Monthly Archives: October 2012

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Before You Get Married, Consider These 3 Truths

I’ll never forget the day a Christian woman in our church asked me to perform her wedding ceremony. After some conversation, I discovered her fiance wasn’t a Christian.

3 Truths to Consider Before You Get Married

(Photo by gcardinal from Norway, CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

“Why would you marry an unbeliever,” I asked her, “when God’s Word says you can’t?”

“Well, I prayed about it,” she answered, “and I feel like it’s okay.”

“You didn’t need to pray. You can be certain it isn’t God’s will.”

It was a short conversation.

God’s will for you will never contradict God’s Word. You don’t even need to pray about it. (Tweet that.)

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Pressure Points

Part 9 – “Route 66” (a series with a message from each of the 66 books of the Bible)
1 Samuel 13-15

King Saul experienced pressure to disobey God from extreme circumstances, from his own pride, and from people’s desires– all of which he responded to poorly. We can learn a lesson, as we travel back with personal interviews with King Saul, how to respond to pressure God’s way.

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(c) 2008 Wayne Stiles
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The Southern Steps and Psalms of Ascent Reminders

Who would have ever thought to use stairs as a memory-trigger? At the southern edge of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, a 200-foot wide flight of stairs represents both original and restored steps from the Second Temple period.

The Southern Steps and Psalms of Ascent Reminders

(Photo: Reading the Psalms of Ascent on the Southern Steps. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands.)

Millions of sandals (including Jesus’) shuffled up these steps in antiquity as Jewish pilgrims came from all Israel and the Diaspora to worship the Lord for the annual feasts.

Some suggest the pilgrims sang the Psalms of Ascent on these steps. If so, the place brought to mind critical themes.

The place echoes of our need to be reminded of what we already know.

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How to Fix Foundation Problems in Your Spiritual Life

Years ago, my grandmother’s 1909 house got a fresh layer of wallpaper. But only weeks later, I noticed in a high corner the wallpaper had buckled, and in some places, it had even split.

Fix Foundation Problems in Your Spiritual Life

(My grandmother’s house, built in 1909)

When I asked her about it she said: “Oh, the house needs foundation work. Every time the seasons change and the wind blows a different direction, the whole house shifts.”

That made sense. For years I shaved inches off most of the doors trying to get them to close. But the repair only lasted until the wind shifted again.

Look closely at the lives of your friends and family. Maybe even your own life.

You’ll see this old house’s problem in vivid display.

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The Grace of God in my Favorite Les Misérables Scene

The 2012 cinematic adaptation of the musical based on Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Misérables, was tremendous. But my favorite adaptation of the novel was the 1998 film starring Liam Neeson. There’s a reason.

from Columbia Pictures, Inc.

(Photo: from Columbia Pictures, Inc. 1998)

Even though the acting is superb, and the costumes, music, and scenes look first-rate, there is another element that outshines them all.

The grace of God.

Before I show you the clip of my favorite scene, here’s a brief set-up: Jean Valjean is a ex-convict living in pre-revolutionary France. Just released from prison, he wanders the streets because no one will take him in. Finally, a kindly old bishop feeds him and lets him sleep overnight.

Let’s watch my favorite scene in the movie to see what happens.

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