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Surround yourself with people who make you…
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). I sometimes see T-shirts or online memes that say something like this: “Surround yourself with people who make you happy.” I get it. But that’s an unfortunately shallow way to look at life. Now, before… Listen ⇢
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Unduly attached to the earthly
One of Jesus’ most famous statements—and also one of his most challenging—is about taking up your cross. Here it is: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses… Listen ⇢
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Love has a rival
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). What comes to mind when I say the word “rival”? A rival competes for something—and that competition is usually fierce. Perhaps you think about a sports… Listen ⇢
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Bearing the family resemblance
I’m going to share Jesus’ famous statement about loving our enemies. Then I’m going to point out what is perhaps the most neglected part of that statement: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your… Listen ⇢
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The Lord of the Rings and encouragement
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). I was recently surprised to learn that JRR Tolkien could get discouraged about his work. He wrote the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, perhaps one of the greatest movie epics of all… Listen ⇢
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Faithfulness is a team sport
My colleague Paul Carter says: “Faithfulness is a team sport.”* That’s an important reminder, especially for Christians in the modern west. Our society is highly individualistic. We can get sucked into the thinking that faith is only about “me and Jesus.” Don’t get me wrong. It is definitely about you… Listen ⇢
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The heart enlargement business
Look at the word ‘encouragement.’ In the middle of it there is the word ‘courage.’ It’s based on an old French word for heart: ‘corage.’ Encouragement is about enlarging or fortifying someone’s heart—who they are within—so that they can face the battles of life. As Jesus’ people, encouragement isn’t just… Listen ⇢
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Help of the helpless, oh abide with me
Today is Remembrance Day, also called Veterans Day or Armistice Day in other countries. We remember and give thanks for those who lost their lives in the miseries of war. We wear poppies. We read In Flanders Fields. We thank veterans. We pray for peace. We consider the value of… Listen ⇢
Meet the producer, Matthew Ruttan.
Matthew is a disciple, pastor, husband, and dad of three who lives in the psalms.
