Relationships and Community on Selfishness

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Adapted from Isaiah 60; Ephesians 5

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 60:null, Ephesians 5:null

Wake up! Get out of bed! Feel the sunlight on your face! Feel God’s bright glory has risen for you. But the earth is dark. Everywhere we look there is selfishness sin, greed, death, destruction. You ...

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Fearing to Want

Author

Jen Pollock Michel

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 5:18-21, Proverbs 20:1, 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, Colossians 3:5, James 1:12-15, Matthew 6:19-24, Ecclesiastes 6:9

In her thought-provoking book, Teach us to Want , Jen Pollock Michel describes the tension in listening to our deepest desires: some of them these desires are integral to our identity, but they a...

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Author

Paula Ripple

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 5:14, John 13:1-17, John 8:1-11, Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 John 4:19, John 13:34-35

Jesus reassures us that every effort to love ourselves and others more faithfully, however imperfectly we are able to do this, is a response to God's call to love as he loved. It is a response to ...

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When we allow darkness to overcome the

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Scripture

John 1:5, Ephesians 5:18, Isaiah 55:2, Luke 12:15, Ezekiel 36:26

When we allow darkness to overcome the light, forgive us, Lord. When we reduce Christmas to plastic and tinsel, have mercy on us, Father. When hardness of heart keeps us from seeing and hearing an...

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Author

Brennan Manning

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Psalm 34:18, Ephesians 5:13, Romans 8:28, Galatians 6:2

In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light fo...

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Getting Your Money’s Worth

Author

Eugene H. Peterson

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 5:16, John 9:4, Isaiah 30:15, Habakkuk 2:20, Zechariah 2:13

In the last class I taught at Regent, an obviously irritated young woman came up to me and said, “Dr. Peterson, three times during your lecture you did not say anything for twenty seconds. I know beca...

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These Impious Galileans

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

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Scripture

Matthew 22:37-39, Matthew 25:35-40, Luke 3:11, Ephesians 5:2, Acts 2:42-47, James 2:14-17, Galatians 2:10, Psalm 72:12-14

A passage often referred to in order to describe the sacrificial, countercultural quality of the early church comes to us interestingly enough, from one of its strongest critics, known later to histor...

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Hunting Bigger Game

Author

David Brooks

Keywords

Love

Scripture

1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Ephesians 5:25-33, Matthew 1:18-25, Song of Solomon 8:6-7

Love is hunting for bigger game than happiness. Love is a union of souls. When one member of a couple suffers from Alzheimer’s, the other doesn’t just go away. Instead, as Lewis puts it, love says, “B...

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The General Thanksgiving

Author

Edward Reynolds

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 100:4-5, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Psalm 136:1, Colossians 3:17, Ephesians 5:20

Leader and people: Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants, give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you ...

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Author

Mother Teresa

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 5:25, Exodus 20:12, Psalm 127:3-5, Colossians 3:13

The way you help heal the world is you start with your own family.

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Driven by Demons

Author

Samuel Chand

Keywords

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 9:10, 2 Corinthians 8:7, 1 Timothy 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 1:10, Psalm 27:10

Brett Favre was a driven man. He explained to USA Today that his father’s message that he was never good enough drove him to become one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history…His dad had also been hi...

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Nothing to Hide

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 139:23-24, Ephesians 5:11-13, Hebrews 4:13, Genesis 2:25, Genesis 3:7-11, Isaiah 47:3, Revelation 3:18

The relationship between wartime leaders Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt has been well chronicled by historians of the period. On one visit to the United States, Roosevelt wheeled hims...

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Our Relational Design

Author

Richard Plass and James Cofield

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:23-24, Matthew 19:4-5, 1 Corinthians 11:11, Ephesians 5:31-32

Maleness and femaleness is the fundamental way we carry our relational design. Interestingly, the English word sexuality comes from the Latin word sexus, which means “being divided, cut off, separated...

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Almighty Father, giver of every good

Author

W. Walsham How

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 5:11, James 1:17

Almighty Father, giver of every good and perfect gift, who has made the light of your truth shine in our hearts: Make us to walk as children of light in all goodness and righteousness, that we may hav...

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Hanging Out in the Dark

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 1:13-14, Matthew 5:14-16, Romans 13:12, Isaiah 9:2, 1 John 1:5-7, Ephesians 5:11

A few years ago, a journalist named Joseph Blackman wrote an Op Ed on an interesting subject, “Why Clubs are Dark.” That is, why is it when you walk into a nightclub or a bar, the lights are off, or a...

