blessing (45)

Ian

Living Speech

Psalm 133; Daniel 2:24–49; John 12:44–50 One of the gifts of being human is speech. One of the curses of being human is speech. Perhaps the whole reason for the King of Babylon’s test of all the magi and wise men was that they all…

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Ian

Cursing Blessings

Numbers 21:4–9; Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22; Ephesians 2:1–10; John 3:14–21 One of the biggest dangers of constant blessings is that we often disdain them. We become so accustomed to them that we become blind to them. Even worse, we then grow to despise them. The Israelites…

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Ian

Becoming Light

Jeremiah 30:12–22; John 12:36–43 Perhaps this has been said before, but an important lesson learned through Celebrate Recovery was, “hurt people hurt people.” When people are hurting, they lash out. Sometimes the pain is stress. Often it is thousands of little things (and sometimes only…

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Ian

Wall Fall

Jeremiah 19:1–15; Revelation 18:11–20 Whether big or small, the demise of a city is no small thing. It could be because of failing to respect God, or if it’s because of mismanagement, or if it’s because of something out of the city’s control. A city…

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Ian

Why So Serious?

Luke 18:15–17 Faith is a serious business. It’s true. From an orthodox Christian perspective, it has an eternal impact. So, it is serious. Serious, though, doesn’t mean solemn. A few years ago, I experienced a life-changing question: what is your first experience of God? I…

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