There are two major types of fear which matter in the human experience. The first is the most pressing: anything which robs us of personal peace. In short, the things we are afraid of. These can be immediate, such as health, well-being, security, or something or someone who threatens us. While some people are braver […]

Fourthstream - Finding Hope

BOOK BY BOOK 1/THE TWO FEARS

There are several insights the God Story gives us about how a home can experience true peace. While the challenges to family life are many and varied, HOW we prepare and follow through as partners and parents has much to do with our success in family life. Think about it: what is your picture of […]

SH1: FAMILY AT PEACE

  (Read page 23 in Curious Journey) What do you see when you look in the mirror? An imperfect nose? Symetry issues? I personally have lived with misappropriated ears all of my life. Bummer. One of the great questions of life is “why are things the way they are?” And what about relationships? The things that […]

CJ4: NEGOTIATING IMPERFECTION

(What a concept! Enjoy the essay on page 59 on Curious Journey.) Have you ever had a situation or person that you can’t shake? Perhaps often on your mind with a certain amount of dread or even an unpleasant cloud hanging over your head? And how does it feel when the situation is confronted, addressed – […]

CJ12: BECOMING FREE

Each of us has unique spiritual gifting. This is a clearly woven thread of the God Story (1 Peter 4:7-11). The gifts differ, and even the 20 or so which are listed have extensive multiplied effects. This is part of the beauty of being made in the image of God – and of experiencing the presence […]

ONE ANOTHER LIVING

Who are you as a person? What is your family all about? Your friends and neighbors? What is unique about your unfolding personal story? We are all inescapably impacted by the times in which we live. Though we share many things human – in each century and decade, each geo-ethnic circumstance completely impacts how we […]

SAMUEL: A LISTENING HEART

Do you ever feel a little lost or disconnected? Things you hope for either don’t work out or leave you feeling flat? This is exactly addressed in the God Story. There is a “God-shaped hole” in all of us, and no amount of love, money, friends, or stuff will take the place God created within […]

CJ1: YOUR STORY MATTERS

As I have once again considering the letters to Timothy I am amazed about a few things. 1 Timothy 4:1,2 has captured my imagination with all that is unfolding around us right now. The phrase doctrines of demons deserves a closer look. The original language (Greek) appears to amplify that these are the teaching instructions […]

DOCTRINES OF DEMONS: 1 TIMOTHY 4:1,2

King first. Then Kingdom. Then Church. Jesus’ work flows from His Kingship. Jesus said “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” […]

BOOK BY BOOK #66: COLOSSIANS – KINGSHIP

It is difficult to separate the historic church from what “church” meant in the first century – and for that matter, to Jesus Himself. Jesus mentions the church only a few times (Matthew 16;18; 18:17), but He speaks of the Kingdom many times (Matthew 4:7,23). This is the story of the book of Ephesians. As […]

BOOK BY BOOK #67: EPHESIANS – WE BELONG

As the Gospel takes root among the Gentiles throughout the world, God’s purpose for the Jews comes to fruition. They experienced, recorded, and protected God’s Word to the world. In doing so they amplified the truth about humanity as well as God Himself. And through them the Savior of the world was brought into the […]

BOOK BY BOOK #65: ACTS 21-27: ENDS OF THE EARTH

It is truly difficult to make sense out of our human history regarding philosophy, science, and theology. Philosophy in essence is our reflections upon what makes us tick – for better and for worse. Science is supposed to be “conclusions based upon weighing facts to prove what is irrefutable.” Theology is man’s organization of what is […]

ROMANS 1.2 THE ROOTS OF GRACE

When I first began to read and study the book of Romans, I was amazed at the run-on sentence abilities of the Apostle Paul. I don’t mean this negatively – it just blew me away how so much could be stuffed into a sentence, a paragraph, or a chapter. Romans has been an anchor for […]

BOOK BY BOOK #64: ROMANS – GOD’S AMAZING GRACE

Sometimes the kindest things done can emerge from the most difficult challenges. Looking back, can you see God’s mercy in the midst of something which seemed harsh or unpleasant to you at the time? Every one of the early churches experienced in-common challenges, but each were tailored to their own cities and settings. James addresses […]

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Fourthstream - Finding Hope

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