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Only when we are genuine can God most easily use us in His will. Yes, God is omnipotent. He can use anyone and anything He desires to use. But there is a difference between God forcing our use through His omnipotence and God coming alongside to use us through our
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Sometimes God’s truth seems more difficult to understand than it is. Human beings have a knack for making things complicated. We like to overthink. We like to analyze minutia. Often the best approach is to stop, give God’s truth the room it needs, and not worry about making
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Which one am I? Life is full of choices. Am I the risk-taker or the person who plays it safe? Am I the one who listens to new ideas or do I shut myself off? Am I willing to explore or would I rather stay at home? These questions
We cannot say we obey God’s commands if love does not reign supreme in our heart. In writing his letter to the Corinthians, Paul understands this dynamic. If I have the gift of prophesy but don’t use it in love, am I following God? If I can speak
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There is nothing in life worth losing the joy that comes from knowing we have eternal life with God. Don’t get me wrong. There are many cool things God created in this world. I love my wife. I love my job. I love mentoring people and talking about spirituality.
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Who we see as the author or originator of an object says much about how we perceive the world around us. Suppose I make a dining room table out of some mahogany and sapele. Do I get the credit for cutting the wood and assembling it? How much credit should
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God created us to have relationship with Him. Sometimes that relationship is easy; other times that relationship is hard. We frequently allow ourselves to be distracted from our relationship with God by something in the world that momentarily catches our hearts desire. Even then, though, God waits for us to
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Our repentant heart is what God desires. This is why I love Hosea 6:6. God says, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” This is also why David, who made so many mistakes, could still be called a man after
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Sometimes truth is the hardest thing in the world to accept. Sometimes we want to be right. Sometimes we’d rather live in ignorance rather than go through the work of growing. Sometimes we tire of change and would rather live in the lie we create for ourselves. The religious
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The power to move mountains doesn’t reside in the strength of our faith, but in how aligned our heart is to God’s. I remember as a kid taking Jesus’ words in Mark 11:22 at face value. I told many inanimate things to move, and none of them
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God’s followers proclaim God’s truth and rely upon His provision as we go about His will. God sets the agenda; we proclaim His truth. As He increases His Spirit in us, we become the conduits encouraging others to draw close to God so His Spirit can increase in
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Faith should produce fruit. This makes sense. What’s the point of learning anything if it doesn’t do something? A healthy spiritual life is something we feel making a difference in life. It makes a difference internally and hopefully it reaches out into the world around us. It is