elevator of faith

The Elevator of Faith is Boring

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7

Part of my day is reading and more reading. Mostly to find how other people think about faith, and to find interesting and helpful historical Christian facts. All to pass on to other people to help them have a closer walk with God. While doing this recently, I came across an article named, My Boring Christian testimony. As I read the article I was anything but bored. Essentially, the testimony was written by a woman named Megan Hill, a married mom, and writer. The point of the article was that she didn’t feel her faith was real because she didn’t have a dramatic conversion process or an incredible faith story.

As I read the article, I discovered a very normal life. As a young person, her parents took her to church. She asked to join the church when she was twelve. As she entered college, when most young people drift away from the church, she continued going to church. After marriage and having children, she started the same cycle with her children, by taking them to church. It seems pretty normal, certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

But through the years she doubted if her faith was real. She saw other people have dramatic moments of faith. She heard wonderful testimonies of people curing their addictions through faith. Others who had led an immoral life were struck by God and saved. On and on this drumbeat went, leaving her to feel if she had done something wrong.

Her real problem was in not understanding 2nd Corinthians 5:7, where it says, For we walk by faith, not by sight. She had always walked by faith, while many of us got off course by walking by sight and then needed to have a dramatic event to turn our lives around.

She had answered life’s most important question correctly, early in life, while many of us did the opposite and answered the question wrong.

This statement in 2nd Corinthians is a fundamental statement about faith. It isn’t something you can touch, see, hear, taste or physically feel. Faith is the opposite, it’s like walking into a dark room and being sure you won’t bump into anything.

For someone, like Megan, it’s like having the option of walking into a building and walking up all the stairs to get to the top; or just hitting the button on the faith elevator and arriving on top. It doesn’t mean she took a short cut or had a boring journey on the faith elevator. It meant she answered life’s toughest question right the first time.

Some of us choose to walk up, because we don’t see how it’s possible to just believe. For some it is a lifetime of a tepid prayer life, until the overwhelming responses from God turns a person’s heart.

For others, it is a point in life where they had no place to turn. They had hit the 6 o’clock of life and were left desperate. Only then do they make the long walk back to faith.

Still, others are sometimes in and sometimes out. The glory of God’s blessings don’t fully outweigh their human desires. They are constantly pulled back by a new want in life.

For these people, they take the stairs up to the top of the faith elevator, stopping along the way to investigate the floors. Sometimes they look at every floor, other times skipping a few.

But faith is believing in something you can’t see. You can’t rationalize faith. And no one can ever adequately explain how you are supposed to feel.

C.S. Lewis explained his faith and conversion experience by saying the following; You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen [College, Oxford], night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929, I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.

Faith is no more than an intimate encounter with God when you fully realize that God exists. A realization that leaves you grateful and fulfilled. No longer desiring things you want, but to be a humble servant of God.

Faith isn’t something you can will or force. Sometimes it is a persistent knocking on the door by God. Other times it is a dramatic event. But God is always compelling us to believe. Compelling us to take one more step into the unknown and walking one step away from what we know.

But because some answer the compelling force of God on the first try, it doesn’t mean they are missing something, like Megan felt. Many people have a simple faith. I admire people with a boring journey to God. They saved themselves a lot of trouble.

But is Megan’s testimony really boring? How can it be, when you consider the power and beauty of a direct connection God? Her own personal and intimate relationship with the one who created the earth,  the universe, the stars in the sky and even knitted us in our mother’s womb.

No, Megan, your faith isn’t boring!

Listen to the Full Podcast –The Elevator of Faith is Boring

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

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old man

“Don’t Let The Old Man In!”

But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the LORD’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.

Psalm [92:12]-14

A good friend of mine was discussing his weekly workout routine and why he works outs even though he has no upcoming athletic event. He told me; I don’t want to let the old man in. It wasn’t that he was angry at some old person but more that he didn’t want to give in to old age. He didn’t want anyone telling him he was old, even though he is getting older. He felt that if he gave in to being old it would be giving in to not living a productive life.

