Church Life

A Little Understanding – Climate Protection (Part 5)

A Little Understanding – The Insulation (cont.)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV)

In a house the temperatures compete for control.

In our spiritual life our knowledge/understanding compete with our emotional experience of God as if one must win out while the other is deemed unneeded. For some being hot or cold appears to have served them well, while others jump from hot to cold to hot and so on, looking for a sense of fulfillment. Serving yourself well or constantly pursuing a personal sense of fulfillment is not the goal of a life committed to following Jesus. Just as a stable/balanced temperature in your home is much easier to live with, a stable/balanced temperature in your spiritual life is the only way to be transformed.

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A Little Understanding – Climate Protection (Part 4)

A Little Understanding – The Insulation

If you are like me, just reading the word insulation makes you want to start scratching. This [post] is not meant to be a “how-to” [post] on construction or even an attempt to pass on savvy tips to help you with your DIY projects. I will however give you a proven piece of advice; don’t roll around naked in insulation.

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It Takes Time

…“There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him… Luke 15:11-20 (NIV)

I Am Coca-Cola™

The “I Am ______” series continues but something’s different this time. In the past it has been people from the Bible, I am Paul, Mary, Thomas, Samuel, Peter, Adam, Judas, The Rich Young Ruler but this time it appears that I am a soda pop. Some of you may be thinking that your limited knowledge of biblical languages has excluded you from being a part of a small group of biblical scholars and therefore a carefully kept secret that Coca- Cola™ is a name in the original Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic scrolls that somehow is lost when translated into English. Let me assure you I am no scholar nor do I have inside information about some type of biblical connection to the name Coca- Cola™ all I know is I am Coca- Cola™.

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The Past

…Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9b-11 (NIV)

A Little Understanding – Climate Protection (Part 3)

Satan will use whatever he can to work toward his goal of death and destruction. It isn’t always as obvious as a pitchfork holding, cattle hooved, evil looking creature showing up outside the Christ follower and the collective of Christ follower’s house. Instead… it is the things that seem normal, even good, that he hides behind as he “masquerades as an angel of light” ( 2 Corinthians 11:14 NIV ).

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