Ephesians on Guilt

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Les Misérables: A Tale of Transformative Grace

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Ephesians 2:4-5, Colossians 3:10, Romans 8:38-39, Philippians 4:6-7, Psalm 23:1-4, Isaiah 40:31, Jeremiah 29:11

A Great (and Weighty) Work of Literature That Will Delight Like Moby Dick and War and Peace , Les Misérables is a hefty novel. Affectionately known as the ‘Brick’ for its formidable length, it c...

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Merciful God, we humble ourselves in

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Matthew 6:25-33, Luke 12:22-34, Luke 10:27, Philippians 4:6-7, Ephesians 4:22-24, Matthew 6:33, Romans 12:2

Merciful God, we humble ourselves in your presence, confessing our unworthiness and our sinfulness in your sight. We have broken your holy law. We have not sought first your kingdom and righteousness....

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Lord Jesus, we approach Your throne with confidence

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Charles Teixeira

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Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 3:12, Hebrews 10:19-23, Philippians 4:6-7, Ephesians 2:18, Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:29

Lord Jesus, we approach Your throne with confidence, though we recognize the sin in our lives. Help us to hold on to the good and growing work You have begun in us. Continue to grow us into Your liken...

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Weighing the Options

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Bits and Pieces

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Philippians 4:8, Romans 12:17-18, Ephesians 4:2, Matthew 7:3-4, James 1:19

Many years ago a senior executive of the then Standard Oil Company made a wrong decision that cost the company more than $2 million. John D. Rockefeller was then running the firm. On the day the news ...

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Author

Lauren F. Winner

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Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Corinthians 12:9, James 1:5-6, Hebrews 11:1, Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Maybe God has given some people belief like a pier, to stand on (and God has given those people’s steadiness to the church, to me, as a reminder, as an aid), and maybe God has given others something e...

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Heavenly Father, forgive us when we neglect

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Allen Thompson

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James 1:17, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 7:11, Psalm 103:2, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Isaiah 41:10, 1 Peter 4:10, Ephesians 1:3, John 15:5

Heavenly Father, forgive us when we neglect our reliance on you. We take for granted many gifts you give, but we also forget your desire to provide. Help us to receive those gifts, whether they are ph...

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Let us go before our God, confessing the ways we have dismissed

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Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

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Psalm 46:10, Ephesians 2:10, Psalm 51:10, Philippians 4:19, Psalm 42:1

Leader : Let us go before our God, confessing the ways we have dismissed His plan for internal peace from our lives. Leader : Heavenly Father, we crave rest and seek it everywhere but with You...

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Author

C. Christopher Smith and John Pattison

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Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 9:8, James 1:17, Malachi 3:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Colossians 2:6-7, Hebrews 12:28, Philippians 4:4-7, Ephesians 5:18-20, 2 Corinthians 9:15

It is the essence of God to give, the essence of humanity is thankfulness.

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Lord, sometimes it’s so difficult to

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Austin D. Hill

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Ephesians 3:20, Romans 4:20-21, Matthew 21:21, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Philippians 4:13, Hebrews 11:1, John 14:12

Lord, sometimes it’s so difficult to place our trust in you. You make incredible promises to us in your word. You say that through your power, we’ll be able to do even greater things than Jesus did in...

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Sermon Illustration Tuesday (3.12)

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

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Justice

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Revelation 21:4, Ephesians 2:8-9, Philippians 4:6-7, Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 8:28, John 3:16, Isaiah 40:31

W.H. Auden is one of the greatest poets of the 20th Century. Auden grew up in England but spent some of his adult years in the United States. In November 1939, he found himself in a German-language mo...

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Prayer for Times of Conflict

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Matthew 5:9, Romans 12:17-18, Psalm 34:14, Ephesians 4:2-3, John 14:27, Romans 14:19, 2 Corinthians 13:11, James 3:18, Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:6-7

O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual...

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Go In Peace

Author

Drew Edward Jackson

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John 14:27, Philippians 4:7, Ephesians 1:17-18, Isaiah 26:3, Colossians 3:15

May the Spirit of God bless you with insight and revelation as you take this journey toward peace. May you be led by Jesus to glimpse a new world where love is the language we speak and shalom binds...

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God who is near at hand

Author

Rachel Clark

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James 4:8, Philippians 4:5, Ephesians 3:16-17, Romans 12:1, Isaiah 55:6, Romans 5:5

God who is near at hand, Draw us humbly into your present with the expectation you will listen and we will be heard. By the power of your Holy Spirit, soften our hearts, reminding us that we are your...

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Author

F.B. Meyer

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Scripture

Ephesians 6:18, Romans 12:12, Luke 22:41-42, Psalm 37:7, Philippians 4:6-7, Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 46:10

Fall on your knees and grow there. There is no burden of the spirit but is lighter by kneeling under it. Prayer means not always talking to Him, but waiting before Him till the dust settles and the st...

