February 2012
1 post
January 2012
2 posts
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December 2011
1 post
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A Reasonable Response
In the opening of Isaiah, God says something that, to me, is astounding. He calls the readers to do something that sounds, well, unreasonable. He says, “Come now, let us reason together.” Crazy, right? No, think about it: The sovereign Lord of all that is, who created by the power of His Word, who controls all that ever was, who speaks and no one can respond, who, with the power...
November 2011
3 posts
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WatchYesterday, for Orphan Sunday, we had the privilege of hearing J.T. Olson speak at The Gathering about Both Hands Ministry. Take 16 minutes and educate yourself on this amazing ministry.
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Making it up as we go
Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney denied that Obama had perhaps gone too far by dragging the Almighty into a fierce political spat. “I believe that the phrase from the Bible is ‘the Lord helps those who help themselves,’” Carney said. “I think the point the president is making is that, you know, we have it within our capacity to do the things to help the...
October 2011
6 posts
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A Little Halloween Surprise
Just discovered a little tidbit about one of the scariest “Halloween” movies of all time, The Exorcist. Turns out it was never intended to be a horror story (Wha?! No, really.) but a story to encourage faith in God. Seriously. Here’s what the author, William Peter Blatty, said in his own words:
[T]he humiliating God’s-honest truth of the matter is that while I was working...
Phantom Notes
If you’ve posted a note on one of my posts and I’ve not responded, I’m sorry but, like many other users, I can only see that I HAVE notes but can’t actually see them. If someone knows how to fix this, I’d appreciate you letting me know how.
Just don’t put it in a note.
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Idols of the Heart
Rarely do I teach a class or deliver a message that hasn’t already penetrated my soul and taught me first. I think that the only way a message is really exceptional is if the Holy Spirit has brought the hammer down first in the teacher/preacher’s life so that the passion can come from a place of real, deep conviction.
Last night, however, as I taught on really believing the Gospel...
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The Cohabitational Effect
Yesterday, I taught on Letting Marriage Be Held in Honor from Hebrews 13:4. If you want to hear that message, visit our audio page here.
One area I didn’t cover I want to talk a little about here because it deals with one of the most prevalent practices in modern Western culture: Cohabitating.
OK, just turned a large segment of the population away right there. That’s cool. For...
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WatchHere’s a great example of why it’s important to know what you believe and why.
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September 2011
3 posts
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WatchA California couple is being fined for conducting a Bible study in their homes. Admittedly, it is a rather large Bible study on Sundays with up to 50 people. The city has determined it should considered a church and, thus, should apply for permits and provide ample parking and handicap access. In short, it comes down to what they consider zoning issues. What do you think? Is this right or are...
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Return from the abyss
Whew! Been a while since I wrote here. Not sure why exactly. So busy, I guess. With my son playing football and me helping coach (probably pretty laughable), our time as a family seems so limited. I suppose the last thing I’ve wanted to do was sit in front of a computer longer than I have to and write. An attempt at balance, though, is certainly called for and I’m hoping to get back...
August 2011
5 posts
WatchMy dog, Shelby, watching TV.
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Who's to Blame?
Ever wonder who’s to blame for all the junk in your life? When you sin, did the Devil make you do it? When you stumble, is it because your parents didn’t teach you well enough? Are you overweight because McDonald’s serves those dog-gone fries? We’re great at assigning blame. That’s nothing new, of course. Remember our first ancestors? Adam: “It’s...
Do You Look the Part?
“If the Son of God has been born into my human flesh, then am I allowing His holy innocence, simplicity, and oneness with the Father the opportunity to exhibit itself in me?” ~ Oswald Chambers
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The Amazing God of Manasseh
To read the account of Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:1-17, 20) is absolutely amazing in regards to the mercy of God. Manasseh did everything he could to provoke God. Reading about his faithlessness and sin toward God is like watching a fatal train crash. I found myself actually getting angry at him myself as it was mentioned he went as far as burning his own sons as sacrifices to idols. How could...
July 2011
13 posts
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Google+ Networking
Let’s connect. Click the logo and add me to your circle.
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The Fight for Purity
Purity is something that we battle for all of our lives. If we’re not battling for it, we’ve already given up on the idea. For a Christ-follower, purity is not an option, it is a command; an expectation; a requirement. Purity goes hand-in-hand with holiness, which we are called to be since Christ is holy. Makes sense really: Christ lives within His followers....
WatchAndrew’s version of “The Lord’s Army”
Intentionality
“No one lies on his deathbed wishing he’d had time to reply to one more email, but a great many people express regrets about not having treated life with more purpose.” Todd Henry, The Accidental Creative
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“You can say you believe many things, but you really only believe those things...”
– dp
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WatchGreat commercial about Chattanooga. Love my town!
