011 WWJH What Would Jesus Hate?
Our God Is Near
WWJH - What Would Jesus Hate If you've been around Christian circles long enough, you'll remember when WWJD bracelets were popular back in the 90s. It stood for What Would Jesus Do, and these popular bracelets were a way to be reminded to think about what Jesus might do in a certain situation. How would he have loved well or what words might he have spoken? I always liked the idea and thought it was a helpful way to keep Jesus' words and direction top of mind for those of us who follow him. But more recently, I've found myself thinking more about...
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010 Thank You
Our God Is Near
I just wanted to pop in here at episode 10 and say thank you. Thank you for taking time to listen, to walk with me on this journey and ask the questions that can help us grow in our faith and wrestle with our doubts. I've heard from so many of you already who have told me that you've resonated with some or all of the episodes and I'm so thankful. My desire was just to talk out loud and bring anyone along that wants to join me. Life can be hard. Very hard. And more and more I hear stories that break my heart. Pain, abuse, depression, anxiety, despair. There is...
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009 Where Does It Hurt?
Our God Is Near
WHERE DOES IT HURT? The doctor asks you "Where does it hurt?" but you're not exactly sure. So she begins to poke around to check. Poke... Nothing. Poke... Nothing. Poke... yep, there it is! When she pokes THAT spot, a jolt shoots through your body as you jump up and recoil. She's stumbled upon the wound. It may have been dormant for a while, but when it's poked, all the memories and flashbacks and pain and anxiety rush back. Truth is, each of us has those spots. They may not be clearly seen to the...
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008 Finding God - He Is Not Far From Us
Our God Is Near
FINDING GOD... HE IS NOT FAR FROM US Nearly every week in my Sunday school class we have a word search. I love word searches. Maybe it's the challenge of finding that all-elusive word, like "righteousness", that is backwards and diagonal and hidden in that big forest of letters. As you might expect, the word "God" is present quite a bit, regardless of the topic we're covering. But recently, it just sort of struck me as I "found God" on the word search. It struck me because it caused me to zoom way out and look at why we were even here. Who...
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007 Two Full Years Later
Our God Is Near
TWO FULL YEARS LATER... Are you in a period of waiting? Maybe you've been struggling to feel God's presence or direction, wondering if He's heard your prayers and when things are going to change... if ever. If you only knew how long you had to wait, you could hang in there a little bit longer. It's hard. And some days it feels agonizing. I was reading something recently that helped give me a little bit of hope. And maybe it will for you as well. In the story of Joseph in the Bible, he had just interpreted the dreams of his fellow inmates and...
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006 Immeasurably More
Our God Is Near
IMMEASURABLY MORE THAN WE ASK OR IMAGINE I have to think one of the most often-heard phrases, maybe in private, among Jesus' disciples was this: "I didn't know he could do that." I know if I was one of the twelve, it would be on my mind a lot. As they followed him, they learned over and over that there was more to him than they realized. Every time they'd encounter an obstacle, no doubt they'd look to find a solution based on what they knew of themselves, what they knew of him and the resources they had. And then He would blow their minds by doing something they never...
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005 What Breaks And Heals The Heart
Our God Is Near
WHAT BREAKS AND HEALS THE HEART The heart is a powerful thing. It is strong beyond belief. The heart can withstand just about anything. Pressure. Stress. Disappointment. Pain. But there is one thing that can crumple even the biggest and purest of hearts. Rejection. For those hearts that love deeply, whose passion is to pour themselves out into those they love. For those hearts that delight to bring others joy and fulfillment. For those hearts that ache when others ache and beam when others succeed. For those hearts...
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004 Where Do Our Prayers Go
Our God Is Near
WHERE DO OUR PRAYERS GO? Sometimes I wonder if there is a secret shelf in Heaven. Tucked away in some room... a dusty old shelf that is piled high with prayers. Prayers that seemingly never received an answer. Not a "yes". Not a "no". Just a nothing... at least that we can see. Maybe, just maybe, if we visited this special room we could see the shelf. And on that shelf, we could brush off the dust, rummage through and find those prayers that we've sent up over the years. Prayers of desperation, offered up at the end of our rope, when we had...
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003 Go Get Your Spouse
Our God Is Near
GO GET YOUR SPOUSE... Jesus had a way of mixing things up, doing the unusual and saying things that raised eyebrows. I've read this passage in John 4 tons of times over my lifetime. It's one of my favorites, because of the magic that happens. It's the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. I love it because she was coming to get one thing that day and came away with something unexpected. I love it because it gives us a glimpse into not only Jesus' omniscience but also his deep love for our story and brokenness. I love it because it shows Jesus is...
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002 Empty
Our God Is Near
EMPTY If I asked you how you're feeling these days, is it possible that this is a word that might come to your lips? Maybe because of a vacant space at the table or a voice missing in the room. A familiar face and laugh that won't be seen or heard this year. Maybe because things this year haven't gone the way you ever would have wanted and you just feel drained. Maybe you feel the weight of financial stress that has you reeling and wondering if it's possible to ever get out from under it. Maybe you're struggling with an illness that has sidelined or isolated...
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