2011 Archives: Hope for Life
by Tim Archer — Dec 28th, 2011
Christmas is past, and the New Year is right around the corner. Have you made any resolutions yet? Researchers from the University of Scranton found that 40 to 45% of American adults make resolutions each year. They also found that only 75% of those resol... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Dec 21st, 2011
Realize that Jesus did not come to earth so we could celebrate a birthday. He came to save us from our sins. ... (
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by Tim Archer — Dec 14th, 2011
I have to confess: I like looking at extravagant Christmas gifts. Not out of any desire to give or receive them. I just like to marvel at what's available.... (
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Older Articles from 'Hope for Life'
by Steve Ridgell — Dec 7th, 2011
Spiritually we are unlovable, hungry, mangy, and slinking through life with our tail between our legs.
... (
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by Bill Brant — Nov 30th, 2011
It's awkward isn't it? "Happy Thanksgiving" no longer applies. "Survive Black Friday" doesn't seem appropriate because you did. And since it's the last day of November it's a bit early to say "Merry Christmas". So we're stuck with "Season's Greetings" or ... (
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by Tim Archer — Nov 23rd, 2011
There are lots of reasons to give thanks. It doesn't always seem that way, but if we put our mind to it, we can usually think of more reasons for being thankful than for complaining.... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Nov 16th, 2011
Trying to live a new life without getting rid of the old life is not going to work well. It cannot.
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by Tim Archer — Nov 9th, 2011
How many people actually listen to the safety demonstration on an airplane? Nobody thinks that their plane is actually going to be involved in a crash. Besides, if you fly very often, you've heard the same spiel dozens of times. It almost seems like a was... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Nov 2nd, 2011
So some people God fixes… some He doesn’t. What makes the difference?
It is a choice. Our choice. ... (
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by Bill Brant — Oct 26th, 2011
The sex was good, the rival eliminated, the baby bump was beginning to show and the whispers and gossip were flying. Then with a point of an aged finger and words that must have caused his head and heart to quake, "you are that man" everyone knew.... (
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by Tim Archer — Oct 19th, 2011
It's said that the opening of a book is extremely important. The writer needs to engage his readers from the outset, filling them with a desire to read more.... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Oct 12th, 2011
Church is where healing happens. It is where broken lives are restored. ... (
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by Tim Archer — Oct 5th, 2011
People love stories. They love to hear them. They love to tell them.
It seems to be natural. Have you ever met a child that didn't like stories? That didn't want to be read to at night?... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Sep 28th, 2011
Believe in Him and live with God forever. Choose not to believe and be separated from God forever.... (
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by Bill Brant — Sep 21st, 2011
We are connected to our iPhones, iPads, iTouch, iTunes, iMac, iChat, but have we lost the connection to the I AM?... (
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by Tim Archer — Sep 14th, 2011
There's an amazing story about Jesus and a man named Jairus who was a religious leader, one of the rulers of the Jewish synagogue. At that time, that would have made him unlikely to go see someone like Jesus. But Jairus went.... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Sep 7th, 2011
We make a series of choices every day based on the relationship we have with Jesus. ... (
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by Tim Archer — Aug 31st, 2011
On a recent trip to Florida, I heard someone commenting on the traffic problems in Orlando. This person cited a study which indicated that the congestion was caused by the number of people who aren't sure where they're going. ... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Aug 24th, 2011
We need to stop misrepresenting the Christian life.... (
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by Bill Brant — Aug 17th, 2011
She approached cautiously and her eyes never left it. When her hands touched it, it was a caress, not a grab.... (
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by Tim Archer — Aug 10th, 2011
It was a sunny August morning. For me, it was THE sunny morning. I couldn't remember when everything had seemed so bright. The whole world around me felt clean. I felt clean.... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Aug 3rd, 2011
I have found the answer in God, and so have millions of others throughout the ages. He will get me through anything this life throws at me.... (
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by Tim Archer — Jul 28th, 2011
Billy the Kid is still waiting for his pardon. The notorious teenage outlaw was promised amnesty by New Mexico Territorial Governor Lew Wallace back in 1879 in exchange for testimony against three men in a murder trial. Apparently, Wallace never kept his ... (
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by Tim Archer — Jul 13th, 2011
I think we need to raise our vision. We need to accept that churches are made up of humans, with all their flaws. When we become part of a group of believers, we are seeking more than human interaction;... (
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by Bill Brant — Jul 6th, 2011
It was a chanced exchange that happens when you sit next to someone on an airplane. "What does Herald of Truth do?" she asked. I smiled and gave my standard reply, "We tell people about Jesus." ... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Jun 29th, 2011
Creation, changed lives, answered prayers. To me, that is evidence of a God greater than my understanding.... (
