Intimate Theology: Soccer Gods

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Soccer Gods

"You shall have no other gods before Me."
Exodus 20:3

Some people thought I was the best soccer player ever. After leading my brand new high-school and club soccer team to back-to-back appearances in the play off and semi-final game--never as a winner--I earned an invitation to the coveted Olympic Development Program (ODP) and Alabama College Showcase that would solidify a soccer scholarship to any soccer powerhouse in the nation.

Had I pursued this course I would have been well on my way to living my childhood dream. For as long as I could remember, soccer had been the focus of my life and often, my salvation. And now it was paying me back. Big time.

But strangely, just as I was reaching the pinnacle of athletic success, I slipped into an unexpected funk. I felt uncharacteristically empty and purposeless. After all my sacrifice, after all the incredible achievements (small in God's eyes and at this point, mine too), I couldn't seem to shake free from whatever was oppressing me.

Months passed without me being able to draw up enough energy for a single workout, as opposed to my previous era of five hour a day workouts.

On several afternoons, I summoned the strength to pick up a basketball and take a few shots on the goal. Within a my matter of minutes, discouraged by my lack of precision, I put the ball away for a long time. The very thing I had once hoped to be my ticket to success had eaten me alive.

Idols can do that, you know. There's nothing wrong with soccer--or business or music or writing or entertainment or decorating--but when something becomes the focus of all your dreams and attention and energy, it becomes an idol in your life. For all intents and purposes, you begin worshiping it instead of God.

Nothing can satisfy us like God. And nothing should replace Him in our affections.

The following thoughts often caution my idolistic/idealistic intentions: How many false gods could you name in your life today? What are you hoping they'll do for you?

I pray for Abba to protect my heart from being deceived and to give you and me an overwhelming desire to worship Him and Him only.

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Greetings and blessings. Thank you for stepping in. Please stay a while? Hmmm, intimate theology? What in the world? Yup, let's be honest it's different. Well so is theology. In fact so is Christianity, unarguably the most intimate faith of all faiths. My faith is the name and ideology of a person, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ a historical, crucified, resurrected man came to the earth to die for sinners and Jesus Christ is the only answer. But don't take my word for it. I taste it and see it tangibly every day. Sin. So you're calling me a sinner? Yes. That's what my Savior identified as my problem. He's right. That's where intimacy comes in. This theolog is the person, the work, and the Word of Christ. Like Christ, intimate theology is close, not distant in proximity. It "saturates the common clay of man's humanity" as Tom Skinner put it. Christ is up in your business every day. As a Christian who has been to seminary I have studied systematic theology, Reformed theology, liberation theology, Catholic theology...there are so many more modes of theology but what I've discovered to be most engaging and relevant and even eternal is the intimate relationship and theology of Jesus Christ. Indeed intimacy is scary and sometimes so is following Christ, just ask the Apostles and the real Christians (when you read about them and meet them). In a genuinely intimate relationship everything is laid bare between two people. Everything. Jesus Christ wants everything. In fact Jesus Christ demands everything. That's the purpose of my blog and ministry. Theology, the study of God is not something that is only done in a seminary or monastery or church building or in one day or one year. Intimate theology is a lifelong intimacy with Jesus Christ. We are all theologians and we interpret life through our theology. Christ's theology is profoundly intimate and radical and for me, the thoughts in this weblog are what I've found to be non-dogmatic, non-institutional, honest, helpful, and intimate thoughts for far more faithful and close followers of Christ that lead to deeper intimacy with Christ and with others. Jesus Christ declares "I Am The Way, The Truth, and The Life." Follow the Truth, intimately. On the left are my Bible verses committed to memory which continue to grow in number the more God impresses my soul, heart, and mind with His Word. Along with Scripture memory is my favorite worship song of the month. And finally, below are favorite quotes or "Phrase Faves" from past and present. The overall purpose and motivation of this site can be found in 2 Peter 3:17-18: "You, therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (context)

PHRASE FAVES

"My concern is not whether God is on our side, my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." ~ Abraham Lincoln

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“It is more important to know God’s position than to know His plan.” ~ Ricky Primrose

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“God entrusts His greatest purposes to men who make Him their greatest priority.” (ref. Exodus 33:11) ~ Ricky Primrose

