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Spiritual Gifts

In Blog, Holy Spirit, Theology on
October 30, 2022

The Holy Ghost

Today is Halloween—the day where it’s all of a sudden acceptable to encourage your kids to stay out after dark and take candy from strangers. I grew up in a conservative, southern Baptist home, so I never really celebrated Halloween. I attended a handful of fall festivals in my childhood years, but I never went trick or treating, or walked through haunted houses, or decorated with spiderwebs and tombstones.

However, I once saw a Halloween decoration that I think my parents could get on board with. It was an outdoor sign made of different pieces of wood that were all painted in a variety of fall colors, and it read, “The only ghost that lives in this house is the Holy Ghost.”

The Holy Ghost, aka the Holy Spirit, can sometimes be a mystery to many believers. Who exactly is the Holy Spirit, and what exactly does He do in the world and in our daily, personal lives? Well, gang, it’s time to hop in the Mystery Machine and grab your Scooby Snacks because we’re about to discover that this Ghost is not as mysterious or daunting as He may seem.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Ephesians on
June 28, 2021

Truth in Love

If there’s one thing the American church overemphasizes, it’s this: love. Don’t get me wrong; love is an important thing for Christians to have and to practice in their daily lives. We are called to love God, love our neighbors, and love our enemies (Matthew 22:37-39, Luke 6:35). Love is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and it’s greater than faith or hope (1 Corinthians 13:13). Those who do not love don’t know God. How do we know this? Because God is love (1 John 4:8).

Love is important for the Christian. But many people today, including many in the church, are redefining what love is. To them, love is an acceptance and an affirmation of a person and their lifestyle. To them, love means that you cannot judge someone, regardless of the choices they are making in their lives. To them, love equals avoiding controversial or uncomfortable conversations for the sake of “keeping the peace.”

This love is not a biblical form of love. These practices are not what the Bible calls us to. Instead, God’s Word calls us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). But what exactly does this mean?

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
March 15, 2021

He is Omnipotent

You can do anything you put your mind to! You can do anything if you just believe in yourself!

You’ve probably heard these phrases or similar ones thrown around in our culture. While they seem motivating and encouraging on the surface, they are actually not true! I can’t stop a speeding train if I just put my mind to it. I can’t fly or have super speed if I just believe in myself. I can’t do these things because I don’t have the power to do them. Human beings have limited power. But there is Someone who has unlimited power – God.

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
August 3, 2020

He is Gracious

There once was a kid named John. John was a rule-breaker. He cheated on tests. He lied to his parents. He was mean to the kids he didn’t like. One day, as John was walking around the video game store, he saw a game that he’d been wanting to get for WEEKS, but he didn’t have enough money for it. So, he grabbed the game, looked around to see if anyone was watching, and ran out the door. But John was caught. His father was called to pick him up. John apologized to his father, not only for his theft but for his other sins as well, and his father forgave him without chastising or berating him. He paid for the stolen game and took John home. Instead of making John pay him back for the game, he let him keep the game for free. Then, he took John to Disney World for a week. While many would say this is poor discipline or bad parenting, others could call it grace.

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