Author: Chris Hankel
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Take Heart, God Wins—Daniel 7
One of Ronald Regan’s favorite jokes to tell was one about twin boys. Maybe you’ve heard it. One of the boys was an extreme pessimist, and the other boy was an extreme optimist. Worried about their extreme personalities, the parents took them to be evaluated by a psychiatrist. First, the psychiatrist led the pessimistic boy…
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Serve Well, Stand Firm—Daniel 6
How many of you know the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den? It is probably the most famous story in the Bible. Even people who have never read the Bible will know that Noah had an ark and that Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den. Parents and grandparents love to tell kids the…
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Obey God Despite the Consequences
We live in a culture that doesn’t usually ask us to deny God outright. Freedom of religion and all that. Instead, it asks us to deny God subtly; to compromise quietly. We often go along to get along, so things stay easy. Our culture asks us to keep our convictions private. So, we bow just…
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Keep Your Confidence—Daniel 2
A Harvard study found that people spend 46.9% of their waking hours thinking about things other than the present moment. Instead of being in the present during those times, people tend to either reflect on the past or worry about the future. The research finds that a sense of disconnection from the present is a…
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Courage to Draw Lines—Daniel 1
Dan 1:1-2 (CSB)—In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon,,…
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The Arrival—Love
The Christmas season tends to be synonymous with family. When people ask me about our Christmas plans, what they are asking is which family you will be spending the holidays with. Christmas and family tend to go together. That’s why this can also be a tough time for many people. Family relationships can cause a…
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The Arrival—Joy
Christmas joy is not based on circumstances but on the arrival of Jesus—the Savior who brings lasting joy to a weary world. ____________________________________ Our teaching series this Advent season is called The Arrival. Because with the arrival of Jesus into our world comes Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love. We all want these things in our…
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The Overflow of a Grateful Heart
When gratitude fills our hearts, it spills into our world. _______________________________ Last week we started this conversation about Living with Thanksgiving Everyday. Specifically, we talked about the Power of a Grateful Heart and how gratitude has the power to rewire our brains to think differently about ourselves, the people around us, and even God. When…
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The Power of a Grateful Heart
Gratitude is not a reaction—it’s a decision rooted in trust. A thankful heart transforms our perspective on God, others, ourselves, and our circumstances. ____________________________________ We are counting down the days until Thanksgiving, and following on its heels is the Christmas season. As much as I hate being predictable, this is simply a great time to…
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Less Chaos, Better Conflict
Today is the last message in our series: The Thing About Relationships. The Thing About Relationships Over the past several weeks, the things about relationships that we have talked about were, first, becoming less distant, more present. The next week we talked about becoming less selfish and more selfless. Then we covered becoming less critical…
Chris Hankel 