The Gold Wrapping Paper

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Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family’s only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. As money was tight, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold paper to decorate one shoebox she had put under the Christmas tree. He also was concerned about where she had gotten money to …

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The God of all Grace

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Reflections For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17) God doesn’t simply give grace as a THING, nor is grace merely descriptive of how He works. Rather, God gives us Himself. God IS, “the God of all grace,” the God whose nature is that of all grace. (I Peter 5:10) When God gave us Jesus Christ, He gave us the One who is the sum of all of that He is – the sum of all grace and Truth. In Christ dwelt the fullness of God. (Col. 1:19) How God works …

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Blessings

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Death of a loved one. Failed hopes. Fears about a health problem. Broken relationships. Betrayal by friends. Everyone goes through times of trouble. Sometimes we ask God why. Sometimes we just want to cry. Blessings We pray for blessings, we pray for peace Comfort for family, protection while we sleep We pray for healing, for prosperity We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering And all the while, You hear each spoken need Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things ‘Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops What if Your healing comes …

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THE REASON FOR OUR BOLDNESS

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We often don’t share our faith because we lack confidence. But if you ask God for boldness, He will answer your prayer. Philippians 1:19-20 (KJV) 19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. Even though Christians are familiar with the gospel, many are reluctant …

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Provision in Christ

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     But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19)   If you read this verse in context you cannot escape the fact that Paul is talking at least inclusively about material provision. But what he says once again points out a basic principle as to how God works. God has wrapped up everything He has for man in His Son, Jesus Christ. Thus, neither material or spiritual provision is a matter of God just handing us THINGS — apart from any relationship to Christ. Rather, as a general …

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A Pattern for Prayer

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Matthew 6:7-15 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. …

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The Work that Abides

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Reflections But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon. For no other foundation can a man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer …

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FOR THE LIVING CHRIST

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For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God….That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord. (I Cor. 1:22-24, 29-31) Paul’s statement, “Jews require …

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WHY WAS SAUL OF TARSUS’ NAME CHANGED TO PAUL?

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by Shawn Brasseaux Up until Acts 13:9 in the Bible, we read about a character named “Saul, of Tarsus.” Thereafter, Scripture knows him only as “Paul.” Why this change? Saul of Tarsus first appears in Acts 7:58. He is a “young man,” someone who is influential in the stoning of God’s prophet Stephen. Saul is also leading Israel’s rebellion against Jesus’ little flock of believers in early Acts (Acts 8:1-4; Acts 22:1-5; Acts 26:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13-14; 1 Timothy 1:13). From other Scriptures, we learn that Saul is a Jew by blood and religion (Acts 22:3; Romans 9:3-4; …

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Conversations with Pastor Jack

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Join Pastor Jack for a two part series as he shares with a small group on a variety of relevant topics, including maintaining hope in a lost world and how to live out your faith. Watch this video on YouTube

It’s the End of the World, Now What?

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Monday, December 12, 2016 Pete Garcia Hal Lindsey’s been saying now for the better part of 50 years, that Christ’s return is imminent, but I fear that for many, apocalypse fatigue is setting in. The “Left Behind” series sparked a huge renewed interest into the idea of the Rapture and for what follows, but even that excitement seems to have faded. With all the geo-political, economic, and technological changes happening every day, modern man’s attention span is steadily decreasing. Increasingly, we express concern over the swelling anti-Christian sentiment that is growing here in the West, and express outright shock over …

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“His ways are everlasting.” Habakkuk 3:6

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  What he hath done at one time, he will do yet again. Man’s ways are variable, but God’s ways are everlasting. There are many reasons for this most comforting truth: among them are the following–the Lord’s ways are the result of wise deliberation; he ordereth all things according to the counsel of his own will. Human action is frequently the hasty result of passion, or fear, and is followed by regret and alteration; but nothing can take the Almighty by surprise, or happen otherwise than he has foreseen. His ways are the outgrowth of an immutable character, and in …

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