Rick McDaniel

Latest

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  Nov 28, 2015

  What You'll Miss If Safety Becomes Your Priority

  The events of Friday, Nov. 13, in Paris, France have rocked the world. The terrorists are spreading terror. They are trying to make us feel afraid. Their goal is to create fear and disrupt normal life. And we must resist it.

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  Jul 16, 2015

  Death With Dignity? There Is No Dignity in Taking Your Own Life

  The push to allow terminally ill people to take their own life is on in both Washington D.C. and California.

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  Apr 28, 2015

  The Supreme Court, Why Marriage Matters, and Mov't Toward Same-Sex Approval

  The Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday about whether states can legally choose to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. It is a defining moment in our nation's history. Though marriage between a man and a woman has existed since the beginning, this time-honored institution is under fire. For nearly twenty years the debate has raged. Before federal judges began to overturn marriage laws, 30 states had protected normative marriage. Now the High Court is poised to decide for

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  Apr 5, 2015

  Easter: Jesus Accepted the Unacceptable, Leading to Greatest Blessing of All Time

  Jesus chose to accept the unacceptable. The gospel of Matthew 26:37-38 tells us, "He (Jesus) began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.'" In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed to have the unacceptable, his torturous death on a cross, changed so he could avoid such suffering.

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  Mar 6, 2015

  A Pastor's Open Letter to Hozier and His 'Take Me to Church' Song

  If you don't agree with this teaching that is your prerogative but to call it poison is absurd. The poison is the damaged relationships, the poison is the divorce, the poison is the porn addiction. The knife you speak of is not one bringing hurt or death it would be a scalpel doing surgery to bring healing and life. There may be initial pain but ultimately the life is saved. The real lies are sex requires no commitment, sex is just the act and relationship is not necessary for true intimacy.

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  Jan 20, 2015

  Duke University Should Have Never Made the Muslim Prayer Decision

  The uproar over the decision by Duke University to begin a weekly Muslim call to prayer from the campus chapel should have never happened. Never. How such a decision was ever made to begin with is mystifying to say the least. That no one spoke up to say it was a bad idea is just plain irresponsible. I feel strongly about this issue because this is my school we're talking about. I am a proud alumnus of Duke and I hate to see the University hurt by such poor leadership.

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  Jan 2, 2015

  Why Making a New Year's Resolution Is a Good Idea

  The start of a new year is always an opportunity. It is a fresh beginning, a new chapter, another chance to get it right. Why would anyone not take advantage of such a moment? Some will say it is not good to make resolutions because no one ever keeps resolutions. But that is not true.

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  Nov 5, 2014

  Faith Over Fear: The Bible's #1 Statement Is 'Don't Be Afraid'

  Ebola, ISIS, UVA student abduction – everywhere we turn there are disturbing events unfolding. All of this can lead to a fear of the future. I believe the number one issue people struggle with in normal circumstances is fear, but it is especially significant now. It would seem that fear has won and we are left to live in insecurity and anxiety. Yet, there is another way. When we tackle our fears head on there is hope for a better life.

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  Oct 15, 2014

  The Hindrance to Spiritual Awakening

  There are many Christian leaders today who are calling for a spiritual awakening. Many who believe we need a genuine move of God that powerfully changes lives. There are those who say we must have the basic components of prayer and repentance to bring a renewal to the Church and a revival to the nation. This is certainly true but something else is missing. Looking to the awakenings of the past may hold the key to a move of God today. Each move of God is unique and different but there are lessons

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  Sep 3, 2014

  Ice Bucket Challenge: Charity Selfie or True Sacrifice

  I do have my concerns or at least reservations about the whole charity selfie phenomenon. I was recently reading about the history of Hawaii. The stories of the sacrifices Christian missionaries made to serve the people of Hawaii were incredible.