Archive for the ‘Reflections’ Category
Friday, October 3rd, 2008
This Sunday, I begin a new series entitled Living in the Overflow of God's Love.
In a sense, I'm continuing and expanding upon the series I've just completed entitled The Father's Heart. As I taught that series on the prodigal son, I sensed that God was giving us a fresh revelation of His ...
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Friday, September 26th, 2008
This Sunday, we continue our study on the parable of the prodigal son. Last week, we saw the "outrageous love" that the father showed toward his wayward son, illustrating God's outrageous love for us. God's love "exceeds all bounds of reasonableness," i.e., God's love is totally outside the box! It transcends human ...
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Thursday, September 18th, 2008
This Sunday, I'm beginning a new series (mini-series really) entitled The Father's Heart.
The series is based on what is perhaps the most familiar of all Jesus' parables--The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Unfortunately, however, our familiarity with this parable often locks us into one way of understanding it and robs ...
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Monday, September 1st, 2008
it's hard to believe that September is here already. The lazy days of summer will quickly give way to the crazy, hectic days of autumn. How many days to Christmas?
That vacation on some exotic island, or at a cool, stream-fed lake in the mountains, or yet another vacation "down" the ...
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Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
Sunday, I taught from Romans 12:1-2. In this pivotal passage, Paul urges us, in the light of all that Christ has accomplished for us (as described in Romans 1-11), to live a life of full devotion and consecration to God. As an expression of our consecration to God, Paul exhorts us ...
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Friday, August 22nd, 2008
The above title is shorthand for Paul's statement is Romans 12:2. The longhand version reads as:
"Don't be squeezed into conformity with the world's upside down values and prioritiies, but instead be transformed from the inside out. How? By renewing your mind with the rightside up thinking of the Word of God."
This Sunday, I'll ...
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Monday, August 11th, 2008
The Leadership Summit this year was once again an inspiring and informative event. But I was particularly glad that they included a number of pastors of innovative churches as Summit speakers. While I often enjoy hearing secular business leaders, I don't always find them very helpful in my own leadership. I ...
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Monday, July 28th, 2008
I got back yesterday from spending a week at Seaside Park.
It was just the kind if vacation I needed--a lazy, leisurely, lounge around kind of vacation. Lazy mornings, long talks with friends, afternoon naps, lots of italian food, and chocolate milkshakes from the Sundae Times. And of course several good books to read.
This ...
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Sunday, July 20th, 2008
I love how Matthew 11:28-29 reads in the Message:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Get away with Me and you'll recover your life...Walk with Me and work with Me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace."
Have you ever noticed that Jesus never seemed flustered, flurried, worried ...
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Thursday, July 17th, 2008
This Sunday, I'll be continuing my series Great Verses To Live By. The title of my message is: "Dreams Don't Come With Expiration Dates." And the verse we're going to look at is found in Psalm 27:14:
"Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for ...
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