tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18981456771979575292024-03-17T22:02:23.992-05:00Chad Selph's BlogOBSERVATIONS AND RESOURCES RELATING TO LIFE AND FAITHChad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.comBlogger17998125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-27150105289156392532023-12-21T20:41:00.002-06:002023-12-21T20:41:46.883-06:00Do They Celebrate Christmas in Heaven? (Pastor Chad's Christmas Eve Sermon Transcript for 2023)As a pastor, I get asked a lot of questions that I cannot directly answer. Some questions have no known answer. I suppose other questions have answers that are beyond our comprehension.<br /><br />Across the years I have been asked a few questions repetitively, such as <i>“where did God come from?”</i>, <i>“where do our pets go when they die?”</i>, and <i>“when will the ‘end of time’ occur?”</i> I have learned to quickly but kindly respond that there are NO dogmatic answers to these inquiries.<br /><br />However, this is one I hadn’t considered before, <i>“Do they celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas in heaven?”</i> While this question fits in the same category of <i>“does not have a dogmatic answer,”</i> I have reflected on this question within the framework of my imagination, and realize that my proposed response may be MORE pastoral THAN theological.<br /><br />Whatever heaven is like, I tend to think that the residents do celebrate Christmas. Now, I am aware that there are theological problems with such suppositions. For example, inhabitants of the earth operate on linear time, and are subjected to aging and deterioration. Residents of heaven seem to live in the realm of eternal time, which has NO beginning, NO end, and NO lapse.<br /><br />The fact that December 25 is our designated day to celebrate, and not the actual date of Jesus’ birth, is also problematic for those who are not willing to make the imaginative leap toward envisioning a Yuletide celebration in heaven. Nonetheless, my hunch is that they LIKELY celebrate Christmas in heaven. Here’s why:<br /><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><b>FIRST</b> – I think there is a perpetual atmosphere of celebration in heaven. So why not celebrate Christmas? The gospels tell us that the angels in heaven rejoice when a single <i>“lost sheep is found”</i> (Luke 15:6). Therefore, the inhabitants of heaven must receive a least a few news flashes from earth. And IF Christ followers on earth are celebrating Christmas, it seems that to some degree a corresponding celebration would occur in heaven.</blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><b>SECOND</b> – heaven is a place of ultimate worship. The Bible indicates that believers from across the ages are singing, <i>“Worthy, worthy is the Lamb!”</i> (Rev. 5:12). When believers around the world gather locally to worship, I envision that we are not alone but are surrounded by a <i>“great cloud of witnesses”</i> (Heb. 12:1). Especially during Christmas, WHEN we worship, I can imagine that the great host of witnesses joins us, <i>“O come let us adore Him when we sing.”</i></blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><b>THIRD</b> – (and I know this sounds a little hokie to some) Christmas would be a great time for a REUNION of the original cast of the nativity. Can you IMAGINE Mary, Jesus, wise men, shepherds, angels, other visitors who were not specifically named in the gospel accounts, gathering to recount that historic night? </blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><b>FOURTH</b> – reason I think they celebrate Christmas in heaven. Although the SON is said to have been present with the FATHER before the foundation of the world, Jesus was physically born into the world on the first Christmas. I grew up singing, <i>“The Birthday of the King.”</i> I can envision Christmas in heaven being the ideal time to gather around a huge cake and celebrate Jesus’ birthday.</blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><b>FIFTH</b> – Christmas would be a great time for a reception for NEW residents in heaven. Maybe that perspective is influenced by my Baptist upbringing…you know, we Baptists will host a fellowship for almost any occasion. BUT, think about this: We have our Blue Christmas service every December for the families of those who lost loved ones this past year. I would like to think that on the other side of the bridge leading to eternity, the Hospitality Committee in heaven is hosting a party for THOSE who have recently arrived.</blockquote><br />YES…I know it is theologically speculative to suppose that they celebrate Christmas in heaven. However, the Bible does affirm that heaven is a place where all things are made new. <i>“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”</i> (Revelation 21:4).<br /><br /><div>There are other biblical clues that indicate heaven is a place of social interaction, familiar acquaintance, and festive rejoicing. But most importantly, if heaven is indeed a place where there is no more sadness, then our loved ones who have preceded us in death are NOT looking over the guardrail of heaven, overwhelmed by the grief of their departure from earth. OF COURSE, it is not that they don’t miss us. It is more like they now have a new perspective on the eternal reality that <i>“is,”</i> while WE live more with the longing for <i>“what shall be.”</i><br /><br />OKAY…so this year, WHEN you see that empty chair at the table, or miss that familiar voice around the Christmas tree, it’s okay to grieve and think fondly of the one who is missing. Just don’t stop there. Imagine the chair they now occupy and the PLACE where their voice is now heard. Go ahead and dream of what it must be like to celebrate your first Christmas in heaven.