Tag: Christian living

Seeing Through the Fog

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This week we are kicking off a brand-new teaching series called, “When Life Gets in the Way.” Sometimes when we have gotten in a good groove in our lives, something comes along to completely upset the apple cart. Our plans, our preparations, our entire lives get interrupted, and then we have to figure out what to do next. Over the next six weeks, we are going to be talking about how to handle these times, especially when God seems to be the one behind them. We’ll start today with a glimpse into Abraham’s story and trusting God when that doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense. Let’s dig in.

Seeing Through the Fog

Don’t you just hate interruptions? Getting and staying focused is hard. When we finally get there and something comes along to break our concentration, that’s so frustrating. We teach our children not to interrupt, that interrupting is rude. But we live in a world where distractions and interruptions seem to be multiplying all the time. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I am so easily distracted by…well…just about anything that interruptions are really bad for me. Now, don’t get me wrong: it’s not like I can’t focus at all. I’m just really good at focusing really intently for really short amounts of time. And by “really short amounts of time,” I mean that I can focus until something comes along to distract me…squirrel! (And for a quick peak behind the curtain, I think over the course of writing just that one paragraph, I got up about six times to do something else…)

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Morning Musing: Psalm 111:10

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

One trip around the sun takes 365 and a quarter days. During that time, we all travel 584 million miles. Today, I’ve finally crossed the 25.1 billion miles. That makes 43 years feel like an exceptionally long time. But nonetheless, here I am. You would think after more than 25 billion miles around the sun, I’d have learned at least a thing or two. I probably haven’t learned as much as I should have, and some of what I have learned may not matter very much. But, for something a little different and maybe fun today, here are a few things I have learned.

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Morning Musing: Romans 12:21

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“Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Our culture has a fascination with evil. Through our stories we often wonder exactly what it is, how it works, what it can accomplish, where and how we experience it, and so on and so forth. While the various authors who contribute to the Scriptures do touch on the nature of evil from time to time, there’s a stronger theme across the narrative: as the people of a God who is good, we are to overcome evil. How? Paul tells us right here at the end of his list of characteristics of life in God’s kingdom. Let’s take a look.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 12:19-20

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“Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, ‘Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.’ But ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.’” (CSB – Read the chapter)

We’ve all been there. Someone comes along and does something that makes you mad. What’s more, they meant to do it. Now you are left with a choice: How are you going to respond? Do you get them back? Do you let it go? Do you express your displeasure in some unmistakable way? If we’re being honest, for most of us, our first instinct is to start plotting how we can get revenge in some way. That’s normal. It always has been. And if there’s no God, or if we can’t trust the gods to avenge us, that kind of thinking makes sense. But if there is a God as is revealed in the pages of the Scriptures, it doesn’t. Let’s talk about it.

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Morning Musing: Romans 12:17

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“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

One of the principles kids tend to operate by is that turnabout is fair play. If someone has wronged you in some way, it’s only right, it’s only fair, it’s only just that you get to do it back to them in return. This principle lies at the heart of one of the foundational ideas in the history of jurisprudence: an eye for an eye. The idea that we should respond to others in kind has been baked into the cake of humanity from nearly the start. And then came the Christian worldview to turn that idea on its head. Let’s talk about what Paul, borrowing from Jesus, had to say about it to the church in Rome.

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