Spiritual Practices Sabbath
Tag:
Holiness
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“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). There are basically only two kinds of religion in the world: those based on human achievement and those …
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Dear Roger, I’m very concerned about what I just read in Joshua chapter seven. A man named Achan knowingly disobeyed God. Then, God stoned him and his family to death …
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One of my favorite authors, Donald Grey Barnhouse, said, “Love that reaches up is adoration. Love that reaches out is affection. But love that stoops is grace.” Philippians 2:5-11 deals …
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“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 NKJV A friend organized a Christmas cookie swap for our church office staff. The plan was …
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The language in the Ten Commandments is countercultural, counterintuitive, offensive, and shocking to anyone who has not embraced the God-centeredness of God. We might summarize the first two commandments like …
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Paul, in his first epistle to the Thessalonians, clarified further what the concept of “being ready for the coming of the Lord” is all about. He used the same analogy-being …
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The term Beatitudes means ‘The Blessings’ or ‘be- attitudes’, as in the attitudes we should live by or be. These character traits, when observed by others within an individual’s life, …
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The anointing of the Holy Spirit enables the believer to minister with God’s power. It allows us to discern truth from error. www.ocbf.org
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“Conscience is what makes a boy tell his mother before his sister does.” ― Evan Esar “It is neither right nor safe to go against my conscience.” ― Martin Luther …
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We need to build our faith on a strong foundation that will protect us when the storms rage. Because a man is the foundation of our society, anything a spiritually-strong …
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It’s ten o’clock, do you know where your husband is? Apparently many Americans are asking this question, judging by the sales and buzz generated by The Script: The 100% Predictable Things …
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Every once in a while a new movement comes along that seeks to capture the attention of people away from traditional faith commitments. My attention was grabbed by one so-called …
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“Just as you’ll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, so you’ll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does” (Ecclesiastes 11:5 MSG). …
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Would it surprise you to know that according to at least one study, 20.4 million Americans practice yoga?[i] Can Christians do yoga? Should Christians do yoga? When my wife approached …
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Dear Roger, My pastor told me that I never have to sin again. How can that be true? Sincerely, Katie Dear Katie, The problem is a misunderstanding of what really …
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John Piper, in his magnificent book, “Why I Love the Apostle Paul,” asks us why Paul didn’t boast more about his vision of the third heaven. Where did Paul go? …
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John Piper, in his magnificent book, “Why I Love the Apostle Paul,” asks us why Paul didn’t boast more about his vision of the third heaven. Where did Paul go? …
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What do you want out of your Christian experience? If you’re like most people you might answer that you are looking for peace, strength during difficulties, or even some level …
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Do you need to make a decision about something that seems so exciting, but you can’t seem to shake the hesitation in your heart? We have a family friend named …
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Intercessors live on the frontier of change. We are positioned to stand between the needs of man and the provision of God. Because we are the agents of redemption, Satan …
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CNN’s Belief Blog presented four signs that a person’s religious beliefs might be radicalized. This stood in contrast to a TED presentation showed that 75 percent of the world’s population …
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Hello Roger, I was just reading your teaching on divorce and remarriage and I find it very fulfilling because we are dealing with those issues in our church and this …
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Dear Roger, We live in an age of Blamers. Won’t anybody stand up and admit they are guilty without making excuses! We were discussing this in my small group …
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I’m not sure if this is in a book somewhere, but it’s widely known that the easiest way to get out of a Christian dating relationship is to throw the …
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Anger is a God-given emotion. Which of these statements about anger is true? “I should never allow myself to become angry.” “Anger can become a sin, and that’s okay.” “The …
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Dear Roger, I am a high school senior and I got into a discussion about Jesus with my best friend. She is not a Christian and I’ve been …
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There is a girl in church (or group of girls who wear totally inappropriate clothes to church. What do I say? Drop Your Stone For those of us who …
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Introverts and extroverts — it seems like a useful designation for personality types. Even if they’re not biblical categories, they lead to an interesting conversation for Christians, and to this …
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“What would you do if you were 22 again?” I was recently asked that question as part of a conference on world missions. I turned 22 in the middle of …
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Genesis 2:18 “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” NIV I will make….. …a helper …
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Saul was a bad king. He was impatient when he should have waited, and he hesitated when he should have advanced. Chapter 15 of 1st Samuel is a dark moment for …
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Theological conclusions depend more on our biography than most of us admit. We’d like to think we reached our views through an unbiased approach to the biblical text, but self-reflection …
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Dear Roger, I need to know why I can’t seem to sense God is with me. Have I been rejected for some reason? Romans 8:35-39 states several things that cannot …
