December 15th, 2009 by Sherry Stokes
God disciplines those He loves, right? We all know that, and, no doubt we have all been the recipients of that discipline. I wanted to share something God taught me through this, with the hope that it might help and encourage some of you.
Have you ever experienced rough times that never seem to go away? You know, those, when-will-it-ever-end-God situations. Those why-does-it-keep-getting-worse-God circumstances. Well, I have, too. In fact, not too long ago there was kind of an eruption in all this, and I had just had enough. Ever been there? I decided to quit fighting. It was all too much, I decided, and I was weary. I allowed myself to stop running the race. For just a few days, I stopped reaching for answers in God’s Word, and certainly wasn’t interested in Godly counsel!
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Tags: Obstacles, Perseverance, Suffering
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November 29th, 2009 by Shane Reichart
“He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.” – Romans 14:6
Around this time every year I hear about how celebrating some of our national holidays as Christians is wrong or at least questionable because they fall on the same dates as pagan holidays.
Yes, Jesus’ birth was more likely to be in September according to the biblical accounts of the weeks after passover and the hint that shepherds were still in the fields at night. Yes, December 25th was a holiday celebrated throughout old Europe by pagans long before Jesus was born.
As with nearly anything, Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: christmas, pagan holidays, redemption
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October 29th, 2009 by Shanan
As I was dealing with the chaos of the weekend God gave me this beautiful object lesson.
If you look very closely at a knot of embroidery thread on a piece of fabric it looks like just a jumbled up tangle of threads. Not at all pretty in itself. Life can look like that at times too. We see struggles as a tangled up mess that we need to fix rather than wait on God to show us what to do with it. Sometimes that messy tangle can be a tiny little knot that God put there. Something strong and binding that was put there on purpose for a special reason.
Through God’s eyes we can see that knot for what it truly is. It’s the Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Chaos, Patience, Struggles
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October 21st, 2009 by Shane Reichart
Hey Pastors!
How do we balance faith and pride?
Sincerely,
Dunn Goode
Dear Dunn,
It is okay to have a degree of pride in certain areas. For example, being proud to be a father or taking pride in Jesus are both healthy – even biblical accounts of pride. However, pride becomes a sin when you regard something more highly or lowly than God does. Humility, then, is seeing yourself the way God sees you.
We have been saved by grace through faith. Nothing we have done makes us worthy to have our names written in the book of life. Therefore, regarding sinful pride, faith should always increase and pride should always decrease. There is no balance!
If you’re struggling with sinful pride, figuratively bring it into the light and seek the forgiveness of God and the council of others. Find a Christian brother you can trust, and confess this as sin for which you seek help. This very act will begin the process of humility. Besides, when we take pains to make ourselves look better, most can see through the facade to our insecurity, so it ultimately backfires anyway.
Shane
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October 13th, 2009 by Shane Reichart
Hey Pastors!
My parents made out their will recently. While I know the implications are likely to be a long ways off, it I started thinking through how things would be different without them. I really got worked up and it has even affected my work. I am often accused of being “emotional”. Am I crazy to think this way?
Sincerely,
R. U. Diane
Dear R. U. Diane,
You’re not crazy. But remember, although a will is a reminder that they will die, it doesn’t make their death any sooner.
It’s not crazy to be saddened to think about your parents dying. Maybe you are just prone to think through emotions much further than others would. Some people won’t even Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Death, Emotions
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October 3rd, 2009 by Shane Reichart
Hey Pastors!
I’ve been single for several years and don’t want to be. I hope that God brings someone in to my life, but what if he doesn’t? I thought this would get easier as time goes on, but it hasn’t so far. How does one find contentment in singleness?
Sincerely,
Anita Mann
Dear Anita,
A longing to be “with” is neither a sin, nor a problem. Read 1 Corinthians 7.
Take your desire before God. Pray that He will show you how to appropriately control the desire until (or if) He calls you to pursue marriage. You can experience a portion of the companionship Read the rest of this entry »
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September 29th, 2009 by Stephanie Stewart
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share with you about the intersection God put me in last night. 
I was driving home from my small group, and Scott had asked us to think about our weeks and how we might find ourselves in intersections. I have to admit I am a frequent flyer at Walmart. I am in there an embarassing number of times a week. But what a place to meet random people and strike up conversations. Like…. Dale the door greeter.
While I was driving back to Mattoon though, I was asking God to just plop people right in my face. People that needed to hear about Him.
Dale needed to hear about Him I guess. I striked up my usual banter with the door greeter “Hey! How are you! Sure is nice out tonight. What time you get off? Whew! Only 2 more hours!! Welp, see you later!” and went about my shopping.
On my way out though Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Intersection, Opportunity, Patience
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August 27th, 2009 by Shane Reichart
Hey Pastors!
I really try to take care of things myself. I guess I feel like I should be able to provide for myself – be independent… I don’t like charity, but I’m really having a hard time making ends meet. How do I know when it’s time to ask for help?
Sincerely,
Macon N. Smeet
Dear Macon,
You need help. God designed us to be interdependent. The question is: In what areas do you have need, and in what areas do you have abundance?
Talk with God and Christian brethren to see if your concern is a need or a want. If you have focused your energy and resources on actual needs, and still can’t meet them, then don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. As Christians, it is our responsibility and privilege to meet the needs of others. Eventually you’ll be in a position to give and it will be expected from you as well.
Shane
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Tags: Charity, Fellowship, Needs
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August 12th, 2009 by Shane Reichart
Hey Pastors!
Out of nowhere, an acquaintance in ministry stopped talking to me and has been rude and distant. I have asked to meet with her several times, which she refused and told me to leave her alone. I have no idea what happened and don’t know what else to do.
Sincerely,
Annetta Konflik
Dear Annetta,
While the original issue may have been some unaddressed sin against her, the issue now is a sin against you: bitterness. If your true underlying motive is to restore unity with your sister in Christ, then Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Bitterness, Cold Shoulder, Conflict Resolution, Confrontation, Relationships
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July 29th, 2009 by Scott Sims
Hey Pastors!
My husband told me if I bought him the Love Dare Book he would work through it. I bought it and now he is not interested in doing it. Do you have any suggestions?
Sincerely,
Hope Heewheel
Dear Hope,
Great question! I wonder if he was intimidated by all that it would demand of him once he saw what it required… Anyway, the material is not gender specific so why don’t you take the dare yourself and work through the material for him? That will communicate better than any words.
Scott
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Tags: Divorce, Fireproof, Love Dare, Marriage, Relationships
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