2 Corinthians on Repetition

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Yesterday I was a Dog…

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Scripture

Ephesians 4:22-24, Galatians 6:9, Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 40:1-3, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 3:13-14

Some people find themselves stuck in a rut. Without challenge or new opportunities, they begin to sound like Snoopy from the Peanuts cartoons: “Yesterday I was a dog. Today I’m a dog. Tomorrow I’ll p...

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There is an Ebb and a Flow

Author

Chuck Swindoll

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 8:38-39, James 2:13, Psalm 46:1-2, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Isaiah 54:10, Psalm 103:8-10, Lamentations 3:22-23

Dear Lord, Today I thought of the words of Vincent Van Gogh. It is true that there is an ebb and flow but the sea remains the sea. You, oh God, are the sea. Although I experience many ups and downs i...

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Author

Billy Graham

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 147:3, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Psalm 34:18, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

People by nature build, tear down, and rebuild. We build our hopes, get disappointed, and then search for renewed hope.

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God our Father, Lord our Shepherd,

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 9:8, Romans 8:28, Psalm 34:8, Matthew 6:25-26, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:19

God our Father, Lord our Shepherd, Spirit of the Living God, One in Three … and Three in One: We praise You our Creator, Savior, and Provider. By Your grace, we lack nothing. You feed us in body...

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Less is More

Author

Mardy Grothe

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 16:13, Matthew 6:21, 1 Corinthians 14:33, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Titus 2:11-12, 1 Peter 1:14-16

Less is more. Coined by Robert Browning and popularized by the German-born American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, nothing could be further from the literal truth. But when people use this exp...

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Fighting Constant Comparison with Platitudes (Does not Work)

Author

Richella J. Parham

Keywords

Comparison

Scripture

Psalm 139:13-14, Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 6:4-5, 2 Corinthians 10:12, Romans 12:3

I searched for guidance on how to combat the problem of constant comparison. I found that well-meaning teachers sometimes addressed the topic, but their advice usually ran along these lines: “You sho...

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Gracious God, you forgive us whenever

Author

Chip Hardwick

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Scripture

1 John 1:9, Romans 7:15-20, Galatians 5:16-17, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:8-9, James 1:22-25, Lamentations 3:22-23

Gracious God, you forgive us whenever we ask, and so we ask you now to forgive all of our sins. We need your grace again, for we often return to the same sins, over and over again. Your Spirit longs t...

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On Creation by Frederick Beuchner

Author

Frederick Buechner

Keywords

Creation

Scripture

Job 38:7, Genesis 1:, Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 104:30, Isaiah 43:19, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Psalm 19:1-2

To make suggests making something out of something else the way a carpenter makes wooden boxes out of wood. To create suggests making something out of nothing the way an artist makes paintings or poem...

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The God we worship is steady and faithful

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Lamentations 3:22-23, Isaiah 55:8-9, Jeremiah 1:5, 1 John 4:19, Psalm 139:7-10, Psalm 42:11, 2 Corinthians 12:9

Leader: The God we worship is steady and faithful; People: Yet He continues to surprise us. Leader: Before we ever knew about God. People: He knew us and loved us. Leader: Even if we are...

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Prayer to God the Holy Trinity

Author

Basil of Caesarea

Keywords

Scripture

1 Kings 19:4–8, Lamentations 3:22–23, Matthew 11:28–30, 2 Corinthians 4:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:6–8, Psalm 121:3–4

We bless you, O God, most high and Lord of mercy. You are always doing great and inscrutable things with us, glorious and wonderful, and without number. You grant us sleep for rest from our infirmitie...

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A Contrast to the Realm of Eternity

Author

A. J. Swoboda

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 57:15, Psalm 90:4, Revelation 1:4, Exodus 20:8-11, 2 Corinthians 4:18, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Genesis 2:2-3

The framework of seven days is rich with divine intention. Certainly, in biblical numerology, the number seven symbolizes divine perfection. But perhaps it goes deeper than that. Echoing church father...

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 34:6-7, Isaiah 40:28-31, Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 145:8-9, 13b-14, Matthew 11:28-30, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Psalm 145:3, 8-9, 13, 17-19

Pastor: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. People: Amen. Pastor: Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; People: his greatness no one c...

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What Comparison Does to Us

Author

Brian Zahnd

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 10:12, Philippians 2:3, 1 Corinthians 12:14-18, Romans 12:3, Proverbs 14:30, Ecclesiastes 4:4

Comparison is the root of most of the misery we feel in life. Comparison makes it impossible to view ourselves from any sort of godly perspective. It is an absolute snare for the soul. Consider what c...

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Baptism of the Lord

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 1:4-11, Mark 1:1-3, Isaiah 40:3, Mark 2:7, Philippians 2:7, Isaiah 53:null, Hebrews 4:15, 2 Corinthians 8:9

Preaching Commentary Enter John the Baptist John the Baptist enters the stage in Mark 1 as the “voice of one crying in the wilderness,” (Isaiah 40:3) whose message and ministry is to “prepare the w...

