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Monday, March 27, 2023

My Soul Purpose ®

Spiritual growth in Christ, Development, prayer, Bible, lessons, Audio, spiritual growth, faith, christian, spiritual crisis, spiritual journey, soul, blog, Bible Study, pastors, Christian teaching, sermons, conflict,marriage, inspiration, stories,
My Soul Purpose ®
Spiritual growth in Christ, Development, prayer, Bible, lessons, Audio, spiritual growth, faith, christian, spiritual crisis, spiritual journey, soul, blog, Bible Study, pastors, Christian teaching, sermons, conflict,marriage, inspiration, stories,
  • Home
  • About Dr. Parrott
  • My Soul Purpose: The Book
    • Praise for the Book
    • Table of Contents
    • Foreward
    • The Measure of Soul Success
  • Order My Soul Purpose
  • Group Study Guide and Workbook
  • Schedule or Contact Dr. Parrott
  • Blog
  • Blog

    We Are The Temple

    I have committed myself to the urging of Romans 12:1. My heart studies the mercies of God.  My body, my being, is my gift to…

    Dr. Parrott January 17, 2022 No Comments
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  • Blog

    A Lovely Gift

    I present my gift and wait for your response.  Are you delighted or disappointed? If this is true of my gift to you, imagine presenting…

    Dr. Parrott January 16, 2022 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Big Ask

    It is a big ask, something that will take effort and create difficulty.  Yet, here it is:   “. . . offer your bodies as…

    Dr. Parrott January 7, 2022 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Therefore, I Urge You

    I hear the voice of a committed coach, a passionate teacher, a loving parent, or even a concerned “Dutch” uncle:           Therefore, I urge you.…

    Dr. Parrott January 4, 2022 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Embrace 2022 With God’s Mercy

    The year 2021 taught two lessons: “fear” and “cynicism,” imparted by a syllabus of visceral hostility, conspiracy theories, identity politics, cancel culture, and tribalism. I…

    Dr. Parrott January 3, 2022 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Renew Your Promise

    God, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) promises full salvation now and in the world to come.  We believe and promise to live in alignment with…

    Dr. Parrott December 30, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God Has a Plan

    Facebook today: “The first rule of 2022 is to not dwell on what went wrong in 2021. God has a plan.” How do you respond…

    Dr. Parrott December 29, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Jesus and the Powers that Be

    The Magi confronted Herod with a fearful question, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews” (Matt. 2:1).  The announcement of…

    Dr. Parrott December 28, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    What is New in a New Year?

    Nothing about January 1st warrants transformation.  “New” does not emanate from a New Year.  “New” emanates from He who said, “I am making everything new”…

    Dr. Parrott December 27, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    A Christmas Prayer

    My Sunday School class read this prayer together at our Christmas Brunch.  It is a lovely prayer.  Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus,that…

    Dr. Parrott December 24, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Lord Has Come

    “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9). –Light comes to Mary in the quiet solitude of her…

    Dr. Parrott December 23, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Prepare Him Room

    “There was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:7). Why? –First, census time was a busy time for an innkeeper.  –Also, if he admitted…

    Dr. Parrott December 22, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Night Gives Way to Light and Sight

    Today, the Winter Solstice delivers the longest, darkest day of the year.  I’m reminded that Christ arrived in the long, dark night of the world’s…

    Dr. Parrott December 21, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Story Needs Good News

    The story in the Old Testament, the story of God’s creation, human rebellion, and God’s salvage mission to redeem and restore the earth unfolds, twists,…

    Dr. Parrott December 20, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Lord Has Come

    All the Old Testament, all of God’s promise, all of Israel’s hope, the salvation of a broken world are found in an embryo inside Mary.   …

    Dr. Parrott December 18, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    A Family Reunion

    “The Lord departed” (Ezekiel 10:18); God removed his Presence from Israel’s Temple.  He continued to send prophets, watch over the exiles, and shape history for…

    Dr. Parrott December 16, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Light of Jesus

    “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:5).  The light, Jesus, was born into a dark world.  What…

    Dr. Parrott December 15, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Our Prince of Peace

    Power in the Palace breeds politics, not peace.  Magi brought news of a child/king, and when “King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all…

    Dr. Parrott December 13, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Our Everlasting Father

    The Everlasting Father of Mary’s Child is our Heavenly Father.  The Divine and Human fully reside in the Son.  How can this be? “The Holy…

    Dr. Parrott December 11, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Our Mighty God

    The “mighty” aligned against shepherds.  Accused and sometimes guilty of thievery and other night-time shenanigans, proper society shunned sheepherders.  SHOCK: The Might of the Almighty…

    Dr. Parrott December 10, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Our Wonderful Counselor

    Joseph needed counsel.  His betrothed was with child.  Nazareth was divided over the issue.  Send her away or stone her.  Joseph carried the choice.  During…

    Dr. Parrott December 9, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Be Born in Us

    Empires and nations, with their mighty armies, could not achieve what God accomplished through a baby, “. . .to us a child is born. .…

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  • Blog

    God Sends a Baby

    On the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the trigger that propelled the United States into WW2, may I observe: When human beings want to change…

    Dr. Parrott December 7, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God’s Reach/Our Response

    A world-renowned work of art: the Sistine Chapel (on display in Nashville (https://sistinechapelexhibit.com/nashville/). God’s strong hand (right) is determined to reach Adam (left).  Adam’s gesture…

    Dr. Parrott December 4, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Story is Older Than You Know

    Prophecy is in the story:  1-Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 12ff) remind us of Zacharia and Elizabeth (Luke 1ff); 2-the birth of Issacs (Gen. 18:10-11) points…

    Dr. Parrott December 3, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Treat the Disease, Not Just Symptoms

    Are we a bit obsessed with the symptoms; the types of various “sins”?  Jesus came to heal and cleanse us from our sins.  Jesus also…

    Dr. Parrott December 2, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Charles Dickens, For His Children

    “My dear children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the history of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about him.…

    Dr. Parrott December 1, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Why Christmas is Merry

    Christmas is more than a merry diversion in mid-winter.  There is a dark side: an attempt to stone Mary, Herod killing children, and Caesar claiming…

    Dr. Parrott November 30, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God Has Returned (Immanuel)

    An odd thought for us:  Ancient Hebrews believed that God had abandoned them at the time of Exile.  Israel waited for centuries for God’s return. …

    Dr. Parrott November 29, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Come, Expected Jesus

    “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,” the oft sung hymn on the first Sunday of Advent, lifts thanks to God for past fulfillment and future promise…

    Dr. Parrott November 27, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The True Measure of Thanksgiving

    “Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving” [W. T. Purkiser (1910–1992) a preacher,…

    Dr. Parrott November 23, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Give Me Your Attention

    As money is the currency of the marketplace, attention is the currency of the spiritual life. Lord, guard, capture, and focus my attention. I will…

    Dr. Parrott November 20, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    To Fill, Empty, and Fill Anew

    A cup is designed to hold something. It must be expected that the “something” will be emptied out and replaced with something new. I cannot…

    Dr. Parrott November 19, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Don’t Be Fooled

    I shout a warning, “It’s a trick.” In Eden’s Garden, our first parents fall prey to the lie, “You will be like God” (Gen. 3:5). …

    Dr. Parrott November 18, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    A Mirror Reflecting Wisdom and Praise

    God created humanity in His image (Gen. 1:26-27).  The essence of God’s image is a thorny quest fully revealed in Jesus (Col. 1:15).  However, the…

    Dr. Parrott November 17, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    O, Begin!

