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Pulling Back the Curtains
May I pull back the curtains of our home and let you see in for just a moment? Today, my wife and I are reeling with the news of our sixth miscarriage. We hoped and prayed that God would grant us a fun and exciting pregnancy announcement, and the delight of a fourth child. But now those ideas have completely unraveled in tears and agony. . . .
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Sweet Freedom
Freedom’s sweet flavor blows within the breeze. Yet one hardly notices its power until the distinctive taste is suddenly gone.
Despite our many malefactions, idiosyncrasies, and divisive political concerns, I’m still overwhelmed with thankfulness to God for the many freedoms we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America.
Independence isn’t cheap. Freedom is never free, as the well-worn song goes. Yet taking these gifts for granted is all-too-easy for us Americans.
When we taste sweetness every day, we’re eventually inoculated to its delight. . . . .
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Chasing Love
Miley Cyrus tried every move imaginable to mankind in order to get someone to look… and she did. Heads turned. Heads rolled. And most heads shook, at first, with disgust, and then with deep sadness. Gone was the rather innocent girl, Hannah Montana, who drew massive crowds of mimicking pre-teen girls. Gone was the bright, happy smile. Gone was the calm, content, and loving picture of Billy Ray Cyrus with his sprawling family in tow. Gone…
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Change: It’s Wrecking My Life.
Change. Change is not something widely appreciated by most people – including me. I like my socks to be in the same place in the same drawer each morning. I enjoy kissing my wife and children at the same time each night before we go to sleep.
Change? Well, it just seems like more hassle than it’s worth or perhaps too risky. What if I lose something I highly value when I change what I eat or wear, or how I behave?
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Why Gather?
…as we gather tomorrow for collective worship to glory in the Triune God, we will be joined in voice and heart with the great anthem of all God’s people across every continent on the globe in lifting our praise to the King of all kings. A tremendous harmony of different languages, ethnicities, and music styles will sound forth in a great chorus to the ears of our transcendent yet intimately personal God.
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Invisible People
Once a week, my amazing husband watches the kids while I go out by myself for a few hours to run errands. I’m certainly blessed to have a husband who cares so much about me and enjoys helping with our kiddos.
Recently, on one of my excursions I decided to stop by our local Salvation Army. My goal was to get in and get out, and score a bunch of kid’s clothes for cheap. As I was perusing through old and dusty clothing, I heard right next to me, “Excuse me? Excuse me!”
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- Sermons
- Theology
Lessons From the Mountain
Life on the journey with God often feels like a switchback trail up a mountain.
We may wonder if we’re progressing forward or upward at all. Have the past 2, 5, or 10 years been a waste?
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Striking Parallels: Why Jesus Died
We live in a world darkened… stained by sin. Sin = anything we, as humans, think, say, or do that is contrary – opposite to God’s way of love and truth. We face the effects and consequences of sin – death and evil and destruction are everywhere. Depravity is, perhaps, the most empirically verifiable fact in the world.
So, is there any hope? Is there mercy for broken, messed up humanity?
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The Church Must Die
During our recent journey through the Gospel of Mark, God has gripped my heart with a vision of truth and a clarity that I can’t shake.
Our church needs to die.
We could even say the Church – every Jesus-following, gospel-breathing, Bible-proclaiming ekklesia – must die.
Our pastors need to die.
Our elders need to die.
Our deacons need to die.
All the members need to die.
For as long as we’re clutching onto our lives, we’ll never live. Read on…. .
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Peace in the Darkness
One glance at the 6pm broadcast or a social media feed gives us a smack-in-the-face reminder that the 24-hour news cycle marches on with negativity and collective anxiety. Songwriter Andrew Peterson recently lyricized . . .
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Hope is Alive!
Hope is alive! Today, I’m emotionally processing the recent death of my dear grandma, Nancy Breznau. I was privileged to be her pastor for five years. The older she grew, the more resolute in hope she became. . .
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Big News: Into the Mission Field
God is calling my family and I to follow Him down a turn in the trail… into the mission field. Over the past year-and-a-half, God the Holy Spirit has been pressing on my soul to follow Christ’s mission on a path largely unknown and even terrifying. When I first sensed the gentle nudge of the Spirit on my heart, my response went like this, “No! No. No way!” Every time the call to this mission field bubbled up, I continued, “Certainly not. We enjoy Your work here, Lord. We love Mayfair Bible Church. We love Flushing. Our kids are in great schools. You’ve given us a lovely home. You are working in wonderful ways here!”
Yet now for more than a year, Stephanie and I have been praying and no longer can resist God’s calling for us to be on mission with Jesus…in the United States Air Force.
