Wineskins, Wolves, and Innovation

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Matthew 9:17 – “Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved” (English Standard Version). At first blush, the Biblical principle in Matthew 9:17 doesn’t appear to relate to leadership. After all, … Read More

Praying to Stay Put and Shine

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“You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house.  In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live … Read More

Praying to Help Gather

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Jesus saw the many people and felt sorry for them because they were worried and helpless—like sheep without a shepherd to lead them.  Jesus said to his followers, “There is such a big harvest of people to bring in. But there are only a few workers to help harvest them. God owns the harvest. Ask him to send more workers … Read More

Praying to Come to Jesus

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29) Jesus meets needs. I send this Scripture out pretty often because I need it and maybe we … Read More

Praying for Jesus’ Rest

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)  Jesus is offering us a blessed trade: we give him our weariness and our burdens and he … Read More

Praying for Time

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 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds … Read More

Praying for the Shepherdless Sheep

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Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are … Read More

Praying about my Future

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Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Matthew 13:8)  One of the things Jesus’ teachings do for us is give us a voracious appetite for the future.  This is the conclusion of his famous parable about the farmer scattering seeds over hard, rocky, thorny and good soils.  … Read More

Praying for Authority

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When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:28-29)  Let’s begin our week where the Sermon on the Mount ends. In these early days of Jesus’ ministry, the crowd reaction was amazement. Part of that was the … Read More

Praying to Make Peace

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Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9) One of the reasons Jesus came to earth was to make millions of these. When people step out of God’s plan to try to be their own god, or try to be a god to others, there is no end to the damage done. When the amplitude … Read More