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"Neither handsome nor entitled, Jesus indeed is the most beautiful, humble, compelling, and truly royal of all human beings." ~ Dr. J. Scott Horrell

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“The proudest and most daring sinner is no equal match for God; the disproportion of strength is much greater than there is supposed between ten thousand and twenty thousand. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? No, surely; who knows the power of his anger? In consideration of this, it is our interest to make peace with him.” ~ Matthew Henry

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"Consider this, Christian: that all your trials and troubles, calamities and miseries, crosses and losses which you meet in this world are all the hell you shall ever have!!" ~ Thomas Brookes

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Correct Biblical Interpretation: "The function of the interpreter is so to empathize with Biblical authors and characters that he is able to relive their experiences. This is accomplished through use of imagination, by which there occurs a mental and spiritual transference to Scriptural situations which makes possible their re-creation." ~ Robert A. Traina

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"A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and the committal read. But somehow, the corpse never stays put." ~ Barnard Ramm

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“It is true, however, that intercessory prayer is the first and most important service. As has been stated, the divine order is to talk to God about men, until the door is definitely open to talk to men about God.” ~ Lewis Sperry Chafer

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"I somehow failed to grasp that truth always goes down better when it’s preceded by grace, love, compassion, and the bearing of burdens. Grace is the spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine of truth go down. Love, compassion, and empathy make it so much easier to hear truth." - Stephen Altrogge

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"What the gospel needs most is not intellectual brokers or cultural diplomats but rather saints who have taken up the way of the cross and in whose lives the gospel is visible, palpable, and true. It needs disciples who follow Jesus with or without the support of their culture and for whom the power of the gospel is demonstrated not through winning but through obedience." ~ Brian Stone

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"Death: Don't call a friend what God has called an enemy. (1 Co 15:54-56)"

"Sin: We're not just guilty of it, we're enslaved by it." ~ Dr. Barry Jones

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"Understanding the Holy Spirit's role in your life as a Christian is crucial. Stop traveling by foot and instead board the jumbo jet of His transforming power." ~ Chuck Swindol

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"A certain kind of thinking is losing ground: thinking that stresses precise ideas, exact wording, and rigorous knowledge." ~ Pierre Babin

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"Every sin you turn away from out of love for Jesus is replaced with a deeper and purer joy." ~ John Piper

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"Hate sin, O Christian, unless thou desirest trouble. If thou wouldst strew thy path with thorns and put nettles in thy death pillow, then live in sin; but if thou wouldst dwell in the heavenly places, hearing the everlasting chimes of Paradise ringing in thine own heart, then walk in all the ways of holiness unto the end. Christan man, hate evil." ~ Charles Spurgeon

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"We are not here to improve America. That's like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. It's going down anyway. We are here to share the gospel with sinners." ~ Tom Pennington

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"Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon." ~ John Piper

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"Opposers will call your determination obstinacy; but never mind, your firmness is the stuff of which martyrs are made. In a wrong case, a strong will creates incorrigible rebels; but if it be sanctified, it gives great force to character, and steadfastness to faith." ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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"Earth has no words that can convey the holy calm of a soul leaning on Jesus." ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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"The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, should also make it their business all of their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin." – John Owen

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"The most spiritual and sanctified minds, when they fully perceive the majesty and holiness of God, are so greatly conscious of the great disproportion between themselves and The Lord, that they are humbled and filled with holy awe, and even with dread and alarm."~ C.H. Spurgeon

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"No man is really saved until he is in his heart obedient to Jesus Christ." ~ C.H. Spurgeon

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"I am convinced that the dearth of great saints in these times even among those who truly believe in Christ is due at least in part to our unwillingness to the cultivation of the knowledge of God. Our religious activities should be ordered in such a way as to leave plenty of time for the cultivation of the fruits of solitude and silence." - A.W. Tozer

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"Luther's catechism (section 39) asks and answers this question: "How is God's name hallowed among us? Answer, as plainly as it can be said: When both our doctrine and life are godly and Christian. For since in this prayer we all call God our Father, it is our duty always to deport and demean ourselves as godly children, that He may not receive shame, but honor and praise from us." - Martin Luther

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"The Gospel has been trouble from the beginning." Dr. Al Mohler

Why should we expect it to be different now?