My friend knows he will age and knows there are somethings he cannot do athletically anymore. He will never swim an under 1 minute 100-meter butterfly again. But he can still swim a mile every day. This is what my friend was getting at. Sure those of us who are aging know our chances of competing in the Olympics are gone, but it doesn’t mean we should give up and let the old man in.

As I have gotten older, I see the slow creeping of aging. The unrelenting enemy of all is lurking to slow us down farther than we want or should. I myself know that my ability to retain information and then retrieve it isn’t as good as my younger self. But I have learned how to compensate, by writing more down and by using word association to retrieve important information. Each day, something new is lost, but each day a new way is found.

That is what my friend was saying when he says don’t let the old man in. Not a voice against the aged, but a personal life plan to stay as vital as he can be.

C.S. Lewis said; You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream. He is right. Tomorrow will always be a time to do something better than you did yesterday. Tomorrow will always be a time to love your children and spouse better than you did yesterday. Tomorrow will always be a time to dream or have a new goal, more than you did yesterday.

Aging is never going to give up in its relentless pursuit to slow us down. Though in Psalms we hear the writer’s voice sayEven in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. God doesn’t want us to give up or give in. God wants us to produce fruit and dream.

Because we are older it doesn’t mean we still can’t do great things. My friend Larry is a soccer referee and weekly he logs over 70 miles as a referee. He is over 60. Another friend, Peter, became an ordained minister after the age of 60. Still another, Walter, has written three books after he retired.

Mother Teresa still helped the poor of the world when she was 87. Wilbur Wilberforce was 73 when he was still fighting to end slavery in the United Kingdom. Jimmy Carter still works building houses for the poor. He is 95. I am sure you know people well past 60 who are vital. There is always some way we can make the world better no matter how old we become.

Aging will continue to erode who we are but never can erode our desire to be better tomorrow. Age is our enemy, but God is our friend.

We can give in or turn to God for guidance. Our love for and desire to know God, doesn’t age. In fact, as we age God becomes clearer. God doesn’t want us to sit on the couch and wait. God was us to be vital and green. God still wants us to produce fruit. God wants us to be like the cedars of Lebanon that the Psalmist wrote about.

I don’t think I will ever forget this message from my friend, don’t let the old man in. Aging is just another one of those things that lurks to slow us down. A marauding force that seeks to destroy; like drug addiction or any other temptations. For those of us aging, it is just a new enemy to battle and with God’s help, we can still be vital.

Listen to the Full Podcast – Don’t Let the Old Man In

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

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do unto others

Businesses that “Do Good Unto Others” Have the Best Results

Do to others as you would have them do to you

Luke [6:31]

When I had just released my first book; Jesus & Co, I received some interesting criticism. At one church I visited, the senior minister stated what I had done was wrong. He explained that mixing business and Jesus was sinful. Never one short for words, I tried valiantly to explain to him that the book was about the Golden Rule and that businesses that follow the Golden Rule are the best places to work. He politely said I see and quickly sent me on my way.

Well, now I have proof. There is a new category to measure a business’s commitment to environmental, social and governance. In other words how to measure how well a company treats others and the environment. It is called the ESG measure. In fact, the very best companies can now receive an award called The Seal Awards.

For years people thought that being nice to your customers, employees, shareholders and the environment was something you waved your hands at and delegated to someone deep in the Human Resources department to say you had an ESG program.

Well, that’s no longer true, companies that take this effort seriously are far outperforming their competitors. And results don’t lie, companies that are socially and environmentally responsible have stock prices that have risen ten percent higher over the last three years than those that don’t. Yes, ten percent higher! I recently told this to a business friend, who expected that I would say they were down. When I gave her the number, she exclaimed that’s amazing! While also asking, How can that be possible?

