Archive for the 'Sermon on the Mount' Category

Liken All Scriptures: Matthew 7:1-2


Which statement best describes the post-mortal fate of the 9/11 terrorists?

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Common Scriptures in Review: Gender & the Sermon on the Mount


I absolutely LOVE the Sermon on the Mount. It is my second favorite passage in all our recorded scripture – right behind the Intercessory Prayer.  However, we often forget that it was delivered to . . . his disciples . . . not to the multitude who had gathered because of his fame.  Continue reading…

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Good Man Gone


A week ago, I attended the viewing and funeral of a man in our stake who died of an unexpected heart attack.  He was in his 50’s, had just been to the doctor and been pronounced fit as a fiddle, was losing weight and feeling great.

He was the Bishop of his ward, and his wife had been cancer free for just over a year.  His son flew home for the weekend, after which he returned to finish his mission. Continue reading…

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Interfaith International British DJ


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OK Paul technically isn’t exactly an international DJ, not unless you consider that you can listen to his interviews on line.

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More Christ At Church


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The mission of the church is to bring people to Christ (it is not the tri-fold mission of proclaim the gospel, perfect the saints and redeem the dead).  Yet many members feel that the focus on Christ is missing in our weekly worship.  So, what’s the best way to bring Christ back to the center of our Sundays? Continue reading…

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Horus Bible Parallels


Recently I saw Religulous here and he touched on Horus here and a few of the parallels between the story of Horus and Jesus.

Many Mormons when they start delving and  unravelling events in our history also delve into what they can find out about (possible origins)

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Little Lord Jesus, No Crying He Makes


Sometimes, I have to say to my creedal Christian friends, in all sincerity:

We really do worship a different Jesus than you do.

I mention sometimes to my family and friends my frustration over certain song lyrics and how they influence how we view Jesus, his mortality and His perfection. I realize it bothers my wife that I obsess over two particular phrases, from two particular songs, but they represent to me much of what is wrong (even “abominable”) about the perceptions and teachings that have come down to us through the ages.  These phrases are:

“Little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes,” (Away in a Manger) and “He never got vexed when the game went wrong, and he always told the truth.”  (Jesus Once Was a Little Child)

Then I realize that the second song is a uniquely Mormon song, and I recognize that the fruits of the Great Apostasy still have not been rooted out of our minds completely.

Continue reading…

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How Active Are You? How Orthodox Are You? A Self-Assessment


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Take this assessment and find out:

(Taken from D. Jeff Burton’s For Those Who Wonder : forthosewhowonder.com. Similar to a Correlation Department survey on Religion and Life conducted among LDS Church members in the mid-1980s)

Section I: Measures of Participation and Activity in Standard Church Programs

1. How often do you attend the temple? Continue reading…

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Foundations of Becoming: Thoughts on Spiritual Poverty


Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

As I was pondering the phrase “poor in spirit” recently, it hit me pretty hard that, in our modern society, we so marginalize and disdain poverty that we probably miss much of the meaning embedded in the phrase “poor in spirit” as a **desirable** trait. Therefore, I started thinking about the implications of poverty – what it means not as defined in the dictionary, but rather in practical terms. Iow, what does it mean to **BE** poor – particularly in ways that can be seen as bringing blessings? Continue reading…

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