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We Need Each Other
Acts 14:19-25 Reuben Welch wrote a book several decades ago about the experiences he had as a teacher and preacher titled We Really Do Need Each Other. In his writing, he points to the division in...
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Suffering For Good
Acts 14:19-25 As a school counselor, I teach students what constitutes bullying—intentional, repeated, hurtful (physically and/or emotionally), and one-sided interactions. I ask every class, “What...
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When Hate Blinds
Esther 5:9-14 Haman seemingly had it all. There was just one problem—Mordecai didn’t show Haman the respect that Haman believed he deserved. Because of this perceived slight, Haman hated Mordecai....
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God Behind The Scenes
Esther 6:1-6 King Xerxes realizes Mordecai hadn’t been rewarded for saving the king from Bigthana and Teresh’s assassination plot (vv. 2-3). The irony of the story deepens when King Xerxes asked...
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For Whom, Now?
Esther 6:7-14 When my sons were younger, they liked to watch stories featuring Thomas the Tank Engine. In those stories, there is an engine named Gordon. Gordon is big, strong, and fast, so he...
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Persistently Good
Romans 2:1-8 In recent years, you may have heard about the psychological phenomenon of “projection,” where a person unconsciously takes the unwanted emotions or traits the person doesn’t like about...
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As Obedient Children
Ephesians 6:1-8 Paul pointed out in Ephesian 6: 2 that the commandment to honor our father and mother was the first of the Ten Commandments that contained a promise: “So that it may go well with you...
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Humility Honored
Proverbs 22:1-9 Reputations are a funny thing. Depending on how someone knows us or in what context they know us, they might have a vastly different idea about who we are as a person. These vastly...
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The Just God
Psalm 7:6-11 In Psalm 7, the psalmist asks us to consider God’s anger and wrath. Those are aspects of God’s personality with which we may not be entirely comfortable. There have been battles over...
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A Banquet Gone Wrong
Esther 5:1-8 In Esther 5, the story of Esther is in some of its most tense moments. Esther and Mordecai knew of Haman’s plot to kill all the Jews, and they knew they must act quickly so that their...
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A Sacrificial Life
Esther 7:1-10 Esther was finally with King Xerxes at the right time and place and could make her petition for the king to stop the genocide of the Jewish people. The entire narrative has been building...
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Life-Long Learning
Proverbs 1:1-7 I am convinced that committing to a life of following God is to commit to life-long learning. It seems this is what the author of Proverbs 1 was hoping to tell readers as they...
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A Just God
Luke 18:1-8 The idea of justice is discussed a lot in our society. Superhero movies tell us a story of people seeking justice. Justice, of course, is to make things right. We all crave justice because...
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A God of Comfort
2 Corinthians 1:1-11 Paul begins his second letter to the Corinthians with a word of hope and good news. Our God is the God of comfort and compassion! The Lord draws near to those who are suffering...
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Love and Wisdom
Philippians 1:1-11 Paul’s prayer for the Philippians might very well be our very own prayer for our children, friends, family, students, or loved ones: that they may grow in love and in wisdom. Paul...
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A God of Victory
Psalm 44:1-8 When families get together, it’s common to share stories of the past. Some of these stories might be hilarious situations that a family laughs at for years, some might be full of rich...
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A Voice For The People
Esther 8:1-6 Esther was in a position of power and Mordecai’s enemy, Haman, had been done away with. She could have ignored the danger to other Jews and not risked asking the king for more on behalf...
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News Worth Living For
Esther 8:7-12 “It is just too good to be true.” This refrain can be heard as we sift through news stories. It can be hard to discern the truth, even in the good news. Esther had a king who had to be...
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Clothed In Christ
Esther 8:13-17 Celebrations help us live in the moment of thankfulness. Finally, the word got out to the Jews and there was celebration! Because of Esther, the king had sent a message and her people...
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The Good Physician
Job 13:13-22 A good doctor gives us hard truths that we need to hear. However, there is great frustration with a physician who won’t listen, who only gives us textbook answers. Job just wanted to be...
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