Faith
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What Are You Building?
Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unlessthe Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.– Psalm 127:1 I’ve always loved building things. One of my fondest memories takes me back to my senior year of high school, where I was in vocational school (carpentry)… Continue reading
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The Greatest Question in All the World
“Amazing love! how can it beThat Thou, my God, should die for me?“– Charles Wesley, “And Can it Be That I Should Gain” (1738) He was one of many, and yet there was something different about him from the others. Although a prominent religious leader, he wasn’t so rigid in his religious tradition that he… Continue reading
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The Man Who May Dwell With God
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile… Continue reading
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The Struggle of Faith
“How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is… Continue reading
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Jesus Didn’t Plead the Fifth
Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” – Luke 22:71 I think it’s good for us to sit with this verse for a bit. It might speak to us more than we realize. Luke lets us see how quickly things move. Jesus is brought… Continue reading
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You’re Not an Afterthought
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? – Romans 8:32 When I read Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome, it’s like standing before a buffet with all of my favorite foods. It’s so hard… Continue reading
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What Moves You?
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” – Mark 13:1 Just moments before this scene in Mark 13:1, Jesus and His disciples were inside the temple. While there, He drew their attention to something that no one else noticed but Him.… Continue reading
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If Fig Trees Could Talk
Some thoughts on fruit, faith, and what God is really looking for. If trees could preach sermons, the fig tree would be one of Israel’s best pastors. It grows where life seems unlikely – rocky ground and thin soil. Not exactly prime real estate! And yet the fig tree thrives there. That alone should catch… Continue reading
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Missed Moments to Love Well
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. – James 4:17 All throughout his letter, James spurs his audience into action. They are to be “doers of the word and not just hearers” (James 1:22). Faith without action is no faith at all. Jesus… Continue reading
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A Faith Strong Enough to Carry Someone Else
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”– Luke 5:20 There’s something important in this verse that’s easy to miss if we’re not paying attention. Jesus didn’t respond to the faith of the lame man. Scripture never mentions if he had any. What Jesus saw was the faith of his friends.… Continue reading
About Me
Welcome! I’m Scott (aka Former Blackout Artist), and I’m so happy you decided to drop in! I hope you find the content here spiritually enlightening and uplifting. Most of all, I hope that my love of Christ is revealed through my writing and that it encourages you in some way today. Thanks for stopping by!