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"The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose." - C.S. Lewis

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"It will cost something to walk slow in the parade of the ages, while excited men of time rush about confusing motion with progress. But it will pay in the long run and the true Christian is not much interested in anything short of that." - A.W. Tozer

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"You can be straight as a gun barrel theologically and as empty as one spiritually." - A.W. Tozer

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"If you major on knowing God, and cultivate a sense of His presence in your daily life, and do what Brother Lawrence advises, 'Practice the presence of God' daily and seek to know the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures, you will go a long way in serving your generation for God. No man has any right to die until he has served his generation." - A.W. Tozer

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"Teaching that impacts is not head to head, but heart to heart." - Howard Hendricks

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"The word communication comes from the Latin word communis, meaning 'common.' Before we can communicate, we must establish commonness, commonality. To truly impart information requires the building of bridges (commonness). My friend, we've got to do our homework on how people out there feel (commonness). They're scared to death to come into our churches (lack of commonness), and all my sympathy is with them." - Howard Hendricks

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"The two factors that will influence you the most in the years ahead are the books you read and the people you're around." - Howard Hendricks

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"Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity." - O. Chambers

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"We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself." - O. Chambers

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"Focus on giants - you stumble. Focus on God - giants stumble." - Max Lucado

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"You cannot go with God and stay where you are. If you want to experience something you have never done, you must do something you have never done." - Henry Blackaby

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"Pride is the pregnant mother of all sins." - Augustine

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"Religion is never more injured, nor God's sacraments more profaned, than when they are used as a cloak for maliciousness." - Matthew Henry

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“There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on His Word spiritual strength for labour in his service. We ought to muse upon the things of God, because we thus get the real nutriment out of them. . . . Why is it that some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make but slow advances in the divine life? Because they neglect their closets, and do not thoughtfully meditate on God's Word. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the fields to gather it; the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it. From such folly deliver us, O Lord. . . .” - Charles H. Spurgeon

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"The grass is not greener on the other side. It is greener where you water it." - unknown

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"Always be looking for that which you do well and that which you love doing, and when you find those two things together, man - you got it." - Colin Powell

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"Someone asked, will the heathen who have never heard the gospel be saved? It is more a question with me whether - those who have the gospel and fail to give it to those who have not - can be saved." - Charles Spurgeon

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"I cannot too greatly emphasize the importance and value of Bible Study - more important than ever before in these days of uncertainties, when men and women are apt to decide questions from the standpoint of expediency rather than of eternal principles laid down by God, Himself." - John Wanamaker

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"Bible study is not optional in the Christian life. It is both the obligation and the privilege of all believers. If you are not involved in regular, systematic Bible study, you are missing one of the primary means God uses to bring us to maturity (1 Peter 2:2)." - John MacArthur

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"I once punctuated my human efforts with a prayer, saying in so many words, 'Okay, Lord, I've done all I can; You take it from here.' Like He served as the final leg in a relay, receiving the baton in a race I started! Give me a break! The entire race is God's. All the burdens are the Lord's." - Saying It Well by Chuck Swindol

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Many may say, "Surely Jesus would expect us to help ourselves to some degree, right?"

But that is not what Jesus said whilst nailed to the Cross. Jesus proclaimed as He sealed the deal for our salvation - "It is finished!" (John 19:30).

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"As Romans 3:23-26 explains, God would not compromise the value He places on His own righteousness. Therefore, sin must be punished." - Desiring God Children's Sunday School Guide. p. 200

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Q: What is the greatest proof that Christianity is real to those who have never read the Scripture or heard a sermon?

A: The changed life of a Christian is the only way that most unbelieving people will encounter Christianity.

