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Lives Hidden With Christ - Reality

You can listen to the full audio of this message here: Lives Hidden With Christ - Reality How do we know what is real? In an age where digital “baloney” flies about everywhere—from our social media feeds to online articles—discerning truth has become a constant challenge.

We are flooded with fabricated content. You might see a quote from a public figure that perfectly aligns with your preconceived notions, so you automatically believe it. But what about the increasingly popular (and deceptive) trend of manufactured positive stories?

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This was a fun read! It kind of felt like reading source material for The Boys, but skipping some of the more depraved stuff.

Finished reading: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson 📚

It boggles my mind that people still post Onion articles as though they are real and legitimately upset by them.

Currently there is a post making its rounds saying that the US Sec of Transportation said pilots need to stop using air traffic controllers.

People think it’s real. It’s satire. Breathe.

Tomorrow night things are going to be a little different at The Acts 13 Network gathering. We will be having our annual congregational meeting. You might think this is only for insiders. But, it’s not. If you have been thinking you might want to come hang out with us, this Sunday would be perfect!

We are providing Kebab Garden for dinner at 5:30 pm. At 6:30 pm, will be the congregational meeting. We will talk about where we’ve been and where we’re going and will approve a budget for the coming year.

We'd love to see you!

Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor folks, do you have a running shoe store you like? I need some new running shoes and want to get fit properly. The last time I did this I went to Ypsi Running, who are now sadly out of business.

“Everyone has the will to win. Not everyone has the will to prepare.” - Bobby Knight

I got some new art that was created by ghostlygideon! They are thoughtful pieces. The first is, “The Things We Never Said” and the second is “Strangers”.

I find them to be hauntingly beautiful. “The Things We Never Said” is a reminder for me to ensure that I don’t leave the important things unsaid. Life is fleeting, we are not promised tomorrow.

What I most appreciate about “Strangers”, is that it gives me the sense that even the figure that is not a shadow, is likely a shadow to the rest. It raises the question in me, “How do you draw the shadows into the light to make one less stranger?”

November golf in Michigan just hits different. What a life I get to live.

Resisting the temptation to hate, requires the courage to be kind.

This quote by Otis Moss Jr, a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr,

“Let it be forever remembered that all racism and hate lead to genocide, (Professor George Kelsey taught us this decades ago), past, present and future. In a society of hate no one is safe. The haters and the hated are in constant danger.

However, Love, Justice, Liberation, Transformation and Reconciliation must be our abiding commitment. This commitment must be kept alive and active from generation to generation.

Our prayer must forever remain: Dear God, make me too brave to hate and too courageous to be unkind.”

After Sundays, I would very much like to simply stay in bed all day. During the warm weather, my Monday morning golf with my dad breaks me out of the doldrums. When it’s cold? Well, it is going to have to be this place.

Gratitude is something that gets lost in the shuffle. It’s an experience beyond thankfulness.

Gratitude is like joy. I need to cultivate it in my soul.

Happiness is fleeting. Joy is sustaining. Thankfulness is fleeting. Gratitude is sustaining.

How do you cultivate gratitude in the depths of your being?

Lives Hidden With Christ - Forgiven

For the full audio of this message listen here: Lives Hidden With Christ - Forgiven

Last week, we began our exploration of Colossians chapter 2, specifically verses 9-12, where Paul speaks of a circumcision not done by human hands—Christ removing our sinful nature, or the “old man.” This concept is deeply connected to this week’s passage, verses 13-15, which form one continuous, profound thought.

There is simply too much truth here to unpack all at once, so this week, we focus on the remarkable work of God as Paul writes:

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness which stood against us and condemned us. He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (Colossians 2:13-15, NIV)

This is the Word of God. Let’s wrestle with what Paul means when he says, “When you were dead."

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Finished reading: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson 📚

This was another fun read in the Cosmere! I am excited to read the next in the series. It’s a welcome change of pace from the non-fiction that I am constantly reading.