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Archive for the ‘Christian faith’ Category

Test yourselves… what?

Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Family, Grace, Great reading, Preaching, Presence, Reformed Theology, Relationship, Spirituality, worship, tagged , , on July 1, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Read: 2 Corinthians 13:5-10 I have often wondered about this verse: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.” I mean, wouldn’t I know whether I am in the faith? Don’t I know my own motives, whether I really do entrust myself to Jesus? There will always be some who will say that [...]

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Why you (still) need the church…

Posted in Christian faith, Church, Church systems, Comfort, Devotional Readings, Family, Grace, Healthy Churches, Opposition, Popularity, Preaching, Reformed Theology, Spirituality, Struggle, Teachers, Trials, worship, tagged , , , on June 24, 2011 | 2 Comments »

(Apologies that my posts have been a little irregular these last weeks. Leonie and I have visited a few churches, as well as ReCharge – The CRCA pastor’s conference, we have considered a few calls from churches, we’ve decided to accept a call to Gateway CRC, and this last week we’ve out our house on [...]

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The God Who Implores: Can we contemplate worshipping a God who would beg for anything?

Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Grace, Healthy Churches, Incarnation, Mission, Pastors, Preaching, Presence, Reformed Theology, Spirituality, worship, tagged , , , on June 16, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Read 2 Cor 5:11-21 Try and remember the last time you begged for anything. I mean, seriously pleaded and entreated anyone for something. After we get past the trivialities of begging as a child for a puppy, or pleading with an adolescent son to get out of bed and go to school, we start to [...]

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God and the Live Export Beef Trade

Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Environment, Presence, Reformed Theology, Spirituality, tagged , , , , on June 1, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Read: Gen 9:7-17 In his book, ‘Engaging God’s World’, Cornelius Plantinga observes that Genesis 1 opens our eyes to the core character of God. In his act of creation, God answers the formlessness of the heavens and the earth with his creative word ‘Let there be light.’ While Plantinga does not make the point directly, [...]

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A Straight Line with a Crooked Stick: How God works in broken people like us

Posted in Christian faith, Comfort, Devotional Readings, Election, Grace, Presence, Reformed Theology, Spirituality, Struggle, Trials, tagged , , on May 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Read Isaiah 45:1-11 The Old Testament tells us that certain special leaders were anointed with oil: prophets, priests, and kings. In addition to that sort of ‘anointing’ we read passages that refer to a coming ‘anointed one’, God’s promised Messiah (see Ps 72:8, Ps 18:44-48). This promised Messiah is the one whom the New Testament [...]

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John Piper interviews Rick Warren – a definite ‘must watch’

Posted in Christian faith, Church, Church systems, Great reading, Healthy Churches, Mission, Pastors, Preaching, Reformed Theology, Small Groups, Spirituality, Teachers, Teaching, tagged , , , , on May 30, 2011 | 2 Comments »

I have just taken 90 mins to watch this excellent interview between John Piper and Rick Warren. It is definitely worth your time to do the same. Here’s why… You can view the interview here: My interest was piqued because Warren’s Purpose Driven Life was incredibly influential some years ago, having become one of the [...]

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Grace is free, but it’s not cheap

Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Grace, Presence, Relationship, Spirituality, tagged , , , on May 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Read: Deuteronomy 7:6-16 Have you ever noticed that we love hearing about God’s grace, but we are not so keen to hear his call to obedience? Do you ever wonder how God feels about that? Maybe he feels like a lover who showers their mate with affection, gifts, and security only to find that their [...]

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The Interference of Self

Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Grace, Opposition, Popularity, Presence, Relationship, Spirituality, Struggle, Trials, tagged , , , , on May 26, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Read: Heb 13:1-6 Sometimes when I am met by a need or a context where I know I should move forward and respond, I push back and either procrastinate or simply turn away. Why do I do that? Is it fear that my incompetence might be exposed Is it a sense that I might not [...]

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Watch what God does, and then you do it

Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Family, Grace, Incarnation, Mission, Presence, Relationship, Spirituality, tagged , , , , on May 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Read Eph 5:1-20 The command to ‘imitate God’ seems impossible to honour. How can failed and fallen human beings imitate God? True, but that’s not what Paul is getting at. He is asking us to imitate God in his values and character toward people and their world. This makes it more exciting than impossible, right? [...]

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The Surprise of Grace

Posted in Christian faith, Church, Devotional Readings, Election, Grace, Spirituality, tagged , on May 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Read Romans 5:-11 “We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his doors to us … we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God graciously pours into our lives through his Holy Spirit.” Grace surprises us. Sometimes this comes with the realisation [...]

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