing that one day you’ll look back on your life and not see much meaning to all the motion. I…
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Confess Your Sins to One Another
One of the most troubling and confusing chapters in Kingdom Now: Pursuing Unity in the Body of Christ to Change the World is Chapter 6, “Confess Your Sins to One Another.” Despite being perfectly biblical (see James 5:16), it befuddles both Protestants and Catholics alike. Protestants think that confession to another person isn’t a common…
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Joy in the Midst of Disruption
Disruption! How we hate it! And yet, doesn’t that seem to be the stuff of the Christian life? I don’t know about you, but I honestly don’t know many Christians who actually have the cushy, comfy life they long for. And if they do, it doesn’t last forever. I’ve done a lot of counseling and…
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More Thoughts on Communion
A few weeks ago, in response to my post on communion, a reader asked for more info on taking personal, daily communion. I recognize this is a practice not accepted by all streams of Christianity. Some believe that communion, or the Eucharist, can only be administered by an ordained member of the clergy. Early Church…
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My Anchor of Hope
How’s your hope quotient? It’s no secret that we’ve come through one of the most challenging and turbulent years in my lifetime (and I’ve been around for a while!). We’ve lived through a toxic stew of a worldwide pandemic (complete with illness, death, shutdowns, and shut-ins), a venomous election (complete with alleged fraud and deceit),…
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Some New (To Me) Thoughts on Communion
Do you ever feel that communion has become, well, routine? Boring? Just something to do once a month? And now, with so many churches closed, perhaps less than once a month? Since the world shut down in March, I’ve made a point of taking communion almost every day. Yes, I’m building a new habit, so…
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How To Guarantee 2021 Will Be Your Best Year Yet
For the past several months social media has been filled with bad-mouthing 2020. It seems that everyone was glad to see it go, and almost everyone was sure that 2021 was going to be different. That somehow, turning the page of the calendar would make all things new. And bright. And shiny. And perfect. I’m…
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Is It Time to Pack Your Bags?
As the Church has faced more opposition in the past few months, I’ve heard more “End Times” sermons than at any time in my Christian life. It seems that any time things get tough in the US, American Christians turn to the rapture as their great hope. They believe (and hope and pray) that we’ll…
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Kingdom Now! A New Bible Study for You
Hey friends, I’m beyond excited to announce the forthcoming release of my new Bible study, Kingdom Now: Pursuing Unity in the Body of Christ to Change the World. If you’ve been asking what God is saying to the Church during this time, this study is for you. If you’re excited about advancing the Kingdom and…
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Blessing: God’s Call to the Church
What is God Doing During the Pandemic? Since the shut down, various groups of my friends have been asking, “What is God doing?” “What is the new normal for the Church?” “How is He calling us to a higher place?” Earlier this week I posted The Bay Area Blessing and told of how I’ve been…
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Sing Blessing for the Nation
The Bethel version of this song has become one of my favorites. I sing it almost every morning as a prayer over my family. We moved to Texas to build legacy with our family, and I call on God every day to bless my family to a thousand generations. When the churches in our home…