    A spiritual admonition: “Oh, begin! Fix some part of every day for private exercises… Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily. It…

    Dr. Parrott November 16, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    As We Forgive Others

    If you choose, you may recite our Lord’s Prayer as ritual, routine, and without obligation to action, with one exception.  In the prayer, Jesus requires…

    Dr. Parrott November 15, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    To Advance God’s Plan

    For many, the Bible is a book of rules.  In effect, the Bible is a story revealing God’s character, our need for God, and God’s…

    Dr. Parrott November 13, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God’s Weapon of Choice

    Forgiveness: “decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge,” (The Mayo Clinic).  But resentment seems the best defense against further harm.  Yet, God,…

    Dr. Parrott November 12, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Compassionate Side of History

    John sees the “scroll,” God’s plan to save the world.  Who can open it? An elder “said to me” that the “Lion” will rescue us. …

    Dr. Parrott November 11, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Be With, then Send Out

    Lord, I’ve so much to accomplish today.  My impulse is to push past our moments together and advance Your mission.  Yet, you choose Your disciples,…

    Dr. Parrott November 10, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Thanks, in All Things?

    “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:19).  Lord, we are grateful in times of abundance and pleasant surprise.  But “all circumstances,” in everything?  Draw…

    Dr. Parrott November 9, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Read the Bible Slowly

    “Read quietly, slowly, word for word. . . more with the heart than the mind… From time to time make short pauses to allow these…

    Dr. Parrott November 8, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Enjoy the Silence

    “Your tolerance of silence is a fairly good indicator of your spiritual depth” [“Contact with God,” Anthony de Mello].  This statement is true and convicting. …

    Dr. Parrott November 6, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God’s Grace Has Found You

    Your sinning-self squirms and struggles against being found out. Yet, God placed a deep longing in your true self, a desire for Him.  When you…

    Dr. Parrott November 4, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Make Your Name Holy

    Lord, protect me and use me in the face of testing and temptation, changes and chances, discouragement and despair.  Guided by your light and defended…

    Dr. Parrott November 2, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God’s Work of Art

    My granddaughter is a 7-year-old artist.  I watch the intensity on her face as she draws her lines, selects the colors, and applies the finishing…

    Dr. Parrott November 1, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    No Way to Bypass Pain

    Announce to the brokenhearted:  Pain is not forever. Hope and healing will find you. Trust, and don’t rush. There is no detour around the work…

    Dr. Parrott October 30, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Only Children

    “My way is all of trust and love… It is enough to realize one’s nothingness, and give ourselves wholly, like a child, into the arms…

    Dr. Parrott October 29, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    To Be Radical

    To hold on to what is essential, to get to the “root” is the meaning of “radical.” To cleave to the essential root, no matter…

    Dr. Parrott October 28, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Grace that Precedes Grace

    I gaze at my newborn granddaughter and realize again; We are innocent before we start feeling guilty, in the light before we enter darkness, and…

    Dr. Parrott October 27, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    You Are God’s Beloved

    Anxious, restless, angry, full of desire, yet never satisfied.  Our compulsiveness keeps us going. Are we getting anywhere?  This path leads to exhaustion and burnout. …

    Dr. Parrott October 26, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Love Your Enemies

    The spiritual life, in the best of the great religious traditions, is about the quality of relationships, especially the way we care for and treat…

    Dr. Parrott October 25, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    More Than Instructions

    My new computer arrives on Tuesday. I’m excited and fearful. I must “migrate” from the old to the new. God’s children must migrate from the…

    Dr. Parrott October 23, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Identity in God

    Solitude is the furnace of transformation into which Jesus submitted himself. He faced the temptation to be relevant [“turn stones into bread”], to be spectacular,…

    Dr. Parrott October 22, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Come Home; Time to Eat

    We are created to hunger for God, and God yearns for a relationship with us.  Yet, we still hunger.  Why?  Perhaps we have not come…

    Dr. Parrott October 21, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    You Wait for Our “Yes”

    Lord, we don’t always or readily respond to you.  We may be confused or afraid.  We may be willfully obstinate or negligent.  Sometimes we don’t…

    Dr. Parrott October 20, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God’s Design for You

    Believers ask, “What can I do to advance God’s work in the world?”  God has given you a unique combination of personality and gifts; put…

    Dr. Parrott October 19, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Grace: Fabricated or Authentic

    Cheap [fabricated] grace is forgiveness without repentance, communion without confession, salvation without the cross, and grace without Jesus. Costly [authentic] grace is seeking his presence…

    Dr. Parrott October 18, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    I Need Your Spirit

    Lord, I believe that sooner or later we must put You first in life.  You do not become the only thing in life, but you…

    Dr. Parrott October 16, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Holy Silence; Worldly Uproar

    Thousands of years ago, a devout Hebrew, tossed by the storms of life, silently knelt before God in the temple. His prayer: “For God alone,…

    Dr. Parrott October 15, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Say YES; Say NO

    Lord, I know two things about living in, for, and through you.  First, I must say YES to what renews and affirms my life in…

    Dr. Parrott October 13, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Unholy Uproar

    Lord, political rancor, talk-shows, divisive relationships, loss of civility for increased insolence, and constant bantering and blaming drown me in an unholy uproar.  I must…

    Dr. Parrott October 12, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Time to Return

    One of the dangers of spiritual growth is that too much emphasis can be placed on results, on how we are doing, or how we…

    Dr. Parrott October 11, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    A Life Worth Living

    To find inside yourself what makes life worth living is a risk. Once you know, you must seek it as a “pearl of great price”…

    Dr. Parrott October 9, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    My God, My God

    When in the valley of death, you are still my God, and I trust you. Jesus is the strength of my faith.  On the cross,…

    Dr. Parrott October 8, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    To Please You, Lord

    Father in heaven, I don’t know where I’m going. I cannot see the road ahead. I pray that I am following your will, but am…

    Dr. Parrott October 7, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God Wants You to Know

    God wants everyone to know his will. He doesn’t withhold grace, play games, or tease us to test our faithfulness or worthiness. God is far…

    Dr. Parrott October 6, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Watch, Wait, Listen

    To discern God’s will, pay attention to what goes on around you and inside you. Listen to Scripture, trusted friends, and the faithfulness of the…

    Dr. Parrott October 4, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God Swept In

    Deep in the layers of history, beneath the wretched upheavals of sin, God’s love and pleasure in human creatures abounded.  When the moment was right,…

    Dr. Parrott October 2, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Live As If…

    We are citizens of the Kingdom of God. In Scripture we catch a vision, experience a taste, and find a hunger for what life in…

    Dr. Parrott October 1, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Do not Wait to Listen

    Do not wait for special moments to listen for God’s voice. Simply listen, trust, and obey. All experiences, ordinary and extraordinary, carry God’s message and…

    Dr. Parrott September 29, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Road Turns

    The one who sets the course of this road, and whose entry into it defines the way forward, is the same who walks beside us,…

    Dr. Parrott September 28, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Willing to Believe

    Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world, stronger than hate, evil, or death? Are you willing to believe…

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  • Blog

    To Love and Be Loved

    God created us for a purpose more amazing and beautiful than we can envision. We are created in God’s image in order to have continual…

    Dr. Parrott September 25, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Ordinariness of Living

    The challenge is to receive divine truth from above and pull it down into the ordinariness of everyday living so that it is, in fact,…

    Dr. Parrott September 24, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Spirit of the Living God

    As recipients of the New Birth, through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are destined to be conformed to the image of Christ, who…

    Dr. Parrott September 23, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Make My Will Your Will, Lord

    The words of an old prayer: “Our wills are ours to make them Thine.”  Luke opens his Gospel with Mary’s prayer, “let it be to…

    Dr. Parrott September 22, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Radical Love of God

    The word “radical” means getting to the root, to what is essential.  The most radical thing about the Christian faith is the love of God. …

    Dr. Parrott September 20, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God’s Grace from the Beginning

    I see my new granddaughter. I am reminded, “We were innocent before we started feeling guilty, we were in the light before we entered the…

    Dr. Parrott September 12, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    I Looked for God

    “The world has changed,” was my first thought.  I looked for the Almighty.  I did not see Him in the planes that struck the towers. …

    Dr. Parrott September 11, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    What Am I To Do?

