June 2012
1 post
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Deuteronomy 30: A small matter of life and death
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. … I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days.” (Deuteronomy 30:15,19-20)
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May 2012
24 posts
5 tags
“God can take care of us when we pass through the waters. God can take care of us...”
– Dwight Moody
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“The worst the devil is allowed to do is to burn off the bonds of God’s...”
– Dwight Moody
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7 letters: God Knows
I know… (Revelation 2:2, 3, 9, 13; 3:1, 8, 15)
Ken Jennings is perhaps the most famous contestant from the game show Jeopardy. He won 74 consecutive games and earned more than $3.5 million from all his appearances. He eventually wrote the book Braniac about being a trivia “know it all.”
Jennings and imitators like him don’t really “know it all.” They have considerable knowledge about a limited...
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5 more keys to prayer partnerships that work
actually pray (and not just talk about praying or sharing requests)
keep the prayer conversational
view quiet moments and silence as normal and acceptable
pray Scripture
remember that you speak together with God….not just to each other.
(adapted from Two are Better than One, by David Mains & Steve Bell
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7 letters: Uniquely Authorized
Write: The words of… (Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7,14)
Even in this electronic age of digital communication, it is still a noteworthy event to open up the mailbox and see a letter in it.
With most personal communication now being handled by social networks or email, about the only items showing up in your mailbox are official, authoritative letters demanding your attention. Sometimes that...
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5 keys to prayer partnerships that work
pick someone you trust
establish when you will pray with/for each other
withhold judgment on what you’re being asked to pray about
don’t try to solve the other person’s problem
keep confidences
(adapted from Two are Better than One, by David Mains & Steve Bell)
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7 letters: Pastors
To the angel of the church in… (Revelation 2:1,8,12,18; 3:1,7,14)
Over the past fifty years, tens of thousands of people have come together at Scottsdale Bible Church to hear a message from the Lord. What began as a small gathering has developed into a large assembly in the heartbeat of Scottsdale.
In that time, God has faithfully spoken through dozens of messengers to share timely, timeless...
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“That which is in the wellspring of the heart is drawn up in buckets of words.”
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“It is impossible to flee from temptation if you leave breadcrumbs to mark the...”
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Four Questions in determining God's Will
All credit for this goes to my friend Dale Galloway…
Here are four questions to ask when trying to decide if something is God’s will:
Will this bring out the best in me?
Has God given this to me to do?
Will this help people who are hurting?
Will this bring more attention to God?
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“The church is the home where the outcast may come in and find family.”
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“Do not place upon the stranger the responsibility of getting acquainted with...”
“Many temptations begin with an invitation to take only a single step closer.”
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“Fear and faith cannot live together. When one enters, the other must depart.”
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Review: Sifted by Wayne Cordeiro
Sifted is a timely book that awaiting a sizeable audience - the ministry leaders persevering through a season of sifting. Based on the provocative premise that Christ doesn’t promise deliverance from sifting, but instead chooses to use sifting as faith building experiences, this book strikes to the hearts of countless men and women who have been shaken out and tested in ministry. Nearly...
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“The crown of loftiest achievement is crafted from thorns.”
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“God does not bring us comfort to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters...”
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“Fear is virtuous when it is the effect of faith; it is vicious when it is the...”
“It is impossible to have communion with God and refuse to go where He is going.”
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“Worship should not be restricted to a time and a place. It should be the spirit...”
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“One becomes superstitious when the means of worship eclipses the Object of...”
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“Do you believe in the sun when it is hidden behind the cloud? Then doubt not the...”
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“God is not only a present help in time of trouble, but a great help in keeping...”
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“Much depends on the way that you come into trouble. Both Paul and Jonah were in...”
April 2012
1 post
4 tags
“Do not disbelieve. But believe.”
– Jesus (John 20:27)
March 2012
4 posts
3 tags
“God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly surrendered to...”
– Andrew Murray
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Rock & A Hard Place: Part 2
When you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, common sense screams, “Move!” Logic yells, “Change!” However, before you act, it may be best to stand still, be quiet, and seek wisdom beyond your own limited perspective.
In my previous post, Rock & a Hard Place part 1: March Back, I shared how following God by faith can sometimes lead you into difficult...
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Rock & A Hard Place: Part 1
This next series of blog posts was inspired by double entredre date March 4th…what a great day and perfect excuse to take a new step of faith.
The only problem…faith can be frightening.
Faith is living by the guidance of the invisible. Faith is living with an expectant hope in a disillusioned, hopeless world. Faith is marching forth when cornered between a rock and a hard place.
...
February 2012
5 posts
3 tags
Mentoring New Believers →
A Bible study/accountability group guide that I wrote for Baptist Men on Mission (PDF).
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Mentoring Young Men →
A Bible Study/Accountability Group Guide I wrote for Baptist Men on Mission.
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Mentoring Among Peers →
A Bible study/accountability group guide that I wrote for Baptist Men On Mission.
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Satanology: 27 things you should know about the...
Satan was an angel created by Christ (Ezekiel 28:15, compare to John 1:1; Psalm 148:1-5; Col. 1:16).
Satan was called the “star of the morning” or “light-bearer,” and “son of the dawn” (Isaiah 14:12).
The Latin translation of the term “light-bearer” is “Lucifer,” and is from where this name originates. The name Lucifer is not actually in the Bible.
...
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Mentoring for Accountability →
A Bible study/accountability group guide that I wrote for Baptist Men On Mission (link is a free PDF download).
January 2012
4 posts
4 tags
The Ephesian church cautionary tale
Yesterday, our pastor taught out from the second chapter of Revelation. It was a special message that reflected on God’s faithfulness over the first fifty years of Scottsdale Bible Church. Something caught my attention amidst his sharing this great message of encouragement to the church…
Christ’s epistles to the seven churches are especially meaningful because they offer a very...
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Faith: Driving on God's Wheels
How do you live the faith life? How do you, as the Bible says, “walk by faith and not by sight?” It’s not as hard as some people would have you think. At the same time, it can seem like an incredible struggle. Here are simple faith truths to assist in keeping you between the white lines and cruising down life’s highway, so to speak. Plant a stake. In ancient times, it was...
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Faith: The "Specs" of God's Wheels
Earlier…driving through life on a provisional.
The previous entry is built on the premise that God has equipped you with standard features that enable to live a life far better than the one you may have settled for. You don’t have to drive through life on one or more “spare tires” like vanity, empty relationships, materialism, power, or anything else that was never designed...
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Driving through life on a provisional
The spare tire comes standard on most cars. However, the spare tire is the least among equals. It is about half the width of a normal tire and is only meant to get you to the tire repair shop. The recommended top speed is 45 miles per hour. Anything above that, and you are likely risking your own life, as well as the lives of anyone silly enough to get on the road with you. It’s called...
November 2011
4 posts
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“It is easier for me to have faith in the Bible than to have faith in myself, for...”
– from DL Moody
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“If you are praying for bread, you better bring the basket you expect to need to...”
– from D.L. Moody
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“Prayer is not a means to control God. It is putting yourself in a position where...”
– from Charles L. Allen
“Revival will not happen lest there be workers willing to reap the harvest.”
October 2011
8 posts
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“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”
– Corrie Ten Boom
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“God’s answers are wiser than our prayers.”
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“Prayer is self surrender.”
– Gordon MacDonald
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“The greatest praise is telling the hurting, helpless, and hopeless about the...”
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“Real love is the universal language - understood by all.”
– Henry Drummond
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“There is no exception to God’s commandment to love everybody.”
– Henry Bucklew
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“The desire of power in excess caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge...”
– Francis Bacon