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Happy Marriages

Author

John Gottman and Nan Silver

Keywords

Scripture

Proverbs 31:11-12, Ephesians 5:25-28, Colossians 3:19, 1 Peter 3:7

Happy marriages are based on a deep friendship. By this I mean mutual respect for and enjoyment of each other’s company. These couples tend to know each other intimately—they are well versed in each o...

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Author

Rick Warren

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 3:14, Luke 19:1-10, Ruth 1:16, Luke 10:25-37, Ephesians 5:15-16

The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.

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Author

Eugene Peterson

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 5:14, Luke 10:25-37, John 13:34-35, 1 John 3:18, Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 Corinthians 14:1

Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does.

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Donne, Undone

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 5:31-33, Matthew 19:4-6, Romans 8:28, Proverbs 22:1, 1 Timothy 3:7, Titus 2:7-8, Philippians 2:15, 1 Peter 2:12, Galatians 6:4-5, Daniel 1:17-21

While movies and novels often present stories of a budding love interest willing to give up everything for “true love” (Romeo and Juliet, for example), the renowned poet, and later clergyman, John Don...

liturgy

For the beauty of human love Brother,

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

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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Love Stories

Author

Mike Cosper

Keywords

Love

Scripture

Ephesians 5:32, John 3:16, 1 John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 5:25-27, John 3:16

Love makes people do crazy things. The stories we tell in literature and film are full of examples of the crazy things people will do for love. Love empowers Odysseus through madness and suffering, dr...

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Author

Max Headroom

Keywords

Scripture

Song of Solomon 8:6-7, Ephesians 5:25-28, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Song of Solomon 2:10-12

"Love! The walks over soft grass, the smiles over candlelight, the arguments over everything else."

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Understanding How Violence Exploits the Poor

Author

Gary A. Haugen

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 22:22-24, Judges 19:22-30 , Isaiah 1:17, Luke 4:18-19, Ephesians 5:11, Psalm 10:8-9

The first thing to notice is that violence is intentional. For example, one of the most brutal forms of violence affecting millions of poor women and girls in our world is sex trafficking. Lured a...

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Pentecost Blessing

Author

Peter J. Leithart

Keywords

Scripture

John 16:13, Acts 9:1-19, Ephesians 4:3, Romans 8:14, Galatians 6:8, Ephesians 5:18-19

Follow the Spirit. Walk in the rhythm of the Spirit. Sing in the Spirit. Pray with the Spirit. Be filled with the Spirit. Sow to the Spirit. Reap from the Spirit. Preserve the unity of the Spirit. Be ...

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The Magic of Falling in Love

Author

Ayala Malach Pines

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 5:25-28, Colossians 3:18-19, 1 Corinthians 7:3-4, Acts 18:24-26, Proverbs 31:10-12

The magic of a couple’s relationship is that, when two people fall in love, whatever they need to do for themselves to grow emotionally is most often the very thing that the partner needs from them. I...

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Jesus Christ, the love that gives

Author

Hildegard of Bingen

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 3:17-19, Ephesians 5:25-27, John 15:15, 1 Corinthians 12:27, John 1:1-2, Genesis 2:7, Romans 8:11

Jesus Christ, the love that gives love, You are higher than the highest star; you are deeper than the deepest sea; You cherish us as your own family; You embrace us as your own spouse; You rule over u...

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Spiritual Gifts and the Miami Dolphins

Author

Eunice McGarrahan

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 12:, Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:11-16, Ephesians 4:4, Ephesians 5:30, John 13:34-35

The coaching philosophy of Don Shula helps us understand the gifting of the church for God’s mission. Shula spent 26 years as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Under his leadership they had their ...

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Our Spirituality and our Sexuality are Linked

Author

Ruth Haley Barton

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 2:23-25, Song of Solomon 7:10-12, Hosea 2:19-20, 1 Corinthians 7:3-5, Ephesians 5:31-32, Psalm 63:1-5

As we begin to awaken fully to the spiritual, social and sexual dimensions of ourselves in God’s presence, we find that they are inseparably intertwined and not to be compartmentalized. In fact, many ...

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One of the Major Functions of the Skin

Author

Sam Jarrett

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 139:13-14, 1 Timothy 4:4-5, Ephesians 5:29, Job 10:11, Genesis 1:27, 1 Corinthians 6:19

My wife was grading a science test at home that she had given to her elementary-school class and was reading some of the results to me. The subject was “The Human Body,” and the first question was: “N...

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Author

Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 12:, Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:11-16, Ephesians 4:4, Ephesians 5:30, John 13:34-35

God put the body together in such a way that those who experience honor in this life and those who do not are to astound the world by their unity and their concern for one another.

relationships and community on Selfishness

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