Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
In our church, we are working through Ezra and Nehemiah’s books. In both books, we see the presence of opposition to God’s work and those who participate in it. This reminds us of an easily forgotten truth: Wherever God is
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[Originally posted November 3, 2015] I’m thankful for my father and mother who set an example of faithful citizenship. From my earliest days, I remember Mom and Dad going to the local town hall to vote. Back then I didn’t
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As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his
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Many faithful Christian parents have been taught that Proverbs 22:6 is a sure-fire promise, not a general life principle. This, along with being told that if you parent a certain way your children will always make the right decisions and
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In recent weeks, I’ve been spending time thinking more deeply about the beauty, simplicity, and richness of Psalm 23. A Sheep Remembers by David Calhoun has been my guide. The following paragraph, from the chapter entitled “What I Learned in
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Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” – John 6:35 All good gifts, beginning with life itself, come from God. You will
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Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the
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The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Ex. 34:6 “Thank you for your patience.” The reply from my out-of-office coworker landed
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One of the most commonly quoted promises in the Bible is Jeremiah 29:11, which was given to Israel regarding their captivity in Babylon. But does this promise apply to us? Watch this encouraging and helpful video. Print this entry
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Over twenty years ago, I was introduced to Sons of Korah, a musical group from Australia. Since then I’ve listened to their musical renditions of selected Psalms hundreds of times. Their music has helped me to learn the discipline of
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Yesterday morning, I picked up my copy of Jerry Bridges’ Trusting God, Even When Life Hurts and read the tenth chapter, “Experiencing God’s Love.” As Bridges develops the biblical teaching that discipline (character training toward Christlikeness) is a mark of
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In Psalm 46, God gives us specific counsel so that we may know how to respond to unwelcome change. See if you can spot any of the encouragement the Holy Spirit placed in this psalm for you. Grab a pencil
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Every Wednesday morning our church staff gathers for a weekly meeting and prayer time. We typically begin by discussing a chapter in the book we are reading together. This morning, however, we didn’t do that because of sickness and weariness
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Poetry that comforts the heart and stirs the soul by beautifully communicating biblical truth is a blessing to God’s people. Yesterday, the following poem ministered to my heart, and I hope it is a blessing and encouragement to you as
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So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” Gen. 16:13 God hears and sees you amid your
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When I was a kid the real joy of of going to the pizza parlor was getting to play pinball. That steel ball would be shot out of the plunger, then bounce all over, banging against the bumpers only to
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Prov. 3:5) Trusting God is something that Christians talk about a lot, and yet we tend to view it as optional. There are times
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When Christmas Isn’t Merry and Bright – Christmas is not joyous for everyone. For some, the Christmas season brings grief or stress or numbness, which no amount of eggnog or carol singing can overcome. Family tensions, tragic memories, personal sin
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By God’s grace, I’m a husband, dad, grandpa, and pastor at Cornerstone Community Church in Mayfield Hts, OH. I love Christ because He first loved me.
