Gamal and Amal Gerges are planning for Thanksgiving dinner with 150 of their closest friends. That’s how many came to the first-ever holiday meal last year at Hope Arabic Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “It was a good opportunity to expand the message of the gospel,” says Gamal, founding pastor of the mission of Harrisburg First…
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One of my favorite Bible verses is found in the book people are still trying to fathom 2,000 years after it was written: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11 MEV). Testimonies seem to have fallen out of favor in recent years. Maybe we’re…
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I have long tried to pick winners in several pro contests, but had never played fantasy football. However, in August when a friend volunteered to act as the commissioner for a Yahoo Sports league, I signed up. We had real preseason festivities. With a pair of pizzas, participants seated around an oval table, and a…
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When the lockdowns of 2020 shut down almost every facility in town, including the YMCA, I resorted to walking on a track at the city park for exercise. On the days I had an early morning meeting, I would stop at the park on the way home before starting work. Several times that fall, I…
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With the sporting world, blogosphere, and all things musical going ga-ga over whether singer Taylor Swift and Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce really are an item, I turned my attentions in a different direction recently: the soccer pitch. Nobody was more surprised by this turn of events than me. For two decades, my wife…
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Earlier this year, an acquaintance talked about the estrangement she has observed in her family. She complained about some of her grandchildren telling their parents inquiring about their general wellbeing or academic pursuits that it was “none of their business.” “Where do they get this stuff?” she asked with a tone of incredulousness. One could…
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Although much of my work now involves book editing and ghostwriting projects, I still write articles periodically for several publications (in the spirit of the 21st century, most are online). And every so often, I work on a story that makes me sit up and exclaim, “How cool is that!” Such was the case in…
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When we planned a late-summer “get out of Dodge” getaway, it was mainly to visit old friends—not just in age, but longevity. As the years slip by and casual acquaintances fade away, relationships that endure for 40 years are precious. In this case, the reconnection was even more special: they taught the new believers’ class…
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In recent months our pastor preached a series on spiritual gifts, a subject often rife with controversy and criticism over the excesses often associated with prophecy and speaking in tongues. He has pointed out an overemphasis on tongues is the opposite of what Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14:6: “Now, brothers, if I come to…
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With quarterback salaries mushrooming to the $40-50 million range, running backs getting dissed, and back-office deals attracting as much attention as the players, the offseason of the National Football League has been filled with drama. Fortunately, speculation, rumor and hype got a rest last night when Detroit takes the field in Kansas City, followed by…
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