Actually, there are four practical and tangible reasons why doing good unto others and the environment is a great business model. Simple and easy reasons!

The first and simplest is that your costs are lower. Especially energy costs. The worst-performing stocks over the last three years are any that produce or move fossil fuels. Being environmentally friendly moves you to less expensive methods and away from fossil fuels. For instance, when I was at Yankee Candle to rid the environment of excess fragrance, instead of using a fossil fuel-based method, we actually used a Biomass diffuser. Sorry for the technical word, actually a Biomass diffuser is just a bunch of bugs who eat environmentally unfriendly emissions. Why did we do this? Because it was cheaper and better for the environment.

The second reason is that employee turnover is far less. Companies that treat the environment well,  usually treat their employees well. And the statistics prove themselves out. Employees are happier at these companies. They stay longer and feel more committed to helping their company. And more experienced employees produce the best results. High turnover in any business destroys profits.

The third reason is that customers prefer and are more loyal to responsible companies. Companies like REI and L.L. Bean have extraordinarily high customer loyalty. One of the big reasons is they are both very environmentally and socially responsible. In general, these companies average almost ten percent higher sales than their competitors.

The fourth is that the millennials are now are a major economic force. They buy fifty percent of products and are forty percent of the workforce. The biggest issue with them is; you guessed it; environmental and social responsibility.  They shop and work where they know that the business cares about the environment and people.

Jesus was right, when he said, Do to others as you would have them do to you. When I talk to business owners and they ask me, what’s the best way to improve business results. I always say; be positive and fair with customers and employees; be trustworthy and try to be your best all the time. While this statement isn’t nearly as concise as Jesus’s simple message, it makes the point. Personally, if I was a business owner, I wouldn’t work on any other business issue until you have happy customers and employees.

Too often I meet business people that are worried about the pennies and get caught up with schemes to get more. Sure being responsible with the pennies is good, but not at the expense of the dollars. The dollars are found in how your customers and customers view of the business.

So with all due respect to the clergy I meet, who don’t believe Jesus and business mix, and get very offended when I bring this up; they are wrong. Treating your business, customers, and employees the way Jesus would; is good for business and the world!

I know this next one is radical, but I think on Sundays more should be preached in the pulpit to help people for eight AM on Monday morning. Help people learn how to be better bosses and employees. After all, almost half of their waking hours are spent working!

It’s time we bring Christianity back into the business world and for business people to accept the values of Christianity. The Golden Rule is the best business strategy I know. Those who have figured this out are better off spiritually and financially.

Making money without environmental and social responsibility is nowhere as effective or profitable as those who use the Golden Rule. And I have the facts to prove it!

Listen to the Full Podcast – Businesses that “Do Good Unto Others”

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

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In God We Trust

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Matthew 4:7

 

After Jesus’s second test in the wilderness, He declared to the evil one: “I will trust only God and not be unsure in my faith.” Likewise, for us, we are tempted repeatedly to question the presence of God in our lives. Is God real and is God with us? These questions are not the result of God’s absence in our lives, but of the temptation to question God’s presence. When our faith wanes, we search and question if God exists. By questioning if God will help and if God cares, we become tempted to test God. Instead, Jesus wants us to be fully aware that God is a loving and caring God whom we have no need to doubt or test. Having this faith strengthens us to meet those tests that show up in our lives, including our Lenten goals.

Points of Reflection

  • How often do you doubt that God exists, and what are the causes?
  • What strengthens your faith? Church, acts of charity, prayer, etc.?
  • How do you feel God in your daily life?

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Rather listen to this episode? Listen to the podcast!

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Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene: A Woman of Ill Repute?

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John [20:18]

In 591AD Pope Gregory 1, declared in a sermon, that Mary Magdalene was a sinful woman. Setting off a centuries-long belief that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. While this was dismissed by Pope Paul IV in 1969, it is still part of the myth that surrounds Mary Magdalene. A simple misguided and poorly researched statement by Gregory has clouded for modern Christians the real Mary Magdalene.

