Do You Have A That?

All that remains from the tree that started it all is a few logs and some saw dust. Death has prevailed and overtaken life. However, this tree raises another question. With death…was there truly life? Sounds kind of philosophical and we’ll discuss some other time…
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Regardless, it’s our prayer for victory. Instead of logs and saw dust…we want buds and flowers. We want life and rebirth. More importantly…Christ wants life and rebirth. So much so that He died for it. He died for you to have it. For Christ said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” How cool is that! Not just life…but, an abundant life.
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Sign me up. How about you?
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So, we have started the task of writing a curriculum and calculating the unwrapping of this curriculum within group settings. A curriculum to tackle sin…and specifically a silent sin or perhaps a suffocating sin…a sin that deals with the dirty little secrets of life that the church so often ignores. That pornography addiction. That eating disorder. That fear of depression or perfectionism. That…
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We almost all have a that…we keep it close to our chest and wrestle alone. What did Christ mean by an abundant life? After all…I can’t shake my that. Have you ever been there? I have.
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So, please be praying for the development of this curriculum. I trust it will be a process of several months. Also, our application for the status of a 501(c)(3) will be submitted within a few weeks.
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On a separate note...
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These flowers caught my eye. Someone or something has devastated these flowers. A few days ago they were beautiful and elegant. Now…not so much. Man…there’s all kinds of possibilities.
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- The whole enemy comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy angle…
- Or…starting fresh and new. There’s still life. It’s time to rebuild.
- The whole acquaintances verses friends. Note the two pots with the same devastation. Be careful who you hang out with…
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Sometimes…I think I’m a little goofy. I trust my wife will agree. I look at pots and instantly go to sermon illustrations. Some are a stretch and some are pretty cool. But…God has created each of us with our own uniqueness. Our own imprint from the Creator. Praise God! Until next time. Jed.

The Tree That Started It All

Not too far from my office window is a tree. This tree has dual personalities. One half has life. There are birds chirping and leaves rustling. One half has death...barren and desolate. All the same tree…yet life and death clearly represent themselves within the same.
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Sound familiar? After all…you attend church, help your neighbor, love your family, pray every so often, and work hard. You have life! People admire you. People like you. People trust you. But, what if they knew? What if they knew the truth about you?
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You have death! Death that knows you and knows you well. Death that keeps secrets. Death that gently and quietly whispers your name. Death that continually pops up although you try and squelch it over and over again. What is it? What is your death? An addiction, lies, lust, perfectionism, pornography…the potential candidates go on.
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And so the walk continues. The live half trying to outpace the dead half. No matter how hard or how long you try…every time you turn around the dead half remains. You fear the day and believe me the day is coming. The day where the dead half overtakes the live half.
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In a few weeks…this tree will be cut down. The live half will pay the ultimate price due to the dead half…death will have overtaken life.
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And so…832 Ministries has ideas and thoughts of possible ministries…thanks to the tree that started it all.
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“And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Freedom from death. Until next time. Jed.