1794 results for tag: Greg Albrecht
How Far Will God Go?
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own ...
In the Name of Jesus by Greg Albrecht
Friends and Partner Letter for August 2021:
...Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.—Matthew 25:40, my emphasis
At five years of age, Joseph Merrick (1862-1890) started to display strange bodily disfigurements. His head slowly became more and more swollen and contorted, as did his right arm and hand. His skin became lumpy and felt like leather—its texture and color like that of an elephant causing him to be known, later in life, as “The Elephant Man.”
Merrick’s mother died when he was eleven, signaling an end for him of being loved for who he was in spite ...
August 2021
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Greg Albrecht: God Is Not Fair– pg. 2
Irene Frances: My Desire to Be Like Jesus– pg. 5
Richard Rohr: God's Creatures Great and Small– pg. 5
Brad Jersak: Was Jesus a Racist? – pg. 7
Prayer – What to Pray About
Prayer is an opportunity for us to listen to God -- we pray not so much that we can change God, but that he can change us. In this program Greg talks about our relationship with God in prayer.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0358.mp3
Free In Christ – Greg Albrecht
Friends and Partner Letter for July 2021:
July is traditionally the month when Canadians and Americans focus on and celebrate our national freedoms. At this time of the year Americans often think of George Washington, our first president, who as the commander of the ragged, ill-equipped Continental Army eventually liberated the United States from the British.
When Benjamin Franklin was the ambassador to France for our newly independent United States of America he was invited to a prestigious dinner (1781). Great Britain and France remained the most powerful nations on earth and their representatives also attended this important event. ...
Grace = No More Scorekeeping
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.—1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Keeping score is one of the fundamental predispositions of human beings. Keeping score is the way we operate, it's the way we gauge our progress and that of others and it is one of the primary ways in which our culture motivates us.
I learned to keep score at an early age via two of my passions—sports and music. The first score-keeping experience I had in sports was with the game of baseball. As I recall, I was about ten years ...
The Not Yet Kingdom Pt. 3
He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God's salvation.'"—Luke 3:3-6
As John the Baptist preached he quoted from the prophecy in Isaiah, which spoke both of his own ministry preparing for Jesus' ministry and Jesus' central message—the kingdom of God. ...
The Already Here Kingdom Pt. 2
Have you ever had the experience of frantically looking for your keys only to find that they are in your pocket, or in the ignition of the car or hanging from the lock on the back door—just where you left them? You may have looked all over the house for your hat, only to find it sitting right there on your head. As you searched and searched, it was there, on your head, all the while.
Just where is the kingdom of God? In Mark 1:15 Jesus said "the kingdom of God is near." In Luke 17:20-21 he says, "the kingdom of God is in your midst." So is the kingdom near, but not here? Is it here, but we just don't know where to look?
The Interpreter's ...
The Already Here Kingdom Pt. 1
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst."—Luke 17:20-21
Larry's boyhood dream was to fly. He joined the Air Force, but never became a pilot, so when he became a civilian, he settled down near the Los Angeles International Airport, so he could sit in this backyard watching jets take off and land. One day Larry had an idea. He decided that it was time for him to stop being a spectator, and become a participant. Larry decided that ...
July 2021
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Articles:
The Father I Never Knew – pg. 1
Get Comfortable With the Questions – pg. 2
How Free Do You Want to Be? – pg. 4
God's Not Through With Us Yet – pg. 5
Life's Lava Tubes – pg. 7
Quotes & Connections – pg. 8
Is It Possible To Be … Spiritual But Not Religious? Greg Albrecht and Brad Jersak
GREG: Is it possible to be … Spiritual But Not Religious?
I’ve previously addressed this topic in sermons and we’ve touched on it in shorter articles as well. But the question is huge because it goes to the morphing of what it means to be church and do church.
Typical 'spirituality surveys' demonstrate that many North Americans believe one can be spiritual without necessarily being religious. Of course, definitions of both words must be considered when this question is pondered. Does ‘spiritual’ refer only to one’s own inner life, or does it acknowledge a spiritual world (including a God) ...
