Sometimes we refer to the writers of the New Testament as “saints” such as St. Paul or St. Peter. But God didn’t seek us out because we were saints. He loved us when we were far from him. Listen to these sentences from Paul - they reveal three truths about ourselves and one amazing truth about God. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:6-8 Truth number one: we were powerless to change our own condition. A few years ago, I hurt my lower back. For the first several years I would have "flare-ups" every few months and they…
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I began using Scrivenor (a writing app) several years ago. It's a great tool for gathering and organizing information, creating characters or scenes, and then exporting the finished product for e-book or paperback. But here's the catch: it's loaded with possibilities and I learned the hard way - by trial and error. If you're interested in writing, check out Learn Scrivenor Fast by the Scrivenor Coach. It's been used by Michael Hyatt and others. ----------
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Many good intentions will die in the next seven days. It's not that they were bad ideas. They might have been the intention to exercise more, lose weight, get out of debt, or pray on a regular basis. Starting with a bang and ending with a whimper. While there might be several reasons for the whimpering, often it stems from the lack of a compelling why. Why should I stick with this? Why does this matter? What will happen if I don't follow through? One of the most driven individuals in the early church was the apostle Paul. Few accomplished as much as he did - starting churches, baptizing people, and enduring hardship and hostility. But why? Some might say that Paul was simply acting out of guilt, that he was trying to overcome his years of persecuting the church. Or, it could have just been his personality. Some people are…
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While every day is a gift from God, the turn of a new year is a great opportunity to reflect, re-vision, and recommit. Most of us are not intentional enough about ending one year and beginning the next. What I want to do below is offer a simple template y0u can use to help create momentum in the new year. Questions to Ask What about the last year can I celebrate? What do I need to grieve over and then leave in the past? What negative habit or attitude do I need to stop? What positive habit or attitude do I need to start? What did I do well that I need to continue or improve upon? In working through these five questions, here is what you are doing: Reflecting - being intentional about learning from your experiences. Re-visioning - looking forward (the past is past and moving forward is…
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I shouldn't let a song that was first published in 1779 bother me so much. You probably know the first verse. "Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind but now I see." Did it bother you, too? Many of us love to sing Amazing Grace. It's a catchy tune and is perhaps the most translated hymn of all time. But more than just catchy, it captures the heart of the gospel itself. God's grace is indeed amazing. But do we have to call ourselves names? A wretch? Me? None of us like to think about how wretched we are. Compared to others, I'm doing pretty good. I'll pay good money to look and feel good. That's why we exercise or put on makeup in the morning (OK, I may not do either one of those but you…
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