Tag: joy
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Thankfulness Pt. 2
16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). I used to be a very pessimistic and cynical person. I questioned everyone’s motives…
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The Source of Happiness and Blessing in Psalm 119
In the first two stanzas of Psalm 119, we saw the psalmist reject his own selfish ways in favor of God’s ways because God’s ways are better. He came humbly to God, asked God to train him, and beseeched his Lord not to forsake him utterly. Stanzas 3 and 4 (ג , ד) sound very…
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Pastoral Contentment and the Success Syndrome
I have been in full-time ministry for 13 years. Before I started my ministry career (for lack of a better term), I had one instructor notice my goal-oriented zeal and offer a book from his personal library. That book still sits on my shelf in my office, stamped with his seal on the title page.…
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Daily Devotional: Romans 5:1-11
Therefore, since justification is by grace alone through faith alone, we have peace with God through Christ. There seem to be many today, even of the household of faith, who believe God is interested in war against people. Through Christ, He has declared peace and is saving a people by grace through faith for Himself.…
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God’s Formula for Happiness
“You can’t date ’til you’re married. You can’t get married until you’re 30,” said the stereotypical father to his daughter. You’ve heard the statement. In Corinth, it had become customary for fathers to dedicate their children to the Lord, which meant that their children became the picture of purity and devotion to God alone. Apparently,…
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Experiencing Joy
Over the last two weeks, as we have walked through John’s Gospel together, Scripture has spoken some deep conviction into our lives. First, it has challenged us to genuinely make the instructions of Scripture a light for our path and to be absolutely hungry for the words that God has given to guide us in…
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A Faith of Acceptance, Joy, and Truth
When I was younger (13-15 years old) I was in church because my parents were in church. I had decided that religion was unimportant and that there was no real benefit to the Christian faith. Here are a couple observations I made. People in church were just as unhappy as people who did not go…