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Mary of Bethany showed her love for Christ, in John 12:1-8, by anointing him with about a pint of costly perfume. She poured it over Jesus's feet and then dried his feet with her hair. Judas complained that the oil could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus replied, "Leave h…

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Mary of Bethany showed her love for Christ, in John 12:1-8, by anointing him with about a pint of costly perfume. She poured it over Jesus's feet and then dried his feet with her hair. Judas complained that the oil could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus replied, "Leave h…

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Jesus was being criticized by Pharisees, in Luke 15:1-3, 11-32, for eating with sinners. So, Jesus told the stories of the triple tragedy as parables. The three tragedies of our text has to do with the attitude of the religious folks toward God’s wonderful work of grace. Reconciliation begin…

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You may (or may not) have noticed that I tend to use a lot of chicken. It’s a favorite ingredient at our house, and, when I cook a whole chicken or bone-in pieces, I use the bones to make and can chicken broth. It makes wonderful soup and adds flavor to rice and potatoes. But today, I’m usin…

“He was angry and would not go in. Therefore, his father came out and pleaded with him. So, he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry wi…

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4).

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Chloe’s people reported, in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, there were divisions in the church at Corinth. Some claimed Paul as leader; others Apollos, others Cephas. “Has Christ been divided?” Paul wrote this letter to address the problems, to clear up confusion about right and wrong, and to remove …

Second Samuel chapter 11 records David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba. His unhealthy desire caused the death of Bathsheba’s marriage, husband and son. How do we win this battle? Try these Ten Commandments for defeating sexual sin.

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John the Baptist, in Matthew 3:13-17, felt he was the one who needed to be baptized, but instead he was the baptizer. Jesus came to his cousin to be baptized. A voice from heaven declared, “This is my son, the beloved with whom I am well pleased” (v. 17). Matthew uses the story to liken Jesu…

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Peter, in Acts 10:34-43, preached at Caesarea, where Cornelius and the first Gentiles believed and were baptize. His compelling argument was that he and others “were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (v. 41).

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So another year begins. Do you make new year’s resolutions? I used to, but they seem to evaporate before January is over. Now, I just make lists. It’s so satisfying to check something off my list, giving me a sense of accomplishment, even though the task might be small.

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The scriptures, in Matthew 1:18-25, can be found in the “Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by he Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.” He was named Jesus, the Savior, because “he will save his people.” Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillm…

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Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth on Christmas, worship and bow down to Him as Lord, and pray in His name. To us, He is the most awesome person who ever walked on earth because He is God’s Son. Scripture refers to Jesus with many titles: Messiah, Son of God, Savior of the world, reigning Lor…

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James encouraged believers to act out the word of God, as indicated in James 5:7-10. James concluded with this counsel: “Be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near” (v. 8). Some examples of persons who have this kind of patient are farmers waiting for the fruits o…

Jesus is not only the most important person who ever lived, but He’s also the most controversial. Throughout history, people have hated Him, ignored Him, loved Him and died for His sake. Two thousand years ago, Jesus walked out of a carpenter’s shop to begin His ministry, and since then, an …

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The scriptures, which revealed the truthfulness of God’s promises to the patriarchs, was evidence by Christ’s coming as a human, as revealed in Romans 15:4-13. The salvation Jesus brought is for both the Jews and the Gentiles. All peoples shall praise him. “In him the Gentiles shall hope” bo…

Aging is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to make us unfruitful and useless. The secret to living a productive life is not found in a pill, a drink or an exercise routine, but in heeding what the Lord says. God is the One who ultimately determines the number of our days, but we have the respo…

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A great day is coming: a great and terrible day. For some it will bring vindication and joy, for others destruction and distress. Jesus joined his prediction of the Temple’s destruction with a description of the coming of the Son of man, as indicated in Luke 21:5-19. There was a popular song…

Do you remember the last time you felt discouraged? None of us want to experience this painful emotion, but so many situations in life can make us feel hopeless. Whatever the cause, the most important issue is how we respond to the situation. Let’s consider how the Lord would have us respond…

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Our scriptures, Isaiah 1:10-18, are pointing to the immorality of insincere worship. The hypocrisy of religious practice separated from faithful living has far reaching effects. We fail to nurture our soul when we fail to integrate worship with holy living. Further, such hypocrisy does untol…

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Can you believe Thanksgiving is upon us already? After my sweet stepdad came into our lives, we enjoyed a big pan of his cornbread dressing at the annual family gathering. He’s in heaven now, but Mother says she doesn’t suppose he would mind my sharing his recipe with all of you. Hope you enjoy it!

What do you want people to remember about you? If you’re a believer, the greatest compliment you could receive is the recognition that you walked with God. To walk with God means to keep Him at the center of our lives.

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Zacchaeus, a tax collector, was considered to be a traitor and cheater, along with all the other tax collectors. The crowd questioned Jesus’ association with Zacchaeus, as revealed in Luke 19:1-10. You will notice a change in Zacchaeus, who promised to give to the poor and to repay those he …

At some point in our lives, we all face fearful situations. But if we yield to what we know is wrong, our lives will be filled with entanglements and trouble. Instead of being frail Christians who make our decisions out of fear, let’s become followers of Christ who hold firmly to God’s stand…

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Let’s put things in perspective. Why are we, as a nation, in the shape that we are in? How did we get here? Think of the unbelievable things that we are facing today! I don’t mean to imply that these are the only matters we need to concern ourselves with. If you had been to as many funerals …