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The Apostles’ Creed
There are many denominations, divisions and theological disputes in the modern church. But despite these types of disunity, there is a common core of belief that all faithful Christians have affirmed throughout history. And for almost two millennia, this core of belief has been summarized in the Apostles’ Creed. This course explains the history and use of the Apostles’ Creed, as well as the details and significance of each of its articles of faith. It is based on the videos produced by Third Millennium Ministries.
Father Abraham
Why did Moses choose to tell the story of Abraham the way he did? What does it mean for us today? This course provides an analysis of Genesis 11:10-25:18, the life of Abraham, from a Christian perspective. It analyzes the literary structure, the meaning for the original audience, and modern application for us today. The course is based on the Third Millennium DVD series by Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr.
Open Arms
At the funeral of former US First Lady Betty Ford, her son Steven said, “She was the one with the love and the comfort, and she was the first one there to put her arms around you. Nineteen years ago when I went through my alcoholism, my mother . . .
Discover the importance of community in the Lord’s Prayer
When we choose to follow God we become part of the community of believers. As members of the larger body of Christ, we discover a whole new dimension to Jesus’ prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Bookmobile
Before the electronic gadgets and distractions of today, the long summer days of my boyhood were brightened each week when the bookmobile arrived. It was a bus lined with book-filled shelves that were transported from the regional library to neighborhoods so that those without transportation could access them. Because of the bookmobile, I spent many a happy summer day reading books that would otherwise have been inaccessible. To this day, I am thankful for the love of books that the bookmobile fostered in me.
What Jesus meant when He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9).
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17).
IDEA: When we pray, “Thy kingdom come,” we are also praying that this will somehow affect how we as Christians live today.
PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that praying for Christ’s kingdom in the future also asks for our lives today.
Giving Directions
Not long ago my wife’s car needed to be towed. When I explained to the man at the towing company how to find our home, I instructed him to tell the driver not to follow his global positioning system (GPS). Because another street with the same name as ours was separated from our home address by a field, special instructions were necessary. He assured me he would pass on my directions.
Until You Are Full
A friend who lives in Singapore told me about an old Chinese greeting. Instead of “How are you?” people would ask “Have you eaten until you are full?” The greeting likely originated during a time when food was scarce and many people did not know when they would have their next meal. When food was available, it was advisable to eat until they were full.
Doubts And Faith
Can a believer in Jesus who has occasional doubts about matters of faith ever be effective in serving the Lord? Some people think that mature and growing Christians never question their beliefs. But just as we have experiences that can build our faith, we can also have experiences that cause us to temporarily doubt.
Getting To Heaven
While working with third- and fourth-graders at our church’s Vacation Bible School, I decided to give all 25 of the children a gift on the last day. But I told them that in order to receive it, they would each have to tell me how a person can get to heaven.
My Way?
Think about the worst intellectual matchups possible. For instance, what if we put Albert Einstein in a room with a first-grader to debate the theory of relativity? Or how about George Washington Carver versus a middle-schooler discussing biochemical engineering?
Be Prepared
Just as her friends were doing, my daughter Melissa was busily preparing for adulthood. At school, she was getting ready for college by taking the right courses and had signed up for the ACT college entrance test.
Outside of class, Melissa was learning the socialization skills it takes to get along with people by spending time with friends, classmates, and teammates.
Acts Of Gratitude
Few people knew me better as a boy than Francis Allen, the pastor who led me to Jesus Christ. A fire-and-brimstone preacher in the pulpit, he was a near-perfect example of the gentleness of God’s love outside of it.
Early on, Francis recognized a tendency in me to try to “buy” approval by working harder than expected and doing more than people asked.
How To Get A New Heart
A friend who is a heart transplant cardiologist has an appreciation of Ezekiel 36:26 that not many of us can understand. Mike manages the pre-operation and post-operation care for heart-transplant patients. He’s often in the operating room as surgeons remove diseased, discolored hearts and replace them with vibrant, pink “new” donor hearts.
Magic Eye
One of my nephews brought a book of Magic Eye images to a family gathering. Magic Eye images look like ordinary two-dimensional patterns, but when viewed in a certain way, the flat surface appears three-dimensional.
We took turns trying to train our eyes to make the three-dimensional image pop out.
