Nit-Picking

TWO CONGREGATIONS OF differing denominations were located only a few blocks from each other in a small community. They thought it might be better if they would merge and become one united body, larger and more effective, rather than two struggling churches. Good idea . . . but both were too petty to pull it off. The problem? They couldn’t agree on how they would recite the Lord’s Prayer.

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Our Words Matter Much

ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S COFFIN WAS pried open on more than one occasion. Once in 1887, twenty-two years after his assassination. Why? It was not to determine if he had died of a bullet fired from John Wilkes Booth’s derringer. Then why? Because a rumor was sweeping the country that his coffin was empty. A select group of witnesses observed that the rumor was totally false, then watched as the casket was resealed with lead.

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Don’t Flinch, Stand Firm

TUCKED AWAY IN THE FOLDS OF Hebrews 11 is a two-word biography worth a second glance: “He endured” (11:27, NASB). The Living Bible says, “[he] kept right on going.” The New International Version: “He persevered.” The New English Bible: “He was resolute.” The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition: “He held staunchly to his purpose.” And Moffatt’s quaint rendering: “He never flinched.”

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Praying for Others

IF WE HAD THE unusual opportunity to spend a day talking to the apostles, men like Paul, Peter, James, and John, I think they’d emphasize an oft-spoken discipline—but one that’s rarely deployed in our lives: praying for others.
Most things in our lives conspire against such a commitment to prayer. Our busy schedules, our intense desire to give our kids the best education and life experiences, and simply forgetfulness.

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One Long Extended Gift

It’s not too late to give some things away this Christmas. Not just on Christmas Day, but during the days after December 25. We could call these daily gifts “our Christmas projects.” Maybe one per day from now ’til the end of the year.

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Marital Grace

The more the grace of God is awakened in a marriage, the less husbands will attempt to control and restrict and the less wives will feel the need to “please no matter what.” It makes marriage easier to manage.

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The Power of Grace

Candidly, I know of nothing that has the power to change us from within like the freedom that comes through grace. It’s so amazing it will change not only our hearts but also our faces.

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The Path to Freedom

Is your next step the need to forgive? Do it. Don’t let anything or anyone talk you out of it. I know, I know. After all the misery you have had to endure, why should you have to be the one who humbles yourself and forgives?

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A Reason to Forgive

When wrong has been done against another person, there are only two possibilities of blame. But whether we are responsible for the offense or we are the recipients of it, the first move is always ours.

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