<br /><br />All over the world churches spend much of December in preparation for pageants and plays on Christmas Eve. Our church began a Christmas pageant that lasted for years. I always found it amazing how much went on backstage before the curtain ever rises in a Christmas presentation. There are props to be made. There are costumes to be sewn. There is childcare to be provided for the cast. There are faces to be made up and platforms to be constructed. There is music to be rehearsed and lines to be memorized. It can be near chaos backstage.<br /><br />But on THIS Christmas Eve when everything is focused on Bethlehem and the manger I would like for us to think a moment about what it must have been like backstage…backstage in heaven, that is. Backstage in heaven our Lord was speaking a farewell to the Old Testament saints, to the angels and to the Father. He, then, laid aside HIS GLORY, stepped over the portals of heaven and into the filth of a Middle Eastern stable.<br /><br />What would He say to the Father as He departed? Before the curtain rose on the greatest event in all of human history, WHAT was the conversation backstage in heaven? Fortunately, the Bible has recorded it for us.<br /><i><blockquote>Therefore, as he was coming into the world, he said: You did not desire sacrifice and offering, but you prepared a body for me. You did not delight in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings. Then I said, “See— it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, God.” (Hebrews 10:5-7 CSB).</blockquote></i>NOW…that for which heaven had been waiting was coming. NOW…that One to whom the prophets had been pointing was coming.<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Way back in the early verses of Genesis the sun of His revelation began to rise casting its shadow for all to see.</li><li>He was there pictured in the skins that clothed Adam and Eve, Isaac’s sacrificial lamb, in the Passover lamb of Egypt and in Isaiah’s fifty-third chapter. </li><li>NOW…on Christmas Eve, it is high noon on God’s clock of revelation. No more shadows. It is NOW <i>“the fullness of time,”</i> and God was sending forth His own son. </li><li>God, Himself, now clothed in human flesh, was stepping out of heaven and into human history. HOW? With <i>“a body You have prepared for me.”</i> WHY? <i>“To do your will O God.”</i></li></ul>Christmas Eve in heaven…what a thought! Most of our thoughts on Christmas Eve are centered around what took place on Earth. The Innkeeper. Joseph. Mary. Elizabeth. Zacharias. The stable. The shepherds. The wise men. The angels. BUT…what about Christmas Eve in heaven? GABRIEL had returned from his visit and had made his report of Mary’s response upon hearing the news. <i>“My soul magnifies the Lord,”</i> she said. He reported on how faithful and obedient Joseph was. He told of the shepherds and their own excitement out in the fields of Bethlehem.<br /><br />All of heaven was now looking over those portals. The <i>“fullness of time”</i> (Galatians 4:4) had come. Even though those on earth were mostly oblivious to this remarkable event, those in heaven were waiting, watching and worshipping.<br /><br />Abel was looking over those portals. He had brought, not a work of his hands, but a sacrificial animal to the altar of worship and God had accepted it. <i>“Now, I see it clearly,”</i> he declares. <br /><br />Abraham was looking over those portals. He had left the land of his father and NOW he watches Christ make ready to do the same. Isaac was peering over the portals also on that Christmas Eve. He had put the wood on his back and carried it up Moriah to be sacrificed himself. NOW, he too, sees it more clearly. <br /><br />Moses was watching. He had taken the Passover Lamb and spread its blood over the doorpost and lintel of the home and found out what it meant to be delivered from death and slavery. <br /><br />Rahab leaned over the portals that Christmas Eve also. Centuries earlier, she had hung the scarlet thread out her window, a picture of Christ and His deliverance for us. <br /><br />Isaiah he was certainly attentive. It was he who had prophesied that <i>“a virgin would conceive”</i> and would give birth to a Son who would later be <i>“wounded for our transgressions.”<br /></i><br />Backstage on Christmas Eve, the Lord Jesus turned to the Father and said, <i>“A body You have prepared for me….I go now to do Your will.”</i><br /></div><div><i><blockquote>“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, CSB).</blockquote></i><i><blockquote>Jesus told Him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 3:16, CSB).</blockquote></i></div>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0Allen, TX, USA33.1031744 -96.6705503000000164.7929405638211549 -131.8268003 61.413408236178846 -61.514300300000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-25861787298838479932023-11-29T11:00:00.006-06:002023-11-29T11:00:49.714-06:00God, the Vending Machine<p><a href="http://www.paultripp.com/default.aspx?p=103468&beid=257531" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b>God, the Vending Machine</b></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “Rather than seeking the
Giver for the gifts that he can provide, seek the Giver himself.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-29781634891490540062023-11-29T10:59:00.010-06:002023-11-29T10:59:53.486-06:00I Need Sundays<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.glennamarshall.com/2023/11/26/i-need-sundays/" target="_blank">I Need Sundays</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> – Where did you “graduate” from your
need for the body of Christ?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-72740163276193650452023-11-29T10:58:00.007-06:002023-11-29T10:58:53.185-06:00Advent Meditation: Hope Fulfilled<p><a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/advent-meditation-hope-fulfilled/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b>Advent Meditation: Hope Fulfilled</b></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “The advent of
Christ wasn’t meant to be a surprise. God had been promising his people a
serpent-crushing offspring from the earliest pages of the Bible (Gen. 3:15).
