faith
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Has the Lord ever woken you up at 3am and convicted you of sin? He did me! I didn’t realize that something I said today about a brother was connected to an offense I was harboring in my heart. But the Lord did, and in his grace, he lovingly brought it to mind, led me…
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“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…” (Isaiah 30:15). That has been my “theme verse” during my sabbatical this past month. Repentance, rest, salvation, quietness, trust, strength…all topics I asked the Lord to teach me during this gracious gift from my wonderful church. My, how I’ve missed them! I received so…
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My dad always planted a big garden. At least 5 acres! We had everything from potatoes to peanuts. I worked that garden and then sold produce at the farmer’s market on Saturdays my whole childhood. So, when I went to college, I vowed to never plant another garden. Then, in our first year of marriage,…
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One of the worst hurts is church hurt. This is true for at least two ways. First, it distorts our view of God. He is a loving Father, a caring Shepherd, a just King, a gracious Savior, and infinitely more. When we experience hurt or disappointment from those meant to represent Him, it can feel…
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I love fruit. My favorite is cold watermelon (no salt), especially after a run. I also love vegetables. Recently, I prepared and planted two raised garden beds with strawberries, tomatoes, okra, spinach, and more. So far, I’ve eaten strawberries, spinach, and mixed salad while waiting for the rest to produce. A pro tip my dad…
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As I read Acts 9 earlier this week, a phrase leapt off the page. “Brother Saul…” Those words reminded me of how fast Jesus can change someone’s life and how we are then to see them as He does. A lot happened in a few verses. At the beginning of Acts 8, Saul was present…
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JOY 365: Day 32 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” – Luke 2:10 What a Sunday! I shared from Acts 2:41-47 about the church as an authentic family devoted to the Word, fellowship, the breaking of bread, prayer, generosity,…
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JOY 365: Day 31 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. – John 16:21 Today is my daughter’s 19th birthday. It doesn’t seem possible. She was born…
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JOY 365: Day 30 Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with singing. – Psalm 100:2 I served at our church’s women’s ministry conference tonight. Typically, I serve by preaching when at church. I arrived early to shovel snow off the downstairs walk so those who could not take the stairs could enter the fellowship…
stephen R Harrison 