He Is Mine, I Mean I Am His
We all belong to Jesus. We are all loved by the Father. We are all empowered by the Spirit. We are all God’s. Even (especially?) when we make mistakes.
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American(ism) Idol
Good things can become idols if we put them above God. Even when Jesus raised the dead, many of the religious leaders of his day seemed more concerned with their nation, their power and freedoms, and their temple than with the God they claimed to worship in that temple. We are continually called to let go of our idols and put God first.
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The Sheep That Have a Name
Be assured that your good shepherd cares for you. He knows you by name, and he will be your gate, your bread, your light, your life, your true vine, and your way.
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Low Sunday
What Jesus did for us, he did because he was both crucified and risen. What Jesus did for us, he did because he was both human and divine. What Jesus did for us encompasses both Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
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Follow Me
Suddenly sometimes strange happens in the text. Peter asks, “What about him, though?” He points to the disciple whom Jesus loved following behind. I always thought it odd that he would ask and I still cannot be quite sure why he does so. However, I am always moved by Jesus’ persistent redirection: Peter, follow me. Stay in your lane. Don’t compare yourself. Keep your eyes on me. Not on him.
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The Light of the World
When faced with hunger, blindness, death, fear, and confusion—of our own making or outside of our control, in our individual lives or in the life of the world—we have a Savior who is our mighty help.
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Jesus Crucified But Not Completely Alone
As Jesus was crucified, he experienced profound aloneness. But he wasn’t completely alone. Several of his followers – mainly a number of women – stayed with him and even drew near to him as he was daying. This reminds us that we need others with us when we suffer. It also encourages us to be with people in their pain. As it says in Romans, “Weep with those who weep.”
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Jesus Prayed That We Don’t Do It Alone
Jesus’s prayer in John 17, with its striking request that all disciples of Jesus be unified, underscores the truth of the “can’t do it alone” principle. It also challenges us to examine our own lives. Are we experiencing in our relationships the unity for which Jesus prayed? Are we helping our church to be more united and less divided? Are we living each day in the reality of the oneness we have with our brothers and sisters in Christ?
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The Church and Consumerism, Part 1
When people approach church as consumers shopping for a product, it is tempting for Christians—especially church leaders—to respond with a similar mindset: to view church as a product that must please customers in order to sell. Jesus calls us to a different approach than a consumer model. Though it is often not a popular message, the Gospel should always point to Christ, and through Christ back to the Father.
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Fruitful in Relationship
You can do good through your individual efforts, to be sure. But you will only experience full and true fruitfulness in relationship with others. If you want to make a difference that matters in this world, you can’t do it alone. Community is essential for fruitful living.
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Words of Spirit and Life
Jesus said that his words are spirit and life. Life for Leaders, the daily, digital devotional of the De Pree Center, exists to help you experience the abundant, eternal life of God all that you do, especially in your work and leadership.
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It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
The first chapter of the Gospel of John doesn’t begin like any of the other Gospels. Matthew roots the coming of Jesus in the history of Israel.
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Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
What implications does the idea of relating to those around you with the same mutual, self-giving love that characterizes the Trinity have for your life and work?
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The Peace of Christ
No matter how dark it gets—even up to and including death itself—the peace of Christ is available to us, given anew over and over again by the Holy Spirit.
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And Our Despair He Turns to Blazing Joy
Think of those disciples on the shore of the Sea of Tiberius. Confused, caught between the old and the new, puzzled by their post-Resurrection meetings with Jesus, fishing in the dark and catching nothing.
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