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by Tim Archer — Jun 22nd, 2011
Summer starts this week. Officially, that is. In the Northern Hemisphere. According to astronomers, who wait for the solstice to declare that summer is actually here.... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Jun 15th, 2011
Church is a place for us to help each other, not just a place to receive help.... (
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by Tim Archer — Jun 8th, 2011
In the Bible, we read about something called the Sabbath. It was a day of rest. One day each week, God's people were to abstain from work.... (
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by Bill Brant — Jun 1st, 2011
It was an email that carried the news. It was one of those things that catches you off guard and makes you think. I needed to express my appreciation, my honor of their work, so I wrote my email and addressed it to their daughter.... (
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by Steve Ridgell — May 25th, 2011
This good news is not just something for me to intellectually acknowledge, but something I get to participate in.... (
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by Tim Archer — May 18th, 2011
Forty days after being raised from the dead, Jesus Christ was taken to heaven. At that time, his followers were told, "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). ... (
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by Steve Ridgell — May 11th, 2011
When I have trouble understanding the Bible, I try to remember that the focus is Jesus.... (
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by Tim Archer — May 4th, 2011
Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved to read. One of my greatest joys during the summer was our biweekly trip to the library. I would carefully seek out the seven books I was allowed to check out, knowing that these would have to last me for the next two... (
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by Bill Brant — Apr 27th, 2011
He knew the answer before he asked the question. He was one of the outstanding Hebrew scholars of his time, noted author, recognized speaker, leader, prisoner and eventually martyr for a religious cause.... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Apr 20th, 2011
We are buying toys that will be thrown out someday. But our family will be together forever.... (
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by Tim Archer — Apr 13th, 2011
My head gets sunburned. It didn't used to, but now I have to be careful when I go out. If I'm in the sun for more than a few minutes without some sort of hat, I'll probably spend the next few days with an itchy scalp. For some reason, my head burns more e... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Apr 6th, 2011
But for me to assume I understand God is a serious mistake. I might end up thinking God is the way I want Him to be, or imagine He should be.
... (
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by Tim Archer — Mar 30th, 2011
What do you think of when you hear the word "church"? Do you think of a grand cathedral with awe-inspiring architecture? Do you picture a quaint white country structure with a bell in the steeple?... (
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by Bill Brant — Mar 23rd, 2011
"Let your Yes be Yes and your No, No." The words in Matt 5:37 were spoken by Jesus as he explained that swearing by something or making an oath based on validation should not be necessary. When you say something, your actions must support your words.... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Mar 16th, 2011
I know my life is better with God. He will protect me, feed me, and care for me.... (
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by Tim Archer — Mar 9th, 2011
Have you heard that July 2011 will have 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays and that this pattern only occurs once every 823 years? Has anyone ever told you that the Great Wall of China is the only manmade object visible from space? Does the phrase "we o... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Mar 2nd, 2011
When I became a follower of Jesus, my old self changed. I received the Holy Spirit to help me become a new person.... (
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by Tim Archer — Feb 23rd, 2011
Most of us have been straightening up around the house at some time and stumbled upon something that we weren't expecting. Maybe it's something that we thought was lost or a memento that we'd forgotten about. But few of us have found a 500-year-old mural.... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Feb 16th, 2011
He begged God to wash him in order that he would be whiter than snow. Forgiven. Cleansed. Restored. Faithful.
... (
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by Bill Brant — Feb 9th, 2011
The call went out and he answered it right away, without knowing any of the details. "Send me" were his words. Then he found out what he was to do, tell everyone in the geographic area that calamity and destruction were coming.... (
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by Tim Archer — Feb 2nd, 2011
"That's right, woodchuck-chuckers -- it's ... Groundhog Day!" You may or may not recognize that line from the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day." And if you don't live in the United States, you may not even know that February 2 is Groundhog Day, the day wh... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Jan 19th, 2011
Believe God is real and that He will fix the world we have destroyed, or believe He does not exist and just live with the way things are.... (
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by Tim Archer — Jan 12th, 2011
I like the story of Gideon in the Old Testament of the Bible. Gideon was an Israelite who lived in a time when a foreign power, the Midianites, were constantly invading Israel. These raiders would wait until the crops were ready to harvest, then they woul... (
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by Steve Ridgell — Jan 5th, 2011
Have you ever realized that life just was not working for you? ... (
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