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Call for the Question
OK, admittedly, this kind of post is dangerous and can be a set-up for a flop if nobody responds, but I’m gonna do it anyway (so I hope you don’t leave me hanging).
Backstory: I used to have a very active and time-consuming blog called Espresso Roast. I still keep it actively online, though it’s in moth balls, because I put a lot of work into the articles and will...
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“If you say that you’re a follower of Jesus, but you’re not actually...”
– David Price
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Fear Factor
I’ve been thinking alot about fear lately. As a matter of fact, it’s what I talked about this past Sunday at The Gathering. I’m not talking about just any fear, but the fear of living honestly before people. Being authentic without feeling the need to alter who you are to please someone else based on what you think they want you to be. Living that is as crazy as all...
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Signpost for the Wilderness:
“Help me to see that although I am in the wilderness, it is not all briars and barrenness. I have bread from heaven, streams from the rock, light by day, fire by night, thy dwelling place and thy mercy seat. I am sometimes discouraged by the way, but though winding and trying, it is safe and short;”
excerpt from:
The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotion.
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Accidentally Creative...on Purpose.
I just read a guest post on Michael Hyatt’s blog that was absolutely incredible. Challenging each of us to use the creativity we’ve been given to the absolute max, Todd Henry encourages us to set a goal for our lives to “die empty.” Here is an excerpt from the post:
I was in a meeting in which a South African friend asked, “Do you know what the most valuable land in...
June 2011
11 posts
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A Cry for Deliverance
”Enable me to recognize my death unto sin; When it tempts me, may I be deaf unto its voice. Deliver me from the invasion as well as the dominion of sin.”
~ excerpt from The Valley of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions
Signpost for the Wilderness:
“When you persist in a spiritual vacuum, when you hang in there during ambiguity, you get to know God.” ~ Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life.
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WatchThis is a video I did for the team report from our most recent trip to Peru. It was shown last night at The Gathering.
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Walking Through the Wilderness (and living to tell...
Yesterday at The Gathering, I read part of an old post I wrote for my former blog, Espresso Roast, in which I was struggling through a wilderness experience. Through it, I learned to trust God where I was, embrace the wilderness, and grow through it. I hope it encourages you, as well. ~ dp
Originally posted July 26, 2006
A Walk Through the Wilderness
Years ago, my wife and I took our dog,...
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Sign of the Times: Woman Sentenced for Spanking...
In a bizarre ruling this week, a Texas woman has been sentenced to five years (!) probation, ordered to pay a $50 fine and will be required to undergo parenting classes…for spanking her child. Not beating, but spanking…open-handed…on the bottom…no bruising…spanking. Yeah.
It’s Only Mostly Legal
So, in spite of the fact that it is not illegal to spank in...
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Everyone's A Critic
Criticism is one of the most common and deadly forces in our world today. You’ve experienced it, right? Probably on both the giving and receiving end. It’s a weapon used regularly by friend and foe alike through innocent sounding “jabs,” thinly veiled attacks through a Facebook post, or blatant “in your face” attacks. Regardless of the form, the result is...
Watch Your Back
Here’s a great blog post I came across. Every one of us needs to read it carefully.
Watch Your Back, Christian Soldiers | The Church of No People
http://www.thechurchofnopeople.com/2011/06/christian-soldiers/
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Is Congregational Government from Satan?
James MacDonald has written a very interesting (and certainly controversial) article on church government. Though I agree with his reasons for moving away from Congregational polity (our church recently moved to an elder form of church governance), his tone is stronger than anything I’ve ever used. Here is an excerpt:
When church life is going well, the leaders of a church struggle to...
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A Week in Peru
What a great week we’ve had. We’re back in Lima and enjoying some much-needed rest before heading back to the States later today.
It’s great to see how God is working in this region and in some surprising ways. Each day was filled with opportunities, some that seem bigger than others, but all with the fingerprints of God all over them. More than anything, we were able to see...
May 2011
21 posts
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WatchWill they ever end? I suppose I could ask Harold Camping. Nevertheless, these storms are wreaking horrible devastation. This is an amazing video, though.
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The Danger of Unbiblical Predictions
From the beginning, this type of reaction by followers has been my fear:
Robert Fitzpatrick of New York had put his money where his faith is: The 60-year-old retiree spent $140,000 — almost everything he had — on hundreds of billboards proclaiming the Armagedon that Camping predicted.
When it didn’t come, he was standing in New York’s Times...
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Life on the Islands
Ingenuity saves several houses along the flooded Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers near Vicksburg, MS. Click on the above picture for more incredible pictures of “island homes.”
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A Healthy Prayer on Blessings
“If it be consistent with thy eternal counsels, the purpose of thy grace, and the great ends of they glory, then bestow upon me the blessings of thy comforts; If not, let me resign myself to thy wiser determinations.”
~ from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions