Tag: Christianity

Christian Living

Being A Christian Should Affect How Your Boss Sees You

Chris

You probably know the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den. Some of the top guys in the kingdom of Persia didn’t like that Daniel was getting so friendly with King Darius. So they tricked the king into signing a law that no one could pray to anyone but him for 30 days. Daniel, of course, only prayed to God, and did so three times a day. It was easy for them to catch him breaking the new law and have him sentenced to the lion’s den.

But there’s a part of this story that we might miss if we do not read the story slow enough. There is something for us to learn from Daniel and his relationship with his boss, King Darius.

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Bible, Christian Living

One Reason God Is Not Answering Your Prayers

Chris

Are you waiting for God to do something in your life? Is God providing in your time of need? Is He intervening in your relational problems? Has He brought healing to your life?

desperation

You have probably heard of various reasons why your prayers are not being answered. Some typical answers from Christians are, “It just isn’t God’s time,” or, “God is waiting to see if you continue to trust Him, praying until you receive.” Some harsher reasons might be, “You don’t have enough faith; you have to really believe,” or “There is sin in your life and you have to get rid of it first.” We also hear more biblical reasons such, “You aren’t asking for the right things.”

Jesus told His disciples about one key to answered prayer. If we are crying out to God and aren’t seeing results, we take a moment to see if this key is part of our lives.

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Christian Living

So, You Call Yourself A Christian?

Chris

Do you believe that you are a Christian? If so, 33 percent of the world’s population would agree with you, based on research by Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2006.

CROSSES

How do you know that you are a Christian? What truths make an impact on your life to the point that you call yourself a Christian? There are four basic points we must understand, believe and live in light of before we can claim the name “Christian.”

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Christian Living

Are You A Fact Checker Or A Weed Spreader?

Chris

While preparing for Sunday’s message, I am researching the biology of a biblical plant. I want to make sure that I don’t get stuck saying something about this plant that isn’t true, especially if I am gleaning a spiritual message from it.

In our social media crazed age, how quick are we to check facts before we share the latest news or information with someone? Are we really interested in knowing and sharing the truth, or are we too moved by emotion to take a few minutes to see if our what is in front of us is verifiable?

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Christian Living

Christmas and Communion

Chris

At our church, the first Sunday of the month is Communion Sunday. Today it just felt like a great way to kick off the Christmas Season.

I also had the opportunity to lead worship this morning. We sang a couple of carols, and then built off of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” all the way to “Here I Am To Worship.” It was sort of going from Jesus’ birth to death all in 20 minutes.

Of course, Jesus’ death and resurrection are the point behind Jesus’ birth. If Jesus had just been a prophet or important man, but was unable to satisfy the requirements of the perfect sacrifice, we wouldn’t have much to celebrate. We don’t celebrate the birth of Abraham, Moses or David. We don’t all get together on Barack Obama’s or Stephen Harper’s or Queen Elizabeth’s birthday. We don’t put out lights and decorations for President’s Day in February (at least, not yet).

If weren’t for Christ’s body broken for you, and Christ’s blood shed for you, this time of year might not be much of a celebration at all.

Uncategorized

Not Another Sermon on Prayer

Chris

I’m finishing up a sermon series on the book of James. Turns out, we’re talking about prayer. Here’s a slice from the opening of the message. It just might help if you’ve heard too many sermons about prayer.

You’ve probably heard many sermons on the topic of prayer. They are abundant and cover many forms, sometimes many formulas, and everyone who preaches on prayer says that if you aren’t doing it, there is something wrong with you. Have you heard that sort of teaching on prayer before?

What do you think results from those types of sermons?

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