Tag: Week 5 // Wednesday

Only One Went Back

  Imagine for a minute what it would have been like to have leprosy. You were an outcast of society. You had to live away from anyone who didn’t have the disease, so either alone or in a colony with others who had leprosy. You had to yell out “unclean”

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Entering God’s Presence with Praise

Several years ago, I spent a 40-minute drive to my parents’ house instructing my American fiancé how to properly greet his Cuban soon-to-be father-in-law. I explained that my family kissed on the cheek, rather than just shaking hands. We forgo all the formality and fully embrace one another. Thankfully, Bruce

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The Turning Point

For almost two decades, I taught high school English and spent most of my day reading stories with teenagers. I created a handout for my students to learn the key elements of a great story. Together, we would analyze the plot, identify the key moments, and discuss what made the

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Held By God’s Hand

The story of Ruth and Naomi is a treasure. I sometimes do not realize how hard it must have been for both of these women. Naomi lost her two sons and husband, and Ruth lost her husband. For women in that day, this meant that their family name and property

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Jesus the Servant

This passage of Scripture might be a familiar passage, recording when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. But maybe it’s new to you. Either way, there’s something about reading the Word of God with fresh eyes to see what God is saying through the Word. Just before this event, Jesus gave

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Joy in Worship

Then you turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy. So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent; O Lord my God, I will always give thanks to you. – Psalm 30:11-12 Only God can turn wailing into dancing. Only

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Trustworthy and True

Every few years, I’ll start a Bible reading plan that takes me through the whole grand narrative of Scripture in a year. And I must confess, when I would reach passages where genealogies span over multiple verses, I used to be a bit disappointed in the day’s readings. “Oh it’s

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An Amazing Promise

The story of Noah and the flood is so commonplace to many of us that we lose the wonder and awe of this event. The entire earth was flooded and Noah and his family were in some contraption that no one had ever seen or heard of before. What if

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Persecuted but Not Abandoned

“First the gospel must be preached to all nations. When they arrest you and hand you over for trial, do not worry about what to speak. But say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”  – Mark 13:10-11   In Mark

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Faith Defined

Since our four-year-old grandson came to live with us, I spend a great part of my day defining words that are beyond his limited understanding. Sometimes I will be halfway through a lecture on how we need to respect our elders when I realize that little man has no idea

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