Entries by Stephen Brazzel

The Church is in a Spiritual Battlefield

Since the beginning, humanity has been the subject of the battle between God and Satan. Adam and Eve first dealt with him in the garden, then Cain after the fall. Noah’s contemporaries were so stricken by the influence of the devil that they were destroyed for their wickedness. Throughout the Old Testament we see the […]

The Day of Atonement

TODAY IS THE DAY OF ATONEMENT Leviticus 16: 29-30 established the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year in the Jewish calendar. In Hebrew, “Yom Kippur.” “This is to be a permanent statute for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month you are to practice self-denial and do […]

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Prayer is Always First!

I’ve been working on some material for a leadership weekend retreat for churches. The weekend is built around a study of the book of Nehemiah. The first lesson I get from Nehemiah is: Prayer is the First Thing. I don’t know if Nehemiah was a man of great faith but I know he was a […]

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Tithing in a Post Pandemic World

The way we do church changed drastically in March. Shutdowns implemented as the coronavirus outbreak began forced most of our churches to move exclusively online with some pastors delivering their first video messages ever. Churches were quick to adapt to this forced change. Facebook pages sprung up, youtube accounts were opened, and schedules changed almost […]

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Alone in the Crowd

I’ve been reading through the Psalms and last month came across Psalm 42 again. You may not remember it but you are probably familiar with the first verse: As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God. What you might miss if you only sing the song is that this Psalm […]

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A Family Discussion

Every family needs to have a conversation about going back to church. Not whether you will go back, but when and how you will go back. Let’s be clear, every person, every family should be vitally involved in a local church. The local church is the expression of the body of Christ and is the […]

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Change is Just Ahead

Generally I like change. I tend to embrace new experiences, new challenges, and new opportunities. I like to go to new places and meet new people. I enjoy the process of finding and casting vision, of taking what may have become ritual and remaking it into what can be meaningful, and of repurposing the unused […]