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Tag: practicing faith

Live Like You Believe

Live Like You Believe

Today I want to remind ourselves of the resurrection reality in the everyday life of Christians. Too often we live like nothing would have changed, like the resurrection of Jesus would not have happened. But it certainly did (even though it does sound crazy, doesn’t it?) and you should live like you believe. And that’s what you want, right? So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not…

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Grace for Weary

Grace for Weary

I hope you, my friend, know that you don’t need to earn your salvation. You receive it as a gift when you believe in Jesus. Grace is enough. You are enough. Why do we then talk so much about tending our faith or growing in our faith? We are called to live with God and a lot of it happens via spiritual exercises. But what if we are for one reason or another so weary that we can’t even think…

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How to Walk in Love

How to Walk in Love

We are called to be one in Christ…but we are not succeeding very well, are we? Living in unity seems like a balancing act sometimes. How can we who are so different live in harmony? How can we respect everyone and allow each other freedom in Christ? These are the questions I’ve been mulling over lately. Blessedly I learned five things about how to walk in love from Romans 14:13-23. 1) We need to stop criticizing at once. Everyone we…

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If You Want to Be a Christian

If You Want to Be a Christian

This Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote captured me this morning, so I just had to share it with you. Hopefully – if you want to be a Christian – it will touch a chord in you and inspire you to put your faith in practice too. “If we want to be Christians, we must have some share in Christ’s large-heartedness by acting with responsibility and in freedom when the hour of danger comes, and by showing a real sympathy that springs, not…

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One-Size-Fits-All Faith?

One-Size-Fits-All Faith?

What do you think? Is there such a thing as one-size fits-all faith? Yes and no. Yes because Jesus died for all of our sins and his blood covers everyone’s sins. Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. Christ’s death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation. (Hebrews 9:27-28, MSG,*) There’s nothing…

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The Spiritual Immune System, part 4/4

The Spiritual Immune System, part 4/4

Spiritual exercise is necessary for robust spiritual health. There is no way around it. Any muscle that goes unused becomes weak. Any faith that does not get exercised becomes weak. So what are you waiting for? You even have your own spiritual trainer, the Holy Spirit, available 24/7. Let’s continue our journey towards a strong spiritual immune system. In the first part of the series I presented a formula for spiritual health. We need to have a healthy diet and…

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Called to Be Saints

Called to Be Saints

Do you know that you’re called to be a saint? For real. Right now and right here. How do I know? I read it in my Bible. I am currently reading through the Bible in the New Revised Standard Version. Today my attention was grabbed by Paul’s greeting to the Corinthians. Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who…

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First Belief, Then Glory

First Belief, Then Glory

Would you like to have some tangible proof before believing? Wouldn’t it be nice? But that’s not the way of faith. We need to believe to see the glory of God. That’s how Jesus replied to Martha when Lazarus was dead: Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God? (John 11:40, AMP) God has prepared to give us everything but we first need to…

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Realize the Fullness of Christ

Realize the Fullness of Christ

Do you realize the fullness of Christ? Do you live it? School’s out; quit studying faith and start living it! You have received Christ; now live him. Put what you have learned in practice and live large. Do everything in him and let your living spill over into thanksgiving. My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re…

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Spiritual Strength Training, Anyone?

Spiritual Strength Training, Anyone?

Why on earth would we need spiritual strength training? The Merriam-Webster dictionary tells us that few definitions of strength are capacity for exertion or endurance, power to resist force, and power of resisting attack. These are all qualities needed in spiritual life. Because life is no picnic. It is a life-or-death fight. We need to be ready. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And…

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