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Beyond the Pale: 2013 in Review
By Steve on January 2, 2014
I started Beyond the Pale in 2008 as an outlet for a number of “hodge podge” ideas in my head. Politics, baseball, movies, social commentary, as well as a few posts that reflected my Christian…
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Grace, a Guitar, and Gabriel
By Steve on December 31, 2013
Two years ago my teenage son Gabriel wanted a guitar for Christmas. I thought, “Yeah, that will be used for a couple weeks and then sit in his room as a museum piece.” (I’m pretty…
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10 Things a 3 Year Old Jesus May Have Done
By Steve on December 24, 2013
My son Ethan George turned 3 yesterday. As I watched him laugh and play with some of the new toys he received I couldn’t help but think of Jesus…and what it must have been like…
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The Gift Of The Magi
By Steve on December 20, 2013
Over the last month or so my blog postings here have been a little sporadic…and my first book about my hike across England which has been edited and ready to publish on Amazon lays in wait….
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God Is (Not) In Control!
By Steve on December 17, 2013
“God is in control!” You hear that mantra a lot in certain Christian circles. Whether over a tragic death, a lost job, or even a lost presidential election, Christians like to brace themselves with the…
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Paul Ellis and “The Gospel in Twenty Questions”
By Steve on December 12, 2013
You may wonder why”grace”, the central component to the Good News of Jesus Christ, is so offensive to many Christians? I do… I scratch my head as to why fellow believers are the ones most…
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Why Mandela Matters!
By Steve on December 6, 2013
Nelson Mandela has died… As the world wide outpouring of grief for Africa’s greatest statesmen is played out on the 24 hour news channels I found myself wondering why this man’s story, as incredible as…
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Christianity Without Hooks 2: A Story of AIDS
By Steve on December 4, 2013
Evangelical Christianity has all kinds of hooks designed to catch people into the faith. We * organize special meetings * bring in exciting speakers * create multimedia shows * provide free food (pizza for the youth)…
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Christianity Without Hooks
By Steve on November 28, 2013
What if sharing Christianity came without hooks? What if “bait & switch” evangelistic tactics were scrapped all together? How does one introduce another to the Life Christ brings if we aren’t allowed to use a…
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Weekend Update: Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Episode
By Steve on November 23, 2013
Ok, a little off topic to give a Weekend Update shout out to Doctor Who which will air its 50th anniversary special episode this evening in 94 countries simultaneously at 19:50 GMT. Yes, that means…