some thoughts

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’” [Jeremiah 16:6]
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” [Psalm 37:4]
Sometimes the universe just feels…empty. The […]

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“You are good and do good…” [ Psalm 119:68 ]
I have to admit that Jim Elliot is a modern hero of mine. If you’re not familiar with his life—and particularly his death—I’d highly recommend reading either Through Gates of Splendor (by his wife, […]

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“First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” [Matthew 5:24]
Part 4: When Sparks Fly
Note: If you only have time to read one article today, skip this and read Schaeffer’s article recommended below.
There is so much godly, practical wisdom in the Bible on handling conflicts. Here are a few great examples:
• […]

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Part 3: I am your stepping stone
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering of sacrifice to God.” [Ephesians 5:1-2]
For the past few weeks we’ve been unfolding the phrase “Our Master said, ‘Love one another, as you are […]

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Part 2: What it Means to ‘Love…as we are Loved’
“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” [Psalm 36:5]
Last week we looked at what it means to have a Master—or, what it means to be Mastered. We discovered that it means his commands are non-negotiable: we must say […]

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Part 1: What it Means to be ‘Mastered’
“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?“ [Luke 6:46, NASB]
We have no idea what it really means to have a Master—rather, to be mastered. We having nothing in our world to compare it to. But we desperately need to […]

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“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;all those who practice it have good understanding.” [Psalm 111:10]“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,deceiving yourselves.” [James 1:22]
We’ve probably all heard of ‘practicing the presence of the Lord’ (a la Brother Lawrence), but what does it mean to ‘practice the […]

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A fervent young man replied to our last devotional with only two sentences. I’ll keep his identity private, but I thought he made an excellent point, but unfortunately didn’t apply it. His first sentence read: “I refuse to vote for a man who is responsible for the death of thousands of innocent people around […]

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“…[destroying] arguments and lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God,and [taking] every thought captive to obey Christ.” [2 Corinthians 10:5]
What an amazing state of confusion and unrest our country is in! Lies, slander, accusations, denials; it’s almost enough to make anyone step into the sidelines of political awareness and/or activity. One group of people […]

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5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. [Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV]
I’m sure you’ve heard or read this verse before—you may even have it memorized. And […]

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