The real story of Christmas isn’t a story of surprise but of fulfillment.”</span></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-72150001191576772892023-11-29T10:57:00.007-06:002023-11-29T10:57:47.010-06:00Ten Reasons Why Church Membership Is Biblical<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://mitchchase.substack.com/p/ten-reasons-why-church-membership?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1234439&post_id=139198698&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=48i86&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">Ten Reasons Why Church Membership Is Biblical</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “Is
church membership biblical? Yes. The reason is that the biblical nature of
church membership is established from a variety of passages and considerations.
Here’s a cumulative case of ten reasons why church membership is biblical.”</span></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-15475531039100728742023-11-28T15:27:00.006-06:002023-11-28T15:27:46.079-06:00Lord, Save My Great-Great-Grandchildren<p><a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/save-great-great-grandchildren/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b>Lord, Save My Great-Great-Grandchildren</b></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “Like
Spurgeon, we can pray not only for those alive today but for those who will run
the race in the decades and centuries after us. We pray for those yet unborn to
one day be born again. O Lord, save our children and our children’s children!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-11174562978803100132023-11-28T15:25:00.004-06:002023-11-28T15:25:53.512-06:00The Gospel Frees Us to Own, Grieve, and Repent<p><a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scotty-smith/the-gospel-frees-us-to-own-grieve-and-repent/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b>The Gospel Frees Us to Own, Grieve, and Repent</b></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “Of
all people, we should be the most humble, thankful, and kind. When we were
dead in our sins and trespasses, you raised us to new life in Christ.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-45155407705369791112023-11-28T15:24:00.000-06:002023-11-28T15:24:43.664-06:00Do Not Be Conformed to the World<p><a href="https://michaelkelley.co/2023/11/do-not-be-conformed-to-the-world/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b>Do Not Be Conformed to the World</b></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “Christians
should live differently.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-80091633745688863842023-11-28T15:21:00.001-06:002023-11-28T15:21:08.855-06:00Turning Your Complaints into Gratitude – A Great Challenge<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://kevincarson.com/2023/11/25/turning-your-complaints-into-gratitude/" target="_blank">Turning Your Complaints into Gratitude – A Great Challenge</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;">
– “Kevin lays down a great challenge—to deliberately labor to turn your
complaints into gratitude. You will know, of course, that only one of those
comes naturally!”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-62040072906837820962023-11-28T15:20:00.000-06:002023-11-28T15:20:02.862-06:00Jesus was not born in a stable—and it really matters! <p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/jesus-was-not-born-in-a-stable-and-it-really-matters/" target="_blank">Jesus was not born in a stable—and it really matters!</a> – </b><span style="text-align: justify;">“I
have read a number of explanations as to why the common understanding that
Jesus was born in a barn is not exactly accurate. This article lays out the
argument with clarity.”</span></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-40154223568239479572023-11-27T19:44:00.001-06:002023-11-27T19:44:15.057-06:00How to Prevent a Spiritually Dry December<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.knowableword.com/2023/11/24/how-to-prevent-a-spiritually-dry-december/">How
to Prevent a Spiritually Dry December</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “While there’s nothing wrong
with any of these seasonal extras, here’s the truth I tend to miss. My
experience of Christmas will be far deeper and more joyful if I’m connecting my
activities to the Biblical truths of Christmas.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-27408414625241209832023-11-27T19:43:00.001-06:002023-11-27T19:43:03.718-06:00Something for Everyone in the Christmas Story – 20 Examples<p><a href="https://churchleaders.com/outreach-missions/315116-something-everyone-christmas-story-joe-mckeever.html" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b>Something for Everyone in the Christmas Story – 20 Examples</b></a><span style="text-align: justify;">
– “In more ways than we expect, there really is something for everyone in the
Christmas story. Consider this surprising list.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-17306268827844266412023-11-27T19:42:00.000-06:002023-11-27T19:42:05.776-06:004 Feasts We Eat Every Week at Church<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.crossway.org/articles/4-feasts-we-eat-every-week-at-church/">4
Feasts We Eat Every Week at Church</a> </b><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Churches feast on God’s word
during a worship service through at least four means: singing it, praying it,
reading it, and hearing it preached.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-18138658783392234272023-11-27T19:40:00.008-06:002023-11-27T19:40:58.778-06:00I Love My Transgender Child. I Love Jesus More.<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/love-transgender-child-jesus/">I
Love My Transgender Child. I Love Jesus More.</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “How can we ignore that
