This morning my incredible wife, Vicki, led the family in a devotion related to how we will use our time in 2010. It served as fertile soil for me to process some thoughts regarding how things we desire may affect the upcoming year. While I know that sinful desires will inhibit my ability to grow stronger in my faith this year, I do not think that sinful desires are the primary inhibitor in the potentiality of my spiritual growth in 2010. While it is true that the object of my desire can be evil: to kill someone, to steal, etc. I more often find that my real struggle is when the object of my desire …

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In II Corinthians 12:9 it is made clear that the strength of God is seen more clearly when the object of His love becomes weaker. At first this seem to be quite paradoxical. Why would a God of love choose this method (the growing weakness of the object of His love) to communicate a clearer display of the strength of His favor (grace)? Isn’t it because the person who is weak is, by necessity, more conscience of his or her own need and the people who interact with this person are naturally driven to search for what inspires this person on. In other words, what keeps this person from cracking under the experience of hardship? …

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This post is a continuation of a discussion started in my When Blue Seemingly Goes Grey blog. In this blog we surfaced concerns regarding the upcoming prayer of Rick Warren at the Inauguration of now President Barack Obama. I am curious what are some of your perceptions post-prayer.

Since it’s my blog, I think it only right to offer up some of my own observations. First of all I am proud of Pastor Warren for standing strong in the face of such a pressure-packed situation. It was clear that this man was going to be a major lightning rod regardless of …

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Speaking on CNN’s “Late Edition”, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed disappointment at Proposition 8’s passage.

“It is unfortunate,” Schwarzenegger said. “But it is not the end because I think this will go back into the courts. … It’s the same as in the 1948 case when blacks and whites were not allowed to marry.
This falls into the same category.”

So, this woman (see video below) is a bigot harboring a racist viewpoint? How about you? Are you promoting racial inequality in the same way that “blacks and whites” were hindered from being able to not marry in the 1940’s? Why or why not?

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This past Sunday we looked at chapter 8 of Proverbs. On Sunday morning we progressed through the first 21 verses and called for you to mine the rest of the passage (vv.22-36) in your private meditation or as part of family devotions. To that end, I provide a skeleton to guide your reading.

Who Can Get Wisdom? – vv.1-5
What Are The Defining Marks Of Wisdom? – vv.6-21

Wisdom Is Trustworthy Because It Is

Noble – v.6
Right – v.6 & 9
…

 

 audio [43:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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ABC News interviews the Chapman family regarding the recent death of their daughter, Maria, when she was hit by a car driven by her older brother. I am struck by the focus and balance the entire family has in dealing with this tragedy. May you be encouraged!

Larry King will be interviewing the family tonight on Larry King Live.

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John Piper’s Father died just 11 hours ago. John has already posted his journal from his last moments in the hospital with his Father. I encourage you to read it.

I’d like to draw your attention to this paragraph.

“Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for sixty-one years of faithfulness to me. I am simply looking into his face now. Thank you. You were a good father. You never put me down. Discipline, yes. Spankings, yes. But you never scorned me. You never treated me with contempt. You never spoke of my future with hopelessness in your voice. You believed God’s hand was on me. You approved of my ministry. You prayed for me. Everyday. That may be the

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