Ordinary Grace Blog
The Latest Posts
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The Best Foundation
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” –Matthew 7:24 During my childhood, our family lived in five different homes. For those of you who spent your entire growing-up years in one place, such frequent re-locating might seem strange…
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A Place For Us
“Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah…in the land of Canaan Genesis 23:19 The verse above comes from a chapter that tells of the death of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, at the age of 127. “Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her” the…
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A So-Called Church
“Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” –Matthew 7:3 A few years ago, I took the opportunity to worship at another church located a half-hour away. I didn’t get to do that very often in the years that I…
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A Journey with Mom
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.. Her children rise up and call her happy.” Proverbs 31:26, 28a This post appears on Mother’s Day. On the subject of moms–biological and relational–I am a particularly blessed man. Everyday Lori, our daughter, and daughter-in-law inspire me with their love…
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An Uncomfortable Faith
“Peter said to him, ‘Lord, you will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’” –John 13:8 26 years ago, I spent four days touring Washington, D.C. as a chaperon on our son’s fifth grade class trip. In many ways, it was terrific event. I had been…
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Scattered, But United
“Let us make a name for ourselves, otherwise we will be scattered.” –Genesis 11:4 The words we just read come from the Tower of Babel narrative. The people had migrated to a place located in modern-day Iraq where they launched a massive building effort. Scripture says that when God sees their activity that the Divine…
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God’s Word and Our Words
“The LORD revealed himself to Samuel by the word of the LORD. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.” –1 Samuel 3:21-4:1 One day many years ago, I was sitting in a preaching class of students in their last year of seminary. Each of them, including me, was about to graduate and…
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A Longed For Day
“he shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.” Isaiah 11:3 “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,” Isaiah writes “and…
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Whatever It Takes
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” –John 20:29b There’s been a lot of attention in recent years to what is known as “Near Death Experiences.” That phrase refers to the times in which a person is pronounced clinically dead, but is then revived and soon begins to share…
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Forsaken, But Not Alone
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” –Mark 15:34 Years ago, my job with the Southern Bell Telephone Company moved me to Shelby, North Carolina. On learning of that transfer, I began searching for an apartment and soon discovered that one man owned most of the available units in town. I found one…