    “What I really lack is to be clear in my mind about what I am to do, not what I am to know… The thing…

    Dr. Parrott September 9, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Glory Comes

    There is an old, hackneyed phrase that has fallen out of use, “We need to get under the spout where the glory comes out.”  I…

    Dr. Parrott September 8, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    For Your Life

    “Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily. It is for your life; there is no other way.”John Wesley, “A Letter to John…

    Dr. Parrott September 6, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    What We Do Not See

    Evelyn Underhill has observed that the whole of the inner life, “swings between the unseen and the scene.” Both are important, but the “seen” is…

    Dr. Parrott September 4, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    It’s About Relationships

    In a practical sense, spirituality is about the quality of our relationships, the way we care for each other. For Christians, spirituality in our relationships…

    Dr. Parrott September 3, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God’s Human Face

    For a Christian, spirituality is found in Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, we are aware that life is sacred, that we share a sacred journey, and…

    Dr. Parrott August 31, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Solitude: Conversion, not Therapy

    Based on the model of Jesus, Henri Nouwen notes that “solitude is not a private therapeutic place, rather, it is the place of conversion, the…

    Dr. Parrott August 30, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Alone Time

    Jesus, alone in the desert, faced the desires born of the world: to be relevant, [“stones into bread”], to be spectacular, [“throw yourself down”], and…

    Dr. Parrott August 28, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Come Home

    God created us to long for Him. God is our genuine home.  Jesus, God’s genuine Messiah, invites us to come home, “learn from me, for…

    Dr. Parrott August 27, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    What Do I Do Now?

    “What am I supposed to do?” You are a unique combination of personality, experiences, and gifts. Put into practice the design that God has put…

    Dr. Parrott August 26, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Are You Serious?

    The opposite of “serious” is “superficial.”  We are called to take our life in Christ seriously.  “So, if you’re serious about living this new resurrection…

    Dr. Parrott August 25, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    My Yoke Upon You

    “Take my yoke upon you” [Matthew 11:29]. The call to follow Jesus is a confrontation with costly grace, grace that breathes a word of forgiveness…

    Dr. Parrott August 24, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    GRACE: Free, not Cheap

    Cheap grace forgoes discipleship, ignores the cross, and diminishes Jesus Christ. Costly grace calls us to follow.  Costly grace is sought again and again.Adapted from “A…

    Dr. Parrott August 23, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Simple and Quiet

    When you put God first in life, and live as if God is truly first, you will become simpler and quieter even if life may,…

    Dr. Parrott August 21, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Less Running

    When you put God first, you find that, in time, you do a great deal less running after things that do not matter, things that…

    Dr. Parrott August 20, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Off Load the Junk

    When you put God first, you find that, in time, you get rid of unnecessary junk* that most people carry.  There is mental junk, of…

    Dr. Parrott August 19, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The First Thing

    Sooner or later, you must put God first in your life. It need not, perhaps it had better not, be the only thing in your…

    Dr. Parrott August 18, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Teach Us About Silence

    “For God alone, my soul in silence waits, from him comes my salvation” [Psalm 62:1]. Oh, ancient singer, you have our attention, and we long…

    Dr. Parrott August 17, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    How to Follow the Risen Lord

    1-Wisdom nurtured in God’s Word;2-Courage born of Faith in Christ;3-Fellowship developed through Spiritual Adventure; and4-Mystery, the gift of God’s Grand Purpose.  

    Dr. Parrott August 16, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    “Yes” and “No”

    “Yes” to all that makes us fully alive in Christ.“No” to anything that lures us away from Him.

    Dr. Parrott August 14, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God Loves the World

    Saint Francis shuddered when he realized that everything depends on God.   And, if the whole world is in God’s hands, why doesn’t He just drop…

    Dr. Parrott August 13, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Focus On God

    Too much focus on results endangers the life in the Spirit.  Are my prayers answered, is my growth fast enough, do my acts of service…

    Dr. Parrott August 12, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    I Will Not Fear

    I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.from Thoughts in Solitude by…

    Dr. Parrott August 11, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Lead Me by the Right Road

    Lord, hear my prayer: “Whatever I do today, may it align with your perfect love. If I do this, O, Lord, I have faith that…

    Dr. Parrott August 10, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Desire to Please You

    The fact is, I desire to follow your will. Yet, at times, I’m not always convinced I am doing so. However, I know this, the…

    Dr. Parrott August 9, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God Wants You to Know His Will

    God wants you to know his will. He doesn’t tease, play games, or withhold his goodness to test your faithfulness or worthiness. God is far…

    Dr. Parrott August 8, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Soul-Searching Prayer

    The fruit of prayerful soul-searching is self-knowledge, not self-justification. We draw to God and see ourselves as sinners. The result is that we cannot condemn…

    Dr. Parrott August 7, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Spiritual Attention

    Spiritual discernment asks us to pay attention to what goes on around us and within us. Attend to scripture, advisors, faithful friends, prayer, and the…

    Dr. Parrott August 6, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    We Walk His Road

    The One who sets the course of this road, and whose entry into it defines the way forward, is the same who walks beside us,…

    Dr. Parrott August 5, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Footsteps of Jesus

    Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world, stronger than hate, evil, and death? Then you, my friend, are…

    Dr. Parrott August 4, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Something to Think About

    Jesus Christ is of no importance if He is not of supreme importance.

    Dr. Parrott August 3, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God is Amazingly Like Jesus

    Our unlimited God has a communication problem with limited humanity. We find the answer to the problem in Jesus Christ.  God is amazingly like Jesus.

