"You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests," God declared long ago (Exodus 19:6). Originally promised to the Israelites and eventually fulfilled in Christ, the honor then opened up to all Christ followers. Peter wrote to believers "you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation" (1…
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For the follower of Jesus Christ, death is "moving from one place to another" – like moving from the frozen tundra of the arctic circle to the sun-kissed beaches of Hawaii. Paul described a Christian's change of location at death: being "absent from the body" means being "at home with…
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Are there events so horrifying that giving thanks seems foolish or impossible? Consider this scenario. Some friends told me of an extraordinary worship service in Uganda among Ugandan Christians. Though they had been living in the midst of real evil and suffering, including genocide, the worship leader requested everyone to,…
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No one wants to spend Thanksgiving Day in the ICU. Especially not a girl who has long claimed it's her favorite holiday. But last year I did exactly that. After a difficult, daylong surgery to remove two thirds of my tongue and the cancer lurking inside, doctors sent me to…
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Years ago, my wife and I fulfilled a lifelong dream to visit Paris. It was amazing. Long walks along the Seine, Notre Dame, art, shopping, lazy breaks with brie, baguettes, and chardonnay. It was heaven. While we were there, we looked at everything. We noticed every little thing – how…
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A few years ago DawnCheré and I had the opportunity to go to England while I completed a study abroad course. One weekend a group of us went mountain climbing in the Lake District. It was more of a hike, really, but mountain climbing sounds more extreme. There were about…
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The gospel is good news for everyone – individuals, families, businesses, sports teams, cities, and nations. Wherever humans are and whatever we do, the gospel has something to say to us. It speaks to every area of life and every issue we face and struggle with in the twenty-first century:…
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I tried to flip a house once. It was a typical "Anthony impulse move," but I figured if Chip and Joanna Gaines could do it, so could I. All by myself. That little side project ruined an entire year of my life. I worked myself crazy between the plumbing, drywall,…
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Pop psychology is wrong when it tells you to look inside yourself and find your value. The magazines are wrong when they suggest you are only as good as you are thin, muscular, pimple-free, or perfumed. The movies mislead you when they imply that your value increases as your stamina,…
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I don't understand God. I'm not sure that I want to. I think it's awe-inspiring that the wonder of His love for us makes no sense. It leaves me spellbound that the same God who used Rahab in the lineage of Jesus Christ still involves Himself completely in our sexual…
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