September 2013
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Devotion: Joseph – From Slave to Deputy Pharaoh
The story of Joseph is familiar to many of us because of Sunday School or dramatizations like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This story also helps us see how God was indeed with Joseph and how God prospered Joseph even through some terrible situations. If you haven’t read chapter 3 of The Story, you could…
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Devotion: The Story – Abraham
The focus for this week is the story of Abraham and the building of a nation. I suggest starting with reading The Story, chapter 2. If you need a book, they are available at church. If you weren’t able to be in church on Sunday, we covered a lot in the sermon (see “References” below for…
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Devotion: The Story – Creation part 2
The wonder of Creation often becomes burdened with the politics of environmentalism, the deep questions of existentialism, and the theological dissection of precisely happened at Creation and how long it took to transpire. It’s good and natural for us to question and dig deeper – and I hope you do. As I see it, the…
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Church Size and Ministry Effectiveness – What is God’s Role?
I was thinking this morning about large and small churches – churches that seem to have near limitless funding and people to provide great services and ministry – churches like Lakewood (Joel Osteen), Willow Creek (Bill Hybels), Saddleback (Rick Warren), and McLean Bible Church (Lon Solomon). Regardless of what issues or concerns we have with…
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Devotion: The Story – Creation
This is where it all begins. Week 1 of “The Story” … Creation. Even now, so many people study and debate what happened at the beginning – where we all came from – what started it all. As a pastor, people often ask me about Creation: Was the universe created in a literal 7…
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Devotion: Mediocrity, Excellence and Jesus’ Teaching on Humility
Humility isn’t really a prized cultural value, is it? That’s what makes the reading from Luke’s gospel so difficult. Take a moment and read through the gospel. You may also want to listen to this week’s sermon to get a feel for the breadth of the gospel reading. When we speak of humility, doesn’t it…
Epicurious Lutheran 