    Dr. Parrott August 2, 2021 No Comments
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    Ordinary Things

    To trust and obey means “pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am thinking about, talking about,…

    Dr. Parrott July 31, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Look Up! Salvation is Near

    Look up, you whose eyes are fixed on this earth. . .Look up, you have turned away from heaven. . .Look up, you whose eyes…

    Dr. Parrott July 30, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Off The Deep End

    Attend to the prescribed externals such as going regularly to church, and don’t go off the deep end. They are pleasing to God… Nevertheless, we…

    Dr. Parrott July 29, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God’s Unwavering Grace

    For human beings, the spiritual life is no straight line of unimpeded progress. It is, however, by God’s unwavering goodness, always undergirded by grace.From Companions…

    Dr. Parrott July 28, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    A Work of the Holy Spirit Called Sanctification

    It is God’s purpose that we are to be conformed to the image of Christ, who is himself “the image of the invisible God” (Col.…

    Dr. Parrott July 27, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    What We Are

    “Spiritual” is not something we ought to be.  It is something we are.The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard

    Dr. Parrott July 26, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Into the Life of God

    The whole purpose for which we exist is to be thus taken into the life of God.Mere Christianity by CS Lewis

    Dr. Parrott July 24, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Duel Paths of Growth

    Two measures of growth: first, in our natural life, we grow in wisdom, responsibility, and maturity. On the mirrored path, our spiritual life, we grow…

    Dr. Parrott July 23, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    To Be Available

    Our particular calling in God’s service comes from our response to God’s call to be available.Companions in Christ: Participants Book, Part 4, Gerrit Scott Dawson

    Dr. Parrott July 22, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The Whole Story of Christianity

    In one sense, the story Christianity tells is one that can be so simply told that we find the whole thing on a small Christmas…

    Dr. Parrott July 21, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Jesus is Dialogue Restored

    Paul Tournier, the great Christian doctor, declares that life, in order to be life, must necessarily be dialogue. . . . The supreme dialogue of…

    Dr. Parrott July 20, 2021 No Comments
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    Because YOU are Steadfast

    My heart is steadfast oh God… Because Your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; Your faithfulness extends to the clouds (Psalm 57.7-10 ).

    Dr. Parrott July 19, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Investigate the Questions

    The spiritual life is more often questions in search of answers. God speaks in the questions.  When we investigate the questions, we often find the…

    Dr. Parrott July 17, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Love is Stronger than Death

    The resurrection does not solve all our problems nor answer all our questions about dying and death. But it does reveal to us that, indeed,…

    Dr. Parrott July 14, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    The True Story of the World

    The power of stories is that they tell us that somehow life adds up.  We believe that the true story of the world is God’s…

    Dr. Parrott July 12, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    I Can Hear You Now

    Speak Your Word to me, my Lord, your servant is listening. I yearn to hear Your voice and to be transformed by You.[From, “A Guide…

    Dr. Parrott July 8, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    If You Listen

    God’s promise: if you listen to my Word, I will answer you. I will not leave you in the darkness of doubt. Always I seek…

    Dr. Parrott July 7, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    A Way of Life

    What is the depth and quality of your faith commitment? In the last analysis, faith is not a way of speaking or even of thinking;…

    Dr. Parrott July 6, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Our Better Angels

    Abraham Lincoln’s words in 1861, timely in 2021: We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it…

    Dr. Parrott July 3, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God’s Lack of Restraint

    God’s apparent lack of “restraint” when it comes to creating things is but a symptom of a deeper lack of “restraint” we find in our…

    Dr. Parrott July 2, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    I believe, Defeat My Fear

    We see deception in our world.  It is not unexpected that we guard ourselves against the truth of the Gospel, afraid the story is too…

    Dr. Parrott July 1, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Remember Your Promise

    Lord, remember your word of promise to your servant in which you have given me hope.  Your promise is my comfort in distress.  Your word…

    Dr. Parrott June 30, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    For a House that is a Home

    For the blessing of this home, oh Lord:     for foundations and roof,     for windows and doors,     for strong walls,     and for floors and furnishings.This place…

    Dr. Parrott June 26, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Only Time for Fast Food

    Father,     Today I have only a moment for fast food.     Today all my moments are fast and frantic.May I, at other times in my busy…

    Dr. Parrott June 25, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    A Most Excellent Meal

    Let us make a meal to remind our family and friends that     life will not always be so burdened,     that their days of exile will…

    Dr. Parrott June 24, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Chefs for Body and Soul

    For those of us who prepare meals,     let us labor with compassion,     with imagination engaged,     knowing that we are cooks in the kitchen,     but we…

    Dr. Parrott June 23, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God’s Laundry Day

    May I recall the parable of soil and rags,      soap and water and cleansing. Open my eyes to see     my own faults,     my own weaknesses,    …

    Dr. Parrott June 22, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    That I May Better Lead

    O, Lord,     Teach me each day the way of Christ,     That I may better serve those I lead. [Every Moment Holy, Vol. 1]

    Dr. Parrott June 21, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    A Prayer for Fathers

    Our Father in HeavenProtect us from the temptations of earthly fathers.     To be angry, neither smoldering nor shouting,     To be distant, neither relationally nor physically,Our…

    Dr. Parrott June 20, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Evidence of My Devotion

    Jesus, be ever-present as the mediator     between me and my employer,     between me and my supervisors and coworkers,and in all my dealings with others in…

    Dr. Parrott June 19, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    All Good Service

    Oh God, grant that my heart might be ordered aright,knowing that all good service faithfully renderedis first a service rendered to You. Receive my service,that…

    Dr. Parrott June 18, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    Thanks to God

    We now give thanks to God with the blessings of this day. We praise you, O Father,   for the provisions of food,   and shelter,   and…

    Dr. Parrott June 17, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    If the Heart is Tempted

    If our hearts have already been tempted to believe anything about ourselves or others that does not take into account your creation, your mercy, your…

    Dr. Parrott June 16, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    For This Day

    Oh, child of the living God, what is your father’s greatest desire for you this day? That I should love our Eternal King with all…

    Dr. Parrott June 15, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    God is With us

    Lord, you are equally present in our failures and in our successes, in our sleep and in our wakeful hours, in our tears and in…

    admin June 14, 2021 No Comments
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  • Blog

    E. V. Hill and the Black Panthers

    Pastor E. V. Hill* used to tell of a time he received a death threat from the Black Panthers because they didn't like his preaching about that "white Jesus". This was his reply:

    Dr. Parrott July 12, 2020
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  • Blog

    What’s Happening to U.S.?

    WHAT’S GOIN’ ON? What a week in the life of our nation. The news lands one blow after another in the past week.

    Dr. Parrott June 14, 2020
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  • Blog

    Tongues of Fire and Burning Buildings

    A Message for Pentecost Eve It is such a beautiful day. I had a brisk walk this morning, followed by some excellent reading.  Now I…

    Dr. Parrott May 30, 2020 No Comments
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  • Blog

    I Want That Recipe

    “Do you have the recipe?” I’ve been asked time and again about the recipe for the chicken served at the “Dinner Theater.”

    Dr. Parrott December 19, 2019 No Comments
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  • Blog

    When Giving Is All We Have

    I received a beautiful Thanksgiving poem I want to share with you.

    Dr. Parrott November 27, 2019 No Comments
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  • Blog

    OUR FATHER

    I hope you enjoy this four-minute video: https://trevecca.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=b06cfc7e-a4b5-49df-b8c0-ae37017ce09f Richard L. Parrot

    admin November 2, 2022
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We Are The Temple

Dr. Parrott January 17, 2022 No Comments

I have committed myself to the urging of Romans 12:1. My heart studies the mercies of God.  My body, my being, is my gift to…

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A Lovely Gift

Dr. Parrott January 16, 2022 No Comments

I present my gift and wait for your response.  Are you delighted or disappointed? If this is true of my gift to you, imagine presenting…

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The Big Ask

Dr. Parrott January 7, 2022 No Comments

It is a big ask, something that will take effort and create difficulty.  Yet, here it is:   “. . . offer your bodies as…

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Therefore, I Urge You

Dr. Parrott January 4, 2022 No Comments

I hear the voice of a committed coach, a passionate teacher, a loving parent, or even a concerned “Dutch” uncle:           Therefore, I urge you.…

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Embrace 2022 With God’s Mercy

Dr. Parrott January 3, 2022 No Comments

The year 2021 taught two lessons: “fear” and “cynicism,” imparted by a syllabus of visceral hostility, conspiracy theories, identity politics, cancel culture, and tribalism. I…

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Renew Your Promise

Dr. Parrott December 30, 2021 No Comments

God, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) promises full salvation now and in the world to come.  We believe and promise to live in alignment with…

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God Has a Plan

Dr. Parrott December 29, 2021 No Comments

Facebook today: “The first rule of 2022 is to not dwell on what went wrong in 2021. God has a plan.” How do you respond…

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Jesus and the Powers that Be

Dr. Parrott December 28, 2021 No Comments

The Magi confronted Herod with a fearful question, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews” (Matt. 2:1).  The announcement of…

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What is New in a New Year?

