Across Church Street

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It would be just like him

The God of the Bible looks like Jesus, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being. It would be just like him to go to the cross.

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Practicing Our Scales

Imagine if our walk with Christ, representing his kingdom in the world, were as practiced and pure as Hania Rani’s fingers on the piano keys.

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Rescue

I practice the spiritual discipline of rescuing earthworms on paved surfaces. It's a reminder to me that I can pause what I'm doing, get a little dirty, and help. Also, that I've been given the responsibility to care.

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Your Roots Are Showing

The life that I bring to the world can only be found in my attachment to Christ. His presence with me is essential.

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Connection

I live in a U.S. county with traffic problems. It's a peninsula, and what's not swamp land has been developed. Building new roads is difficult and expensive. Making things worse, roads that could connect don't.

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What's in the Bowl?

During a spring trip, my wife and I purchased a glass bowl. It's colorful and handmade. When I turn the bowl upside down, nothing falls out. Does that make it empty?

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Umbrella

There are some in my life who stand out as people who shaped me in significant ways: parents, my wife, pastors, and a few teachers. Today, I'm feeling a sense of gratitude for the many others who have dripped things into my life—things I don't really notice but subconsciously depend on every day. Here's an umbrella expression of gratitude to all of them!

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Work Backwards

If we're honest, Kingdom-meets-world case studies are difficult. Conversations on violence go like this: If someone breaks into my house and threatens my family... What about Law Enforcement and the military? On lying: Is it okay to lie when hiding a victim? These are tough questions, and I respect the different viewpoints. But what if none of these situations apply to me right now?

Starting with this level of complexity shuts down our imagination for something better. Wouldn't it be wiser to start from the other end — a wholehearted commitment to Kingdom values — then work backwards into the situations we actually face?

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Plant & Water

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. — 1 Corinthians 3:6

Paul is making the point that our worship focus must be directed toward God, not men. But maybe there's another message: that we can be too occupied with making spiritual things happen — God's work — when we should be creating the right conditions for those things to happen.

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