Articles and resources to encourage
you in your spiritual growth.
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Gifts of Job (Part 2)
Last week I shared how the ancient book of Job gives us the assurance that God understands and even anticipates our struggle with suffering, and that Job’s example gives us permission to voice our questions before God honestly. His story also gives us permission to reject answers that may sound “spiritual” but are not ultimately
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Gifts of Job (Part 1)
I’ve never quite known what to do with the book of Job. I know the basic story, and I know it’s found right before Psalms in the poetry section of the Bible. But why was it written? What can we learn from it? I don’t think I’m alone in this. In the preface to his
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Truth vs. Fear
I’m working on some new articles to post here, but in the meantime, I wanted to share this exercise with you. This was in a Bible Study on the life of Sarah I am working through this summer. (The study is called Shaped by God’s Promises by Shannon Popkin). This exercise is called “Three Truths
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The Shape of Our Lives
From the moment we’re born, we are being shaped. From our very first breath, our lives are shaped in ways that affect our character, our direction in life, our relationship with God, and even our future struggles in life. This doesn’t mean that we are not responsible for our choices or that we are “off
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Clumsy Love
As we entered the New Year in January, I decided that I would start 2024 by re-reading Eugene Peterson’s classic book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. If you haven’t read it, I would encourage you to find a copy. As a small sample, please allow me to share this paragraph with you: “Every
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Friendship on the Fringes
For as far back as I can remember I’ve felt like I lived on the outskirts of community, dwelling on the fringes of the larger groups I was part of, but never fully belonging. I could list a lot of reasons for that. To begin with, I’m an introvert and I tend to feel awkward
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Of Squash and Oak Trees
I’ve heard it said that when God wants to make a squash, he takes six months. But when God wants to make an oak, he takes 60 years. (There have been other variations on this theme, but you get the point). I would add that when God wants to make the majestic Sequoia, he takes
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Doing vs.Becoming
A few years ago, I spent 2 full days sorting and re-organizing my home office. In the process I took 4 boxes of excess supplies to Goodwill, 3 bags of books to the church and public libraries, and a large quantity of paper to the recycling bin. All of which has caused me to look
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The Importance of Fellowship in Spiritual Growth
(Please note: this post was produced by WordPress AI. I chose to keep it because it’s a good reminder for us all.) As believers, we are not meant to walk the path of spiritual growth alone. Fellowship with other Christians plays a crucial role in our development and encourages us to stay strong in our
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Finding Encouragement in Scripture
(Please note: this article was produced by WordPress AI. But you can’t go wrong with God’s Word, so I chose to keep this one!) Life can be challenging, and our spiritual journey is no exception. There are times when we may feel discouraged, weary, and unsure of our path. During these moments, finding encouragement in
Souls In Process 