Breakfast on the Beach (John 21:12)

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God’s grace shows up in little moments that are often practically unnoticeable. For example, read John 21. Jesus had died, risen again, appeared to the disciples, and gave them a commission to be sent out into the world. No wonder Peter promptly declared, “I am going fishing” (v 3)! I would have done the same.That’s
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God Is Rich (Eph 2:4, 7)

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Tax refund season is coming up. Are you hoping for a nice return from the government? It makes you feel rich, doesn’t it? What will you spend it on? Did you know that God is rich? And more importantly, He likes to spend! By contrast, the Ephesians were poor. In fact, in a manner of
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An Open Letter on Sex Offenders

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Dear Shawn, I read with interest your article on “No More Scarlet Letters.” My question is why authors like you refuse to address, and why churches are slow to forgive, restore, and embrace sex offenders? [He gives examples of churches excluding sex offenders.]   Dear Reader, Thank you for your letter. I think grace can,
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Studying the Real Thing (John 3:16)

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I don’t know if it is true or not, but many years ago I was told that the Treasury Department has a specific way of training agents involved in preventing counterfeit money. They do not train them by showing them different examples of illegal currency. Instead, they spend thousands of hours studying what authentic money
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Grace Is Approachable

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I was listening to a podcast by Paul Zahl entitled “A Disease I Do Not Have the Courage to Name.” The title comes from a now out-of-print book entitled My Son Is a Splendid Driver, set during the Great Depression. In it, the protagonist’s mother is given a deadly STD by her husband, a traveling
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Naming Grace

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“So why did you start coming to this church?” the man asked. “When I moved to Denton, I started looking for a church, and I saw this one was ‘country-friendly,’” I explained. “I figured if I was going to be in North Texas, I should get that country experience. Of course, I asked the pastor
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Gracious Listening

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Are you a good listener? Are you a loving listener or a selfish one? When you’re having a conversation, does your flesh show through? I was convicted by this passage from Paul Zahl: A prime example of original sin is the way people listen, or rather do not listen, to each other. When you are
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Jesus Said It First (Rom 3:8)

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Years ago, there was a popular country song called “I Loved Her First.” It was about a young woman getting married. The song is from the perspective of the woman’s father. He reminds the groom that the father loved the girl first. I also remember years ago that someone in a Bible study said everything
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Grace in Ministry (Galatians 6:13-14)

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Paul’s letter to the Galatians contrasts law-religion and grace-religion. The contrast applies not only to how you are justified before God, but also to how you live the Christian life. One of the differences between law-religion and grace-religion shows itself in the pressures to have a “successful” ministry. What usually counts as a successful ministry?
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