Tag: god
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How Jesus Would Engage Today: A Scripture-Grounded Framework
The content discusses Jesus’ methods of engagement with authority and community. He distinguished between earthly and divine kingdoms, confronted injustice, and showed compassion to the broken. Jesus avoided political binaries and created a countercultural community focused on love, emphasizing the announcement of God’s kingdom over any political agenda.
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“Held, Even Here”
Bob’s journey encompasses enduring pain, delayed care, and uncertainty. While healing may not occur in the conventional sense, life retains its purpose and dignity. The Christian narrative emphasizes companionship through suffering, where presence offers solace. Bob is valued and supported through prayer, embodying faith, strength, and hope despite limitations.
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When Fear Produces Wisdom: The Moral Shock of the Shrewd Manager
Jesus’ parable of the Shrewd Manager illustrates the tension between moral wrongdoing and urgent accountability. While the manager is corrupt, his eventual recognition of reality leads to praise for clarity under pressure. Ultimately, the lesson challenges believers to prioritize stewardship over ownership and live with a sense of eternal urgency, examining their true motivations.
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When Credentials Are Not Enough
In John 3, Nicodemus, a respected Pharisee, approaches Jesus at night, reflecting his uncertainty. Jesus challenges him by declaring the necessity of being “born again,” emphasizing that true life comes from divine initiative, not human effort. This encounter highlights the transformative nature of faith, inviting individuals to embrace radical renewal rather than mere self-improvement.
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Showing Up When the Work Is Quiet
There is a particular kind of weight that comes with leadership in a small rural community. It is not loud or dramatic. It does not announce itself. It settles in quietly and stays. You carry it when you unlock buildings early in the morning, when you answer questions no one else has time to answer,…
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The Most Important Question of Life
Every human life, whether quietly or loudly, is shaped by a single, foundational question. Most people never stop long enough to name it, yet it governs their priorities, their decisions, and their understanding of meaning. The question is not, “What do I want out of life?”It is not, “How can I be successful?”It is not…
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Line of evidence for the reliability and accuracy of the Protestant canon
1. The New Testament canon is earlier than Constantine A common modern claim is that “Constantine or Nicaea created the Bible.” Historically, the Council of Nicaea (325) dealt with Christology (Arian controversy), not a canon list, and there is no historical record of Nicaea deciding the New Testament contents. Phoenix Seminary+2The Gospel Coalition+2 What we…
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The Ethiopian Bible
Source, Authorship, and Reliability 1. What People Mean by “The Ethiopian Bible” When people refer to “the Ethiopian Bible,” they are usually referring to the canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which is the largest biblical canon in Christianity. It includes: This canon reflects local church tradition, not a universal early-Christian consensus. 2. Historical…
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The Surprising Doorway to Joy
Advent joy is not a sentimental feeling, and Scripture refuses to flatten it into something shallow. The lectionary readings for the third Sunday of Advent—Zephaniah 3, Isaiah 12, Philippians 4, and Luke 3—do not describe easy times. They speak to people under pressure, people who are unsettled, people who need God to step into the…
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Why Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit Is Called the Unforgivable and Eternal Sin
Some passages in Scripture whisper comfort; others stop us in our tracks. Few verses unsettle believers more than Jesus’ words in Matthew 12 and Mark 3—His solemn warning that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit “will not be forgiven,” neither in this age nor the one to come. Many read it and feel a chill. Why…
John Hargrove Seeking Truth and Reality 