13 Sep 2011

Savoring Living Water: Book Review

by | posted in: Bible, Books, Women | 8

Are your quiet times ever dry?

Do you feel like the Bible should be more nourishing to you than what you are currently receiving?

Do you need some “juice” to get your daily walk with God into a run?

My friend Lara and her writing partner and friend, Katie, have written a helpful and readable e-book to help answer these such questions.  There are times when every woman feels like that their quiet times just aren’t what they should be.  Maybe you are a mother of young children and its hard for you to even get in 5 minutes a day (while you are taking a shower, usually).  Or maybe you a mom of teenagers and you pray for them constantly.  Maybe you are married and you find your role as a wife to be overwhelming.  Maybe you are single and you are looking for direction.

God’s Word has the answers to all of these life situations and you CAN get the most out of God’s Word.  God’s Word is sufficient for all your needs and His Word is true.

Maybe, you are reading this, and you’ve never had a quiet time.  You don’t know how.  Katie and Lara address this issue – then take that deeper.  Its not just a scheduling how-to, its a heart how-to.  So, this book is good for you – wherever you are in your journey with Christ.

Hear these words: “I wake up wanting to hold the reigns of control and set my agenda.  Before my feet hit the floor my mind takes off.  I have to start the day low.  I am the needy one – empty-handed and thirsty for His presence.  I arise from my slumber into His day – His plan.  I’m the one who slept all night while He never wearied.”

Ladies – this book has great insight, honest feelings, and great resources to help you journey on and savor the Living Water of Christ through the Words of the Bible.

Savor.  Win a free e-copy of this by leaving a comment about your favorite Bible verse and what it means to you!  Thanks Lara and Katie!

 

5 Jul 2011

Psalm Thirty-One

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One of the pleasures of being on staff at a church is hearing from different men who are gifted at sharing the Word.  This verse was shared in our weekly staff meeting this morning and I thought I would dig in a little more and then decided to share it with y’all here.

And side note: sorry I missed Much and Link Love yesterday – it was a holiday – hope you enjoyed yours)!

Psalm 31:19

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind.”

1.  God is abundantly good.  I also was reminded of Ephesians 3:20 this morning as well.  God is just not good – He is abundantly good!  He loves showing His children His abundant goodness.

2.  God has stored up His goodness.  He has stored it up – ready to pour it all out upon our heads.  Are you ready to receive the blessings and goodness of the Lord?  I am.  Bring it.  God has been so wonderfully gracious to me in the last 15 months of my life – I can’t imagine what good He still has in store for me.

3.  God will work.  His Word and activity are one.  He isn’t like some people and say “do as I say not as I do”.  No – there is no hint of change in Him.  He always keeps His Word.  Will you trust Him to do it?  If you won’t – confess that sin.  Trust in Him that He will work according to His perfect plan.  Keep praying and seeking His work and His face!

4.  Our job: take refuge: REST.  I see this often in single women who search so hard for the right man.  Why?  Because we want the good of being married.  Marriage is a good thing to those whom God has it is in store.  But, we are to take refuge: not plot, scheme, search, lead.  Let’s rest, be obedient, and not be anxious about it.  Most of our anxiousness comes from doing what we are not supposed to be doing: running ahead of God, not trusting, sinning, etc.

5.  Why does He do all this?  Supremely for His GLORY!  Not ours.  I’m not getting married to the most incredible man I know just because God wants me to be happy.  He has not given me a great job that I love to do just so I can say I have my dream job.  He has done wonderfully amazing things in my life like giving me incredible friends and people who pour into my life – FOR HIS GLORY.  He wants to see His renown known to all the children of mankind!  Throughout all the earth!

Thoughts?

23 Jun 2011

Romans and Relationships

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I love being able to apply Scripture, God’s infallible, eternal breath of truth, to my life – every day, right where I am.  It is always applicable and sufficient.

As I was sitting at Panera this morning, I read this: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the god and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” – Romans 15:5-7

Here is what I learned:

Strategies that work for relationships: Holy Spirit (via the Apostle Paul)

1.  God strengths us to endure.  We can’t endure in relationships on our own.  We are sinners.  We live in a broken-down house (pulling that analogy from Paul Tripp).  We will get tired.  We will want to give up.  But, God never changes.  He is eternal.  And you know what, the Holy Spirit (who is God, therefore is eternal and enduring) lives in us – and allows us to endure.

2.  God encourages us.  We don’t need pep talks, or Oprah, or Dr. Phil, or self-motivational tapes (or CDs or podcasts).  We have the Word, we have the very breath of the eternal God to encourages us as we face despair and discouragement from relationships.

3.  Through God (being our endurance and encouragement) we can live in harmony with one another.  Your dinner table does not have to be a war zone.  Your marriage does not have to be difficult.  Your relationship with friends, your children, your boss – does not have to look like those who do not have Christ.  We can live in harmony because we have been brought into harmony with God the Father through the blood of Christ.

4.  The reason we are to live in harmony with one another is to glorify God.  It is not so that the world sees how great our marriage (and/or) relationships are or that we don’t have any troubles in this life: but the main outcome of this is that Christ will be glorified.  How we do marriage and relationships different from non-believers should be such a LIGHT to the world that they would run to us because of the attraction of the Gospel (if God opens their eyes).  Let us live our relationships in such a way that they would glorify Christ!

