Blog Posts
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An Encouraging Word
Read more: An Encouraging Word“And a voice came from heaven, ’You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.’”–Luke 3:22b The Scripture verse above comes from the day of Jesus’ baptism. Luke’s account of that moment omits some key details. He doesn’t tell us, for instance, that John the Baptist was…
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The Place to Turn
Read more: The Place to Turn“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.’”–John 6:68 The summer following my sophomore year in college, I worked for a trucking company in Charlotte. A classmate’s father oversaw the tire department and he needed some help for a few months.…
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No Time for Words
Read more: No Time for Words“While he was still speaking…from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved…listen to him!’” –Matthew 17:5 Among the joys of living close to our grandchildren is the ability to be present for the more ordinary occasions. When our children were growing up, we lived hundreds of…
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The Cost of Freedom
Read more: The Cost of Freedom“For freedom Christ has set us free.” –Galatians 5:1a “Freedom isn’t free. Freedom isn’t free. You’ve got to pay a price. You’ve got to sacrifice for your liberty.” One day in 6th Grade, my class sang those words as part of a school assembly. I don’t remember the theme of…
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In Need of Translation
Read more: In Need of Translation“And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.” –Acts 1:6 During my seminary years, I once had some free time between the end of a semester and the start of a summer job. So before leaving…
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The Hardest Job
Read more: The Hardest Job“Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.”–Proverbs 22:6 Last November, I officiated at the wedding of a niece, my youngest brother’s oldest daughter. That event marked the 14th time (including my mother-in-law and our two children), when I was privileged to hold that role…
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Divine Messages
Read more: Divine Messages“‘Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?”–Numbers 12:2 The question above is from a conversation between Moses’ two siblings, Aaron and Miriam. Aaron had been by Moses’ side in ministry since his brother’s encounter with God at the burning bush. Miriam was the…
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The Central Thing
Read more: The Central Thing“But Abram said, ‘O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless?” –Genesis 15:2a One day a few years ago, Lori and I were riding the PATH train from Manhattan to New Jersey. One stop before our exit a young woman seated on the opposite side of…
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More Important Than Getting Wet
Read more: More Important Than Getting Wet“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” –Psalm 119:105 I have a friend from my college days named Elliott who served for a time as a mission co-worker in Port Edward, South Africa. He was an economics major as was I and his…
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The Blessing of Community
Read more: The Blessing of Community“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”–Matthew 18:20 One of the blessings of this blog for me has been its reach over the four months since launching. Counted among subscribers and others who see a post through social media are family…