Discovering the real truth about Mary Magdalene is hard because there are few writings about her or from her. Much of what has been written is opinion and speculation. Sometimes wildly dramatic images, like the one from Gregory. Others have even speculated that perhaps she was Jesus’s wife! Well, none of these hold up when we carefully review the only document that contains references about her; the Holy Bible.

Perhaps the best description we get of her is in Luke 8:1-3, where is says; The Twelve were with him,and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

There are three critical statements made here about Mary. Note that the first woman mentioned is Mary Magdalene. This is very important and we should take note; that whenever, Mary is mentioned in the Gospels with other women, she is always listed first. Indicating special importance. And further note she is in all four Gospels. Even non-Biblical scholars will attest to her being a real historical figure, because of this.

The second and just as important thing to note is the statement that she supported Jesus and the twelve with her own money. Meaning she had some form of wealth to be able to provide this support. This statement alone should make us question her as being a prostitute.

The third statement is that Jesus had cured her evil spirits and diseases. This doesn’t mean she was a prostitute, as healing was a common occurrence by Jesus. Perhaps Mary had a physical ailment or a psychological impairment.

Another aspect about Mary we should all know and likely has caused a lot of confusion by later writers was that Mary was the most common name for women in Judea during the 1st century. In Hebrew or Aramaic, Mary means beloved or Wished for child. So when we read the gospels we have a lot of references to Mary, such as; The Virgin Mary, Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene. Over the centuries writers have frequently merged many of the Mary’s.

Another potential cause of this misinformation about Mary is a result of the town she was from. She was from Magdala, a town near Jerusalem, that was historically associated with ill-repute and sinful behavior. So it appears she is guilty by association.

As we continue to research in the Bible, Mary was an eyewitness to two critical events in Jesus’s life. She was at the resurrection, while none of the twelve male Apostles were there.

Mary was also part of the burial scene in the tomb and the first to visit the empty tomb in the Gospel of John.

So we can see that Mary Magdalene is a critically faithful disciple of Jesus. Perhaps we could even call her an Apostle! So while this assertion may seem radical; let me explain why.

After she visits the empty tomb and tells the others about the empty tomb, she goes back to the tomb. Sitting and weeping she is visited by two angels. They ask her why is she weeping? To which she replies, they have taken away my Lord. After saying this she lifts her head up and sees a man. It was Jesus, who she didn’t recognize. Then Jesus says; Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? She still doesn’t recognize Jesus, until he says, Mary. Now she knows it is Jesus and says excitedly, Rabboni (Which means teacher)

She leaves and tells the others, I have seen the Lord. While at first, this might appear to be something we would all do. Her statement, I have seen the Lord, is usually associated with the Apostles. You might say, I thought there were only twelve Apostles. Perhaps, but this statement in the New Testament can also mean she is an Apostle.

Now my analysis may have stretched too far here by calling her an Apostle. But my point is; there is a more logical path to calling her an Apostle than calling her a prostitute.

And that is the point of the story about Mary Magdalene. Unfortunately many times we make observations about people that are based on our opinions, which turned out to be false. Even Pope’s! In this case, Mary, even today in some quarters is considered to be a prostitute, but she wasn’t when we look at the facts.

But it is also a story about reading the Bible. When we all enter the Bible, we sometimes enter the Bible with preconceived impressions that may or may not be right. I myself am guilty of this far too often. Instead, we should enter the Bible with the Holy Spirit as our guide. And empty ourselves to hear and read with the Holy Spirit. When we do this we make our visit to the Bible with God alone, and we hear and read what God has to say to us.

So I don’t mean to imply that Pope’s have interpreted the Bible incorrectly, but to point out, that even Pope’s can come to faulty conclusions. Our visits with the Bible are very personal and intimate explorations with God. And we should leave opinions and biases at home, even Pope’s!

