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"He's Got Me"
During an interview that took place during the 1976 presidential election, Rosalynn Carter was asked what her husband, Jimmy Carter, had that his opponent, Gerald Ford, didn’t. She responded simply, “... -
Quote
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. -
liturgy
God of grace–generous Giver of all good
God of grace–generous Giver of all good gifts: You bless us abundantly every day—In Your Son our Savior who makes us new creations; in the smile of child, the greeting of a friend and the hug of a... -
liturgy
Good and Gracious God, Father, Son, and
Good and Gracious God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: we come to You as an impatient people filled with a multitude of desires and needs. We yearn for simple things--the arrival of warm weather, enough... -
illustration
The Economics of Child-Sponsorship
While I was at a concert in college, I responded to a flyer requesting volunteers to sponsor a child overseas. For years I read the letters from this little girl in El Salvador. Ruth seemed happy to b... -
liturgy
Father, Son, Holy Spirit–our God,
Father, Son, Holy Spirit–our God, Mysterious, Awe-Inspiring, Wonderful, One-in-Three/Three-in-One: You surprise us not with flashing lights, loud crashing noises, and constant activity. You surprise u... -
liturgy
You know all about us–our weakness, our
You know all about us–our weakness, our failing, our sin; and you still love us enough to give your Son to redeem us. Hear the cries of our hearts today. There’s someone for whom it was hard to get ou... -
liturgy
Pastor: Lord Jesus Christ, in this world of unrest and strife
Pastor: Lord Jesus Christ, in this world of unrest and strife You founded Your holy Christian Church through faith as a kingdom of peace and joy. You have established this worldwide communion of sai... -
illustration
The Cruelty of Caligula
Gaius Caesar, more commonly known as Caligula (AD 12–41), was a Roman emperor notorious for his cruelty. He developed an insatiable appetite for gladiatorial games and other violent spectacles. On one... -
blog
Ash Wednesday - Turning to God in Crisis
A World in Chaos At the risk of sounding dramatic, both the U.S. and the world seem to be reaching a level of chaos unmatched since 9/11. The confusion and shifting loyalties, not to mention the 26,0... -
liturgy
A Veterans Day Prayer
This prayer, by Rev. Lisa Degrenia, is intended as a way to honor and support the veterans in your community and their families. It may be included anywhere in the service, but is especially well suit... -
liturgy
Treasure in our Hearts
Pastor: Almighty God, we give thanks for all Your goodness and bless You for the love that sustains us from day to day. People: We praise You for the gift of Your Son, our Savior, in whom ... -
liturgy
O Lord and Father of the household of
O Lord and Father of the household of faith, we thank you for the gift of faith worked within us by your Holy Spirit. We thank you for having called us to yourself, for consecrating us to your ser... -
liturgy
You give us prophets, holy God, to cry
You give us prophets, holy God, to cry out for justice and mercy. Open our ears to hear them, and to follow the truth they speak, lest we support injustice to secure our own well-being. Give prophets ... -
liturgy
God of wonder and grace: You knew us
God of wonder and grace: You knew us from even before we were born; You loved us from eternity. Then, when we needed to know you most, You called us by name and saved us. Nothing escapes Your notice a... -
liturgy
Father God: It is sometimes hard for us
Father God: It is sometimes hard for us to understand what You do. We are in trouble. We want You to come rescue us right now, like the cavalry riding over a hill or the Lone Ranger appearing out of n... -
liturgy
Father God–You are a God of grace and
Father God–You are a God of grace and abundance, who blesses us with more than a shower of blessings but a downpour of mercies. We rejoice with friends in new marriages, and in the strength of lasting... -
liturgy
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy and truth endure forever. Thank the God of heaven, because his goodness endures forever. Let Israel now say that his mercy endures forever. ... -
blog
What It Takes to Birth a Multi-Ethnic Church and a Just Mission
A House for All People Every summer my church hosts a week-long summer camp where children experience the beauty and majesty of the Lord. The first year we sent our daughter to it, she loved it and l... -
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The Two Cheeks Excuse
Consider an interview a Christian leader had with a reporter in 2018. The reporter asked why so many Christians were willing to support political candidates who revel in disobeying Jesus’ teachings. “... -
blog
Sermon Illustration Tuesday (3.12)
