Author: Higher Up IDEALS
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Christ Is A Demonstrable Verb
Lately I don’t feel that comfortable in my skin. And that is a good thing. In some ways, I feel like what I imagine a butterfly or moth must experience when they are making their way out of their cocoon or chrysalis. I’m trying to spread my wings, but I am coming up against some…
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Trading My Religion for a Cross and a Commandment
A couple of days ago I responded to an online discussion question that compared religiosity and righteousness. Honestly, I rarely comment on these kinds of questions because I don’t have much interest in having someone call me a socialist or something just because of how I interpret certain teachings from scripture about what it means…
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Don’t Let Death Get In the Way
How Would You Live if You Knew You Couldn’t Die? Death is so annoying. That’s how I feel about it right now. It is annoying, because for so many of us, the fear of it is a distorting filter that obscures our ability to live a true life or to relate to others who are…
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There is Greatness With-In You
Greatness is within you. Many of us cannot even begin to fathom the greatness that is “with-in” us. And in my experience, most people are incredibly resistant to this awareness. My theory is that we are not willing to see this greatness within us because if we receive this good news then we will necessarily…
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You Can Grow From Anywhere
You can grow from anywhere. Identity is only a prison for the one who sees it as something located in time–especially if they see it as located in the past. Perhaps for some this is a useful way to relate to identity, in that they know where they never want to go back to. As Jay-Z…
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Withholding Kindness Causes Harm
On the other side of all of the limitations that we accept for ourselves and project onto others is an awareness that each and everyone of us has the potential to be a greater contribution to the world than we might know. Conditioned by the illusion that there are some of us who are worthy…
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The True You Knows What Leads to Happiness
The true you knows what leads to happiness. In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet is told that God knew him before he was ever formed in his mother’s womb and had consecrated him as a prophet. Even though I said that identity is not inherent, I don’t think this proclamation is contradictory. To be…
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We Are Not Our Struggles
We are not our struggles. Do you identify with what you’ve been through or with where you desire to be? Remember, identity is a journey. Our struggles are a part of that journey, but they are never the final destination. Unfortunately, many of us can’t get past the struggles. And that is what we call…
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Identity is not Inherent
Identity is not inherent. Some people believe that we are born who we are in the sense that our identities are determined by external factors such as race, culture, economic status, national origin, etc. For example, there is the assumption of black male criminality that is fostered in our society. If I accepted this as…
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What if God Never Stops Grieving?
Here we are again. Another mass shooting on US soil. This time in Sutherland Springs, TX at their First Baptist Church. And, as most of the shootings of this scale are, this one too was apparently at the hands of a US citizen. Really, there are no words. But as the Apostle Paul said, “I will…
The Roofless Church 