Christian living – Page 49

Morning…or Afternoon Musing: Ephesians 6:10-13

June 23, 2023Leave a comment

“Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Today brings the week of camp to an end. It has been a good week. There’s something about stripping away the pressures and distractions of the world we call “real,” combined with a context focused on worship that allows us to experience God in a special way. And God has indeed moved in the hearts and minds of many of these students. As things come to a conclusion today, let’s take a look at the whole passage we’ve sat with this whole week to see what other truths we can glean from it.

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Morning…or Afternoon Musing: Ephesians 6:13d

June 22, 2023Leave a comment

“…to take your stand.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

We often imagine spiritual warfare in terms that have generally been set by Hollywood and popular media more broadly. The trouble is, that is almost never what it is really like. As we finish up breaking down the theme verde from camp this week, we’re going to focus on a word that Paul comes back to three times in this section and which gives us a better picture of what our real task is. Let’s talk about standing.

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Morning Musing: Ephesians 6:13c

June 21, 2023June 22, 2023Leave a comment

“…and having prepared everything…” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Have you ever started something before you were actually ready for it? When I ran cross country in high school, one of the things my coach always told us was to remember the five P’s. Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. While there are folks who enjoy flying by the seat of their pants, it is always a good idea to have some sort of a plan for the journey ahead of us. It’s been a great week so far here at camp. Let’s talk about the next part of our theme verse.

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Morning Musing: Matthew 9:9

June 16, 2023Leave a comment

“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

When thinking or talking about religion, it is easy to just lump everything into one category. For the sake of convenience we divide the world into the religious and the non-religious, the sacred and the secular. In doing this, however, we can fall into the trap of thinking that all religions are basically the same. After all, they are all religions. How different can the really be from one another? The short answer is incredibly different. And the most different of all is Christianity. It is so very different because at its core it is not about keeping a bunch of rules. It is about following a person. I had a great chance to share this remarkable idea with a bunch of fantastic kids this past week. Let me share with you what we talked about.

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Morning Musing: Exodus 6:11-13

June 15, 2023Leave a comment

“‘Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go from his land.’ But Moses said in the Lord’s presence, ‘If they Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am such a poor speaker?’ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them commands concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Doubt is scary stuff. It’s especially scary when it comes to the journey of faith. We’re not really sure what to do with doubt when thinking about faith. The two seem like opposites to us. Occasionally we treat them like they are oil and water and in ways that can actually be pretty harmful to people striving for one yet experiencing the other. Moses’ journey was in many ways a study in doubt and faith. We see it twice in this chapter alone. Let’s reflect together on it here and what it may have to do with our own stories.

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