Contributed by Mark Opperman on Jan 3, 2008
-[Illustration] Some of you are aware that Robin and I are in the middle of a house hunt. We would like to buy a house, and live there for quite awhile, if the Lord is willing. We have wanted to buy a home all along, but I just always assumed that we did not really have the buying power to purchase
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Denomination:
Assembly Of God
Contributed by Mark Opperman on Jan 3, 2008
-Why do we sometimes hold on so tightly to things God is asking us to let go of? God really does want to bless us with His very best, but we can get so attached to the things of this life that we aren’t willing to release them to Him.
-One little girl saved up her money for weeks and weeks. She
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Denomination:
Assembly Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jan 7, 2008
In Irresistible Revolution Shane Claiborne tells about his decision to go to Iraq before the war began. He counted the cost finally deciding to go Iraq to stop terrorism and the war in order to love our enemies. After spending much time in Baghdad in the midst of the bombing, he and his friends
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jan 7, 2008
When we came home on New Year’s Day, the weather got pretty bad east of Cleveland. We planned to stop and did stop at exit 223 for gas, bathroom, etc. And it was pretty bad. We had been going the last 25 miles at about 40 mph. And we were moving faster than a lot of folks. We saw several cars in
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jan 7, 2008
The problem is there are times when we don’t feel like we are a new creation. Like the group of women that met for an afternoon of lunch and shopping. At lunch they began to share some of the things in their lives. Superficially at first but then they moved into more intimate topics and details. It
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Opperman on Jan 10, 2008
-Someone might say, “Well, God does not raise dead people anymore.” I would agree that it is not very common, but the Lord still does it. I have told some of you about my own experience with death. When I was between 1 & 2 years old, I got a hold of a piece of wood from an old orchard sprayer tank.
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Denomination:
Assembly Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jan 14, 2008
When Shane Claiborne was in Baghdad during the initial stages of the Iraqi war as a civilian and peacemaker, he attended a birthday party for a girl whose family he had become friends with. She was turning 13. (I told the story last week of Shane’s harrowing escape from Baghdad in the midst of
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jan 14, 2008
based on 2 ratings
| 1,994 views
Before I read as this is a new year, I wanted to share with you last year’s winners for the wackiest label contest. These are labels that seem the most ridiculous sponsored by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch. I’ll start with some of the honorable mentions.
Cyndi LaMonde of Traverse City submitted a
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Opperman on Jan 21, 2008
based on 2 ratings
| 2,276 views
-Barnabas was seeing so many people come to Jesus that he knew he needed more help. So, he set out for Tarsus (probably on foot) to find Saul. Tarsus was 100 miles around the NE corner of the Mediterranean Sea from Antioch. It probably took him a few days to get there. Why did he go to all that
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Denomination:
Assembly Of God
Contributed by Mark Opperman on Jan 21, 2008
based on 11 ratings
| 2,094 views
-ILLUS: One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway , it just wasn’t worth the effort to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his
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Denomination:
Assembly Of God
Contributed by Mark Nichols on Jan 22, 2008
ILLUSTRATION: I want to show you a moving video I saw on ESPN in October. So if the video is cued up, we’ll watch it. (Show video of Charlotte and Emmitt Ray - “Ray of Hope..aired on espn October 2007) The link is found at:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=rayofhope
Did you
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Denomination:
Christian/Church Of Christ
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 4, 2008
based on 1 rating
| 1,507 views
Our lives are filled with signs and symbols. It has been estimated that we observe over 15,000 images a day. I believe more and more that we need Spiritual signs to help us negotiate this world more so than ever. Baptism is one such important sign. It is sign
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 4, 2008
based on 2 ratings
| 3,027 views
As a result of poor planning, Dennis from Kay, Texas, needed some same-day dry cleaning before his trip. He went to a store that said, “One-Hour Dry Cleaners.” “I need this in an hour,” he told the clerk.
She said, “I can’t get this back to you until Thursday.”
“I thought you did dry cleaning in
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 4, 2008
based on 2 ratings
| 2,156 views
Shane Claiborne tells about how his little community of faith received some money. First, they won a lawsuit against the police of New York for misconduct. Shane with several hundred people had protested the arresting of people for sleeiping outside by sleeping outside. They were arrested, charged,
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Scripture:
Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Hiehle on Feb 6, 2008
based on 1 rating
| 3,073 views
Before a clear clarion call from God is realized, the whisper of a dream or
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Scripture:
Denomination:
Nazarene
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 11, 2008
based on 3 ratings
| 2,727 views
I am reminded of the guy who shows up at heaven’s gates. Peter asks him, “Did you do anything self-sacrificing or noteworthy to show that you loved God and loved others.”
“Well,” he replied, “There was one thing. I saw an old lady that was being taunted and ridiculed and physically abused by a
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 11, 2008
There is story that probably was not real but like any parable simply conveys a deeper sense of truth (stories often do that which is probably why Jesus used so many stories to talk about the kingdom). In this story an elderly woman has learned that she has an inoperable, terminal illness. She
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 11, 2008
There is an old story of a pastor that plays hooky from church and goes to the golf course. Peter points out the pastor’s sin and God tells Peter that He will punish the pastor. The pastor proceeds to play the greatest game of his life. His drives were long and straight. His putts were nothing but
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 12, 2008
Interactive Worship (praying for one another)
At this point a chair is brought out called the mercy seat and people take turns sitting in the chair as others gather around to "lay hands on" and pray for.
(sorry this is not really a
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Denomination:
Church Of God
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