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It is not uncommon to hear the words praise and worship used in tandem and even interchangeably, but do they really mean the same thing? On one level they may seem the same, but there are significant differences.
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“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes.” Luke 6:43–44 (NLT)
“Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28–29 (NIV)
“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:13 (NIV)
Many Christians believe that sound doctrine or teaching is important, but they do not always know why it is important. Sound doctrine is not an end in itself, but instead it serves as guard rails to keep us on the road of faith. Following sound doctrine will lead to sound living, sound ministry and sound hope. When we look at the results of following sound doctrine we can...
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“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person.” Luke 6:27–28 (The Message)
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Ed Wynn was a popular vaudevillian comedian and actor in the early part of the 20th century. One of his on-stage props was an 11 foot pole to reach out and touch people that other people would not touch with a 10 foot pole. In a memorial tribute to my grandfather, Winston Mattsson-Boze made this application, “We stood for a new kind of Pentecost-- one that held an open spirit, and it refused to choke somebody out because they wouldn’t conform…Ted had an 11 foot pole. Our dealing with difficult ...
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There are 2 dangers that we face in life as followers of Christ Jesus. On one hand, we can become so discouraged by the trials of life, our apparent lack of progress were simply the state of the world around us, but we simply stop trying, while on the other hand, we may think that we have arrived and therefore we can rest on our accomplishments. While these may seem to be polar opposites, the effect on ourselves and those around us is the same, nothing further is accomplished.
In the 3rd chapt...
When we asked Jesus to forgive our sins, and we accepted his gift of salvation, we became a member of the great and glorious body of Christ. But there is also an expression of the body of Christ at the local level; we are many members with many different backgrounds, gifts, interests and abilities. This is in part a mystery as to how God can take different people from different backgrounds and experiences and mold us and unite us together into the body of Christ.
The body of Christ is not a cl...
Motivation is a huge component in our lives and we quickly realize that not everyone is motivated by the same factors. In the business world and in athletics, the leaders who excel are the ones who have learned how to use a variety of incentives and disciplines to maximize their organization’s effectiveness. Someone who is good at motivation helps others by getting them to focus on things larger than themselves.
The apostle Paul had a difficult relationship with the Christians at Corinth, in p...
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:12–13 (NIV)
It is a difficult time for many people who believe that their way of life and their beliefs are under attack from many sides. Issues of terrorism, immigration, instability in financial markets along with moral and social upheaval trouble many people today including Christians. While...
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For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
God does not give us a spirit of fear, but from where does it come? It begins with our experiences in life. We begin with a childlike faith, but as the disappointments and heartaches come our way, so do our fears. Obviously some fears are healthy, but all too frequently we project our fears upon God and in doing so we create barriers which prevent us from experiencing everythin...
I sing by myself quite often, in the car, in the shower and sometimes even on my bicycle. Often, a word or a thought will remind me of a song which in turn will remind me of another song and so on. A couple of days ago in the shower I began to sing, “Isn’t He Wonderful?” That in turn led to, “Wonderful, Wonderful, Jesus Is Me” and then “His Name Is Wonderful.” I began to contemplate just how wonderful the Lord has been to me. I began to think about the wonder and glory of God.
The word wonderf...
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