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Progressive Christian

2023-10-22T15:59:39-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

No Condemnation in Christ Jesus—What Does the Bible Mean?

Last updated on: October 22, 2023 at 3:59 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Do you struggle with your sin nature? When the book of Romans says there is “no condemnation,” it means three things that will blow your mind! Romans 7 discusses the inner conflict in the hearts of many believers. Paul says he feels torn between two desires. On the one hand, are the desires of sin, which are external to him as a believer. On the other are the desires of his spirit, which has been transformed to be like... Read more

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2023-11-03T18:57:38-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Dressed to Impress: Who Do You Think You’re Fooling?

Last updated on: November 3, 2023 at 6:57 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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At church, it’s easy to confuse dressing to impress people, with dressing to please God. Who do you think you’re fooling with those clothes? In my last article, “Does God Care What I Wear to Church?” I discussed a social media post made by a ministry colleague who believes, “When you enter God’s house, you should dress for the occasion!” In that post, we examined the history of dressing up for church. If, like me, you were raised in a... Read more

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2023-10-28T07:46:39-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Does God Care What I Wear to Church?

Last updated on: October 28, 2023 at 7:46 am By Gregory T. Smith

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Does God care what I wear to church? When I get ready on Sundays, should I “put on my best for God?” Maybe we were taught wrong… I’m grateful to a former ministry colleague for the challenging things he said in a social media post—not because I agreed with him, but because he gave me something to write about. Thinking that he was putting something positive out there, he wrote the following. For the sake of his anonymity and copyright,... Read more

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2023-10-28T07:45:28-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is It Mental Health, or Guns?

Last updated on: October 28, 2023 at 7:45 am By Gregory T. Smith

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Eighteen people are dead in Lewiston, Maine—victims of yet another shooting rampage. People are still asking, “Is it mental health, or guns?” I’m a Behavioral Health Specialist. I also enjoy guns. Trust me, I know both subjects well. I keep hearing people say, “It’s a mental health crisis—it’s not about guns.” Here’s my hot take on the subject. It’s a Mental Health Issue Every day, I work with a volatile population who may become dangerous at any moment. I... Read more

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2023-10-22T15:53:16-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What You Need to Know About Breaking Generational Curses

Last updated on: October 22, 2023 at 3:53 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Many talk about generational curses passed down from parent to child, and on down the line. Are generational curses real? Can they be broken? Often, people think of generational curses as supernatural realities. These beliefs aren’t without a scriptural foundation. Many Hebrew scriptures reference God punishing children and grandchildren for their ancestors’ sins (Exodus 20:5-6; Exodus:34:6-7; Leviticus 26:39-42; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9 for example). For this reason, you often hear about generational curses. But this represents a misunderstanding of God.... Read more

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2023-11-01T16:59:26-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Foiled Again! Blessings and Curses in the New Testament

Last updated on: November 1, 2023 at 4:59 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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The Old Testament talks a lot about curses, but what about the New Testament? Do we have the power to curse, as Jesus cursed the fig tree? In “Cussing, Swearing, & Cursing: Do Words Really Matter?,” I discussed the difference between cussing, swearing, and cursing. Regarding the power to curse others with our speech, I said: We curse other people when we use hurtful and destructive language…. Instead, God wants us to use the power of our speech for good.... Read more

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2023-11-01T16:58:22-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Foiled Again! Blessings and Curses in the Hebrew Bible

Last updated on: November 1, 2023 at 4:58 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Do we have the power to bless and curse others? The Hebrew Bible suggests that we do—but how will we use our words that can hurt or heal? With two new movies coming out, this Halloween will see a renewed interest in curses. With Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny recently released, we’ve reacquainted ourselves with the archaeologist who was always good at unwrapping the secrets of ancient curses. The animated movie Mummies likewise recalls all those other films... Read more

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2023-11-01T16:57:15-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Cussing, Swearing, & Cursing: Do Words Really Matter?

Last updated on: November 1, 2023 at 4:57 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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What is the difference between cussing, swearing, and cursing? Beyond corrupt speech, do we really have the power to curse other people? It’s October—almost time for holiday movies! One of my favorites of all time is A Christmas Story, where Ralphie gets in trouble for using foul language he learns from his father. Ralphie’s dad uses a string of nonsensical jibber to rival Yosemite Sam. Some call it cussing. Others call it swearing. Still others call it cursing. Is there... Read more

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2023-10-08T09:07:47-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Darts and Dice: Gambling with God’s Will

Last updated on: October 8, 2023 at 9:07 am By Gregory T. Smith

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Can you determine God’s will through games of chance like darts and dice? Just because Bible characters did it, that doesn’t mean you should. Throughout the Bible, in both the new and old covenants, people have employed gambling to determine the will of God. It’s true that they weren’t gambling for money. Instead, they were gambling with God’s will—which I might argue is worse. Casting Lots In both the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament, we find faithful people... Read more

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2024-03-24T10:55:17-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

How Taoism Made Me a Better Christian

Last updated on: March 24, 2024 at 10:55 am By Gregory T. Smith

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In Quoir/Patheos’s collaborative bestselling book Sitting in the Shade of Another Tree, I discuss how Taoism made me a better Christian. Rather than criticizing other faiths, I joined thirteen other authors to discuss what other religions get right. I was privileged enough to be invited to write a chapter: “Neopaganism and Taoism.” I invite you to pick up a copy at Amazon and learn from leaders from different faiths, each of whom seeks to understand other religions rather than prove... Read more

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