Faith and Work on Learning From Our Suffering

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Exodus 15:26 , Isaiah 38:16-17, Proverbs 3:7-8 , 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 , James 5:14-15 , Psalm 41:3

A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses.

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Never Stop Learning, Always Growing

Author

Tom Nelson

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Proverbs 1:5, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Ecclesiastes 7:12, Luke 2:46-47, Romans 12:2, Psalm 25:4-5

The bottom line is this: never grow complacent. Never grow tired of learning. As soon as we stop learning we lose the capacity to grow and mature in our work and our relationships. This continual lear...

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Author

Adoniram Judson

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In spite of sorrow, loss, and pain, our course be onward still; we sow on Burmah's barren plain, we reap on Zion's hill.

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Acknowledging the Pain: Thoughts From the Founders Desk

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Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

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This past week I have been at a reunion with college friends (this is the main reason I missed last week's update). It's been significant for a number of reasons. I hope to unpack a few other ...

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Growing Deeper in Existing Strengths

Author

Tom Nelson

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Scripture

Exodus 18:17-23, Proverbs 9:9, Nehemiah 2:17-18 , Matthew 25:14-30, Philippians 4:11-13, Psalm 90:12

Peter Drucker suggests that we should always sustain two streams of learning and self-improvement. And though he is speaking specifically about work and career, what he says is equally applicable whet...

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Healing Wounds Never Spoken Can Lead to Spiritual Breakthroughs

Author

James Bryan Smith

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Scripture

Genesis 16:7-13, Isaiah 49:15-16 , Jeremiah 1:5, John 9:1-3 , Romans 8:15-16, Psalm 27:10

Dawn grew up in a family in which she felt she had a fairly happy childhood. But in her adult years she struggled greatly with emotional, psychological, and physical maladies. She never felt a sense o...

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Adapted from the Parable of the Sower

Author

Dustin Ray

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Matthew 13:18-23, Jeremiah 17:8, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:11

Pastor: “Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what wa...

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The Gift of Tears

Author

Irene Hausherr

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Genesis 45:1–15 , 1 Samuel 1:9–18, Lamentations 2:18–19, Luke 7:36–50, 2 Corinthians 7:9–10, Psalm 56:8

The “gift of tears” written about by the desert elders and several centuries later by St. Ignatius of Loyola are not about finding meaning in our pain and suffering. They do not give answers but inste...

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Author

Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone

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Receiving feedback sits at the intersection of these two needs—our drive to learn and our longing for acceptance.

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Can we Accept Ourselves?

Author

C. G. Jung

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Genesis 32:22–31, Leviticus 19:18, 1 Kings 19:1–13, Romans 7:14–25, Psalm 139:23–24, Luke 15:11–32

Carl Jung, one of the early pioneers of modern psychology, wrote this from his years of experience as a therapist: The acceptance of oneself is the essence of the moral problem and the epitome of ...

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Study Your Own Failures

Author

Arthur C. Brooks

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Studying your own failures as well can make them seem less earth-shattering. One researcher suggested in a 2010 article in Nature that people maintain a “CV of failures,” a written list of the things ...

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Author

Anton Chekhov

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We just philosophize, complain of boredom, or drink vodka. It's so clear, you see, that if we're to begin living in the present, we must first of all redeem our past and then be done with it f...

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Author

Theodore Roosevelt

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It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.

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How Our Work Shapes Us

Author

Kara Martin

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Note: This was originally posted on February 15, 2017 on the Stirring Our Affections website. Does our working shape us? Depending on what you do, you might answer that readily in the affirmativ...

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All Learning Ought to Lead to Love

Author

Brennan Manning

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Scripture

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Proverbs 3:3-4, Micah 6:8, 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 , James 3:17 , Psalm 119:105

Anthony of Padua opened every class he taught with the phrase, “Of what value is learning that does not turn to love?”

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Embracing Failure

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

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Scripture

Isaiah 43:18-19, John 21:17, Luke 22:61-62, Romans 5:3-5, Micah 7:8, Psalm 73:26, Proverbs 24:16

A common trait of human beings is a fear of failure. Most of us find ways of coping with it, but whenever failure rears its ugly head, it’s difficult not to experience the sting of feeling like we are...

