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Gospel Realignment

By admin / September 23, 2016 /

Gospel Realignment I’ve been convinced I need a PSL (and if you don’t know what that is, then you are so not cool) to officially let Autumn cool my soul.  The swaying of my consumer mindset is such that I will absolutely be happier and lighter with some gel insoles.  The holistic deodorant I’ve had my eye on will surely save me from free radicals.  A new bed will most likely make me a new person, and if I use…

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I Demand Justice!

By admin / September 16, 2016 /

The Bible can be hard to read. Have you ever had that thought? Do you think it’s alarming that the Pastor has? It’s hard to read because it’s living and active. You gotta slow down, get close, and do some listening to read God’s Word well. My wife is living and active. Sometimes our communication can be hard. I have to slow down, get close, and do some listening to actually read her. The Bible can also prove difficult because…

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So Long, Self

By admin / September 9, 2016 /

So Long, Self Many of you know that I try to take most Fridays off.  I get up and get Sherry out the door with a kiss and strawberry-banana smoothie.  I see the kiddos off to school. They’re usually excited on Fridays. Then I typically head to the local Starbucks, where I read, think, and do a little writing.  On this morning, a loud, whiney barista keeps shouting, “Courtney, Courtney.  Is there a Courtney in the café?”  There is no…

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What Do You Do In Your Desert?

By admin / September 2, 2016 /

My Jonah Scale Number from last Sunday was 7.1. If you remember, we took a brief test to end our service last week. We considered the current condition of our heart in relation to: peace, control, focus, contentment, relationships, and time. A “1” rating meant that your heart was in a desert. A “10” rating meant that you heart was in a good place. The test is posted on CCC’s Facebook page. A 7.1, it would seem, was a decent…

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Desert Storms

By admin / August 26, 2016 /

Is it easy or hard to admit you’re tired? “Hey, Alan, how ya doin’? What’s been going on? What have you been up to lately? What’s God doing in your life and at Cumberland?” Those are trigger words for me. They trigger adrenaline, fear, guilt, and the newly discovered endorphin unleashed by our pituitary gland called gitbizeenow. Could it be detrimental to our souls NOT to admit that we’re walking in a bit of a dry desert? Could NOT being…

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Stormy Weather

By admin / August 19, 2016 /

When your child runs a fever, is that a good thing?  There’s a viral storm raging somewhere in their body.  Is it possible this could be a good thing?  What parent could possibly give a nod of approval when midnight turns into 1:30 a.m. while nursing a fever? But a fever is a necessary warning sign.  It’s also the wonder of our God-given bodies fighting off an internal storm. Are storms good?  I had to drive home in one today. …

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Interrupted

By admin / August 12, 2016 /

I’ve got an Olympic hangover this morning. I am sleep deprived. Why does Michael Phelps swim ONLY late at night? In TV reality, isn’t this taped? Hasn’t Phelps REALLY swam hours before? Why do I have to stay up so late to see him own the pool? Arrgghhh. But the stories are worth it. Did you happen to catch David Boudia and Steele Johnson winning silver in the Men’s synchronized 10m platform diving? They both claimed their identity in Christ is…

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Baptism Sunday

By admin / August 5, 2016 /

I’ve been listening to hymns this morning. They were stripped down. Piano and vocals. “Jesus Paid It All.” “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Whew. Those are some rich lyrics. They don’t require a large band, strobing lights, and wispy fog to crack my cable-news-hardened heart. Why was my soul enthralled? What was it that warmed and awakened my inner man? Perhaps it was the great vocalists? Maybe the production quality was undeniably compelling. Or maybe… It was the lyrics that really grabbed…

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a glimpse towards Sunday 7.29.16

By admin / July 26, 2016 /

We serve a living Jesus who fills.  “And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”  (Ephesians 1:23) I am full. Each year, Cumberland blesses my family and me with a summer study break.  The purpose is to be filled.  I anticipate this great time each year.  And when it’s over, I’m full.  Perhaps better language is: “Ready to explode!” Sunday is Firehose Sunday.  I’m asking God to…

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Re-Entry

By admin / July 26, 2016 /

Re-entry was the non-topic yesterday as we traveled home from Florida and our 2016 summer study break.  The moment the subject of re-entry came up, someone else shut it down.  Nobody wanted to talk about it, but we knew we had to. For the re-entry process of spacecrafts, millions of dollars are spent.  Re-entry is about friction and drag.  If not navigated correctly, you’ll crash and burn. Rob Irvine talks about re-entry a lot when a team is coming home…

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