Category Archives: James R. Coggins

Part Two: The Modern World and Christian Churches by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 2, 2025 by jrcoggins

In an earlier blog, I wrote about the great movements that shaped Western civilization and thus the modern world—the Renaissance and Enlightenment with their emphasis on reason, science, and the pre-eminence of humanity, on the one hand, and the Romantic … Continue reading →

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The Making of the Modern World (Part One) by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 26, 2025 by jrcoggins

It is indisputable that the modern world has been dominated by Western civilization, based in Europe and North America. English, itself an amalgam of European languages, is the established norm for international communication, used by air traffic controllers all over … Continue reading →

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“A Poem” by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 19, 2025 by jrcoggins

We do not normally think of the apostle Paul as a poet. However, in Philippians 2:6-11, he presented a poem. Whether he wrote it himself or was quoting someone else’s poem is unclear. That it is a poem is clear … Continue reading →

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Improve Your Writing with AI (Artificial Intelligence!) By James R. Coggins

Posted on March 12, 2025 by jrcoggins

Every time I start to share one of my blogs on social media, I receive a message such as: • “Start a post, try writing with AI.” That “sentence” contains a grammatical error called a “comma splice,” joining what should … Continue reading →

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Freedom by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 5, 2025 by jrcoggins

Freedom is not commonly thought of as a Christian value, but it is. In Galatians 5, Paul declared that “Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1 NIV). But Paul then warned the Galatians: “Do not let yourselves be burdened again … Continue reading →

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A Day in the Life of a Semi-retired Writer by James R. Coggins

Posted on February 26, 2025 by jrcoggins

Younger people often wonder what seniors do with all that spare time they have in their retirement years. I’ll be glad to elucidate that for all of you enquiring minds. Here is what I did on a recent typical day. … Continue reading →

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Misplaced Confidence by James R. Coggins

Posted on February 19, 2025 by jrcoggins

In Philippians 3:1-11, the apostle Paul was warning the early Christians about relying on circumcision and following other Jewish rituals and obeying other laws and rules. He described his own life, saying, “If someone else thinks they have reasons to … Continue reading →

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Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas? By James R. Coggins

Posted on February 12, 2025 by jrcoggins

Writers are often asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” People who ask such questions are not writers. For real writers, ideas are not the problem. Writers are like a seething cauldron bubbling over with ideas, more ideas than they … Continue reading →

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Covenants by James R. Coggins

Posted on February 5, 2025 by jrcoggins

At Mount Sinai, God made a covenant, a formal agreement, with the Israelites, the essence of which was the document we know as the “Ten Commandments” (even though the Bible never calls it that). The Hebrew word for covenant is … Continue reading →

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Exercise Tips for Seniors by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 29, 2025 by jrcoggins

As we get older, it is important that we recognize the changes that are taking place in our bodies and the risks involved in that. When we were younger, we saw no problem with getting involved in sports. As we … Continue reading →

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Honoring Parents in the New Testament by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 22, 2025 by jrcoggins

The fifth of the “Ten Commandments” (Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you) is affirmed in the New Testament. In Mark 7, Jesus … Continue reading →

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Words for a Marriage by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 15, 2025 by jrcoggins

When my wife and I got married forty-six years ago, friends, family members, and church members gave us a wide variety of much needed gifts, helping us to get established as we set out to build a life and a … Continue reading →

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Honoring Parents by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 8, 2025 by jrcoggins

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12 NIV). In our individualistic society, we tend to interpret the fifth of the Ten Commandments in … Continue reading →

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Classic Messages by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 1, 2025 by jrcoggins

Over the holidays, my wife and I again took advantage of the opportunity to watch two classic movies— A Christmas Carol (the Alistair Sim version released in 1951 and based on the Charles Dickens novel of 1843) and It’s a … Continue reading →

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Words for Christmas Day by James R. Coggins

Posted on December 25, 2024 by jrcoggins

As has been my custom at Christmas in recent years, I offer today a couple of my poems. Since no one has time to read blogs at Christmas, it is the perfect time to share poetry, since no one reads … Continue reading →

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