The Background Story
"It is finished"
Tag: Lent
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The Good Gift
"I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."
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Expectations Can Be Deadly
"Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest."
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First Lazarus, Now Me
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”
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Light from Darkness; Darkness from Light
"If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see."
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Our Reflection in the Water
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;”
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Step 3: Creating Hope
In the second step, we’ve located the object of our faith: a personal Transcendent Power that is capable of restoring us to sanity. In this step, we’re going to find […]
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The Visible Presence of God
"Then from the cloud came a voice that said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.'"
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Temptations to Sin and Death
"He fasted for forty days and forty nights and afterwards he was hungry."
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Step 1: Powerlessness and Unmanageability
In this segment, we’ll be looking at some of the nagging problems that afflict us all, and show how the first step can initiate the process of spiritual recovery. Here’s […]
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Introduction to Spirituality and the Steps
In this first segment, we’re going to be examining spirituality and giving a brief introduction to the steps. First, we’ll develop a definition of spirituality that consists of four elements: […]
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Rend Your Hearts Not Your Garments
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them."
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Series Overview
Let’s begin by taking a bird’s eye view of what we’re going to be considering for the next six weeks. The title of this series is “Twelve Steps to Spiritual […]
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God Hides in Plain Sight
Showing our true selves is always risky. We risk rejection, especially if we wish to be agents of change. Anyone who promotes change—even change for the better—will encounter opposition.
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Session 6: Chaos Returns
The author wanted people to come away from their writings with a deeper appreciation of the gift of creation and the power of the God who formed it. They also wanted people to better understand humanity’s place within it.
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Session 5: Keeping Chaos at Bay
In this section, we see the Yahwist holding chaos—represented by the desert wasteland—at bay and bringing plants, animals, and humans into the lush garden of creation, not just to enjoy it, but also to work with God in the maintenance of its richness and beauty.
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The Repentant Pharisees
"'Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'"
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Session 4: Creation IB—The Animate World
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.
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The Loving Son and His Older Brother
“’But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”
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Session 3: Creation IA—The Inanimate World
Now, before we charge ahead into verse three of Genesis, let’s take a look at the early history of Israel where the Book of Genesis was composed.