Dr. Parrott December 27, 2021 No Comments

Nothing about January 1st warrants transformation.  “New” does not emanate from a New Year.  “New” emanates from He who said, “I am making everything new”…

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A Christmas Prayer

Dr. Parrott December 24, 2021 No Comments

My Sunday School class read this prayer together at our Christmas Brunch.  It is a lovely prayer.  Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus,that…

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The Lord Has Come

Dr. Parrott December 23, 2021 No Comments

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9). –Light comes to Mary in the quiet solitude of her…

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Prepare Him Room

Dr. Parrott December 22, 2021 No Comments

“There was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:7). Why? –First, census time was a busy time for an innkeeper.  –Also, if he admitted…

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Night Gives Way to Light and Sight

Dr. Parrott December 21, 2021 No Comments

Today, the Winter Solstice delivers the longest, darkest day of the year.  I’m reminded that Christ arrived in the long, dark night of the world’s…

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The Story Needs Good News

Dr. Parrott December 20, 2021 No Comments

The story in the Old Testament, the story of God’s creation, human rebellion, and God’s salvage mission to redeem and restore the earth unfolds, twists,…

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The Lord Has Come

Dr. Parrott December 18, 2021 No Comments

All the Old Testament, all of God’s promise, all of Israel’s hope, the salvation of a broken world are found in an embryo inside Mary.   …

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A Family Reunion

Dr. Parrott December 16, 2021 No Comments

“The Lord departed” (Ezekiel 10:18); God removed his Presence from Israel’s Temple.  He continued to send prophets, watch over the exiles, and shape history for…

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The Light of Jesus

Dr. Parrott December 15, 2021 No Comments

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:5).  The light, Jesus, was born into a dark world.  What…

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Our Prince of Peace

Dr. Parrott December 13, 2021 No Comments

Power in the Palace breeds politics, not peace.  Magi brought news of a child/king, and when “King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all…

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Our Everlasting Father

Dr. Parrott December 11, 2021 No Comments

The Everlasting Father of Mary’s Child is our Heavenly Father.  The Divine and Human fully reside in the Son.  How can this be? “The Holy…

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Our Mighty God

Dr. Parrott December 10, 2021 No Comments

The “mighty” aligned against shepherds.  Accused and sometimes guilty of thievery and other night-time shenanigans, proper society shunned sheepherders.  SHOCK: The Might of the Almighty…

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Our Wonderful Counselor

Dr. Parrott December 9, 2021 No Comments

Joseph needed counsel.  His betrothed was with child.  Nazareth was divided over the issue.  Send her away or stone her.  Joseph carried the choice.  During…

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Be Born in Us

admin December 8, 2021 No Comments

Empires and nations, with their mighty armies, could not achieve what God accomplished through a baby, “. . .to us a child is born. .…

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God Sends a Baby

Dr. Parrott December 7, 2021 No Comments

On the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the trigger that propelled the United States into WW2, may I observe: When human beings want to change…

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God’s Reach/Our Response

Dr. Parrott December 4, 2021 No Comments

A world-renowned work of art: the Sistine Chapel (on display in Nashville (https://sistinechapelexhibit.com/nashville/). God’s strong hand (right) is determined to reach Adam (left).  Adam’s gesture…

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The Story is Older Than You Know

Dr. Parrott December 3, 2021 No Comments

Prophecy is in the story:  1-Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 12ff) remind us of Zacharia and Elizabeth (Luke 1ff); 2-the birth of Issacs (Gen. 18:10-11) points…

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Treat the Disease, Not Just Symptoms

Dr. Parrott December 2, 2021 No Comments

Are we a bit obsessed with the symptoms; the types of various “sins”?  Jesus came to heal and cleanse us from our sins.  Jesus also…

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Charles Dickens, For His Children

Dr. Parrott December 1, 2021 No Comments

“My dear children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the history of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about him.…

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Why Christmas is Merry

Dr. Parrott November 30, 2021 No Comments

Christmas is more than a merry diversion in mid-winter.  There is a dark side: an attempt to stone Mary, Herod killing children, and Caesar claiming…

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God Has Returned (Immanuel)

Dr. Parrott November 29, 2021 No Comments

An odd thought for us:  Ancient Hebrews believed that God had abandoned them at the time of Exile.  Israel waited for centuries for God’s return. …

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Come, Expected Jesus

Dr. Parrott November 27, 2021 No Comments

“Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,” the oft sung hymn on the first Sunday of Advent, lifts thanks to God for past fulfillment and future promise…

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The True Measure of Thanksgiving

Dr. Parrott November 23, 2021 No Comments

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving” [W. T. Purkiser (1910–1992) a preacher,…

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Give Me Your Attention

Dr. Parrott November 20, 2021 No Comments

As money is the currency of the marketplace, attention is the currency of the spiritual life. Lord, guard, capture, and focus my attention. I will…

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To Fill, Empty, and Fill Anew

Dr. Parrott November 19, 2021 No Comments

A cup is designed to hold something. It must be expected that the “something” will be emptied out and replaced with something new. I cannot…

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Don’t Be Fooled

Dr. Parrott November 18, 2021 No Comments

I shout a warning, “It’s a trick.” In Eden’s Garden, our first parents fall prey to the lie, “You will be like God” (Gen. 3:5). …

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A Mirror Reflecting Wisdom and Praise

Dr. Parrott November 17, 2021 No Comments

God created humanity in His image (Gen. 1:26-27).  The essence of God’s image is a thorny quest fully revealed in Jesus (Col. 1:15).  However, the…

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O, Begin!

Dr. Parrott November 16, 2021 No Comments

A spiritual admonition: “Oh, begin! Fix some part of every day for private exercises… Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily. It…

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As We Forgive Others

Dr. Parrott November 15, 2021 No Comments

If you choose, you may recite our Lord’s Prayer as ritual, routine, and without obligation to action, with one exception.  In the prayer, Jesus requires…

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To Advance God’s Plan

Dr. Parrott November 13, 2021 No Comments

For many, the Bible is a book of rules.  In effect, the Bible is a story revealing God’s character, our need for God, and God’s…

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God’s Weapon of Choice

Dr. Parrott November 12, 2021 No Comments

Forgiveness: “decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge,” (The Mayo Clinic).  But resentment seems the best defense against further harm.  Yet, God,…

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The Compassionate Side of History

Dr. Parrott November 11, 2021 No Comments

John sees the “scroll,” God’s plan to save the world.  Who can open it? An elder “said to me” that the “Lion” will rescue us. …

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Be With, then Send Out

Dr. Parrott November 10, 2021 No Comments

Lord, I’ve so much to accomplish today.  My impulse is to push past our moments together and advance Your mission.  Yet, you choose Your disciples,…

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Thanks, in All Things?

