Author: vancecrains
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Poco a Poco…
I was reminded, today, of this quote by John Wesley, “Every one, though born of God in an instant, yea and sanctified in an instant, yet undoubtedly grows by slow degrees…” John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, believed that the “born again” experience, though incredibly important, was only…
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Our Original Calling
Genesis 1:26-28 says, Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the…
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Fencing the Darkness
I read something profound this morning. It was one of those “Things that make you go ‘hmmmmm…..’” moments. I love those! I’ve just started reading Lisa Sharon Harper’s book, The Very Good Gospel. I’m only 25 pages in, and I am hooked! The opening chapter, called “A Glimpse of Shalom,” begins with…
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Preaching to Myself…
I start with an outline. Then, I write a full sermon manuscript of what I plan to say. Then, I condense the manuscript to notes that I will actually preach from. On Sunday mornings, I get up and 5:00 am, and read my manuscript twice – sometimes out loud. At…
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Earth Has No Sorrow That Heaven Cannot Heal
I referenced an old hymn by Sir Thomas Moore in my sermon today. The text of the hymn is… Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish, Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel. Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. Joy…
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Restoration (Sermon manuscript from Sunday, March 5, 2017 – preached at First Church Coral Springs)
sermon-manuscript-march-5-2017
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Rationalization
I’m currently reading 1 Samuel, which tells the story of Israel’s desire for a king, so they could be like the other nations. God intended to be their king, and warned of the dangers of earthly Kings who become corrupted by power. But, Israel wanted a “real” king. That’s how…
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Temptations are EVERYWHERE!
Two of the things I gave up for Lent were watching television and eating desserts. Today is the third day of Lent – just the third day. Yesterday, I ate lunch at my new favorite Indian restaurant. I had forgotten that the lunch special comes with dessert, and didn’t think…
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Chains
Last night, at the Ash Wednesday service, we sang the old hymn, Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace was written by the Anglican Clergyman, John Newton, in 1779. Since that time, it has become one of the best known and most beloved hymns of all time. A less known fact is that…
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