Listen to the Full Podcast – Mary Magdalene: A Woman of Ill Repute?

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

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hollywood story

Acts of the Apostles: A Hollywood Story

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:3

A new phrase in modern times is called binge-watching. A new television series comes out and we watch all the episodes from beginning to end, sometimes in one sitting or perhaps two or three. It makes me think of how worthy some of the books of the Bible would be to binge-watch. Certainly, Genesis with its great stories like Noah’s ark, Joseph in the well or the intrigue between Jacob and Esau. A book filled with subplots, hero’s and villains. Certainly, The book of Acts is the same.

In Acts, we have jail cells collapsing. A missionary braving dangers and wanders for close to twenty years to spread the good news about Christ. We have the Holy Spirit teaching people to talk in tongues. And a story of the first Christian Martyr. Hollywood could easily make this book into a series. I know I would binge watch it in one sitting.

Some have asked me why does Acts exist or what is its purpose. Simply, it is the bridge between the Gospels and the great Christian Epistles in the New Testament. It is also the history of the early church and its development from 33AD to 60AD. A support system to moving from the Gospels to the letters written by Paul and other great early Christian writers. Without it we would have to rely on circumstantial evidence to get the whole story.

Acts is the second half of the letter to Theophilus written around 80AD. The first half of the letter is Luke. This entire manuscript, as the author says,  was to write an orderly account. And it certainly is, from Jesus’s birth to the resurrection, to Peter becoming the leader of the early church, to Paul’s wonderfully successful but dangerous journeys, all spanning the first 60 years of Christianity.

Let’s go to the drama scenes and intrigue. Imagine yourself in Jerusalem and Jesus is standing in front of you. Know that he has just risen from the dead to save us from all our sins, and in an instance a cloud takes him out of sight. And while he is going up two men stand by you in white robes, telling you not to worry. A few days later, you hear a rushing wind and all-around people start speaking in other tongues. Is this a Marvel comic book story or the Bible?

Later Peter organizes the church and begins converting thousands at a time. The authorities getting nervous and throw him in jail, only to be released by an Angel.

Then we have a Paul, the chief persecutor of Christians, traveling to Damascus to murder and capture early Christians, only to be dramatically struck down by Jesus. Jesus revives and  converts Paul, who goes on to become the ambassador for Christianity.

But we also have political intrigue. The early believers want new believers to comply completely with Jewish traditions. But Paul says no, knowing that it is only important that you believe and have faith in Jesus. On one side you had James the Just arguing vehemently for compliance to the Jewish traditions and on the other, the skilled orator Paul arguing against. In the middle was Peter, who has a vision that tells him that it is okay for the Gentiles not to have to comply.

Next Paul travels over ten thousand miles and preaches to all who can hear, the story of Jesus. He as well, ends up in jail. Likewise he is released through supernatural and divine intervention. On these journeys Paul is beaten and ridiculed. But he never gives up. Staying the course, he creates followers throughout the Roman Empire. Even in Rome, which would centuries later, become the center of Christianity.

Paul later returns to Jerusalem as he had promised, having firmly entrenched Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. Only to encounter more drama, and is arrested, and sent to Rome for trial.

Certainly, we have popular television series made up of less dramatic events airing every week. But they’re right in front of us, is a story even Marvel or Disney couldn’t replicate. We don’t need to watch TV or visit the local cinema. The story is there for us to read in the Bible. A wonderful historical account of our faith.

The story of our faith is written in God’s technicolor for us all to see. Maybe we can’t  binge read it one sitting, perhaps in two or more.

The Acts of the Apostles, an orderly account, is for all to believe and read.

Listen to the Full Podcast – A Hollywood Story – Acts of the Apostles

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

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1st corinthians

1St Corinthians: Is Love All We Need?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

1St Corinthians 13:4

In 1st Corinthians 13:4 it says, Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, written by the Apostle Paul. This is a familiar verse used in many marriage ceremonies. We have all heard it and perhaps used it at our weddings. But there is a deeper story and purpose behind this phrase and 1st Corinthians, not written for just weddings, but a statement of our Christian attitude to each other.

