Episode 413 – Think like God Thinks

People along with the priest worshiping in the church

As we consider our annual New Year Resolutions this year remember the message of the Gospel. “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” The first message of the Gospel according to Saint Mark is the message of repentance. This year, change the way you think…

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The Best Resolution

A text that says New Years Resolutions on a notebook

Today and tomorrow are traditionally the days during which we make our annual New Year Resolutions. We want to be better than we are, despite how good we may think we are already. This tradition gives us the opportunity to, privately at least, admit that we could, and need to be, better. Timothy, my son,…

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Hope Never Fades

Whether you have lived for one year or one hundred years, you know what it means to hope for something. When our hope is based on a promise, we remain laser focused. When the One Who makes the promise is God, our hope never fades. As Christians we have the benefit of reading the story…

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The Cost of Following God

There is a cost to everything. Whether it be financial cost, emotional cost, or the cost of time, everything that we desire comes at a cost. The more we want something, the more we are willing to pay. The less we care about something, the less we are willing to pay. Then there are those…

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Time Marches On

There are so many wonderful aspects of the Orthodox Faith, not the least of which is how the Church reminds that time marches on. Yesterday we celebrated the Nativity in the Flesh of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. Today, the Church reminds us that it was not a one-day event. Our society very…

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Episode 412 – Waiting for Christ

People along with the priest worshiping in the church

For generations the Jews waited for their savior. We wait for Christmas each year with great anticipation. The celebration of Christmas is the celebration of our savior. He has come so that our pain and suffering is only temporary. Let’s celebrate the great joy and gift He has given us. No more waiting. Transcript: When…

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Christmas Has Begun

A praying area with candles at a church

The Church has a wonderful tradition of ramping up a celebration ‘in anticipation’ of a feast. This tradition is called the Forefeast, and begins to offer hymns and readings that reflect the coming feast. The greater the feast, the greater the forefeast. In the case of Christmas the Forefeast began on December 20th, but we’ve…

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Impossible Made Possible

We are just days away from the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. It is the celebration of the coming in the flesh of the eternal God. It is a miracle of miracles. What was impossible has been made possible by God. At that time, as Jesus was setting out on his journey, a man…

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Being Faithful

When we think about being faithful to someone, we imagine loyalty and sacrifice. If we are faithful to our friends, we fight for them. So long as our friends do not abandon us and our priorities continue to be aligned with their priorities, we remain faithful and willing to fight. If just one thing changes,…

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Episode 411 – Desire to be with God

People along with the priest worshiping in the church

When God invites you, He wants you to attend by choice. He won’t force us to attend Church. His desire is that we want to be with Him in Church and in Heaven. Attending Church is not about checking off a box of obligation. We can ‘find time’ for anything we desire. God invites us…

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