Resources for Parents on Creation

Next Sunday, our Children’s Ministry kicks off week 1 of The Gospel Project. The first session is on “God Created the World” and Genesis 1. While all of Scripture is inspired and profitable (2 Tim. 3:16), not every section is  equally significant to the Story. Genesis 1-2 summarizes Creation. It reveals God as the Maker of all things, and how all things point to Him. It provides conceptual seeds for truths and themes that bloom throughout the Bible.

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Seal: Small Word, Big Meaning

One joy of studying the Word rather than giving it a cursory reading is all the truth that starts to pop. Read through anything quickly and little will stand out. Read things slowly and thoughtfully, and you’ll experience reading in a whole new way. One thing slowing down forces us to do is to ask questions about the Bible. What does a word mean? Why did the writer use that sentence order or repeat that phrase several times? Where else from Scripture might they be drawing from? If we pause to chew on one word, one promise, one truth, or one phrase, we’re much more likely to be gripped by it and do something with it.

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Fresh Air in the Atmosphere of Trinitarian Grace

“To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood.” (I Peter 1:2)

Throughout his first letter, Peter reminds his readers their suffering, rejection, and experience as exiles is normal. The kingdom of light is no more welcome to a kingdom of darkness than the bedroom light being flipped on while I’m sleeping is welcomed. And yet, as exiles they are God’s people, and are called to reflect Him. Though kicked to the curb by the world we are called into a new family and given a sense of belonging by our Triune God. Even as we struggle in a world that’s against us we are empowered by a God who is for us. Only this God-given grace, not the weight of duty or demands, can motivate  maturity and obedience when we’re constantly swimming upstream.   Continue reading Fresh Air in the Atmosphere of Trinitarian Grace

2 January Bible Reading Plans

Bible reading plans help take the off our shoulders deciding what to read each day. They also provide a reasonable amount of reading per day and a short enough plan (such as 31 days) that you can commit to it. That’s why I’m such a fan of them and have created a number of different Bible reading plans for myself or churches over the years.

Below are two 31-day reading plans to choose from to kick off the new year (or you could even read both). One goes through Proverbs, one chapter a day, in an attempt to begin the year with a focus on gaining wisdom. We’ll all need it in 2024. The other option wades through four of Paul’s letters: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

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When We Run Out of Christmas Cheer

Many of us love the Christmas season, at least we do most years. Yes, it’s commercialized and stressful, but there are many things to enjoy: delicious desserts, classic movies and songs, gatherings with family and friends, gift exchanges, festive décor, old traditions and new memories, and fun local activities. I love Christmas time, so despite some cautions below, I’m more like Buddy the Elf than the Grinch.

But through disappointment during the holidays, I’ve also had to remind myself that “Christmas cheer” is great as a side-dish but it can’t be the main course that fills us up.

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November Thirty-Day Gratitude Reading Plan & Challenge

“It’s one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do.” Tim Keller

“I like to think of thankfulness as God’s ‘spiritual air freshener.’ It replaces the stale odor of resentment with clean, fresh-smelling air for the soul to breathe.” Gary Thomas

Gratitude is a bit like healthy eating. We all want it, and sometimes can do it for a few days, but our bad habits usually shoot us in the foot. Both take more than good intentions. They require replacing old habits with new ones. Good intentions need good habits if we want good results.

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Wendell Berry quotes on Grief

I finished reading again Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry tonight. I’ve probably read it at least once a year the last four years, and each time, new things stand out. It’s one of Berry‘s Port William novels, and essentially the story of one woman’s life and the grief and gratitude present throughout. Having lost my dad last June, the theme of grief and how we experience it came through in a different way. Here are a few quotes from Hannah Coulter and Jayber Crow, my two favorite fiction books (both by Wendell Berry), on grief and loss.

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Top Quotes from Answering God by Eugene Peterson

“Prayers are tools, but with this clarification: Prayers are not tools for doing or getting, but for being and becoming.”

Over the last few years the Psalms have become a consistent and cherished part of my life. All the ups and downs of life, the spectrum of emotions, the heights of praise and the valleys of fear and despair, they’re all in the Psalms. Most of the Bible recounts history or offers teaching, but in the Psalms, we also get a window into how some of God’s people have processed, praised, and prayed through life as God’s people.

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