Holy Spirit

What Exactly is the Holy Spirit?

Aug
24
2010

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One of the things that’s lately come up here in the comment threads are questions about the exact nature of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God–fully God, not any sort of partial, almost God sort of thing–that any believer in Christ understands resides within him or her. It’s the means by which God [...]

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Do You Bore God?

Feb
10
2010

Christians like to think in terms of themselves or others being “pleasing to God.” But isn’t that about the most boring way of framing your relationship to God? Because who doesn’t know when they’re behaving in a way that’s displeasing to God? Who can’t tell when they’re working against God’s interest? Who sins, and doesn’t [...]

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The Christian Sexual Animal?

Jan
31
2010

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Maybe it’s time (we) Christians quit pretending like we’re so filled with the Holy Spirit that we’ve essentially risen above the rawness of our sexuality.

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Can Christians Lose Their Salvation?

Oct
08
2009

Some of my fellow “fellows” over on Boar’s Head Tavern (the group blog run by the mighty Internet Monk) were discussing the Christian doctrine of perseverance. To this conversation about the possibility of a Christian losing his salvation (an issue I once addressed via my The One Unforgivable Sin), I added this: As to salvation/perseverance: [...]

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No One REALLY Walks and Talks With Jesus

Aug
20
2009

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When speaking about matters of faith, we Christians use (duh: what else?) the only language available to us. But using language to capture the reality of God is like trying to use numbered children’s blocks to teach quantum physics. It’s simply insufficient for the job. By default, then, the language we employ to describe our [...]

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Forget Yourself to Save Yourself

May
20
2009

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When things get tough for us, we think we need to start watching out for ourselves. But the only way any of us can really protect ourselves is by losing ourselves in the service of others.

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Posts by Theme

Christian Issues

The Best Case For the Bible NOT Condemning Homosexuality

Apr
02
2012

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No Christian has to choose between their compassion and their faith in the Bible.

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Relationships

Joseph to Mary: “Who could believe such a thing?”

Dec
16
2011

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A conversation between Mary and Joseph the night before Jesus was born.

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Christian Spirituality

What Jesus Left Out of The Great Commandment

Oct
31
2011

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Here’s what Jesus left out of the Great Commandment—and why.

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Humor

Worst Trucking Slogan EVER

Oct
08
2010

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Truck drivers are so weird.

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Pastor Bob's Corner

A Primer on Islam: The Basics (Lesson 1 of 6)

Sep
30
2011

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Hi. I’m Pastor Bob. This is the first lesson of a multi-week class on Islam I taught for a large gathering of folks from multiple congregations: Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Catholics, recovering agnostics, etc.

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Personal

When Etta James had her way with me

Jan
23
2012

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Right there, in front of all sixteen of us, Etta James became Etta James.

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