At Christmas time, the whole world seems to participate in the giving of gifts. Family, friends, and even co-workers take part in the joy of giving and receiving gifts….
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“…think about these things.” Paul concludes this verse by commanding his readers to think. This word, “logizomai”, means to think, reckon, or take into account and deals with reality…
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“…if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” The last word Paul uses to describe what our thoughts should dwell on, is the word epainos. This…
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“if there is any excellence…think about these things” The word aretē, translated ‘excellence’, is most likely rooted in the word airō, which means to raise or lift up. In…
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“…whatever is commendable…think about these things.” The next word Paul uses in Philippians 4:8 is another word that is only used here, euphēmos. This is a compound of eu…
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“…whatever is lovely…think about these things.” Next is the word “Prosphilēs” which only occurs here and is a supposed compound of two other words: the preposition “pros” mainly meaning…
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“…whatever is pure…think about these things” The fourth word Paul uses is “hagnos”, which can be translated as pure, modest, chaste, immaculate, and (figuratively) clean. “Hagnos” has a close…
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“…whatever is just…think about these things” In today’s society, being right, upright, or just seems to be completely subjective. Someone can be right in following their own moral code…
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“…whatever is honorable…think about these things” Next in Philippians 4:8 is the word “semnos” which can mean venerable, reverend, honorable, highly respectable, highly regarded, and – because of it’s…
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“…whatever is true…think about these things” In Philippians 4:8, the word Paul uses for truth derives from the word “lanthanō” which refers to being hidden or concealed. The negative…
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We face life’s battles everyday, don’t we? Some days we feel strong and courageous, and when life hits us hard we laugh saying, ‘Is that the best you’ve got’….
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“Shocking…incredible…upsetting…worrisome…disbelief…optimistic…I don’t care…exactly what we needed…the worst possible outcome…what do I do now?” Whatever your reaction to the results of the 2016 election, Christians are strongly urged to do…
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Do black lives matter? Do blue lives matter? Does any of it matter anymore? Jocelyn Jackson, the sister of slain Baton Rouge police officer Montrell Jackson, is asking exactly…
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The tongue-in-cheek song from the Lego Movie “Everything Is Awesome” actually tells us that everything is not awesome. The song tells us that we exaggerate things far too often,…
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The great theologian Jonathan Edwards has famously said, “The nature of true religion consists in holy affections.” This idea actually fueled his theology and was is the backbone to…
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In our recent sermon “A Psalm for a New Year”, I challenged us to consider writing a Psalm for either the season before us or for all of 2015….
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