Posts

Depression and the God of Hope – Part 2

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 - Dr. Timothy Sumerlin - Denver, CO, USA •  Greetings! Many of us have either suffered from depression or have known someone who has. In   Part 1 ,  I introduced the topic of depression and how the Christian can better understand this challenging issue. Today, I will share a few thoughts on how we can connect with God or help those we love do so. I say to God my Rock,  “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning,  oppressed by the enemy?” My bones suffer mortal agony  as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” – Psalm 42:9-10 Here are a few thoughts on how we may want to consider depression and and the Christian life: 1) Depression is not necessarily a sin.   When discussing depression, I often hear people frame it around a discussion on sin. What did this person do to "deserve" this? or, What sin is in their life that leads to depression and sadness? We assume sin is involved. Perhaps it is, but I've noticed that the majority of ti
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Depression and the God of Hope – Part 1

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  Dr. Timothy Sumerlin - Denver, CO, USA • Greetings! I would like to share for a few weeks on the topic of depression and how we can help each other with this challenging mental health disease. Many of us have either suffered from depression or have known someone who has. Depression can present many difficulties in our relationships and also cause us to ask difficult questions of God. Where is He when I am struggling? Why does He allow this to happen to me? Hopefully, the next few weeks will answer these and other questions you may have. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God . – Psalm 43:5 (NIV) The depression rates in America are on the rise. Of course, all of us experience times of sadness and mood change. Sometimes these times are tied to life's challenges, losses, or other kinds of grief. This is normal and part of the human experience. God even uses depression in us to add "color
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Easter - by Douglas Jacoby

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The following has been adapted from an article I wrote on the subject in 1986. ORIGINS OF EASTER Bunnies Do Lay Eggs! So I reasoned as a five year old. After all, the legendary rabbit had visited our home that night, depositing a pile of brightly colored eggs. Why he hid them, I did not know. Why some were plain, like ordinary chicken eggs, while others were delicious chocolate, was a mystery. And as to how all this tied in to Easter church services, I was clueless. But those eggs--where else could they have come from if the Easter Bunny hadn't laid them? I was totally confused! And today's religious world is in a most confused state, particularly the part professing to be Christian. What about Easter -- with its colored eggs, sunrise services, pageants and parades, hot cross buns and invisible rabbits? Is this high holy day of Christianity Bible-based, or just a bit of fun on the level of Halloween? If Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday, as most scholars maintain, and rose
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Did Jesus Pray to Himself?

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March 2021 If Jesus is God, and Jesus is praying to God, then Jesus must be praying . . . to himself. Well, if that’s what you think, this video is for you. Mr. B responds to an anti-Trinitarian meme, answering the charge that if Jesus is God, and Jesus prays to God, then Jesus is praying to himself. Click this     https://youtu.be/MYvo-Vm4og8  
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Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor

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Dr. Timothy Sumerlin - Denver, CO, USA •   For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.   – Isaiah 9:6 We've been discussing Jesus the Healer recently. An old friend of mine, Steve Saindon, has written on Jesus, the wonderful Counselor and has some words of wisdom for us to consider as we seek help in our recovery. Many of us seek help through the use of a professional counselor. Our "Wonderful Counselor" has blessed me greatly with a mostly healed up soul. It is taken many years, mostly because I was slow to learn and sometimes resistant. Sometimes his advice was very difficult to follow. By the way, his instructions do not formulate within our minds without the word of God. One of the most efficient ways not to heal up is to follow your feelings instead of the Bible. Feelings are only helpful in the counseling realm if they are syn
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Fear and Anxiety in 2021

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- Dr. Timothy Sumerlin - Denver, CO, USA • Feb 27, 2021 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts . – Psalm 139:23 2020 was a year full of anxiety for many of us. 2021 seems to be more of the same. Anxiety is a feature of the human experience and God is not unaware of the challenges. I am reposting an article from Jim McCraigh which deals with anxiety. How to Deal With Fear and Anxiety in a Time of Trouble Unprecedented fear and anxiety are gripping many people in our country with ever-changing lockdown rules, quarantines, school and business closures, looting, riots, threats of violence, charges of racism, masks, contact tracing, media disinformation, and economic uncertainty. For many, it has become a mental health issue. Since last spring, the way we go about our daily lives has been rapidly and radically changed. Comfortable routines of school, work, church, social events, dating, clubs, sports events, movies, and family gatherings have all been dramat
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