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Ephesians 1:17–19; Philippians 4:1–9 There is a pernicious thought floating around that if Christians really believed what they say they do; they would all think similarly. Sadly, that often comes from Christians who perceive they are not being heard or perceive that someone with whom…

2 Samuel 12:13–23; Ezra 8:21–23; Mark 2:18–22 Fasting is an age-old spiritual practice that has mostly lost its place in American Evangelical Christianity. Yes, there are some that practice it. Fasting remains strongly part of the Orthodox church and somewhat the Roman Catholic church. As…

Deuteronomy 27:12–28:1; John 8:31–40; Galatians 3:7–14 There are many wonderful things in life that begin well and then become dead weight. Buying a house is one of those. We are now in an era when people buy houses and pay against a large debt for…

Acts 16:11–15; Acts 16:25–40 Rob Wegner states that a missionary is an ordinary person who's equipped to make new disciples in a new context, and that mission isn't first an activity, it's an identity. How does that apply to Lydia? She has three circles. The…

Matthew 9:9–13; Luke 10:25–37; James 2:5–13 “For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice,   the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”      — Hosea 6:6 (CSB) It’s interesting that the same translation, the CSB, translates Hosea 6:6 with faithful love, while in Matthew 9:13 it’s…