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... -
illustration
Justice as the Source of Conversion
W.H. Auden is one of the greatest poets of the 20th Century, who grew up in England but who spent some of his life in the United States. In November 1939 he found himself in a German-language movie th... -
liturgy
Holy God–Father, Son and Spirit: We
Holy God–Father, Son and Spirit: We come with our agendas in order to enlist you in our causes but You won’t be co-opted for our small visions. Instead, You hold out a greater vision and purpose and i... -
illustration
To Not be Political
As [Timothy] Keller said, “To not be political is to be political.” American churches in the early nineteenth century did not speak out against slavery because that was what we would now call “getting... -
liturgy
Lord God Almighty: our Creator,
Lord God Almighty: our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer: There is no place where You are absent. There is no corner of our world that’s hidden from You. There is nothing about us You do not know, no ac... -
liturgy
The Lord calls us to examine the wounds
The Lord calls us to examine the wounds of the Risen One and to see there the depth of his love for us. Let us therefore approach the throne of God in confidence as we pray for the people of God in Ch... -
illustration
The Death of Christendom
In one generation, the place of Christianity within culture dramatically shifted as we experienced what theologians and sociologists of religion call the “death of Christendom.” Christendom isn’t Chri... -
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Confirmation Bias and Politics
You may have heard about confirmation bias, which is the tendency to embrace information that supports our viewpoints. The antidote to confirmation bias is to intentionally expose ourselves to other v... -
illustration
The Narrative of Racial Difference
In this excerpt by Bryan Stevenson, the civil rights attorney and author of Just Mercy, explains the origins of racial identity and difference, necessitated by a slave-based (American Christian) socie... -
illustration
A Venomous Creature At Your Bosom
Frederick Douglass describes how the evils of slavery and racism acts as a sap on the integrity of both our country and our faith in a God where there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free: Fello...
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E
- Easter
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F
- Face of God
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G
- Gardening
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H
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I
- Identity
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K
L
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M
- Magnificat
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N
O
P
- Pacifism
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- Partisanship
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R
- Race
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S
- Sabbath
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T
- Tabernacle
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U
W
- The Weak
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- Waiting
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Top_level_categories by Reference
Genesis
Exodus
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Numbers
Deuteronomy
Ruth
2 Samuel
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
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Esther
Psalm
- Ps 2 (5)
- Ps 3 (1)
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- Ps 10 (1)
- Ps 12 (1)
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- Ps 22 (2)
- Ps 23 (9)
- Ps 24 (7)
- Ps 27 (5)
- Ps 29 (1)
- Ps 30 (2)
- Ps 31 (3)
- Ps 32 (3)
- Ps 33 (9)
- Ps 34 (19)
- Ps 37 (3)
- Ps 38 (1)
- Ps 42 (2)
- Ps 43 (1)
- Ps 46 (10)
- Ps 47 (2)
- Ps 51 (8)
- Ps 56 (2)
- Ps 57 (2)
- Ps 61 (3)
- Ps 62 (2)
- Ps 66 (1)
- Ps 68 (1)
- Ps 71 (3)
- Ps 72 (4)
- Ps 73 (1)
- Ps 75 (1)
- Ps 82 (14)
- Ps 84 (2)
- Ps 85 (7)
- Ps 86 (1)
- Ps 88 (1)
- Ps 89 (3)
- Ps 90 (2)
- Ps 91 (2)
- Ps 95 (1)
- Ps 96 (1)
- Ps 98 (4)
- Ps 99 (1)
- Ps 100 (1)
- Ps 103 (7)
- Ps 106 (1)
- Ps 112 (1)
- Ps 116 (1)
- Ps 119 (4)
- Ps 121 (7)
- Ps 127 (3)
- Ps 133 (2)
- Ps 136 (2)
- Ps 138 (2)
- Ps 139 (6)
- Ps 145 (6)
- Ps 146 (5)
- Ps 147 (5)
- Ps 148 (1)
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Isaiah
- Isa 1 (30)
- Isa 2 (7)
- Isa 5 (3)
- Isa 6 (4)
- Isa 9 (12)
- Isa 11 (2)
- Isa 25 (1)
- Isa 26 (3)
- Isa 28 (1)
- Isa 29 (1)
- Isa 30 (2)
- Isa 32 (2)
- Isa 33 (2)
- Isa 40 (10)
- Isa 41 (16)
- Isa 42 (4)
- Isa 43 (2)
- Isa 44 (1)
- Isa 45 (2)
- Isa 46 (1)
- Isa 49 (1)
- Isa 51 (2)
- Isa 53 (6)
- Isa 55 (3)
- Isa 56 (1)
- Isa 57 (4)
- Isa 58 (10)
- Isa 59 (2)
- Isa 60 (4)
- Isa 61 (12)
- Isa 65 (1)