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Getting Feedback is Hard

Author

Bob Merritt

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We all have blind spots. We all have flaws in our personalities, behavior, or work habits that we can’t see, and they block our performance and growth. But others can see them. If we permit them to gi...

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For several years, Jason and I nurtured

Author

Bryan C. Loritts

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Genesis 50:15-21, 1 Samuel 24:1-12, Micah 7:18-19, Matthew 18:21-35, Ephesians 4:31-32, Psalm 103:10-12

For several years, Jason and I nurtured a friendship that led us to decide to work together because we knew each other so well. But things soon became complicated between us. I began to notice some tr...

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Author

Oliver Wendell Holmes

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Sabbath

Yes, child of suffering, thou may’st well be sure; He who ordain’d the Sabbath loves the poor.

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Merciful and mighty God, you plant your

Author

Chip Hardwick

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Matthew 13:18-23, Luke 8:4-15, Mark 4:1-9

Merciful and mighty God, you plant your seed in all kinds of soil. You speak, hoping that the whole world will listen and heed what you say. We struggle to follow your word. We fail to live up to your...

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It is Better to Question than Merely Accept Difficult Circumstances

Author

Phillip Yancey

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Scripture

Job 13:23–24 , Genesis 18:25, Habakkuk 1:2–3 , Mark 9:24, Romans 8:22–26, Psalm 73:2–3, 16–17

If the Book of Job reaches across two and a half millennia to teach anything to men and women who consider themselves normal, decent human beings, it is this: Human beings are sure to wander in ignora...

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Turning off the Warning System

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

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Scripture

Genesis 32:22–32, Exodus 3:7–10, Job 1:2, 38–42, 2 Corinthians 12:7–10, John 9:1–7, Psalm 34:18

In his book “Where Is God When It Hurts?”, author Philip Yancey shares an unfortunate, yet central dynamic related to how Americans respond to pain: we do everything possible to avoid it. That means p...

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Author

Albert Einstein

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Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing...

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Precious Lord, take our hand, Lead us

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

James 1:5, John 14:27, Psalm 34:18, Philippians 3:6-7, Matthew 6:31-33

Precious Lord, take our hand, Lead us on, help us stand; We’re tired, we’re weak, we’re worn; Thru the storm, thru the night, Lead us on to the light, Take our hand, precious Lord, Lead us home. The o...

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Clearing the Path to Grace

Author

Richard J. Foster

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Scripture

Isaiah 1:18, Ezekiel 36:26 , Micah 7:18-19 , 1 John 1:9, Luke 15:20-24, Psalm 51:10

To help us in our confession we may want to picture a path littered with many rocks. Some are small pebbles, others are quite large, and still others are almost completely buried so that we cannot kno...

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Inspired by Proverbs 15:1-16

Author

Dustin Ray

Scripture

Proverbs 15:1-16

Pastor: O wise and wonderful God, in our quick temper and selfish pride, we have not followed your example—you are slow to anger, abounding in love, and show steadfast faithfulness to your children. ...

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Author

Shelly Miller

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As we wait, God reveals his purpose in the preparations he is doing within us, and our hopeful outlook is the result.

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What Drives Success?

Author

Donald Miller

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Scripture

Matthew 6:25-34, Galatians 1:10, Philippians 2:3-4, Matthew 23:1-12, Romans 12:2

In his book, Scary Close , Donald Miller acknowledges that over time he developed a mask, or a persona that kept even those closest to him from experiencing with him. As he began to peel back layers ...

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Spiritual Battles on the Journey of Faith

Author

Ruth Haley Barton

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Scripture

Genesis 3:1–7, 1 Kings 3:5–12, Daniel 1:8–17, Matthew 4:1–11, 2 Corinthians 1:13–15, Psalm 119:105

While I am not one to see a demon behind every bush or spiritual warfare in every difficulty, the fact is that we are regularly engaged in the struggle against good and evil—whether we know it or not....

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Author

Dan B. Allender

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We're in the presence of a good story when the flaw that shatters shalom is also the doorway to redemption... Whether it be our own flaw or the sin of others, God uses the raw material of sin to c...

faith and work on Learning from our Suffering

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