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A faithful presence of love in the absences of our city.

Posts by Emily Leslie

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A Rule of Life

rule of life

"There is no emphasis on my action, my behavior, my commitment level, or my productivity...the emphasis is on how out of my own control my own identity is… which feels uncomfortable… and liberating. I have favor from God. That’s the final word. My identity, the “what” of who I am, is already set in stone."...

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Will You Go?

buried (1)

Justin's question to the little Christians in the room stuck with me as I listened to the sermon Will you go? And if you choose to go, what motivates you? Certainty and control motivate me... So, saying yes to something that involves mystery, faith, trust, and risk...is just really hard for me. What motivates me to go when certainty is not promised and control is out of ...

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Intersection of Sorrow and Hope

intersection

I rememberso much in highschool and young adulthood thinking that I just needed to try harder if I loved God enough, I wouldn't be sinning so much. I knew that I was a *sinner* at my core. I understood that sanctification was a work of grace and that I was saved by faith alone, not by my works but somehow I felt such great pressure to be stronger in my faith and better in ...

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Praying the Impossible

prayingtheimpossible

This Sunday as Justin started to reintroduce us to the heart behind the Impossible Prayer Requests, I felt my guard go up, for the fourth year in a row. As I mentioned in my write up for the advent devotional this year, the first two years I was so paralyzed with fear over asking and facing disappointment, I hid behind reason and judgement and bypassed participa...

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Genesis 12:10-20

genesis 12_10-20

"We are all longing to be loved. We long for something steadfast enough to put our trust in... but we are broken, and our relationships pay the price. God’s love is not the same, it isn’t fickle...it’s resolute, more than we could ever hope or dream of."...

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Hiding Place

hiding place

"Our culture loves to numb pain-- give me all the ice cream, netflix, relationships, alcohol, handbags, adventures and travel...I don’t want to feel a thing. We hide in hobbies, in careers, in families, in fleeting pleasures and constant distractions, never slowing down to face the sharp edges of the evil within our own hearts."...

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Come & Celebrate

COME & CELEBRATE

"The God of the universe is walking with you, bringing peace, comfort, provision, rest, feast, promise, goodness, mercy & dwelling. It’s a big, glorious story that we are a part of, and we need to cultivate joy, allow it to well up in us, celebrate and revel in the goodness of our loving Savior."...

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Grief & Hope

Grief & Hope

Even in this chapter, of this overwhelming book, we see how all of scripture is brought together to accomplish the same plan that has been laid out in the Bible all along. ...

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A Risky Call

a risky call

Entering into moments of vulnerability consciously and intentionally is risky, but it stops shame in it’s tracks....

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Context Matters

ContextMatters

Sometimes, hard things happen, and they’re just hard, and no ah-ha moment comes later when you realize how every painful piece of the puzzle was indeed working together for your good. ...

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Hospitality: A Story of Love

A story of love

This Sunday, as we unpacked hospitality, and love was intertwined in every part. Fear creates exclusive community, but love gives way to inclusive hospitality....

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How Long?

How Long?

In Daniel’s vision, the journey for God’s people is long and painful, and begs the question; will God’s people finish? Will his purposes prevail? How long must we endure before we feel the relief of redemption?...

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Ascended and Present

Add headinCg

"Now, how his lordship works out is then through the work of the church. But he is the Lord and is present with and through his church, as we are doing what we are called to do." ~ N.T. Wright...

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Praying for Serenity

Serenity

It is so tempting to pray for circumstances to change, to get mad at God when they don’t, and to hold a grudge of resentment rather than “accept with serenity” the things that cannot be changed. ...

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Love Came Down

LoveCame Down

Our God gives an answer that is pertinent to our suffering and struggles, and it’s a victorious and hopeful answer, even in the face of suffering and death....

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The Restorer

We want to be the hero, taking away our need for a savior. But that’s not the way God designed us, and that’s not how he promises to bring restoration....

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Fierce, Avenging, and Good

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver, "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good."...

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Positive Regard & Empathic Listening

There is not any other distinction or any other belief system that can make us one, but the spirit of God that we share makes us one. So we hold on to our distinctions, and we regard each other as children of God, made in his image, and we listen empathically (as even Rogers identified as crucial for relationships!) from a position of peace and gentleness, full of mercy, i...

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Grace: The Great Equalizer

You can't earn love by presenting a better version of yourself. It's just a false self, and a false self can't give or receive love…it can only act like it can. It's crushing to live under the demands of the law, trying to earn favor....

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Fully Known & Truly Loved

Marriage isn't always perfectly romantic, but in the rhythm of the ordinary, God is revealing Himself and His love for His people. ...

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