Category: Christian Faith & Life
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Why Do We Need Law and Gospel?
“‘Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?’ declares the Lord. ‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’” (Jeremiah 23:28-29) The prophet…
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What Does Jesus Say About Worrying?
“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes” (Luke 12:22-23). Worry is exhausting. It consumes our time and attention until it’s all we think about. Nothing good comes from…
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Not About the Money
“Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions’”…
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Held and Not Forsaken
“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.…
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What Is the One Thing Needful?
“‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:41-42). Martha opened her home to Jesus and his disciples, giving them a place to rest from their…
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Lives Turned Upside Down
“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be…
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Why Does God Bless Us?
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations” (Psalm 67:1-2). The first few verses of Psalm 67 have changed how I think about God’s blessings and his gracious favor to me and all his…
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How Do I Trust in God When Life Is Tough?
“My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:7-8). “Trust in [God] at all times . . .” I’ll admit, I don’t do that. Instead, I fixate on my fears. I…