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God Doesn’t Need a Conflict-Free Church
This week I’ve been asked to talk about hard conversations at a denominational conference whose theme is “Less Talk, More Action.” The irony has not escaped me. During a week dedicated to inspiring the church to less talk, more action, I’ll be talking about talking. When the preacher tells you that God has a special …[ read more ]
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And Thou Shalt Be Like Wile E Coyote
Why do the seasons catch us all off guard? All through the long winter, we anticipate the spring we watch for it, longing for the signs but one morning, we wake up, and it’s as if spring suddenly burst forth and we wonder when the buds appeared and how forsythia exploded spontaneously. All over New …[ read more ]
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When You’re On the Loser’s Team (or Playing with Lamb’s Blood in Your Veins)
This is what the kingdom of God is like: Two teams meet on the playing field. Both teams play hard and the effort they exert is evident on their faces. The demands on the field take all their focus, energy, and concentration. The first team is outscoring the second by an astronomical number. The second …[ read more ]
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The One Thing I Would Save If My House Was On Fire
It annoys me when someone at a party or in a classroom or at a staff meeting poses this hypothetical question: “If your house was on fire and you could only grab one thing – what would it be?” Usually, they issue some further hypothetical parameters like “all the people and animals have already gotten …[ read more ]
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The Kingdom of God is Like CC’s Story
My friend, Clernise (or CC as we call her), was born in Haiti. She grew up in an orphanage and then survived on her own in Haiti with only the Lord’s help for many years. Her constant prayer to God was that He deliver her from Haiti and get her to America. My friend, Joe, …[ read more ]