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The Spiritual Atmosphere of Your Home: The Quiet Power of Worship

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“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16 There is an atmosphere in every home. Sometimes we notice it the moment we walk through the door. We can tell when a home feels peaceful. We can tell when it feels tense. We can tell when laughter has been normal there, and we can usually tell when everyone has been walking on eggshells. There is something about the tone of a home that speaks before anyone says a word. That is true naturally, but it is also true spiritually. Every marriage creates an atmosphere. Every husband and wife, over time, help shape what the home feels like. Not just by what is hanging on the walls, not just by what music is playing in the background, and not just by whether a Bible is sitting on the coffee table, but by how Christ is welcomed into the ordinary places of life. A home can have Christian decorations...
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America at 250: Young, Imperfect, and Still Blessed

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  America at 250: Young, Imperfect, and Still Blessed God’s Successful Marriage — A Common Man Independence Day Reflection “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” — Psalm 33:12 There is something different about this Independence Day. Every year, the Fourth of July gives us the familiar things. Flags in front yards. Families gathered around food. Children waiting for fireworks. Veterans standing a little straighter when the anthem plays. People wearing red, white, and blue who may not have thought much about history all year, but still know this day means something. But this year carries a little more weight. America is turning 250. That sounds old when we say it. Two hundred and fifty years is a long time for families, towns, churches, farms, cemeteries, battlefields, and memories. It is long enough for generations to be born, raised, married, buried, and remembered. It is long enough for a nation to have songs, sc...
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When "Church Hurt" Is More Than Hurt Feelings

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“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” —Psalm 34:18 There are phrases that become so commonly used that they can begin to lose their meaning. “Church hurt” may be one of them. Someone unknowingly sits in another person’s usual seat and is rudely told to move. Someone is criticized for the way they dressed. Someone is made to feel less spiritual because they listen to modern Christian music. Someone is ignored, excluded, spoken about, or treated unkindly by people who should have demonstrated the love of Christ. Those encounters can be painful. They can be embarrassing. They can make a person feel unwelcome in a place where they hoped to find grace. They should not be dismissed. Christians are commanded to be kind, tenderhearted, patient, and gracious toward one another. When church members behave arrogantly, carelessly, or thoughtlessly, they misrepresent the Savior whose name they carry. A person’s feelings should not be mocked ...
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Honoring Fathers: The Quiet Strength of a Godly Man

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  “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.” — Proverbs 20:7 Father’s Day has a way of sneaking up on us. Mother’s Day often comes with flowers, brunch reservations, cards that make people cry, and a general understanding that we better not forget it. Father’s Day can feel a little different. Dad may get a card, a barbecue tool, a new pair of socks, or, if the family is feeling especially generous, permission to sit in his chair without being asked to fix something. And in true dad fashion, he may act like that is enough. But Father’s Day should be more than a quick thank you, a funny card, or another joke about the thermostat. It should be a moment to stop and honor the role of a father. Not because every father has done everything perfectly, and not because every home has had the same experience, but because fatherhood itself carries weight. It matters, it shapes lives and iIt leaves fingerprints long after the children are grown. A father’s ...
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Putting God First: What It Actually Looks Like in Marriage

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  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Matthew 6:33 There are some phrases we hear so often in Christian circles that we almost stop hearing them - “Put God first” is one of those phrases. It is true. It is biblical. It is needed. But if we are not careful, it can become one of those statements we agree with in church, repeat in conversation, and still struggle to live out in the everyday places of marriage. Most Christian couples would probably say they want God first in their home. They want a marriage that honors Him. They want their children to grow up seeing faith lived out. They want prayer, Scripture, love, forgiveness, and commitment to be part of their marriage. But then real life happens: The bills still have to be paid. The kids still need attention. Work still drains energy. The house still needs to be kept up. Feelings still get hurt. Words still come out wrong. Pride still shows up. Disappoi...
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