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Secrets of a Fruitful heart

The parable of the sower is Jesus’ most commanding parable. It towers above all the parables because it reveals, in a visually graphic way, how to be a disciple of Jesus. Three images in the parable are striking. First, you see a footpath beside a farmer’s field that’s trampled hard by foot traffic. When the seed of the word falls on the trampled path, the seed bounces on the surface and is devoured by birds. This image represents trampled places in our hearts that are unresponsive to the word of God. Second, you see stones in the soil. Stones hinder roots from going deep and accessing … READ MORE...

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Sometimes We Need Trials

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples on several occasions and left them with some final instructions before ascending to His Father in heaven. His directives were mostly … READ MORE...

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Hidden in the Quiver

Isaiah 49 is one of my all-time favorite chapters in the whole Bible! In that chapter, Isaiah described Jesus as a polished arrow: “And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His … READ MORE...

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Tempted With Anxiety?

We’re in a global pandemic of anxiety right now. Between coronavirus, the war in Ukraine, and the economy, the whole world is trembling. Millions are anxious about their health, or finances, or relationships, or job, or world peace. What should Christians … READ MORE...

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There Are Two Sides to the Cross

I had unanswered questions about the cross until I came to see that there are two sides to the cross. Let me explain. I was schooled in what theologians sometimes call “the substitutionary atonement of the cross.” This doctrine points to the fact that Jesus … READ MORE...

The Word For 2022

The Lord gave me a word for 2022, and let me begin this post by sharing how I received this word from Him. I usually set aside a season of fasting and prayer right around the beginning of each New Year, to set my heart for the coming year. This year it … READ MORE...

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Let’s Come Together!

In our current season in which social distancing is practiced to some degree in some churches, I’ve been reminded about how intensely social and interactive the early church’s gatherings were. Their meetings involved activities that brought people closely … READ MORE...

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I Renounce Self-Preservation

I Renounce Self-Preservation I am being convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit today, and in response I make my confession in the presence of many witnesses: I repent from and renounce the inclination of my flesh toward self-preservation. What do I mean by … READ MORE...

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Finding Unity in a Polarized World

Our world is polarized socially, especially along political lines. When people in the world are nasty to each other, we Christians are not all that surprised; what’s disturbing, however, is that our culture’s polarization is surfacing in the church and … READ MORE...