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Continue reading →: A Doubter’s Prayer
So many Christians in our culture shy away from church and, often times, God because they have doubts about life, faith, and family. People feel bad that they doubt. They desire greater faith, but can’t figure out how to inspire hope and security. Yet, doubt and faith are two sides…
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Continue reading →: Powerful Bread, powerful wine: Eucharist from a unique Baptist perspective
During communion several Sundays ago, I had a chance to reflect on the Great Recession and recent hardships facing Christ’s Church in North America. The lousy economy, a growing atheist movement unashamedly spreading the non-gospel of unbelief, waning baptism and attendance records in churches, and weakening denominations confront Christians with various challenges.…
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Continue reading →: Commit to a Spirit-filled life in the New Year
“When Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:6). I remember the first time I got a taste of the charismatic movement inspired by the Brownsville and Toronto revivals of the mid-1990s. I was walking into a…
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Continue reading →: A Costly Christmas: Surrender as a New Year’s Resolution
I like easy Christmases. You know, a Christmas with little or no fanfare–simple Christmases with few bumps and issues. I knew trouble was on its way when I found out on Christmas Eve that a lasagna I was baking was the main entree for that evening’s supper. To have it as the…
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Continue reading →: Don’t let the Enemy steal your Christmas joy
Embedded deep in the book of Revelation–chapter 12 to be precise–there is a scene that paints a very different picture of Christmas morning and the birth of Christ. John, the recipient of Jesus’ revelation, records a vision in which he sees what appears to be a woman clothed with the…
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Continue reading →: Emmanuel: There is something in the Name
“And they shall name him Emmanuel” (Matt. 1:23). There is something in a name. We at Trinity Baptist know a thing or two about the importance of names. Recently, we heard a rumor that Trinity was changing its name to Grace Christian Church. Although the rumor is not true, there…
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Continue reading →: Despite cold winters, Advent ushers in God’s warm embrace
This is based on the sermon for the second Sunday of Advent at Trinity Baptist Church. “He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms” (Isaiah 40:11) In the November 29 issue of The Christian Century, the Reverend Bill Goetler writes about a…
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Continue reading →: Gift ideas for your pastor this Christmas season
Every Christmas season many parishioners go to the their local retail or bookstores and wrestle with that all-important question: “What do I get my pastor?” Well, I’m glad you asked. Although I’ve been a pastor for less than two years, I can hopefully help you, dear reader, narrow down some…
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Continue reading →: Giving Thanks means Giving to Others with Divine Generosity
I’m sure most of my readers know by now that I am a movie nut. My daughter takes after me; so, now that she is almost eight years old, I thought it appropriate that we watch one of my favorite childhood movies together, “The Neverending Story.” “The Neverending Story” is…
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Continue reading →: Common English Bible makes critical change to Christ the King, “Son of Man” title
The new Bible translation, the “Common English Bible,” published by a variety of mainline Protestant denominations, is said to rival the New Revised Standard Version in accuracy and usage. As readers get deeper into the translation, however, some find a few nuances puzzling or regrettable. One such nuance is the…
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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