Dr. Parrott November 9, 2021 No Comments

“Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:19).  Lord, we are grateful in times of abundance and pleasant surprise.  But “all circumstances,” in everything?  Draw…

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Read the Bible Slowly

Dr. Parrott November 8, 2021 No Comments

“Read quietly, slowly, word for word. . . more with the heart than the mind… From time to time make short pauses to allow these…

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Enjoy the Silence

Dr. Parrott November 6, 2021 No Comments

“Your tolerance of silence is a fairly good indicator of your spiritual depth” [“Contact with God,” Anthony de Mello].  This statement is true and convicting. …

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God’s Grace Has Found You

Dr. Parrott November 4, 2021 No Comments

Your sinning-self squirms and struggles against being found out. Yet, God placed a deep longing in your true self, a desire for Him.  When you…

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Make Your Name Holy

Dr. Parrott November 2, 2021 No Comments

Lord, protect me and use me in the face of testing and temptation, changes and chances, discouragement and despair.  Guided by your light and defended…

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God’s Work of Art

Dr. Parrott November 1, 2021 No Comments

My granddaughter is a 7-year-old artist.  I watch the intensity on her face as she draws her lines, selects the colors, and applies the finishing…

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No Way to Bypass Pain

Dr. Parrott October 30, 2021 No Comments

Announce to the brokenhearted:  Pain is not forever. Hope and healing will find you. Trust, and don’t rush. There is no detour around the work…

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Only Children

Dr. Parrott October 29, 2021 No Comments

“My way is all of trust and love… It is enough to realize one’s nothingness, and give ourselves wholly, like a child, into the arms…

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To Be Radical

Dr. Parrott October 28, 2021 No Comments

To hold on to what is essential, to get to the “root” is the meaning of “radical.” To cleave to the essential root, no matter…

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Grace that Precedes Grace

Dr. Parrott October 27, 2021 No Comments

I gaze at my newborn granddaughter and realize again; We are innocent before we start feeling guilty, in the light before we enter darkness, and…

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You Are God’s Beloved

Dr. Parrott October 26, 2021 No Comments

Anxious, restless, angry, full of desire, yet never satisfied.  Our compulsiveness keeps us going. Are we getting anywhere?  This path leads to exhaustion and burnout. …

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Love Your Enemies

Dr. Parrott October 25, 2021 No Comments

The spiritual life, in the best of the great religious traditions, is about the quality of relationships, especially the way we care for and treat…

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More Than Instructions

Dr. Parrott October 23, 2021 No Comments

My new computer arrives on Tuesday. I’m excited and fearful. I must “migrate” from the old to the new. God’s children must migrate from the…

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Identity in God

Dr. Parrott October 22, 2021 No Comments

Solitude is the furnace of transformation into which Jesus submitted himself. He faced the temptation to be relevant [“turn stones into bread”], to be spectacular,…

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Come Home; Time to Eat

Dr. Parrott October 21, 2021 No Comments

We are created to hunger for God, and God yearns for a relationship with us.  Yet, we still hunger.  Why?  Perhaps we have not come…

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You Wait for Our “Yes”

Dr. Parrott October 20, 2021 No Comments

Lord, we don’t always or readily respond to you.  We may be confused or afraid.  We may be willfully obstinate or negligent.  Sometimes we don’t…

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God’s Design for You

Dr. Parrott October 19, 2021 No Comments

Believers ask, “What can I do to advance God’s work in the world?”  God has given you a unique combination of personality and gifts; put…

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Grace: Fabricated or Authentic

Dr. Parrott October 18, 2021 No Comments

Cheap [fabricated] grace is forgiveness without repentance, communion without confession, salvation without the cross, and grace without Jesus. Costly [authentic] grace is seeking his presence…

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I Need Your Spirit

Dr. Parrott October 16, 2021 No Comments

Lord, I believe that sooner or later we must put You first in life.  You do not become the only thing in life, but you…

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Holy Silence; Worldly Uproar

Dr. Parrott October 15, 2021 No Comments

Thousands of years ago, a devout Hebrew, tossed by the storms of life, silently knelt before God in the temple. His prayer: “For God alone,…

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Say YES; Say NO

Dr. Parrott October 13, 2021 No Comments

Lord, I know two things about living in, for, and through you.  First, I must say YES to what renews and affirms my life in…

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Unholy Uproar

Dr. Parrott October 12, 2021 No Comments

Lord, political rancor, talk-shows, divisive relationships, loss of civility for increased insolence, and constant bantering and blaming drown me in an unholy uproar.  I must…

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Time to Return

Dr. Parrott October 11, 2021 No Comments

One of the dangers of spiritual growth is that too much emphasis can be placed on results, on how we are doing, or how we…

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A Life Worth Living

Dr. Parrott October 9, 2021 No Comments

To find inside yourself what makes life worth living is a risk. Once you know, you must seek it as a “pearl of great price”…

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My God, My God

Dr. Parrott October 8, 2021 No Comments

When in the valley of death, you are still my God, and I trust you. Jesus is the strength of my faith.  On the cross,…

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To Please You, Lord

Dr. Parrott October 7, 2021 No Comments

Father in heaven, I don’t know where I’m going. I cannot see the road ahead. I pray that I am following your will, but am…

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God Wants You to Know

Dr. Parrott October 6, 2021 No Comments

God wants everyone to know his will. He doesn’t withhold grace, play games, or tease us to test our faithfulness or worthiness. God is far…

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Watch, Wait, Listen

Dr. Parrott October 4, 2021 No Comments

To discern God’s will, pay attention to what goes on around you and inside you. Listen to Scripture, trusted friends, and the faithfulness of the…

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God Swept In

Dr. Parrott October 2, 2021 No Comments

Deep in the layers of history, beneath the wretched upheavals of sin, God’s love and pleasure in human creatures abounded.  When the moment was right,…

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Live As If…

Dr. Parrott October 1, 2021 No Comments

We are citizens of the Kingdom of God. In Scripture we catch a vision, experience a taste, and find a hunger for what life in…

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Do not Wait to Listen

Dr. Parrott September 29, 2021 No Comments

Do not wait for special moments to listen for God’s voice. Simply listen, trust, and obey. All experiences, ordinary and extraordinary, carry God’s message and…

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The Road Turns

Dr. Parrott September 28, 2021 No Comments

The one who sets the course of this road, and whose entry into it defines the way forward, is the same who walks beside us,…

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Willing to Believe

admin September 27, 2021 No Comments

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world, stronger than hate, evil, or death? Are you willing to believe…

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To Love and Be Loved

Dr. Parrott September 25, 2021 No Comments

God created us for a purpose more amazing and beautiful than we can envision. We are created in God’s image in order to have continual…

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The Ordinariness of Living

Dr. Parrott September 24, 2021 No Comments

The challenge is to receive divine truth from above and pull it down into the ordinariness of everyday living so that it is, in fact,…

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Spirit of the Living God

Dr. Parrott September 23, 2021 No Comments

As recipients of the New Birth, through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are destined to be conformed to the image of Christ, who…

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Make My Will Your Will, Lord

Dr. Parrott September 22, 2021 No Comments

The words of an old prayer: “Our wills are ours to make them Thine.”  Luke opens his Gospel with Mary’s prayer, “let it be to…

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The Radical Love of God

Dr. Parrott September 20, 2021 No Comments

The word “radical” means getting to the root, to what is essential.  The most radical thing about the Christian faith is the love of God. …

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God’s Grace from the Beginning

Dr. Parrott September 12, 2021 No Comments

I see my new granddaughter. I am reminded, “We were innocent before we started feeling guilty, we were in the light before we entered the…

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I Looked for God

Dr. Parrott September 11, 2021 No Comments

“The world has changed,” was my first thought.  I looked for the Almighty.  I did not see Him in the planes that struck the towers. …

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What Am I To Do?