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Author

Sharon Hersh

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 20:3, Proverbs 14:12, Romans 6:16-18, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Psalm 34:18

Addiction goes deeper than obsession and compulsion. It is worship. It is giving my heart and soul over to something that I believe will ease my pain and provide an outlet for my fury at being out of ...

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We are gathered here by God

Author

Jacob Traeger

Keywords

Scripture

John 6:66-69, Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 51:10, Psalm 23:, Psalm 103:13, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

We are gathered here by God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are gathered here to rest – to find the refreshment the Spirit offers us We are gathered here to hear again Christ’s words of life We are g...

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The Gettysburg Address & Identity Formation

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:17, John 1:12, Romans 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Peter 2:9

Why is it that countless American school-children memorize the Gettysburg Address each year? Is it a simple civics lesson? An opportunity to learn about the Civil War, a turning point in American hist...

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Author

Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:19, Song of Solomon 4:7, Philippians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 61:3

If the too obvious, too straight branches of Truth and Good are crushed or amputated and cannot reach the light—yet perhaps the . . . unexpected branches of Beauty will make their way through and soar...

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Modern Ash Wednesday Service

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Ash Wednesday

Scripture

Psalm 51:, Genesis 3:19, Psalm 103:8-14, 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, Joel 2:1-2, Joel 2:12-17

A contemporary Ash Wednesday service integrating music and scripture with the imposition of ashes. Service Order Prelude People are encouraged to enter in silence. Lights are dim. As people ...

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We are gathered once again hear the

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Scripture

John 4:1-26, John 6:1-14, Matthew 13:31-32, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Proverbs 3:5-6

We are gathered once again hear the good news of God’s Kingdom For our hearts to be filled with the love of the Father For our actions to be shaped by the teaching of the Son And for our words to be f...

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jobs concluding, stages finishing

Author

Ted Loder

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:18–19, Lamentations 3:22–23, John 12:24, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 4:4–5, Psalm 40:1–3

jobs concluding, stages finishing, grieving over, grudges over, blaming over, excuses over. O God, grant me your sense of timing. In this season of ...

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Author

Ruth Haley Barton

Keywords

Scripture

1 Kings 19:4–13, Lamentations 3:19–26, Isaiah 40:28–31, Matthew 11:28–30, 2 Corinthians 12:7–10, Psalm 42:5–11

One of the dangers of living in a constant state of distraction is that we never go to the bottom of our pain, our sadness, our emptiness, which means we never find that rock-bottom place of the peace...

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Author

George Herbert

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 13:14, Hebrews 1:3, Ephesians 1:13-14, Colossians 2:9, Matthew 28:19, John 1:14

Thou hast but two rare cabinets full of treasure, The Trinity, and Incarnation: Thou hast unlockt them both, And made them jewels to betroth The work of thy creation Unto thy self in everlasting pleas...

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Author

Rainer Maria Rilke

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 23:4, Philippians 3:13-14, Lamentations 3:22-23, Isaiah 43:2, 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, Psalm 30:5, Romans 5:3-5

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.

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Almighty God, you have surprised us

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 55:8-9, Matthew 13:44, Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 139:7-10, 1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Luke 2:1-20, John 4:7-26, John 21:1-14, Luke 24:13-35, Matthew 17:1-8, Luke 2:25-38, Luke 1:35-38, Hebrews 13:2, Isaiah 43:19

Almighty God, you have surprised us with your presence in unexpected ways. In the expectations of our routine, we have missed the treasure that you place before us. We come to worship you in community...

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Stuck in the Houses Our Words Construct

Author

Gregory Spencer

Keywords

Scripture

James 3:5-6, Psalm 19:14, 2 Corinthians 4:18, Proverbs 18:21, Romans 12:2

All day long, all of us are framing and reframing our lives. We talk about the memory of our adorable but sexist grandpa. We label ourselves as movie critics or introverts or justice-lovers. We say th...

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The Same Old Baloney

Author

Kent Crockett

Keywords

Change

Scripture

2 Corinthians 13:5, Proverbs 26:11, Psalm 139:23-24, James 1:22-25, Lamentations 3:40, Romans 12:2

Two construction workers had taken a lunch break and opened up their lunch boxes. One of them looked inside his box and said, “Not baloney again! I can’t believe it. I hate baloney. This is the third ...

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Author

G. K. Chesterton

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 6:8-10, Mark 8:35, Mark 9:35, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Paradox has been defined as “Truth standing on her head to attract attention."

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Continue Your Good Work

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:13-20, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Ephesians 2:1-10, Colossians 1:1-14, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Beautiful and Blessed Creator, Maker of Heaven and Earth, You work for reconciliation and grace, wholeness and hope. Empower us to share abundantly in your good work through creativity and co...

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Author

Meister Eckhart

Keywords

The Incarnation

Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 1:27, Romans 8:10, 1 John 3:24, John 14:20, Galatians 2:20

He who abides always in a present now, in him doth God beget His Son without ceasing.

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