Blessing Others

Blessed written on wooden blocks

Hard work pays off in ways we can never fully appreciate. We work hard and are rewarded by others. Being rewarded by other people is only part of our blessing. All good things come from God and He is always blessing us, but the blessings are never just for us. Brethren, he who sows sparingly…

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Authority is for Building Up

Hands holding "POWER" against sunset backdrop.

We live in a world built by powerful people for powerful people. Just open any news source and read of the battle for power. One side claims the other side doesn’t deserve it. One side uses it to rule over the other. For many people life isn’t about working hard for the sake of hard…

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Always a Chance

Hand writing "There is always a chance".

In my more than thirty years of ministry I have met too many people who have given up on God. They have given up on their ‘chance’ for a better life. They have decided they are not worth anyone’s time, let alone God’s time. In each of those moments in the past thirty years I…

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Judgment for All

A judge using their gavel

We all fear judgment. As Christians we live in constant fear of being judged either by others, or especially by God. We fear judgment because we know we fall short of righteousness every day. If we are judged, we know we will surely die, so we panic. Today’s lesson from Saint Paul is more than…

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Aroma of Christ

Golden censer with smoke near religious icon.

It might be tempting to think that salvation vs condemnation is a matter of action. If we sin, we are condemned. If we do not sin, we are saved. What if our condemnation was a matter of how we feel in Christ’s presence? What if our salvation isn’t because we were perfect? It is easy…

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Forgiveness Defeats the Devil

Torn paper revealing "I forgive you" text.

When Jesus commanded us to forgive “seventy times seven” times, He was teaching the lessons of victory. Many think we ‘lose’ when we forgive someone for what they have done to us. When we refuse to forgive, we are not the winners. Brethren, my joy is the joy of you all. For I wrote you…

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Together for Christ

Together we are stronger sign

Christian unity has been a priority for the Church since Christ returned to His Throne on Asension Day. We must never ignore His prayer prior to His Passion that we “are one” as He is one with the Father. Unity in Christ is much more than being in the same room. Paul, an apostle of…

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Thanks for What?

Chalkboard with autumn leaves, "I'm Thankful for...

We are told as Christians to be thankful. Even the act of communing with God is called Divine Thanksgiving, or Holy Eucharist. We know that God has come to save us, but our lives on earth are filled with temptations and struggles. What exactly are we supposed to be thankful for? Brethren, whatever you do,…

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Be a Person of Mercy

Harvesters and truck working in wheat field.

You’ve heard it before. What you give is what you get. Nothing is more true when it comes to the effort you ‘give’ to your spiritual life. The more you give to God, the more God gives to you, and I’m not talking about money today. Brethren, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,…

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Don’t Twist the Saints

Twisting branches on white background.

The devil will never stop trying to trick us away from God’s path. He fooled Eve using her ego to taste the fruit, and she died along with Adam. He fooled Judas using his ego to betray Christ, and he died. At every turn the devil uses our ego against us, always to fool us…

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