our son is making himself central and not Jesus?”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-80865514955285075802023-11-27T19:39:00.004-06:002023-11-27T19:39:52.432-06:00Why is Charitable Giving Important?<p><a href="https://www.challies.com/sponsored/why-is-charitable-giving-important/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b>Why is Charitable Giving Important?</b></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “How should we
think about our own giving? I don’t have a formula or a clear target percentage
for you, but Scripture does speak to the motives and purposes of our giving.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-10549775262927601302023-11-27T19:38:00.008-06:002023-11-27T19:38:59.480-06:00Don’t Always Avoid Pain <p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://kuzaapp.com/dont-always-avoid-pain/">Don’t Always
Avoid Pain</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “So, why should we seek to face pains in our lives rather
than avoiding them?”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-86913083443881431452023-11-27T19:38:00.002-06:002023-11-27T19:38:11.869-06:00You Were Made to Never End<p><a href="http://rss.desiringgod.org/link/10732/16469715/you-were-made-to-never-end" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b>You Were Made to Never End</b></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “The world is too small
to fill your heart. The best things that time can give you will leave
unfathomed depths in your soul. It is a beautiful truth that you were made for
eternity.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-89250262202490800922023-11-27T19:37:00.001-06:002023-11-27T19:37:20.255-06:00Everyone Places Limits on Sex, Not Only Christians. Why?<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://africa.thegospelcoalition.org/article/everyone-places-limits-on-sex-not-only-christians-why/">Everyone
Places Limits on Sex, Not Only Christians. Why?</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “We all think that
there should be limits to sex.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-53862032285856793382023-11-21T11:34:00.003-06:002023-11-21T11:34:30.072-06:008 Most Popular Bible Verses During Thanksgiving <p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://research.lifeway.com/2023/11/21/8-most-popular-bible-verses-during-thanksgiving/">8
Most Popular Bible Verses During Thanksgiving</a> </b><span style="text-align: justify;">– “Bible readers seem to
prefer to read verses from Psalms more than any other book of the Bible during
Thanksgiving.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-31144935008635051262023-11-21T11:33:00.001-06:002023-11-21T11:33:36.868-06:00That Bible Verse You Don’t Like and What to Do About It<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://greatandnobletasks.com/2023/11/20/that-bible-verse-you-dont-like-and-what-to-do-about-it/" target="_blank">That Bible Verse You Don’t Like and What to Do About It</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;">
– “Out of the 31,102 verses in the Bible, it’s entirely possible that you don’t
necessarily like every single one of them. That some of them might actually get
under your skin.”</span></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-46542415972142048502023-11-21T11:32:00.003-06:002023-11-21T11:32:12.181-06:00Chief Cheerleader<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://patsykuipers.com/2023/11/19/chief-cheerleader/" target="_blank">Chief Cheerleader</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “I pray you have at least one
person standing staunchly on your cheering corner. Equally important, who might
need your encouragement?”</span></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-16869241582581966612023-11-21T11:31:00.003-06:002023-11-21T11:31:23.163-06:00We Need Obadiah <p><a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/we-need-obadiah/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b>We Need Obadiah</b></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “This strange little book about
Edom appears dark, nationalistic, even vengeful. But it has great relevance for
Christians today. Obadiah gives us several gifts. It shows us our need for
history, eschatology, and Jesus.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-14837657686883905312023-11-20T11:53:00.007-06:002023-11-20T11:53:52.577-06:00Controlling the Chaos of the Holiday Season<p><a href="https://www.epm.org/blog/2023/Nov/20/controlling-chaos-holiday-season" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><b>Controlling the Chaos of the Holiday Season</b></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “Stress
studies show that a sense of control is essential to mental health. Those who
survive captivity with the fewest mental scars are those who maintain as much
control as possible even when so much is out of their control.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-88772806320816533122023-11-20T11:52:00.006-06:002023-11-20T11:52:46.298-06:004 Aspects of Being Made in God’s Image<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://fightoffaithblog.com/2023/11/17/4-aspects-of-being-made-in-gods-image/">4
Aspects of Being Made in God’s Image</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “In considering the image
of God in man, four categories of communicable attributes rise to the top.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1898145677197957529.post-12185158662292407442023-11-20T11:52:00.001-06:002023-11-20T11:52:13.175-06:00How Does Learning Deepen Joy? <p><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-does-learning-deepen-joy">How
Does Learning Deepen Joy?</a></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> – “We are not well-educated people until
we can respond to reality in healthy, mature, virtuous ways.”</span></p>Chad Selph's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01389576424490095108noreply@blogger.com0