Tag: Pain
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The Unquenchable Thirst of Grief
I recently led a memorial service for a 23-year-old man, whose family attends my church. 23-years-old is obviously too young to die, so his death was unexpected, a terrible shock, and particularly tragic. After years of addiction, successful recovery, and then a recent relapse, he died of a drug overdose. …
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Foreknowing, Causing, Allowing…
In my Lenten small group, this morning, we were debating if God allows tragedy, causes tragedy, or both. Though the word wasn’t used this morning, God’s foreknowledge also comes into play. If God knows everything, then God knows what is going to happen in advance. If God knows a tragic…
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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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