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Reasons I Believe Intro: Faith and Pre-Assumptions

  Faith is an interesting word. The very nature of the word conveys the idea of trusting that what a particular source says is right. The source of that trust can be a personal experience, a religious text, or patterns that you observe in life. When one chooses to believe what they have determined to be facts, then that too is an act of faith. Faith is trusting a source. The source of my faith is ultimately the Christian Bible. There are reasons for this, and I will tease these reasons out over the next several weeks through this blog, but I say this now as an example that faith requires a source. The difference between faith and opinion is that faith is based on what a trusted source says, and opinions seem to have their roots in one’s own thoughts. We all have opinions; however, my faith is built on a trusted source. Instead of speculating, I draw upon the wisdom of what this trusted source says about a subject. Why am I writing about this? I wanted to take about seven addi
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Are Displays of Emotion in Worship Wrong?

Seems like a silly question.  Of course they aren't wrong!  You see all kinds of emotions displayed in the Psalms, which is a book to guide worship.  You see tears and chants of victory, sorrow and dancing, grief and hands raised in joyful celebration.  God made us as emotional beings.  That is part of being made in the image of God.  Emotions in corporate worship have been a part of the the human experience for a long time.  However, in some faith traditions, there has been a cautious avoidance of emotional expressions in corporate worship.  There are many reasons why that has been the case.  For some, certain emotional responses are seen as irreverent... a distraction to worship.  Others are very cautious because of the fickle nature of emotions and how they can easily manipulate the human heart.  For others, they are just not used to it, so it seems out of place.  All that said, emotional responses are not a bad thing.  In fact, I would say they it is actually a good thing.  We
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Why Israel Still Matters in God's Plan

When someone professes faith in Christ and becomes a Christian, they enter in what the Scriptures calls the New Covenant.  This New Covenant is considered a greater covenant than the Old Covenant or Mosaic Covenant.  The Jewish people related to God through the Old Covenant for thousands of years.  Ultimately, this covenant pointed out one very important truth about life... Mankind naturally turns away from the living God and proves incapable of keeping the righteous demands of a Holy God.  As Biblical history unfolds, we find that Israel quickly abandon God and worshiped the gods of the surrounding nations.  They would have momentary bright spots, but even in those bright spots, the rebellious heart of man was on full display (King David anyone?).  The Law itself pointed out man's inability to keep the law and draws people to see that they need God's mercy.  Summary - Mankind needs a Savior because he sure can't save himself.   This is where Jesus comes in as a mediator of
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Humanism in Christian Clothing

 I find myself more and more baffled by some of the things that I see posted on social media and how it seems to connect with so many.  I saw a post that quoted a pastor that said, "When your spirituality denies someone's humanity, it isn't spirituality, it's hatred wrapped up in religiosity."  The post attributes this to Mark Sandlin.  I don't know this pastor, if he really said it, or what the context was surrounding the quote.  However, it would seem reasonable to assume that the individual posting the quote was implying that if your spirituality leads you to conclude that homosexuality, transgenderism, or any other LGTBQ+ issue is sin, and you don't think it is the public schools job to normalize this, then you are denying someone's humanity, thus your spirituality is really not spirituality... it is hatred wrapped in religiosity.  This is a really odd statement for several reasons. 1.  What makes something spiritual?  Who defines what this is?  Is
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Dealing with the Servant/Master Passage in Colossians

 Over the past several weeks I have been teaching through the unique relationships that Christians are called to within the Greco-Roman household.  In those days, these homes operated under codes, which are more/less rules for relationships that had been adopted by the culture.  Each household had a master.  This would be the male leader of the home.  His wife was to be subject to him but with a certain level of freedom.  Children were also under the rulership of the the master while enjoying privilege.  And slaves were also under the rulership of the master without any privilege.  The master was free to exercise his authority in any way that seemed best to him.  Often this was a harsh dictatorship kind of rule.  He would leverage his authority in ways that were harsh in order to benefit his own desires or interests.  Paul's main purpose was how to please the Lord in this cultural reality of household codes.  While the basic authority structure of a God-designed home is affirmed in
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The Lost Discipline of Repentance

'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. '  -1 John 1:9 Sin has almost become a taboo word anymore.  To even mention it makes many cringe.  There are different approaches people tend to have when it comes to sin. 1.  The Oppressive View of Sin:   Some react aggressively toward anyone that mentions the concept of sin.  Why?  Because the concept of sin brings about a sense of guilt which is perceived as oppressive.  However, sin is real and we all are plagued by it.  What is truly oppressive is the consequences of living in sin.  It destroys people and societies. 2.  The Casual view of Sin:   Many Christians approach the idea of sin with a casual spirit, ignoring the seriousness of their own sin. They may joke about their own sin without ever being broken over it.  For example, one might readily admit their stubbornness (pride) in relationships and laugh about it, but never really express brokenness over i
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Navigating a Culture of "Pride" as a Christian

 June has been known as Pride Month ever since President Bill Clinton announced it back in 1999, and it has gained more and more steam since, particularly in the last 5 years.  It has made its way into small towns, into schools, and into the faith community as well.  In many ways it has become the loudest voice of the culture we live in, especially in the month of June.  It is a topic all over social media, the film industry, and media itself.  The agenda to normalize issues such as homosexuality and gender identity is pervasive.  You can hardly watch a series on main stream television, much less cable tv, without being confronted with these issues.  Some of the most prominent influences and influencers are now targeting children as their primary audience.  All of this has quickly shaped our culture, and anyone who thinks that the bombardment of these influences do not really have an effect on people, I would challenge them to learn about marketing.  The developments in the past 10 yea
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