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Genuinely following Jesus is not always easy. With respect to today’s passage, a bit of discomfort is in order. Jesus does something here that should make the uninitiated stop and think. Before getting to that, it is important to understand a history lesson. The Sea of Galilee is notorious
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Even Jesus had favorites. As a teacher, it is routine to have students argue about who my favorite is. Children do the same with their parents. Employees may even do this with their bosses in the right working environment. The reality is that everyone has people with whom they get
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The life cycle is an amazing thing. Science can explain about how organisms grow, yet it is amazing that most life on the planet starts off as a single cell, growing piece by piece for millions of cycles until it becomes complex and amazing. I’m a rather big guy,
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Living by faith is a real skill we all need. When I fall asleep, I have faith I’ll wake up fine, my house won’t get broken into, my electric will be on, and my hot water tank will function. When I stick clothes into my washer, I have
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You are what you eat. This phrase may have started with a dietary understanding, but it has developed a more generalized truth in our culture. You become the things or ideas in your life you pursue with the most effort. If you spend most of your time being angry, you
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Secrets are meant to be shared. Isn’t that why we all enjoy hearing secrets in the first place? We like being in the know. We also like being the one who lets other people in. We like sharing juicy gossip. We like telling punchlines to jokes. We like explaining
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Good soil produces a good harvest. As someone who frequently struggles to grow plants, I always raise an eyebrow at this thought. I cannot tell you how many times I have planted things only to watch them not grow. If I am being fully transparent, though, I’m not the
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Failure is always an option. This was one of the catchphrases from one of my favorite television shows, Mythbusters. In that context, it was understood that whenever you are trying something new, or experimenting, things can always go sideways. It is impossible to foresee every possibility and circumstance. Sometimes you
There is a fine line between success and failure. Often, that fine line begins with how we respond when given an opportunity. A proper response opens the door of opportunity and helps turn it into something greater. An improper response closes the door and the opportunity is missed. As Jesus
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Good mentors use parables all the time. Parables open doors for conversation. Parables reveal social dynamics in community. Parables give room for interpretation. A good parable may be one of the most effective tools in a mentor’s toolbox. When Jesus was alone with the disciples, He asks them about
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Choices have consequences. Everyone is in love with the freedom to make their own choices. Most people aren’t quite as enamored with embracing the consequences of their choices. The two go hand in hand, however. You can’t have the freedom to choose without also embracing the consequences of
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Are you ready? Are you willing? Is your mindset right? Did you prepare? Do you believe you can? These are all important questions to ask whenever we set out to accomplish something. It can be a small something like making breakfast or a large something like passing a major exam