Friday, October 2, 2009
Understanding the Old Testament
Help people understand that God of the Old Testament is the same as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Help understand the wrath and judgment which stands out and causes difficulty.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Journaling Tips
Pick the best time for you. Choose the time of day when you're at your best and that will work best for your schedule.
Pick a place. If you have a certain place where you read and respond to God's Word, it will help establish the habit.
Stay on schedule. If you miss a few readings, you're probably better off picking up with the current reading rather than trying to catch up. This way you're never behind and you're reading the same thing as everyone else on that day. If you're having a hard time keeping up, start out with the First Steps or Youth journal, both of which have abbreviated reading schedules.
Tell a friend. Share your insights with a friend. You'll reinforce the lesson to yourself and encourage someone else.
Ask yourself questions. When you apply the scripture to your life, turn the Scripture and your observations into questions. When Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers," you can ask yourself things like, "Where do I need peace in my life?" "With whom am I at odds?"
"What relationships in my life need some fence-mending?"
Use tags. I find it helpful to mark the sections of my daily journaling. I use a letter with a box around it for each section: "S" for Scripture, "O" for observations, "A" for application, and "P" for prayer.
Choose writing over reading, if you must. If time will keep you from doing all the reading and writing in your journal, do less of the reading and make sure to write about it. Pick some lesser amount of the day's reading--one chapter, just Old Testament, or just New Testament. Then go through the journaling process based on what you've read. This way you are doing both important parts of the journaling process: reading and responding. The ultimate issue is not how much information you take in, it's how your life will be different because of what you read. Journaling your response prompts life change.
Pick a place. If you have a certain place where you read and respond to God's Word, it will help establish the habit.
Stay on schedule. If you miss a few readings, you're probably better off picking up with the current reading rather than trying to catch up. This way you're never behind and you're reading the same thing as everyone else on that day. If you're having a hard time keeping up, start out with the First Steps or Youth journal, both of which have abbreviated reading schedules.
Tell a friend. Share your insights with a friend. You'll reinforce the lesson to yourself and encourage someone else.
Ask yourself questions. When you apply the scripture to your life, turn the Scripture and your observations into questions. When Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers," you can ask yourself things like, "Where do I need peace in my life?" "With whom am I at odds?"
"What relationships in my life need some fence-mending?"
Use tags. I find it helpful to mark the sections of my daily journaling. I use a letter with a box around it for each section: "S" for Scripture, "O" for observations, "A" for application, and "P" for prayer.
Choose writing over reading, if you must. If time will keep you from doing all the reading and writing in your journal, do less of the reading and make sure to write about it. Pick some lesser amount of the day's reading--one chapter, just Old Testament, or just New Testament. Then go through the journaling process based on what you've read. This way you are doing both important parts of the journaling process: reading and responding. The ultimate issue is not how much information you take in, it's how your life will be different because of what you read. Journaling your response prompts life change.
Friday, May 1, 2009
"Wholehearted" Message Series Idea
Our church's mission is to encourage and equip wholehearted followers of Jesus Christ. What does that look like?
- Finances
- Relationships
- Marriage
- Serving
- Etc.
"The Principle of the Path" Message Series Idea (Andy Stanley)
The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Andy Stanley. The Big Idea: Direction, not intention, determines where you'll end up.
"Defining Moments" Message Series Idea (Andy Stanley)
This message series examines various people's encounters with Jesus. I just listened to the one about the paralytic who was let down through the roof to be healed by Jesus. The Big Idea: Sometimes our most pressing need is not our most important need. Jesus forgives his sins (most important) before healing him (most pressing).
Friday, March 13, 2009
"Ticket please"
This might require some tweaking before presenting to a New England audience, but it's a funny story that could illustrate frugality and ingenuity.
ONE MORNING 3 ALABAMA GOOD OLD BOYS AND 3 YANKEES WERE IN A TICKET LINE AT THE BIRMINGHAM TRAIN STATION HEADING TO ATLANTA FOR A BIG FOOTBALL GAME.
THE 3 NORTHERNERS EACH BOUGHT A TICKET AND WATCHED AS THE 3 SOUTHERNERS BOUGHT JUST ONE TICKET AMONG THEM.
"HOW ARE THE 3 OF YOU GOING TO TRAVEL ON ONE 1 TICKET?" ASKED ONE OF THE YANKEES.
"WATCH AND LEARN" ANSWERED ONE OF THE BOYS FROM THE SOUTH.
WHEN THE 6 TRAVELERS BOARDED THE TRAIN, THE 3 YANKEES SAT DOWN, BUT THE 3 SOUTHERNERS CRAMMED INTO A BATHROOM TOGETHER AND CLOSED THE DOOR.
SHORTLY AFTER THE TRAIN DEPARTED, THE CONDUCTOR CAME AROUND TO COLLECT TICKETS. HE KNOCKED ON THE BATHROOM DOOR AND SAID, "TICKETS PLEASE."
THE DOOR OPENED JUST A CRACK AND A SINGLE ARM EMERGED WITH A TICKET IN HAND. THE CONDUCTOR TOOK IT AND MOVED ON.
THE YANKEES SAW THIS HAPPEN AND AGREED IT WAS QUITE A CLEVER IDEA. INDEED, SO CLEVER THAT THEY DECIDED TO DO THE SAME THING ON THE RETURN TRIP AND SAVE SOME MONEY.
THAT EVENING AFTER THE GAME WHEN THEY GOT TO THE ATLANTA TRAIN STATION, THEY BOUGHT A SINGLE TICKET FOR THE RETURN TRIP WHILE TO THEIR ASTONISHMENT THE 3 SOUTHERNERS DIDN'T BUY EVEN 1 TICKET.
"HOW ARE YOU GOING TO TRAVEL WITHOUT A TICKET?" ASKED ONE OF THE PERPLEXED YANKEES.
"WATCH AND LEARN", ANSWERED ONE OF THE SOUTHERN BOYS.
WHEN THEY BOARDED THE TRAIN THE 3 NORTHERNERS CRAMMED THEMSELVES INTO A BATHROOM AND THE 3 SOUTHERNERS CRAMMED THEMSELVES INTO THE OTHER BATHROOM ACROSS FROM IT.
SHORTLY AFTER THE TRAIN BEGAN TO MOVE, ONE OF THE SOUTHERNERS LEFT THEIR BATHROOM AND WALKED QUIETLY OVER TO THE YANKEE'S BATHROOM. HE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND SAID, "TICKET PLEASE".
Monday, March 9, 2009
Ephesians 4:29 (TNIV)
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.Ephesians 4:29 (TNIV)
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