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For the beauty of human love Brother,

Author

Austin D. Hill

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1 John 4:7-8, Colossians 3:14, Psalm 133:, Ephesians 6:1-4, Hebrews 12:1, Philippians 4:8, Psalm 100:, Ephesians 5:25-33, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

For the beauty of human love Brother, sister, parent, child. Friends on earth and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild; Lord of all, to thee we raise, This, our hymn of grateful praise...

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Blessing Ministry Event or Initiative

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

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Micah 6:8, Matthew 25:35-40, John 6:1-14, Zechariah 4:6, Judges 6:11-16, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Acts 4:32-35, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-4, Proverbs 16:3, Nehemiah 2:17-20, Philippians 4:19, Acts 18:1-4, Ephesians 2:14, John 4:4-26

This blessing includes prayers for the initiative/event itself, the volunteers for the event, the leaders organizing the event, the resources to be distributed at the event, and any community partners...

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Struggle Against Dark Powers

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Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

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Scripture

Ephesians 6:10-17, Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:9, Philippians 4:13, Psalm 27:1

Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: Amen. Pastor: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. People: Put on the full armor ...

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We All Need Blessing

Author

Lloyd John Ogilvie

Keywords

Blessing

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Ephesians 1:3, James 1:17, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 5:3-12, Mark 10:13-16, Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17, Genesis 27:1-40

We all need [blessing] desperately. It is the one great need we all share in common. We were born for it and there is no lasting joy without it. What oxygen is for the lungs and protein for the body, ...

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Author

A. W. Tozer

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Matthew 17:20, Matthew 19:20, Mark 10:27, Luke 1:37, Luke 18:27, Colossians 3:23-24, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 4:13, Philippians 2:13

God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves.

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Sovereign God. your power and your

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Revelation 5:8-14, Luke 1:46-55, Isaiah 6:1-8, Philippians 4:4-7, Psalm 100:4-5, Ephesians 2:4-5

Sovereign God. your power and your glory are beyond our understanding; your mercy is vast and your tenderness without end. Look in love upon us assembled in this house of prayer, and show your mercy a...

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Culture is Like Gravity

Author

JR Woodward

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Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 15:33, Philippians 4:8-9, Ephesians 5:18-21, Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Culture is like gravity. We never talk about it, except in physics classes. We don’t include gravity in our weekly planning processes. No one gets up thinking about how gravity will affect their day. ...

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Author

Helen Keller

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Hope

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Matthew 17:20, Luke 1:37, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 4:13, Mark 11:24, 2 Corinthians 4:18

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.

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Gospel of Peace Proclaimed

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

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Scripture

Ephesians 6:10, Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 31:6, Philippians 4:13, Psalm 23:4

Pastor: Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might, with feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Go out into the world with joy and hope, standing firm in ...

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Author

Langston Hughes

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Scripture

Ephesians 3:20, Psalm 126:5, Isaiah 40:31, Hebrews 11:1, Philippians 4:13, Psalm 37:4

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.

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Gracious God–Giver of all good gifts:

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Revelation 21:4, Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Isaiah 40:31, Ephesians 1:7

Gracious God–Giver of all good gifts: We praise You. You give us the wonder of creation and You give us life. We praise You, Father. You give us forgiveness of our sins with salvation and eternal life...

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Full Armor of God

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

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Scripture

Ephesians 6:10-17, Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:9, Philippians 4:13, Psalm 27:1

Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: Amen. Pastor: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. People: Put on the full armor of ...

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Breathtaking Rightness

Author

Leonard Bernstein

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Scripture

Matthew 5:6, Psalm 95:1-2, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Philippians 4:8, Ephesians 5:19, 1 Peter 3:3-4

Beethoven…turned out pieces of breath-taking rightness. Rightness—that’s the word! When you get the feeling that whatever note succeeds the last is the only possible note that can rightly happen at th...

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God of grace and truth, hope and power:

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 6:10-11, Isaiah 58:11, Philippians 4:6-7, Isaiah 61:1, Psalm 147:3, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Romans 15:13

God of grace and truth, hope and power: in the midst of an ever-changing world, we delight that You are constant, joyous and loving, always the same, but never stagnant or boring. That’s why we’re so ...

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Strong in Lords Mighty Power

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

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Scripture

Ephesians 6:10-13, Deuteronomy 31:6, Philippians 4:13, Psalm 27:1, Joshua 1:9

Pastor: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. People: Put on the full armor of God to stand firm against the devil’s schemes. Pastor: with the belt of truth buckled at t...

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Author

Helen Keller

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 61:3, Psalm 45:8, Philippians 4:8, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Ephesians 5:2, Proverbs 27:9

Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same."

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