living (267)

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1. Treat others as you would have them treat you:

Treat other people in the manner that you want them to treat you. This is a hallmark of Christianity. Be kind to people, even when they are unkind to you. That way, you set an example for them, you become a representative of the Christian faith.

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you" - Jesus, as quoted in Matthew 7:12 (NIV)


2. Help people:

In Matthew 25:34-40, Jesus tells us that we are to give food to those who are

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Hipster Christianity, Explained

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The heart of the matter, says Brett McCracken, is "whether or not Christianity can be, or should be, or is, in fact, cool."
Author of Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide, McCracken is a self-proclaimed "Christian hipster." In a book and website, he explores the "complex, vast, chameleonic nature of hipsters" and how this classification of person -- embodying a very particular cultural identity -- can interact with the Christian faith.
Living a hip lifestyle can be really cool,
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35891.jpg?w=540&width=333Scripted television still doesn't get evangelicals.
This post contains spoilers for the Dec. 12 episode of Scandal.
A bloody body on the floor is hardly unusual during a mid-season finale, and on ABC's popular drama Scandal, it's practically de rigueur. What the killer said next is less common: "I have committed a sin." And, later, of the victim: "He is a godless sinner and he deserved what he got."
HUNTINGTON THEATRE CO / ERIC ANTONIOU / FLICKR



Last week's episode played out Sally Langston's
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by Louise Lee


Intentional Disciplemaking 

Diciplemaking in the local church is facing great challenges today. 21st century is characterized by the booming of personal technology; using of Internet and mobile phone is so widespread that many European countries are nearing 100% penetration; its influence in Asia is also in the uphill rise. 

The total number of mobile phone subscribers has cruised north of 1.8 billion according to research released today by Informa Telecoms & Media. According to the
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fl-racewalking-0704p46-m.jpgWalking more is a simple way for people at high risk for type 2 diabetes to greatly reduce their risk of heart disease, a new study suggests.



Researchers analyzed data from more than 9,300 adults with pre-diabetes in 40 countries. People with pre-diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke.
All of the study participants were enrolled in programs meant to increase their physical activity, shed excess pounds and cut fatty foods from their diets. T
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7936055889?profile=originalby Louise Lee

INTRODUCTION

The desire to live forever is in the hearts of all mankind. Humanities studies and ancient civilization had testified to this. While "living forever" is still an unattainable myth among the Gentiles, God revealed the "how" to His people more than 2,000 years ago. Among the books of the Bible, Gospel of John contains the most material on "how to live forever" and is most explicit in its presentation. In this regard, this study seeks to explore the development of the ma
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This Battle Is Not Yours, But God's

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by Cindie York


Facing one battle after another and feeling defeated, I turned to the Word of God to find answers and direction. I was seeking an understanding of why I am not receiving the victory. I was searching for the missing link. I know God heard me the first time that I prayed and the hundredth time that I prayed. I know He is more than able and listens to the cries of His children, so why in the midst of turmoil, do I still feel overwhelmed, defeated, anxious, worried? 

2 Chronicles 20
The
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by Gregory Winfield 


Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God (KJV). For the Christian, opportunities to conform to the way the world does things are all around us. It's human nature to want to belong. It's natural to want to be included as opposed to excluded.

Everyone wants to be a part of the cool in crowd, but think about this for a moment. What is cool? Who
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People have described me as fearless, which is funny because I'm scared of everything. A good friend once told me I was the bravest person he knew, also amusing because I live in a perpetual state of anxiety.
I've struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember -- though it wasn't diagnosed until high school. As a kid, I would pace the halls, peering out the window while I waited my mom to return home. Until I saw her car headlights, my brain swirled with dark, brooding thoughts that mayb
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n-GOOD-HOUSEKEEPING-JAN-14-large570.jpgQueen Latifah is the confident rapper-turned-actress that you loved in "Chicago," "Beauty Shop" and "Last Holiday," to name a few. However, Dana Elaine Owens (Latifah's real name) has had a harder time accepting both herself and her rapid success.
Latifah opened up to Good Housekeeping about how she has learned to be happy with herself, in all aspects of life.
The actress spoke honestly about being a bigger woman amongst the tiny starlets of Hollywood. She told the magazine, "...for a lot of
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You Need Detox! Be Transformed

