Tag: Christianity

Pastor Note #132: Anger and Following Jesus

~ gachorpenning ~ 5 Comments

In my youth, which took place in those dark days before the existence of computers and apps on mobile devices, it was very difficult to say definitively how often, if at all, a given phrase appears in the Bible.  These days, of course, it is a matter of a few moments of thumb typing, and … Continue reading Pastor Note #132: Anger and Following Jesus

Quote of Note #168: Holiness, Grace, and Following Jesus

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"What then is the way to holiness? It is a narrow way and leads through a strait gate, but we cannot with justice complain that it is difficult either to trace or to follow. Many other and harder ways have been tried. On the banks of the Ganges or on the pilgrim route to Mecca … Continue reading Quote of Note #168: Holiness, Grace, and Following Jesus

Pastor Note #131: A Pastoral Response to Someone Struggling in these Divisive Times

~ gachorpenning ~ 4 Comments

Feeling connected and part of a community of believers has become increasingly hard for me, too, over the last several years.  So, I can understand how you feel.  There is a kind of spiritual homelessness that has set in for many of us.  We can feel such a desire to isolate and retreat from community … Continue reading Pastor Note #131: A Pastoral Response to Someone Struggling in these Divisive Times

Quote of Note #163: No National Gods

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"There is only one God, Creator of all humanity, not nation-gods who conquer other nation-gods, and there are not racial or national differences before God. Most importantly, our people need to be sensitized to the God who works across national boundaries and loves children from Chihuahua as much as children from Chicago." Leonard Sweet, Rings … Continue reading Quote of Note #163: No National Gods

Pastor Note #130: The Government of Oklahoma Attempts to Usurp the Church

~ gachorpenning ~ 2 Comments

Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum across specified grade levels, e.g., grades 5 through 12.  This directive is in alignment with the educational standards approved on or about May 2019, with which all districts must comply.[1] The above … Continue reading Pastor Note #130: The Government of Oklahoma Attempts to Usurp the Church

Pastor Note #128: The Resurrection–A Devotional

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Introduction:If saving non-material human souls is all that matters, what is the point of the bodily resurrection of Jesus?  If the goal of the Christian faith is to get souls into heaven, then the bodily resurrection of Jesus is irrelevant and unnecessary.  And yet, there can be little doubt that the New Testament writers were … Continue reading Pastor Note #128: The Resurrection–A Devotional

Pastor Note #127: A Devotional on the Lord’s Return

~ gachorpenning ~ 1 Comment

Introduction:Surely, there are few biblical topics that have generated as many books, articles, Bible studies, and sermons as the topic of the return of Christ.  They are often filled with charts and tables and complex speculations that make quantum physic seem simple.  A. W. Tozer writes this, “There have been enough foolish formulas advanced about … Continue reading Pastor Note #127: A Devotional on the Lord’s Return

Pastor Note #124: Forgiving–Why Should I?

~ gachorpenning ~ 5 Comments

Let’s start with this key truth about forgiveness, one that runs counter to much of what we tend to think and what we hear from our culture.  Forgiveness does not start out as a feeling.  It starts out as a decision.  We almost always decide to forgive someone who has hurt us before, often long … Continue reading Pastor Note #124: Forgiving–Why Should I?

Prayer Note #62/Quote of Note #156: Made for God

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"Almighty God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you. Teach us to offer ourselves to your service, that here we may have your peace, and in the world to come may see you face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." The Alternative … Continue reading Prayer Note #62/Quote of Note #156: Made for God