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Professor Julia Blum teaches at eteacherbiblical.com out of Tel Aviv, Israel. Her profound knowledge of the Bible and Jewish history will greatly bless you this Christmas: When was the Silent …
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End-times Christians will be lovers of themselves, greedy, boastful, proud, abusive and disobedient to parents. We can stand out from the crowd by failing to conform to the decadence of …
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When is the last time you preached or heard a message on grieving or lamenting that was not at a funeral? When is the last time your church sang a …
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It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine… That’s a line from the chorus of a hit song by the band R.E.M. And I think, …
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Pastor Francis Chan deals with the moral failure of a church leader in a wise, compassionate, godly fashion. Sin must be dealt with, but our focus in facing the issue …
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Raising money. Challenging, but doable. According to social policy expert Dr. John McKnight, “you don’t know what you need until you know what you have.” Needs are easy to spot …
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“Blessed is the person who is not offended by me.” ~ Matthew 11:6 To be offended means to stumble or trip. The Scripture tells us that Jesus is a rock …
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Anticipate and reflect! Experiences aren’t truly yours until you think about them, analyze them, examine them, question them, reflect on them, and finally understand them. — Warren Bennis My favorite …
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If you’ve listened to fairy tales, or if you’ve watched early classic Disney cartoons, one thing becomes clear: a lot of “poor little” princes and princesses shared a common family …
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Just a few days after my husband’s passing, my phone rang. For the sake of protecting the guilty, let’s say the caller represented Shady Pines Old Folks Home. Me: “A …
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Churchgoers can listen to a sermon and never apply it. If they trusted Christ when they were young, they often trust that one-time decision to keep them out of hell …
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Hebrews 12 teaches that systems will be shaken, but in God’s power we will remain stable. Relationships will be shaken, but in God’s presence, we will remain secure. Hope will …
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The Master held a great banquet. When he issued invitations, everyone made excuses not to come. Francis Chan talks about the importance of honoring God, entering His Throne Room, and …
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The Feast of Booths is all about this homecoming – the journey the Israelites would make and the disappointments they would have to face . It is the feast of …
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Christians have made the gospel about so many things … things other than Christ. Jesus Christ is the gravitational pull that brings everything together and gives them significance, reality, and …
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You probably hear a lot about how much our society has progressed. Whether it’s technological or scientific advancement, breakthroughs in medicine or manufacturing, or any other area where progress can …
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Francis Chan uses the television show “24” as an illustration to remind us that we must live for eternity. God is in control, and we must not be complacently. Many …
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No one wants their garbage revealed. You have this picture of this big God. Jesus said to the church at Sardis, “Recognize who I am, and that you are dead …
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Months after Rick’s father died, Rick’s wife Cathy began to worry about her husband. “Rick has never cried or talked about his father’s death,” she says. “Now he spends all …
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In the third sermon of the series “Blueprint,” Pastor Glenn Barteau makes the following observations about entering into the joy of God. Stop seeking a precise formula for the spiritual …
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Bleary-eye and pre-coffee, I stumbled into my bathroom and took a gander in the mirror. YIKES! All I could see were bags beneath my eyes and sags where I used …
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Dear Roger, I recently became a Christian and I have a question. The woman who led me to Christ encouraged me to start reading my Bible immediately. She told me …
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Because of Jesus, we have been washed completely clean, set apart for God’s purposes, and declared just before God. All of these blessings come at the huge price of Jesus’ …
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Pastor, I know you’ve got a lot on your plate and the last thing you need is more stuff to deal with. But you ought to know about a few …
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God is serious about our commitment to Him. Our prayers must be carefully crafted and come from an obedient heart and an expectant faith. Chan summarizes examples from Scripture where …
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Why does God put us on the shelf? Let’s look at Moses, Paul and Jesus and find out why… Just got home. Opened the frig. An odiferous gallon of …
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When you are dealing with someone, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Differentiate between the Holy Spirit’s revelation and your manipulation. Don’t ignore red flags. Don’t internalize, verbalize. And finally, …
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Who is this God to whom your prayers ascend? Belief in what God can do will give you strength and more confidence in your prayer life. When unbelief takes control, …
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The godly person stays apart from worldly influences, reverences God supremely and feeds on His Word continually. He will weather any storms. from Cornerstone Church archives, Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley, …
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Francis Chan continues his series on how the Holy Spirit operates in our lives and the life of the church. In this sermon from Galatians 5:16-26, he encourages to live …
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It all happened in one day. One day he could choose his tee time at the nicest golf course in the country; the next he couldn’t even be the caddie. …
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Hosea was asked by God to marry an unfaithful woman and love her unconditionally. In doing so, he demonstrated the kind of amazing love God has for his children.
