Christmas is Forgiving

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Kim Phuc

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This weekend we had the privilege of having Kim Phuc join us for our service on Sunday and to share her story with the community on Saturday evening. If you're not aware of who Kim is, she is the young girl in this photo who is running down the street naked after her village was napalmed during the Vietnam war. Her clothes were burned right off her back as the napalm burned her flesh. This photo brought the reality of war to so many around the world. Her story of faith and forgiveness is such a powerful testimony of God's forgiveness and the power that can come from God when we truly do "love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us"! Kim now travels the world speaking on behalf of children who are the innocent victims of war. War sucks. Period. And it sucks even more when you hear these personal stories of how these children suffer because of it. Kim's story of forgiveness in this darkest of situations is such a light to those who could never imagi...
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Review: Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years and Yours by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole

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During this Sabbatical, I've been blogging and journaling different thoughts and feelings as I've quietly listened to God's voice. In devotions, prayers, worship, readings, and other pastors' sermons, it has been humbling to see how God is bringing various things together at this stage of life and ministry. One of the biggest works God has been doing is in my identity. Now, as followers of Jesus, we "know" that our identity is in Christ and not in what we do... what has been so good for me is to have what I do stripped away. As I've attended churches across our city for nearly four months, I was hit with an important truth: I'm not the guy! I'm completely and totally anonymous! No one knows who I am. No one knows about my spiritual gifts, my talents, experiences, and abilities. No one is looking for me, learning from me, expecting something from me, thanking me, or even talking to me. I'm anonymous. And if I were really, really honest, deep dow...
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One Year Later: Living by a Different Rhythm

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A year ago today, I returned to ministry after a four-month sabbatical. People occasionally ask me what changed during those months away. Sometimes they expect me to talk about books I read, a course I took, a book i wrote, a new vision for ministry, or ideas that will make the church healthier. Those things certainly played a part, but they weren't the greatest gift of my sabbatical. The greatest gift was learning to live by a Rule of Life. For much of my ministry, my schedule was shaped by what needed to be done. Sermons to prepare. Meetings to attend. Emails to answer. Problems to solve. None of those things are wrong—in fact, they're part of the calling. But I slowly realized that if I wasn't careful, I could spend my life working for Jesus while neglecting to simply be with Him. During my sabbatical, I sensed God inviting me to a different rhythm. Not a life of doing less, but a life of living differently. I built a simple Rule of Life around Jesus' own...
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