Question: Women in Pastoral Ministry – Greg Albrecht
QUESTION:
I spent some time in two church organizations both of whom believed women should not be involved in pastoral ministry. But I now question this view.
I did make a sort of peace with the idea over the fact that I'd rather hear a woman speak truth than hear a man speak nonsense. In spite of that though, I'm still a bit troubled by the Epistles of Paul on this issue. I'm aware of the argument that Paul's statements were directed to a male dominated culture but that raises the question that if the culture were wrong, why did God cater to it?
What I want to understand is the theology of this issue. I don't ...
Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
What've I got to do to make you love me? What've I got to do to make you care?
—Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word, Elton John, 1976
Unrequited love normally brings to mind memories of romantic, "puppy love" that failed to hear an echo. But teenage infatuations that end in agonizing, emotional dramas are surpassed in intensity by the crushing heartbreak experienced when, for some reason, a parent or child fails to respond to each other. This is a story of a girl and the relationship she yearned to have with her father.
Like many others in her generation, Karen grew up in a home ruled over by an authoritarian veteran of World War 2. Karen, ...
Is God Disappointed With You?
There is no doubt the "disappointed God" must be included in the Top Ten Misunderstandings of God. Here's the heavenly picture this erroneous stereotype creates: the "disappointed God" sits, slumped forward on his heavenly throne, head in hands, peering down, sighing and frowning, disillusioned and frustrated with you and me. This misconception of God presents God as dismayed and despondent because of our seemingly never-ending failures. The "disappointed God" wonders whether you and I will ever learn.
Of course, dissatisfaction exists in our relationship with God, but the frustration is on our part, not that of God's. The disenchantment we feel ...
Who Am I — Who Are You?
Chances are you have asked yourself one or more of the following questions: "Why am I living?" "Am I making a real difference?" "How can I be successful in my life?" "When all is said and done, will my life be regarded as significant or insignificant?"
As we try to answer these questions about what is truly important and how we can be a significant person, our world at large offers counterfeit solutions which lead us through a maze of meaningless activities. A famous musician flying in a private jet is worshipped as an idol—and accorded the ultimate honor of being called a "star" —while a farmer who works the land and produces crops for ...
He is Taking Us to Be With Him – Greg Albrecht
Friends and Partner Letter Dated June 2021
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am (John 14:1-2, my emphasis).
Where will we “go” after we die? What will happen to us? How will we “get” to heaven? If and when we arrive, will “they” let us in? How do we know if we are headed in the right direction so that we will finally arrive? Do we have a “chance” of ...
The ‘WORD’ of God and the word of God
Many Christians speak of the Bible as the word of God. Some even capitalize word (Word) as a term that is synonymous with the Scripture – the Bible. In this context Bible students are motivated by pastors and teachers to “be in the Word.”
I believe the Bible is inspired by God. However, I also believe there is, by design, a substantial human component it the writing, editing, translating, preservation and publishing of the Bible. You have heard the boast made by processed food manufacturers – “untouched by human hands.” The Bible has been touched by many human hands and is therefore fallible and less ...
The Devil and the Problem of Evil – Greg Albrecht
Question:
Some time ago you gave a sermon and talked about Satan, and asked how “real” is he and how “symbolic” is he. I think he is real, and I have many Scriptures that support my conclusion. Of course, I know that there are many references in the Bible which are true but not literally so. Can you elaborate?
Answer:
Some brief thoughts, perhaps if I enumerate them they might be a bit more logical!
The question of the devil, and how “literal” biblical references to his existence are, and how symbolic, is an ongoing discussion – has been for many centuries.
Excuse the ...
The Stretch Marks of a Mother’s Love by Greg Albrecht
Several years ago, an ad agency created a campaign for their clients to impress upon the public at large how important mothers are. They created a set of calculations to help everyone determine how much they owed their mother.
The first measurements were all about the time and effort a mother invests in her growing baby during her pregnancy and during her labor when she gave birth.
The calculations asked each person to include the time their mother spent in labor delivering them—the amount of weight she gained carrying them and the diet she voluntarily followed while she was pregnant to ensure her new baby was as healthy as possible.
...
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