Category: SermonByte

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Portending Apocalypse

apocalypseAs I read through various news articles related to the current anti-prayer culture war, my mind raced to memories of words I learned from the Biblical book of Revelation many years ago. The Apostle John relayed his vision of the future as given to him by God. He told of a day when the world would be in turmoil and people would stubbornly resist the call of God.

The refusal to repent is nothing new. We see it with Cain who failed to master his sinful thoughts before following through and murdering his brother Abel. The builders of the tower of Babel thought they could reach God without His help, and were scattered because of it. Noah preached the whole time he was building the ark. God didn’t want to bring the flood, but people continued in their anarchy and destruction. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah resisted the visitation of Angels and sought to harm them instead of receiving the grace that was available.

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Will This Be A Happy New Year?

happynewyear1We are now fully engaged in 2016. As I have prayed and contemplated all that is happening in the earth, I believe that God would have us be prepared for a year of contrasts and apparent contradictions.

Up front, and for the record, I am NOT offering a “Thus saith the Lord”. That kind of thing got people killed in the Old Testament and I would prefer to avoid a rock concert given in my honor.

At the same time, however, God has been faithful over the years to reveal many things to me – and others I have known – ahead of time. Have I ever missed it? Yes I have. Have I learned and grown from my mistakes? I hope so. The Apostle Paul illustrated our current understanding of God’s truth by the word picture of a dark mirror:

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Stressed Out! Part 2

stressedoutpt2In “Stressed Out! Part 1”, we talked about the effects of unhealthy stress in your life. If you haven’t read it yet, or need a review, you may want to take a minute to do so. You may find it here:

Stressed Out! Part 1

Go ahead, I’ll wait….

Finished? Great!

Today let’s begin talking about some things you can do to manage your stress levels, lower dangerous Cortisol levels and enjoy a more fulfilling life. I will break these down over the next three blogs for a few reasons:

● Learning is usually more effective over time. By breaking the blog into multiple parts, it has a greater chance of impacting your life positively.

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Stressed Out! Part 1

stressedoutpt1Many modern folk wear stress like a badge of honor. They appear proud of the fact that their lives are too hectic and they stay stressed all the time. Even when they complain about feeling overtaxed, they appear to be looking for affirmation – as if constant stress is something to be admired.

Like so many things in our lives, stress has its benefits. It can push us to complete important deadlines and motivate us to make important life changes. It can provide the physiological factors needed to help us fight or escape when confronted with danger.

A surplus of stress however can be disastrous. The stress-associated hormone, Cortisol, causes serious harm when kept at high levels.

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Why He Came

Merry ChristmasIt’s easy to lose track of the meaning of Christmas in the crazy times we live. Even folk like me – the most dyed-in-the-wool believers – can get caught up in things that distract us from a fitting focus.

If we aren’t careful, holiday controversies and the “War on Christmas” will get our dander up, and have us offended and in fighting mode, instead of the proper posture that reveals God’s great love to the world (Jn 3:16). Things like this can also shift our attention away from the grateful and joyful hearts that God wants for Christmas.

With a desire to bring my own heart into proper alignment, and a hope to help others, I have compiled nine reasons that Jesus came. I hope you find it impacting.

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Has God Changed?

GodChangedFrom pulpits to news shows they cry, “God has changed!” Okay, they don’t say it quite that way, but that is the bottom-line. Most people simply accept this at face value and move on, but is it true? Are the pundits on-track? Has God really changed?

The premise typically goes something like this, “God was a God of Judgment in the Old Testament and a God of Grace in the New Testament.” Though often repeated, it is simply not true. God is neither capricious nor single-minded. We were created in His image and we clearly understand that judgment and mercy are not antithetical concepts. There are times when justice demands judgment, and other times when mercy is right and proper.

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Diagnosing Unhappiness

happinessWith iPhones, iPads, 4K TV’s, Entertainment on Demand, Air Conditioning, International Cuisine and so much more, one might reasonably think that we would be the happiest generation ever. We work less, have easier lives and are exposed to more self-help resources than anyone could have imagined just a few short years ago.

My friends in Kenya – you know the land of hakuna matata (”No Worries”) – have a very hard time contemplating why ANY American would ever feel sad or depressed. The truth, however, is far different. Our generation has possibly more cases of depression, suicide and stress than any before.

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Another Reason To Be Grateful

GratefulI know it feels good sometime to throw ourselves a little pity party. The biggest problem for me is hardly anyone shows up, and the ones that do, don’t usually stay long.

As prone as we may be at times to focus on the negatives, it really is bad for us all the way around. Gratitude on the other hand, not only helps us to win friends and influence people it also helps us in every other area of life. Studies have shown that people who thought about, and wrote down, what they were grateful for benefited in numerous ways including:

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How’s Your Gratitude?

GratitudeHow’s your Gratitude? We can all use a tune-up from time-to-time, and even if you need a complete overhaul, God is more than willing to help.

Research Scientist Dr. Barbara Fredrickson studied the role of gratitude in our daily lives. It might not be surprising that she observed a direct correlation between Gratitude and Joy. It is easy to imagine that joyful people have a lot to be grateful for. What she actually discovered however, was more profound. She discovered that it was not joy that made people grateful, rather it was being grateful that led people to joy.

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How Ya Doin?

doingIf anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. (Gal 6:3-4)

Isn’t it easy to point the finger at imperfection in others? “Can you believe they … (I’m sure you can fill in the blank)?” This seems especially true when the flaw is an area that we do not struggle with in our own life. Our own weaknesses are, well, just that a weakness – a very tiny one (or so we think). We have a tendency to judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions. If we are not careful, we may even find ourselves evaluating our godliness based on our perception of others. “I’m better than a lot of people”.

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