(1 Thessalonians 1:7-8)

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"The Bible can never mean what it never meant." - Unkown

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"Our view of God influences the way we live out our lives. If we think God is "the old man upstairs," then we tend to live our life as though He will not hold us accountable for what we do, or perhaps He doesn't even pay attention to what we are doing." - G. Etzel, B. Gutierrez

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"Many Christians would like to send their recruits to Bible college for five years. I would like to send them to hell for five minutes. That would do more than anything else to prepare them for a lifetime of compassionate ministry." - William Booth

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"No one, I am convinced, will follow Jesus very long without tribulation. It is His way of showing His presence." - K.P. Yohannan

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"Your marriage won't grow without communication and understanding. Communication means talking and active listening. You'll know you understand your spouse when you can verbally express your mate's actual needs and desires and he or she agrees with that expression." - Family Life

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"When you have read the Bible, you will know it is the word of God, because you have found it the key to your own heart, your own happiness and your own duty." - Woodrow T. Wilson

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"To claim to be a Christian is to agree with all God says about our sin."- by Alfred J. Poirier

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Do you see yourself as God sees you—a sinner. There is no escaping the truth: "No one is righteous, not even one" (Rom. 3:9-18). In response to my sin, the cross has criticized and judged me more intensely, deeply, pervasively, and truly than anyone else ever could. This knowledge permits us to say to all other criticism of us: "This is just a fraction of it." - by Dr. Alfred J. Poirier

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“Anything that becomes a necessity has the ability to become an idol.” In other words, you can become so attached to your smartphone that it basically becomes the most important thing in your life: “If you can’t live without a gadget … throw it away. If a gadget is absorbing most of your leisure time … throw it away!"

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Moses was not permitted to enter the land physically because of his sin at Meribah (Nm 20); he was only allowed to view it from Mount Nebo. Perhaps his personal tragedy is meant to warn God’s servant leaders that all forms of personal gratification run counter to God’s promises. Following God intimately and leading his flock faithfully is no guarantee of inheriting his promises in this life. (Encountering the Old Testament. Arnold, Beyer 148)

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The resurrection changes everything. Jesus is alive today, ruler of all, and actively advancing His Kingdom. As Abraham Kuyper famously said, "In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign, does not declare, "That is mine!"

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"We are all in missions. Some are called to foreign lands. Some are called to jungles of the workplace. Wherever you are called, serve the Lord at that place. Let Him demonstrate His power through your life so that others might experience Him through you today and see your vocation as worship to His glory." - Os Hillman

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"Jesus, Savior, pilot me

Over life’s tempestuous sea;

Unknown waves before me roll,

Hiding rock and treacherous shoal.

Chart and compass come from Thee;

Jesus, Savior, pilot me."

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"I have but one passion. It is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ." Count Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf(1700-1760)

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"Make mankind's looking at you disappear by being content with God's looking at you!

Slip away from their approach to you by contemplating His approach to you!" - Ibin 'Ata'illah from The Book of Wisdom

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"I pray that the Lord might crown this year with His goodness, and in the coming one, give you a hallowed, dare-devil spirit in lifting the biting sword of Truth, consuming you with a passion that is called by the cultured citizen of Christendom 'fanaticism', but known to God as that saintly madness that led His Son through bloody sweat and hot tears to agony on a rude cross - and then glory." - Jim Elliot

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"Sovereign Commander of the Universe, Thy grace can melt the worst sinner, and I am as vile as he; Yet Thou hast made me a monument of mercy, a trophy of redeeming power." - Valley of Vision

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"Our call to war: To love the captive soul, but to rage against the captor!" - unknown

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"He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

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"The Lord exercises his almighty power, yet He punishes none more than they deserve, and never withholds the knowledge of the truth from those who long after it." (Mt 11:25-30)

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"The verb "justified (justification)" occurs 30 times in the book of Romans and is concentrated in 2:13-5:1. This verdict includes: pardon from the guilt and penalty of sin, and the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer's account, which provides the positive righteousness man needs to be accepted by God. God declares a sinner righteous solely on the basis of the merit of Christ's righteousness." (John 1-24 )

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"God imputed a believer's sin to Christ's account in His sacrificial death (Is 53:5,4; 1 Peter 2:24), and He imputes Christ's perfect obedience to God's law to Christians."

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"The greatest cause in the world is joyfully rescuing people from hell, meeting their earthly needs, making them glad in God, and doing it with a kind, serious pleasure that makes Christ look like the Treasure he is. No war on earth was ever fought for a greater cause or a greater king." John Piper

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"There is an infinite chasm between the one who is glad he's not going to hell, and the one who is glad to be with Christ." John Piper

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"Carpe Diem"

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"Measure twice; Cut once."

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"Life doesn't come with sub-titles. Study hard." - The Master's Seminary

Intimate Theology

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Soccer Gods

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