{"id":54,"date":"2011-10-19T21:06:00","date_gmt":"2011-10-20T02:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2011\/10\/19\/christian-friends\/"},"modified":"2011-10-19T21:06:00","modified_gmt":"2011-10-20T02:06:00","slug":"christian-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2011\/10\/19\/christian-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"Christian friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I get closer to moving to Wartburg Seminary with my family, I really have started to learn the vast importance of having Christian friends. These are the friends that keep you in check. They keep you on the straight and narrow path that God is leading you on. When you so badly want to stray, when you become less dependent upon God and more self reliant, the good Christian friend brings you back to reality. It is getting closer and closer to the move date. What I was so sure of a month ago seems blurry and scary today. I still trust in the Lord, but still cling for the need of concrete proof of what I am about to take my family through, is for the good of us all. It is difficult to see the forest sometimes….when you keep shutting those darn eyes.To Christian friends, God Bless<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I get closer to moving to Wartburg Seminary with my family, I really have started to learn the vast importance of having Christian friends. These are the friends that keep you in check. They keep you on the straight and narrow path that God is leading you on. When you so badly want to … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["entry","post","publish","author-admin","post-54","format-standard","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2m6h5-S","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":875,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2014\/04\/02\/spiritual-friendship\/","url_meta":{"origin":54,"position":0},"title":"Spiritual Friendship, A Mark of Discipleship","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"April 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Audio Version Acts 2:42-47 \u00a0 42The community continually committed themselves to learning what the apostles taught them, gathering for fellowship, breaking bread, and praying.\u00a043Everyone felt a sense of awe because the apostles were doing many signs and wonders among them.44There was an intense sense of togetherness among all who believed;\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.goodcompany.ro\/ckfinder\/userfiles\/images\/friendship.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":616,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2013\/11\/15\/what-about-christ-in-christmas-anyway\/","url_meta":{"origin":54,"position":1},"title":"What about Christ in Christmas Anyway?","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"November 15, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"We are now headed into Advent, waiting the anticipated arrival of a Savior for all of humanity. \u00a0Sure, we have a bigger picture than the kings who sought out the baby Jesus and of the shepherds who received the good news from the angels.\u00a0 We can still experience this excitement\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":620,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2013\/11\/25\/god-protects-us-mission-and-the-big-picture\/","url_meta":{"origin":54,"position":2},"title":"God Protects us…Mission and the Big Picture","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"November 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Video Link to Sermon Audio Link to Sermon Malachi 4:1\u20132a 2 Thessalonians 3:6\u201313 Luke 21:5\u201319 Matthew 25:1-10 Matthew 24:42-43 Matthew 24:36 Last week when Jesus was asked a direct question, He never really answered the question at all.\u00a0 Then of course, the Sadducees were looking for details, not at the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2011\/02\/17\/approach-to-think-about-understanding-the-christian-message\/","url_meta":{"origin":54,"position":3},"title":"Approach to Think About Understanding the Christian Message","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"February 17, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"There are several things I do to come to a deeper understanding of the Christian message. Some of the resources I use the most consist of: the reading of scripture, devotionals and prayer. I have also enjoyed conversation generated from readings assigned in the classes I have taken, as well\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1628,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2016\/11\/09\/__trashed\/","url_meta":{"origin":54,"position":4},"title":"Being In Community: Saints and Sinners","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"November 9, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Below is the video of a sermon delivered at First Lutheran Church, on 11-6-2016. Click here for an audio version. https:\/\/youtu.be\/6R5mD1h-0-g","rel":"","context":"In "Attitude"","block_context":{"text":"Attitude","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/attitude\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/6R5mD1h-0-g\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":26,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2009\/10\/04\/community\/","url_meta":{"origin":54,"position":5},"title":"Community","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"October 4, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"As Pastor and I batted around ideas for a sermon today, community is the one that he decided that I should speak on. 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