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I still chuckle when I think about the joke I heard about the game warden who got a quick lesson on fishing. It seems he noticed how this one particular …
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Sermons
Christ-Centered Relationships: Intimacy with God and Your Spouse
by Francis Chanby Francis ChanFrancis and Lisa Chan discuss how to have undivided devotion to God in a marriage and as a single person. A person who is not married has freedom and time …
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What if you are confused by God’s actions? “Joseph … did what the Lord’s angel had told him to do.” Matthew 1:24 The white space between Bible verses is fertile …
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The Apostle Paul (in 1 Cor. 13) challenges a couple of different paths where the believers have gotten sideways and are missing the “most excellent way” of living. It’s a …
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Since it is virtually impossible to identify and erase all of the misleading information in our mental computers, the only way to change our thinking habits is to input new …
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Dear Roger, Are there no accidents in death because God appoints all deaths? And if so, then why should we bother wearing seatbelts? Sincerely, H Dear H, …
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Have you seen control and manipulation divide your church? Have you suffered through the fall of a spiritual leader into sexual sin? The life of Queen Jezebel gives us a …
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God’s blessings in our lives can easily be turned into smug, self-satisfied arrogance if we grab the glory for ourselves rather than thanking Him. Climbing the ladder of success led …
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We must have a God-centered, not man-centered theology. Therefore, it is our obligation to keep Christ’s Bride, the Church, pure. If we do not judge and discipline perpetual sin inside …
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Is change, spiritual growth, a natural part of becoming a Christian? Yes. Living in the status of disciple has, as a natural part and progression, spiritual formation in Christlikeness. Progression …
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The will of God often sends us to meet needs and into danger. It is hard to remember that Jesus did not come to make us safe, but rather to …
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Psalm 51 is a great pattern for confession and repentance. After visiting a church in the midst of a great revival, Pastor Chan believes the key to revival and spiritual …
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Salvation is by grace through faith. That is a foundational truth. But it is usually understood to mean that nothing you do contributes to salvation. With this, a pervasive passivity …
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There are essentially two ways of responding to life’s hurts and unfair experiences. Every time we get hurt, we choose to respond in one of these two ways. The first, …
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The “ready” position is the stance that an athlete takes to be prepared to take on any challenge. If you’re ready, you are not afraid. Don’t be afraid of tyrants, …
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Coming into God’s presence for worship requires us to humble ourselves, listen, and put away any uncleanness that can scar our lives. God’s revelation of His holiness and glory will …
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What should we continually pray? Should we just pray for the ordinary needs of our lives-safety, security and happiness? Paul encourages the Ephesian Christians to continually pray for a deeper …
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My faith is grounded in history, supported by historical evidence. Therefore, my approach to history is critical. The modern approach precludes the possibility of the supernatural. I see that I …
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Paul the apostle teaches that if we know who we are and believe who we are, then we must live who we are-walking worthy of Jesus Christ. We reflect His …
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Just like the hedonistic culture that the Corinthian believers faced, Paul teaches that what we do on this earth has consequences in the next life. This life is not all …
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Spiritual practices such as prayer, fasting and meditation lead to great freedom. They exist for our sake, not God’s. They enable us to do what we cannot do through direct …
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The Lamb of God is also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. When Christ cleansed the Temple, He became furious at the blatant, presumptious sinfulness of God’s people. We …