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Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. Acts 9:13 In theory, I desire the life God wants for me. The problem is that my vision of that life is often quite different from God’s vision. I imagine that following God means the…
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Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. Act 9:8 Mired in my addiction, realizing I wasn’t willing to do what it took to get sober, I once asked God to do whatever it took to get me there. Previously, I’d prayed many times for a miraculous change to…
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See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized? Acts 8:36 This week marks my sixth year of sobriety. Looking back at the profound misery and darkness of my addiction, it’s hard to understand why I didn’t choose recovery earlier. It’s not that I didn’t want to clean up or that I didn’t try.…
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And he rose and went. Acts 8:27 I’ve always been good at coming up with big ideas. My problem is in my follow through. Oh, I can dream big, but when I realize how much work it takes to get where I think I want to go, I don’t want to go as badly. So,…
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For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. Acts 8:23 A friend was recently telling me of a family member’s struggle with cancer which causes intense pain and will likely take his life. In constant discomfort, he requires heavy pain medications. When I heard the story,…
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Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. Acts 8:22 On my third treatment for chemical dependency, I questioned my faith. Despite claiming that I followed God, I’d followed myself into my addiction. In the midst of my destruction,…
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Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. Acts 8:13 In Christianity, we celebrate transformation. In Christ, our lives are supposed to be changed and we’re then supposed to tell others of that change. What we inadvertently do in church sometimes though, is to give the impression that faith means that…
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But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Acts 8:12 One of the pillars of addiction recovery is meeting regularly with others who are also working on recovery. I know this and I want to…
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But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. Acts 8:9 In the news lately, I’ve read stories about those in positions of significant power who fall victim to their own hubris. Believing they can get…
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So there was much joy in that city. Acts 8:8 We all want to be happy, experiencing a joyful life. No one says, I want to be miserable. Unfortunately, though, many of us do live in a state of chronic discontentment. I would suggest that for most of us who have been miserable, we ourselves…
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