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As you sit quietly thinking about your life, Stop! Read (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV) for yourself, which states,"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." Isn't that great news? Sin is gone forever, but you have the same mind. Do you know how to change your mind? It requires faith in the word of God, it's a simple process, but it takes diligence, persistence, determination, and dedication. God's ways are th
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Kenny-Luck-headshot.jpgAdmit it. You masturbate. Either in the past or recently--heck, maybe this morning. All men, married or single, young or old, struggle with this self-indulgence.



While it would be easy to get caught in the debate of whether or not it's a sin (and I believe it is), let me suggest that, in my own journey as a God's man, the reward of saving my sexual appetite for my wife is so worth waiting for.
But that's easier said than done, especially with culture flaunting the female body and shoving sexu
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Entombed at the bottom of the Atlantic in an upended tug boat for three days, Odjegba Okene. (Youtube screen grab)
After a shipwreck off the coast of Nigeria, a 29-year-old man survived three days at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean while constantly reciting a psalm his wife mentioned to him during their last conversation.
Harrison Okene was a Nigerian cook on the tugboat Jascon 4, which was one of three vessels pulling an oil tanker. It capsized and sank about 32 kilometers off the coast o
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How to Avoid Winter Weight Gain

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Winter might not officially kick off until December 21, but the temperature's dropping, we're getting all bundled up and the comfort food-filled holidays are just about here. And let's face it: braving the cold, hiding under a bunch of layers and being surrounded by indulgences can be the perfect recipe for packing on a few pounds.
Marjorie Korn, SELF magazine's associate editor of food and nutrition, stopped by HuffPost Live just in time to share the five best tips to avoid gaining weight th
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One of Nelson Mandela's famous quotes was also an expression of a deeply Christian idea - "until I changed myself, I could not change others". That expression of being born again, the need for internal revival before one can lead others to their own change, was just one of many expressions of faith Nelson Mandela shared throughout his life.
Although it is almost universally agreed that he was a Christian, his exact denominational allegiances remain a source of discussion. While some have sugge
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Today's reader question is one I get asked a lot, even in person, but often in whispers: Is it okay to take sexy pics for my husband?

 

After all, he's allowed to see you naked, so there's nothing actually wrong with it, right? And there are even "classy" places that will do boudoir photo shoots, with you in lingerie. That would be a good gift, wouldn't it? Especially if he were going away for a time (like a military deployment)?
Well, let's think this one through, because I don't think i
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112602.jpg?width=167Jim Powell began his ministry leading a church of 50 people, which isn't bad if you consider the fact that the town only had a population of 100. Today Powell pastors Richwoods Christian Church, a multisite congregation in Peoria, Illinois. But he's never lost his passion for small churches. Powell founded the 95 Network, which aims to equip the 95 percent of churches in the United States with fewer than 800 members. Recently, Powell stopped by the offices of Leadership Journal. Over deep dish
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Magic Johnson poses with E.J. and his wife, Cookie.
Former NBA player Magic Johnson opened up to Anderson Cooper on Dec. 2 about his son, Earvin Johnson III, and how EJ's sexual orientation doesn't change his support or his Christian religious beliefs.
"And I go to church, I'm a Christian, but the reality is, my son is gay," he said. "That is the reality. And I tell pastors that, I tell other pastors that. I tell black Christians who came out with me. But I say, I love my son, nothing is
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by Irma Green

 

Galatians 4:1-7 - Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons, and becau
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Thanksgiving in Prayer

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by Yuri Solomon

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4)

There are four aspects to devotional prayer. Someone created an acrostic that is very helpful in remembering all four aspects: A.C.T.S. "A" stands for "adoration"; "C" stands for "confession"; "T" stands for "thanksgiving," and "S" stands for "supplication."

The greatest facilitator of peace through prayer is not partition but thanksgiving; it is not leaving what concerns you at the altar, but the attitude in which you approach t
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