Category: Blog Writings
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5–8 minutesMy sin nature, which is just Christianese for my default disposition, is incredibly cynical. I would even call it judgmental under the guise of self-protection. Previous objections to this verse in Philippians would have ranged from declaring the Word of God unjust for asking me to do something that was not possible to proclaiming that the Scripture advocated for naivety and blindness to reality. These strong statements were never voiced, but in my mind they were my firm position. Maybe you can relate. This verse could seem very out of touch if viewed through the lens of a world in…
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5–7 minutesIt is that time of year when we begin to hear a lot of body-improvement messaging. Feeds are full of “summer body” references, food cleanses, new workout ideas, or declarations that now is the perfect time to start GLP-1. There is an increased focus on who we appear to be rather than any interest in who we are. While this is a less-than-subtle thread that weaves consistently throughout society, there are times it ramps up, ebbing to new heights. You could be someone who is greatly susceptible to all the external-minded messaging, or maybe you are relatively resistant. For what…
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4–6 minutesThe lifestyles we now live don’t lend themselves to being able to roam large areas of open land naming unnamed mountains, building wells, erecting monuments, or constructing pillars. Our lives are, however, marked by God’s faithfulness, and sometimes we can see the physical evidence. This proof could be a surgery scar that, whenever viewed, shows how God kept us under His watchful hand through a difficult season of illness. It could be a child’s laughter that lights up our heart and speaks to the fact that God gave us a long-prayed-for child. Maybe it is the car we drive to…
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1–2 minutesMay I be known For bring You glory May my words Lift Your Name May my life Be marked by Your presence And my heart Be filled with Your praise Yahweh, Yahweh May these lungs forever sing Yahweh Yahweh In the night And in the storm I am near to You You are holding on Yahweh, Yahweh May these lungs forever sing Yahweh Yahweh I am unfaithful And I fall short I am so much less Than You deserve Yahweh, Yahweh May these lungs forever sing Yahweh Yahweh You redeem and restore Sanctify and transform Salvation is the Lord’s ‘Cause…
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4–6 minutesI reread Jonah recently. It is a very dramatic book that reminds me of a petulant toddler. As a mirror that reflects the disobedience, stubbornness, and haughtiness that exists in the human heart, it hits home for me too. In verse 3 of Jonah 1, Jonah is fleeing from the Lord’s instruction to go to Ninevah. He decides to go in the opposite direction via a ship that is going to Tarshish. In this completely futile escape from the Lord, the ship hits a nasty storm. Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down…
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5–7 minutesMy son loves fishing. I know very, very little about fishing, but he learned just enough at a ranch that I took him to that he is into it. If you are a parent, you may understand the subtext. In fact, if you have anyone in your life who enjoys a hobby that you don’t, you may guess what is happening. I am learning about fishing in preparation to take my son. In the process, I have recruited help; just a general request for information. I know fishing requires a pole, I know it requires a string on the pole,…
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1–2 minutesHumble me, O Lord Teach me Your ways Guide my heart I long for Your righteousness Quiet my will Make me still Show me Your face So I know You’re near I shift like the wind A wave of the sea Tempted by sin I am broken and weak Your blood covers all Every sin and mistake It tears down fear’s lies No chain it can’t break Humble me so I can find faith Give me strength in the trial Endurance in the battle And bow before You, my Victory I hear the sound The trumpets roar My praise goes…
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1–2 minutesIn the stillness There is a peace I know You are here I want to feel You neara When the chaos leaves And I can breathe All I want is Your presence Fill my lungs In the nothing Your spirit is enough Examine the depths of me Searing the sin in me A refining fire that sets me free A sustaining blaze from the ashes Turn me from brokenness Rescue me from Shame Give me the will To seek Your face A spirit that is patient in the waiting A humble heart for Your calling I kneel before you Asking…
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1–2 minutesYour beauty is in the trees Leaves of green delicately placed Every one chosen with purpose Look at the sun It’s shinning with brilliant light Its rays beaming down A design of Your creation In the wind I feel Your breath A gentle reminder of Your presence Ushering in hope And a desire for holiness The world is teeming with life Sustained by Your sovereign hand And I walk in this tension To hold fast to my false control Or of surrendering to the follow of mercy Falling in the streams of Your love To be swept up into the…
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1–2 minutesDo not sleep or fall away Cease to wander And let not your heart delay To dive into the depths Reaching for the truth beneath the surface Exploring the wonders Of His glorious purpose Why do you rest Lukewarm in spirit Eyes blind to the awe The extravagance of love Become a burning fire Set ablaze Be brought back to life Breathe in His Spirit Turn away from faithless pursuit And be revived Through freedom’s call In this there is life Awaken Rise again The Hope of Glory Stretches out His hand Sin fading away in view of the cross…
