IBC Blog

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What are you afraid of?

This is going down as one of the most fearful years on record. There’s a global pandemic that has killed 828,000 people. There’s a recession that has left us with double-digit unemployment. There are racial injustices and unrest in the streets. There are murder hornets, hurricanes, and fire tornadoes. That’s right: fire tornadoes. Look it up.

Last fall, before our problems reached 2020 levels, the home security company ADT released a study that identified America’s most common fears by state. The “research” was little more than a Google report showing which fear-related terms were used most in internet searches. But the results were interesting.

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God Knew

I’ve been reflecting on thankfulness. I try to thank God every day for my husband, my children, our home, our church, our jobs…etc. A lot of what I am thankful for are things I prayed for, longed for, asked God for and he answered. But recently I thought of blessings he has given me that I never even thought to ask for, things I didn’t even know I needed…but He did.

Let me tell you about my friend Jennifer.

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Fast Path to Fulfillment During the Pandemic

Do you feel face down in the mud these days? Many of us are struggling with increased stress as concerns about our health, finances, and family pile up.

Election season, regardless of party affiliation, has certainly brought frustration and angst into our lives. Unrest and even violence in our land due to racial issues and other concerns often leaves us feeling bleak about the future of our country.

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Get A Life

Going into 2010, my New Year's resolution was to “get a life”. I was 26, single and worked a high-stress job. I had struggled to make and keep a friend group since elementary school, so my friends had changed based on life stage. High school friends were lost when I went to college; college friends were lost when we graduated and scattered across the country. The few people I had reconnected with after moving back from college were getting married and having kids at breakneck speed. I did attend a local church, but it felt like I was in some no-man's land between “right out of college” and “newly married”.

Since I didn’t really fit the demographic of any of the small groups that were offered, I chose to tag along with my friends who attended the “newly married” group.

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Is it really well with my soul?

I preach to myself in song. It gives me an emotional high, and I’m not sure if it’s my enneagram 4 showing or the excitement from feeling closer to God. He frequently reaches my heart through worship music, as I’m sure He does for many of you.

Amazing grace, that saved a wretch like me…

All my hope is in Jesus, thank God that yesterday’s gone…

There’s an army risin’ up, yeah, to break every chain, break every chain….

There are a few songs, though, that just stop me. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to sing these songs without a large ball of emotion assaulting my voice and spilling tears from my eyes. I didn’t always feel this way.

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Worship Made New

What’s your favorite way to worship God? Is it through scripture? Singing? Nature? Going to church? For students – they love the peak experience of camp worship. There are always new songs, movements, intimate depths of the words repeated over and over. These songs usually lead into our worship experience at church in the fall. But unfortunately, they don’t get that experience this year.