Dr. Parrott September 9, 2021 No Comments

“What I really lack is to be clear in my mind about what I am to do, not what I am to know… The thing…

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The Glory Comes

Dr. Parrott September 8, 2021 No Comments

There is an old, hackneyed phrase that has fallen out of use, “We need to get under the spout where the glory comes out.”  I…

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For Your Life

Dr. Parrott September 6, 2021 No Comments

“Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily. It is for your life; there is no other way.”John Wesley, “A Letter to John…

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What We Do Not See

Dr. Parrott September 4, 2021 No Comments

Evelyn Underhill has observed that the whole of the inner life, “swings between the unseen and the scene.” Both are important, but the “seen” is…

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It’s About Relationships

Dr. Parrott September 3, 2021 No Comments

In a practical sense, spirituality is about the quality of our relationships, the way we care for each other. For Christians, spirituality in our relationships…

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God’s Human Face

Dr. Parrott August 31, 2021 No Comments

For a Christian, spirituality is found in Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, we are aware that life is sacred, that we share a sacred journey, and…

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Solitude: Conversion, not Therapy

Dr. Parrott August 30, 2021 No Comments

Based on the model of Jesus, Henri Nouwen notes that “solitude is not a private therapeutic place, rather, it is the place of conversion, the…

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Alone Time

Dr. Parrott August 28, 2021 No Comments

Jesus, alone in the desert, faced the desires born of the world: to be relevant, [“stones into bread”], to be spectacular, [“throw yourself down”], and…

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Come Home

Dr. Parrott August 27, 2021 No Comments

God created us to long for Him. God is our genuine home.  Jesus, God’s genuine Messiah, invites us to come home, “learn from me, for…

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What Do I Do Now?

Dr. Parrott August 26, 2021 No Comments

“What am I supposed to do?” You are a unique combination of personality, experiences, and gifts. Put into practice the design that God has put…

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Are You Serious?

Dr. Parrott August 25, 2021 No Comments

The opposite of “serious” is “superficial.”  We are called to take our life in Christ seriously.  “So, if you’re serious about living this new resurrection…

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My Yoke Upon You

Dr. Parrott August 24, 2021 No Comments

“Take my yoke upon you” [Matthew 11:29]. The call to follow Jesus is a confrontation with costly grace, grace that breathes a word of forgiveness…

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GRACE: Free, not Cheap

Dr. Parrott August 23, 2021 No Comments

Cheap grace forgoes discipleship, ignores the cross, and diminishes Jesus Christ. Costly grace calls us to follow.  Costly grace is sought again and again.Adapted from “A…

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Simple and Quiet

Dr. Parrott August 21, 2021 No Comments

When you put God first in life, and live as if God is truly first, you will become simpler and quieter even if life may,…

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Less Running

Dr. Parrott August 20, 2021 No Comments

When you put God first, you find that, in time, you do a great deal less running after things that do not matter, things that…

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Off Load the Junk

Dr. Parrott August 19, 2021 No Comments

When you put God first, you find that, in time, you get rid of unnecessary junk* that most people carry.  There is mental junk, of…

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The First Thing

Dr. Parrott August 18, 2021 No Comments

Sooner or later, you must put God first in your life. It need not, perhaps it had better not, be the only thing in your…

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Teach Us About Silence

Dr. Parrott August 17, 2021 No Comments

“For God alone, my soul in silence waits, from him comes my salvation” [Psalm 62:1]. Oh, ancient singer, you have our attention, and we long…

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How to Follow the Risen Lord

Dr. Parrott August 16, 2021 No Comments

1-Wisdom nurtured in God’s Word;2-Courage born of Faith in Christ;3-Fellowship developed through Spiritual Adventure; and4-Mystery, the gift of God’s Grand Purpose.  

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“Yes” and “No”

Dr. Parrott August 14, 2021 No Comments

“Yes” to all that makes us fully alive in Christ.“No” to anything that lures us away from Him.

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God Loves the World

Dr. Parrott August 13, 2021 No Comments

Saint Francis shuddered when he realized that everything depends on God.   And, if the whole world is in God’s hands, why doesn’t He just drop…

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Focus On God

Dr. Parrott August 12, 2021 No Comments

Too much focus on results endangers the life in the Spirit.  Are my prayers answered, is my growth fast enough, do my acts of service…

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I Will Not Fear

Dr. Parrott August 11, 2021 No Comments

I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.from Thoughts in Solitude by…

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Lead Me by the Right Road

Dr. Parrott August 10, 2021 No Comments

Lord, hear my prayer: “Whatever I do today, may it align with your perfect love. If I do this, O, Lord, I have faith that…

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The Desire to Please You

Dr. Parrott August 9, 2021 No Comments

The fact is, I desire to follow your will. Yet, at times, I’m not always convinced I am doing so. However, I know this, the…

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God Wants You to Know His Will

Dr. Parrott August 8, 2021 No Comments

God wants you to know his will. He doesn’t tease, play games, or withhold his goodness to test your faithfulness or worthiness. God is far…

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Soul-Searching Prayer

Dr. Parrott August 7, 2021 No Comments

The fruit of prayerful soul-searching is self-knowledge, not self-justification. We draw to God and see ourselves as sinners. The result is that we cannot condemn…

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Spiritual Attention

Dr. Parrott August 6, 2021 No Comments

Spiritual discernment asks us to pay attention to what goes on around us and within us. Attend to scripture, advisors, faithful friends, prayer, and the…

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We Walk His Road

Dr. Parrott August 5, 2021 No Comments

The One who sets the course of this road, and whose entry into it defines the way forward, is the same who walks beside us,…

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The Footsteps of Jesus

Dr. Parrott August 4, 2021 No Comments

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world, stronger than hate, evil, and death? Then you, my friend, are…

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Something to Think About

Dr. Parrott August 3, 2021 No Comments

Jesus Christ is of no importance if He is not of supreme importance.

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God is Amazingly Like Jesus

Dr. Parrott August 2, 2021 No Comments

Our unlimited God has a communication problem with limited humanity. We find the answer to the problem in Jesus Christ.  God is amazingly like Jesus.