Paul wrote this letter to the church that he helped found in Corinth.

The letter is dated around 55AD, a few years after the church had started. Like many new things that arise, the church in Corinth had gotten a little off track and Paul specifically wrote this letter to help them get back on course.

The church had gotten a little confused.

We find this in one of  Paul’s early statements, where he writes; Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. The reason Paul wrote this is that he had heard that some people were following a fellow named Apollo, others followed Paul or even Peter. A few did get it right that and said they followed Christ. This was causing quarreling in the church. Threatening the unity of the church in Corinth. Paul, as usual, wanted to nip things in the bud. He makes it clear that they follow only Christ, by saying; Is Christ divided?

Beyond getting confused by who they follow,  they started ignoring obvious immoral issues and some had welcomed pagan practices in the church. And still, some even started to feel superior to other believers. And to add to all of this drinking was getting a little out of hand at the Lord’s supper. Lastly, sexual immorality had also reared its ugly head.

Things were getting out of hand!

Typical of Paul he knew that this had to be resolved and not swept under the rug. Paul, in one of the most fundamental statements of 1st Corinthians states, So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. In other words, let’s get back to working for the Lord and not turn the church into a social club. I am probably being a little harsh here, but the church certainly was headed in that direction.

Paul also noticed some gender practices were creating issues in the church. For instance, was it okay for women to pray without their head covered? Paul’s reply was; Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? In other words, what is the societal norm? Paul, in making this statement, didn’t want this issue to be disruptive to the church.  While Paul believed women to be equal with men, he didn’t want the outside world to have any reason to complain about church practices. The church did decide that woman should cover their heads, a practice that extended itself well into modern times. Today,  it is unusual for women to cover their heads, and if it does occur it is viewed as an act of piety.

Paul and Women’s Rights

Another issue that appears in 1st Corinthians, is should women be able to talk in church? It says; Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak but must be in submission, as the law says. (1st Cor [14:34].) Here is an unusual position claimed to be stated by Paul. However, we find Paul strongly supportive of women and their rights in other parts of the New Testament. Some scholars and clergy would strongly disagree with me, because of this verse. But many of Paul’s assistants were women and in Galatians [3:28] he assigns women equal status with men. Also, this is another one of those verses with parentheses in your Bible. Not only does the verse seem out of place when you read it, but the fact it has parentheses, suggests this was a later addition and is not Paul’s words. I think this is more about how husbands and wives handle themselves in church;

no bickering!

Paul’s final point in this letter is the way to resolve church disagreements and what the church’s general attitude should be to resolving all issues. His statement is found in Chapter 13, verse 4, where it says; Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. While this verse, because of its universal message is very adaptable to things like wedding vows. It’s intent in this letter state that the best way to run a church or heck resolve issues of life is with an attitude of love. That the solution to all problems is the Christian attitude of love. He further points this out later in Chapter 13 by saying; Love never fails. So here it is, love conquers and solves all issues.

So once again we have Paul addressing very localized issues, but explains it so elegantly that it emerges as a major Christian thought that transcends time, place and purpose. Even today, we can apply these thoughts to marriages, friendships, disputes and yes, even church policies.

Simply, 1st Corinthians was written to reinforce that we keep our eyes on Jesus and not place church leaders above Jesus. That churches should be run orderly. And churches should immediately address all forms of immorality. All this tied together with the compelling and universal attitude of love.

Try reading 1st Corinthians with this background and this wonderfully crafted letter will come alive. Giving you a ringside seat to Paul’s organizational skills and foresight in building the church.

And always remember LOVE!

Listen to the Full Podcast – 1St Corinthians: Is Love All We Need?

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

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We love giving credit to budding photographers to help them gain more exposure.