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1+ hour, 23+ min ago (206+ words) The story at the beginning and some of the ideas for this sermon (from several years ago) were found in "Look Up: An Advent Meditation" by William Willimon, Christian Century; November 30, 1983. "Can you believe that sermon?" I asked my wife on the way home afterwards." "The callousness of it, the manipulative style, the nerve of the man!" I would never preach such a sermon at a funeral." "Nor would I," replied Patsy." "But was his sermon untrue?" It might have been a bit harsh, but was it inaccurate?" It is too late for old Joe, but it isnt too late for us." Since people do indeed die every day, this is the moment to decide." " " "But for you, here today, there is still more time." (continued) Hebrews 9:27-28" " "Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face…...

1+ hour, 29+ min ago (453+ words) A legacy of joyful sacrifice and global impact See, this wasn't a passing trend. It was, and still is, a movement rooted in spiritual conviction. As Simpson wrote, "These quiet outpourings of beneficence . . . are evidently the result of some deep conviction and spiritual impulse." Simpson observed, "Christian giving is the result of entire sanctification and Spirit-filled lives." When people experience the joy of God's presence, they respond with open hands and willing hearts. Since our early days, The Alliance has been a ragtag group of people, transformed by the love and life of Christ, who have rallied together to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, to the overlooked in our neighborhoods and the nations. As opposed to a group of goers looking for senders, we have been a group of senders looking for and mobilizing goers. Early…...

1+ hour, 29+ min ago (218+ words) I'm Bub Kuns, and today we're talking about The Fruit of the Spirit again. The more commitments that people make today, the less they seem able to keep. An article in Psychology Today noted that 43% of first marriages end in divorce, while 67% of second marriages end in divorce, and 73% of third marriages end in divorce! (see Friedman, Robert. "5 Risks for People Marrying a Second or Third Time." Psychology Today, 22 Feb. 2024) Despite the faithlessness in our world, God values FAITHFULNESS. FAITHFULNESS is an unwavering commitment to a person or a righteous cause, and as the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of believers, a godly FAITHFULNESS begins and grows. And this kind of FAITHFULNESS means you can be trusted and counted on to do God's work and to stick to your promises. As Hudson Taylor said, "All God's giants have been…...

1+ hour, 35+ min ago (513+ words) As the Holy Days of Christmas approach, our Church calls us to turn our attention to the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, which brings light, hope, and renewal to the human heart. In a time full of challenges and contradictions, the message of Bethlehem reminds us of the true purpose of life and the value of humanity, as revealed in the Divine Infant who is born "in humility." Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, through his reflections on the Birth of Christ, invites us to rediscover the essence of our humanity, the power of love, and the hope that flows from the God-Man. The following message is not merely a greeting; it is an invitation to surrender to peace, joy, and the divine presence, which make every life complete and every community vibrant. With open hearts and spirits…...

2+ hour, 13+ min ago (627+ words) Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed. - /account/dismiss-notice?notice_id=118 CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements....

2+ hour, 29+ min ago (321+ words) Nigeria (MNN) " The Nigerian government says 100 more children have been released after a mass kidnapping in northern Nigeria last month. More than 300 children and teachers were taken from a Catholic school on Friday, November 21. Fifty children escaped soon after the attack, which means that today more than half of the victims remain in captivity. "It's unclear how involved the government negotiations were," says Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations, "but there was definitely some pressure that was put on these kidnappers." Kelley says the November 21 abduction is "an example of constant disruption of the gospel, because we regularly get calls [from indigenous missionary partners]where we have to emergency evacuate or pull people from one place to another." Despite the release of these 100 kidnapped children, the big-picture pattern in Nigeria remains the same. Groups like Boko Haram and Fulani militants attack…...

2+ hour, 29+ min ago (434+ words) India (MNN) " A crayon-colored manger scene might seem like a small thing. But for one 10-year-old girl in India, it represents a miracle " and a new life of hope in Christ. Sarani grew up battling serious heart problems that made her very weak and sapped her energy. Life was difficult for Sarani and her parents. Raina Miller with Mission India says, "The family spent every rupee they had on her treatments, and nothing was working. Her mom tried going to temples and praying to their gods, desperate for help " and of course, none of it worked." Then Sarani was invited to a Children's Bible Club run by Mission India. There, she heard stories about Jesus, and especially how He healed the sick. Those stories stayed with her. "So her Bible Club leader'encouraged her to pray, and Sarani prayed her very…...

2+ hour, 59+ min ago (648+ words) Reading 1 Jeremiah 23:5-8 Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: "The LORD our justice." Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD, when they shall no longer say, "As the LORD lives, who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt"; but rather, "As the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of the house of Israel up from the land of the north" and from all the lands to which I banished them; they shall again live on their own land. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in…...

3+ hour, 13+ min ago (195+ words) Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those... "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ…...

3+ hour, 25+ min ago (279+ words) Here is Day One of the devotional'the first half written by me; the second half written by Eden. The whole devotional is designed that way: encouragement from a pastor to a teenager, followed by encouragement from a teenager to a teenager. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous'how well I know it. (Psalm 139:13-14) In a similar way, your incredibly intricate body points to a much greater Designer. It didn't come into existence by chance. Just think about the complexity of a car versus the complexity of the human body: The car: 30,000 parts Your body: 30,000,000,000,000 (30 trillion) cells The car: 35 hours (on the high end) You: 6,570 hours (or nine months) God spoke the world into existence and created everything…...