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Continue reading →: “A Whispering Call” now available in paperback
In A Whispering Call, Joe LaGuardia explores the treasure of God’s unfolding drama of salvation from the earliest pages of Genesis to the advent of Jesus Christ. It is a celebration of scripture and a plea to take a renewed interest in the First (Old) Testament. “By way of neglect,”…
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Continue reading →: And the Church went away, grieved
By Joe LaGuardia In Mark 10, a rich young man asked Jesus how to possess eternal life. Jesus told him to follow through on the Ten Commandments. The man was religious and had a routine. He served God and made charitable contributions to society. “But there is one thing…
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Continue reading →: Unity and World Communion Sunday
By Matt Sapp The first Sunday in October is World Communion Sunday. So this Sunday at Central Baptist Church, we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper in worship as thousands of churches and millions of Christians all over the globe do the same. Over the years, I’ve developed a growing appreciation for…
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Continue reading →: I went to a preaching conference co-founded by women. Where were the men?
“I am angry.” Although expressed in various ways, this was a common refrain from speakers at the Nevertheless She Preached conference Sept. 23-25 in Waco, Texas.“We’re angry and we sell it, and the Church has a lot to do with it,” claimed Enedina Vasquez… Source: I went to a preaching…
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Continue reading →: The Balancing Act of Being and Doing (Anxiety and Prayer, part 2)
By Joe LaGuardia In her memoir Leaving Church, spiritual author Barbara Brown Taylor talks about churches walking the fine line between putting people to work and encouraging people to take Sabbath rest, promoting spiritual growth and affirming that God loves us as we are, and attracting people to come to…
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Continue reading →: Turn Anxiety, Restlessness into Prayer (part 1)
By Joe LaGuardia Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn…O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night,…
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Continue reading →: Hymnody and Liturgy, the undercurrents of Christ’s Church
By Joe LaGuardia Did you know that the pulpit in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church of Vero Beach is not the original pulpit? That pulpit is in storage. When I first came to First Baptist, the “powers that be” gave me a choice between three pulpits: the one in…
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Continue reading →: Getting back to basics
By Joe LaGuardia It is important for Christians — clergy included — to get back to basics sometimes. You go through the journey of faith, learn new things, meet new people, take on new ministries and adventures. Life happens, and it seems that life happens too quickly. You have to…
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Continue reading →: Book on Old Testament is almost here!
By Joe LaGuardia Books are labors of love. It doesn’t matter if a book is a novel, memoir, fiction or non-fiction, or–in this case–a collection of essays, books take years to put together, edit, tweak, rewrite, love, and hate. It was well over four years ago I began this one,…
Engaging Heart, Mind, and Soul
Rev. Dr. Joe LaGuardia
Rev. Dr. Joe LaGuardia is a pastor, writer, and chaplain residing in Florida. He is author of three books and regular contributor to Smyth & Helwys’ Formations Series. His articles have appeared in USA Today, Baptist News Global, Christian Ethics Today, TCPalm, and Rockdale Citizen.
Baptist Spirituality explores the intersection of faith and culture incorporating biblical scholarship, culture and the arts, politics, science, and theology.
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