Tag: bible
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Kept When Faith is Fragile
Scripture “To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.” — Jude 1 Reflection We often speak about the importance of keeping the faith. We encourage one another to remain committed, continue praying, and hold tightly to what we believe. Those are important practices, especially during…
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Loved Before We Improve
Scripture “To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father…” — Jude 1 Reflection Many of us have learned to connect love with achievement. We receive praise when we succeed, approval when we behave, and recognition when we meet expectations. Without realizing it, we may begin to imagine that God’s love…
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Called Before We’re Ready
“To those who have been called…” — Jude 1 Reflection The Christian life begins with a call. Long before we understood everything about God, God was already reaching toward us. Before we knew the right words to pray, grace was already at work. Before we could explain what we believed, God was inviting us into…
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Servant First
Scripture “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.” — Jude 1 Reflection Jude could have introduced himself in a much more impressive way. He was almost certainly one of the brothers of Jesus. He could have opened his letter by reminding everyone that he had grown up in the same home…
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Into the Name…
Scripture Matthew 28:19“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Reflection When Jesus sends his disciples into the world, he tells them to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy…
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Trinity-God Came Near
Scripture John 1:14“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” Reflection One of the great claims of the Christian faith is that God did not remain at a safe distance and send instructions. God came…
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At the Center of Creation…Love
Scripture 1 John 4:7–8“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Reflection When Scripture says, “God is love,” it is saying something far deeper than God is kind, or God…
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The Son in the Water
Scripture John 1:14“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” Reflection At the baptism of Jesus, the Son stands in the water. That is a simple image, but it carries enormous meaning. Jesus does not…
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One God?
Scripture Deuteronomy 6:4–5“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Reflection The doctrine of the Trinity does not begin by moving away from the oneness of God. It begins by holding…
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Endowed By the Creator
Declaration Quote:“…they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…” Scripture:“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…”— Luke 4:18 Reflection:The Declaration grounds human rights in the Creator. That is a remarkable claim. It means rights are not merely political arrangements or…
