Category Archives: Faith Issues

The Age of Misinformation

Posted on January 10, 2016 by DHawthorne

This article was originally published in 2012 in the “Focus on Grace” church newsletter. I thought I posted it here long before, and I want to write a followup, so t was important I put it up now. I’ve updated … Continue reading →

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Explaining the Gospel

Posted on October 11, 2015 by DHawthorne

There was once a set of young friends: two boys and two girls, of an age when gender pressures didn’t matter yet. One day, they were playing tag in a playground next to the primary school they attended, and having … Continue reading →

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The Cross and the Cradle

Posted on December 25, 2014 by DHawthorne

It’s Christmas morning as I begin this post, it’s nice and peaceful, and I’m feeling content. I tend to get contemplative on Christmas (see my other posts at The Wonder of Christmas, and Christmas is for Kids?), and today is … Continue reading →

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Christianity By Rote

Posted on November 9, 2014 by DHawthorne

Miriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines the word “rote” as, “the use of memory usually with little intelligence.” In my mind, I have always associated it with unthinking repetition, which is pretty close to that definition … so I have always been … Continue reading →

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Walking in the Spirit

Posted on September 28, 2014 by DHawthorne

One of the most difficult things for a believer to learn, in my opinion, is how to separate our own thoughts and desires from those of the Holy Spirit. Many Christians are downright glib about saying things like, “The Lord … Continue reading →

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Regret (Focus On Grace, February 2014)

Posted on August 31, 2014 by DHawthorne

In late 2013, a movie was released titled, “About Time.” I haven’t seen it, but I did see a preview, and I found the premise intriguing. In it, a young man discovers that he can travel in time – he … Continue reading →

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When the Holy Spirit Works (Focus On Grace, January 2014)

Posted on August 24, 2014 by DHawthorne

In 1990, two men were having a discussion about spirituality and maturity in men, and between them decided that the most important factor in attaining those ideals was discipleship. They formed a men’s discipleship group from that initial idea, laid … Continue reading →

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The Wonder of Christmas (Focus on Grace 2013)

Posted on August 17, 2014 by DHawthorne

Note: I debated with myself waiting for December to republish this, but decided instead to preserve the original publication order instead. So it’s a tad out-of-season, appearing here in August. Well, stores have “Christmas in July,” so why not? If … Continue reading →

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Helping the Hurt (Focus On Grace, November 2013)

Posted on August 10, 2014 by DHawthorne

When I was a teenager, I had a classmate who had some kind of a problem with me. At the time, I didn’t have any idea why, but he always had a bad attitude towards me, and often attempted to … Continue reading →

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Why? (Focus On Grace, October 2013)

Posted on August 3, 2014 by DHawthorne

There is a story on the Internet that details a conversation a college chemistry professor had with his three-year-old daughter (you can see the whole thing HERE). It starts our simple enough: little Sarah asked her Daddy if he was … Continue reading →

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