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Ordinary Things

Dr. Parrott July 31, 2021 No Comments

To trust and obey means “pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am thinking about, talking about,…

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Look Up! Salvation is Near

Dr. Parrott July 30, 2021 No Comments

Look up, you whose eyes are fixed on this earth. . .Look up, you have turned away from heaven. . .Look up, you whose eyes…

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Off The Deep End

Dr. Parrott July 29, 2021 No Comments

Attend to the prescribed externals such as going regularly to church, and don’t go off the deep end. They are pleasing to God… Nevertheless, we…

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God’s Unwavering Grace

Dr. Parrott July 28, 2021 No Comments

For human beings, the spiritual life is no straight line of unimpeded progress. It is, however, by God’s unwavering goodness, always undergirded by grace.From Companions…

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A Work of the Holy Spirit Called Sanctification

Dr. Parrott July 27, 2021 No Comments

It is God’s purpose that we are to be conformed to the image of Christ, who is himself “the image of the invisible God” (Col.…

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What We Are

Dr. Parrott July 26, 2021 No Comments

“Spiritual” is not something we ought to be.  It is something we are.The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard

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Into the Life of God

Dr. Parrott July 24, 2021 No Comments

The whole purpose for which we exist is to be thus taken into the life of God.Mere Christianity by CS Lewis

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Duel Paths of Growth

Dr. Parrott July 23, 2021 No Comments

Two measures of growth: first, in our natural life, we grow in wisdom, responsibility, and maturity. On the mirrored path, our spiritual life, we grow…

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To Be Available

Dr. Parrott July 22, 2021 No Comments

Our particular calling in God’s service comes from our response to God’s call to be available.Companions in Christ: Participants Book, Part 4, Gerrit Scott Dawson

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The Whole Story of Christianity

Dr. Parrott July 21, 2021 No Comments

In one sense, the story Christianity tells is one that can be so simply told that we find the whole thing on a small Christmas…

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Jesus is Dialogue Restored

Dr. Parrott July 20, 2021 No Comments

Paul Tournier, the great Christian doctor, declares that life, in order to be life, must necessarily be dialogue. . . . The supreme dialogue of…

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Because YOU are Steadfast

Dr. Parrott July 19, 2021 No Comments

My heart is steadfast oh God… Because Your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; Your faithfulness extends to the clouds (Psalm 57.7-10 ).

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Investigate the Questions

Dr. Parrott July 17, 2021 No Comments

The spiritual life is more often questions in search of answers. God speaks in the questions.  When we investigate the questions, we often find the…

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Love is Stronger than Death

Dr. Parrott July 14, 2021 No Comments

The resurrection does not solve all our problems nor answer all our questions about dying and death. But it does reveal to us that, indeed,…

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The True Story of the World

Dr. Parrott July 12, 2021 No Comments

The power of stories is that they tell us that somehow life adds up.  We believe that the true story of the world is God’s…

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I Can Hear You Now

Dr. Parrott July 8, 2021 No Comments

Speak Your Word to me, my Lord, your servant is listening. I yearn to hear Your voice and to be transformed by You.[From, “A Guide…

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If You Listen

Dr. Parrott July 7, 2021 No Comments

God’s promise: if you listen to my Word, I will answer you. I will not leave you in the darkness of doubt. Always I seek…

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A Way of Life

Dr. Parrott July 6, 2021 No Comments

What is the depth and quality of your faith commitment? In the last analysis, faith is not a way of speaking or even of thinking;…

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Our Better Angels

Dr. Parrott July 3, 2021 No Comments

Abraham Lincoln’s words in 1861, timely in 2021: We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it…

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God’s Lack of Restraint

Dr. Parrott July 2, 2021 No Comments

God’s apparent lack of “restraint” when it comes to creating things is but a symptom of a deeper lack of “restraint” we find in our…

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I believe, Defeat My Fear

Dr. Parrott July 1, 2021 No Comments

We see deception in our world.  It is not unexpected that we guard ourselves against the truth of the Gospel, afraid the story is too…

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Remember Your Promise

Dr. Parrott June 30, 2021 No Comments

Lord, remember your word of promise to your servant in which you have given me hope.  Your promise is my comfort in distress.  Your word…

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For a House that is a Home

Dr. Parrott June 26, 2021 No Comments

For the blessing of this home, oh Lord:     for foundations and roof,     for windows and doors,     for strong walls,     and for floors and furnishings.This place…

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Only Time for Fast Food

Dr. Parrott June 25, 2021 No Comments

Father,     Today I have only a moment for fast food.     Today all my moments are fast and frantic.May I, at other times in my busy…

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A Most Excellent Meal

Dr. Parrott June 24, 2021 No Comments

Let us make a meal to remind our family and friends that     life will not always be so burdened,     that their days of exile will…

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Chefs for Body and Soul

Dr. Parrott June 23, 2021 No Comments

For those of us who prepare meals,     let us labor with compassion,     with imagination engaged,     knowing that we are cooks in the kitchen,     but we…

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God’s Laundry Day

Dr. Parrott June 22, 2021 No Comments

May I recall the parable of soil and rags,      soap and water and cleansing. Open my eyes to see     my own faults,     my own weaknesses,    …

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That I May Better Lead

Dr. Parrott June 21, 2021 No Comments

O, Lord,     Teach me each day the way of Christ,     That I may better serve those I lead. [Every Moment Holy, Vol. 1]

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A Prayer for Fathers

Dr. Parrott June 20, 2021 No Comments

Our Father in HeavenProtect us from the temptations of earthly fathers.     To be angry, neither smoldering nor shouting,     To be distant, neither relationally nor physically,Our…

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Evidence of My Devotion

Dr. Parrott June 19, 2021 No Comments

Jesus, be ever-present as the mediator     between me and my employer,     between me and my supervisors and coworkers,and in all my dealings with others in…

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All Good Service

Dr. Parrott June 18, 2021 No Comments

Oh God, grant that my heart might be ordered aright,knowing that all good service faithfully renderedis first a service rendered to You. Receive my service,that…

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Thanks to God

Dr. Parrott June 17, 2021 No Comments

We now give thanks to God with the blessings of this day. We praise you, O Father,   for the provisions of food,   and shelter,   and…

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If the Heart is Tempted

Dr. Parrott June 16, 2021 No Comments

If our hearts have already been tempted to believe anything about ourselves or others that does not take into account your creation, your mercy, your…

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For This Day

Dr. Parrott June 15, 2021 No Comments

Oh, child of the living God, what is your father’s greatest desire for you this day? That I should love our Eternal King with all…

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God is With us

admin June 14, 2021 No Comments

Lord, you are equally present in our failures and in our successes, in our sleep and in our wakeful hours, in our tears and in…

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E. V. Hill and the Black Panthers

Dr. Parrott July 12, 2020 Black PanthersEV HillPrayerSaved

Pastor E. V. Hill* used to tell of a time he received a death threat from the Black Panthers because they didn’t like his preaching about that “white Jesus”. This was his reply:

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What’s Happening to U.S.?

Dr. Parrott June 14, 2020 lootingpeace on earthrichard leslie parrottriotsScripturespiritual warfareunity

WHAT’S GOIN’ ON? What a week in the life of our nation. The news lands one blow after another in the past week.

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Tongues of Fire and Burning Buildings

Dr. Parrott May 30, 2020 No Comments

A Message for Pentecost Eve It is such a beautiful day. I had a brisk walk this morning, followed by some excellent reading.  Now I…

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I Want That Recipe

Dr. Parrott December 19, 2019 No Comments Chicken recipeRecipeTim Pitzer

“Do you have the recipe?” I’ve been asked time and again about the recipe for the chicken served at the “Dinner Theater.”

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When Giving Is All We Have

Dr. Parrott November 27, 2019 No Comments Dr. Richard Leslie ParrottThanksgiving 2019

I received a beautiful Thanksgiving poem I want to share with you.

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OUR FATHER

admin November 2, 2022

I hope you enjoy this four-minute video: https://trevecca.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=b06cfc7e-a4b5-49df-b8c0-ae37017ce09f Richard L. Parrot

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