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Showing posts from October, 2018

Beauty Driven Duty

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Whether we know it or not, our lives and communities are walking billboards for Christianity.  Recently I visited a Christian university for homecoming and one thing that stood out to me was the joy of the students.  Everyone greeted us with a sense of excitement.  Our visit was encouraging and uplifting because of the joy that surrounded us.  It got me to thinking, how is my joy quotient?  When people are around me, do they sense joy, or a lack of joy?   Joy is not something that needs to be painted on the face of the Christian, but instead is the natural result of correctly understanding the love of Christ for sinners. When the gospel is rightly understood, it should kindle a sense of Christ's beauty.   Tony Reinke in his book "John Newton and the Christian Life" reminds us that a life without joy in Christ is a life that lacks proper focus.  The Christian life is about vision, a proper vision of Christ.  Reinke writes, "when your hearts feel the comforts of God