5.  We only do all of this because of the Gospel.  Reproach doesn’t work.  I learned this in a relationship with a friend – and I’m applying that to my marriage.  You can’t do it.  You fail miserably.  Christ didn’t reproach us.  He bore our reproach.  While we were still enemies with God – Christ came near.  He came down to us.  He became incarnate.  He died on the cross for us.  He wanted a relationships with us.  Don’t let reproach, sin, unforgiveness, and bitterness, and unmet expectations affect and kill your relationships.

See…I am learning.

 

5 Apr 2011

Art, Culture, & Jesus

by | posted in: Bible, Books, Events | 0

This past Friday night I had the opportunity to attend two lectures centered on Christ and the arts.  It was really neat to see how the two went back to back, different venues, and were so perfectly tied together.

Makoto Fujimura spoke at Duke Divinity School on his work of The Four Gospels for Crossway.  Bruce Ashford, from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, spoke at First Baptist Church of Durham’s Disciple Now Weekend.

Mako’s work on The Four Holy Gospels is astounding.  If you haven’t seen this short video of his work on this project, watch it.  His understanding of theology is much deeper than I would have ever given him credit.  Here are some takeaways from the 90 minute lecture and Q/A:

“Why don’t we stop trying to find everything wrong with contemporary art or culture and highlight what is right?”  I think Christians have a tendency to knock anything that is possibly different.  Fujimura’s art isn’t my primary style, but it is still beautiful and exquisite.  It is still done for the glory of God.  We as a Christian, conservative subculture (if you will) definitely have our opinions and would almost rather tear down culture and art rather than see the beauty in it – knowing that all beauty originates from the Beautiful One.

“The antidote for anxiousness in Matthew’s gospel: use your senses.  Glimpse the eternal purposes of God.”  He was referring to the passage that says do not worry, look at the lilies, look at the birds.  On a conversation on the way to FBCD, I was talking about this comment.  How the lilies don’t even have a brain to be able to worry if they are going to grow or not, the birds just fly and nest and eat, etc.  Can we live in that much dependency upon our great God or do we have a natural way of leaning on ourselves and fretting.

The speaker settled on John 11.  I took much away, but one thing I wanted to share here is about compassion.  Jesus’ compassion: he meets us where we are, takes us where He wants us to be.  My prayer: Teach me Lord to be more compassionate, to know people, to be a studier of people’s hearts, not just what I want them to be.   This takes listening more than speaking, gazing instead of passing quickly, hearing instead of running thoughts through my head.

Best takeaway of the night, and still need to ponder this thought and revel in its beauty: “Restrictions and limitations actually give you more freedom.”  I am thoroughly enjoying this right now.  Anxiety doesn’t creep in as much.  But, such mornings as this, I need to be reminded of who God made me and what His Son did for me on the cross.  I’ll be writing more about this in the coming weeks.

On to Bruce Ashford…few miles away from Duke Divinity, lecture 2.  Dr. Ashford is a friend, husband to Lauren, dad to two little (cute, adorable) girls.  He loves to speak on this topic of engaging the culture with the truth of Christ.

He spent about 25 minutes going through the metanarrative of the work of God in the world (creation, fall, redemption, new creation).  This set his stage for everything else he was going to talk about as the evening progressed.

How is fashion, food, photography, writing, and music all grounded in the meta narrative of the Bible?  He said all art finds its answer in the meta.  The meta shows a strikingly beautiful truth on every part of life.

How did sin corrupt: “spirituality, morality, rationality, creativity, relationality.”  Every one of these relationships are marred and scarred by sin.

Society is made up of families.  Genesis 1-2 says we are to build families, grow families – of worshipers.  Only problem with this is that we tend to grow families of worshipers of other things than Jesus.  What are we training our families to worship? (More on this later for my job.)

“Basis of every question in the world can be answered in the meta.”  God’s truth resounds to everything.

“All beauty should guide you back to the one who is most beautiful.”

Bruce gave 4 criteria for judging art:

1.  Technical excellence.

2.  Validity (is the artist true to himself)

3.  Content

4.  Integration of Content and Vehicle

How do you study art?  How do you anticipate and participate in art?  How are you an artist?  How do you see God in art?

 

24 Feb 2011

Thursday Thoughts: Gentleness

by | posted in: Bible, Books, Women | 0

You know some of those statements that are said to you at a point in your life that stick with you?  Whether they be good or bad, you always remember them?  Those cutting words, those words of joy and praise, those wounding words.  Well, about 10 years ago I heard some words spoken to me that have been cutting ever since.  Not all the time, but at certain moments I remember them, and God at least allows me to use them for my good now instead of my harm.

Those words were: “Kim, one thing you are not is a gentle and quiet spirit.”  Ok – now.  After reading that, think through it biblically – where that is one thing Scripture commands women after God’s own heart – for them to be gentle and quiet.  This probably is in the top 3 statements that have hurt me over the course of my life.

So, how is God using this statement even today.  He grows me.  He strengthens me.  He enables me to not let that statement have control and wounding power over me, but allows me to use that statement for His glory by allowing the Spirit to sanctify my heart and spirit.

Am I there yet?  Good gracious, no.  But, here are some thoughts I read this morning on the subject by my favorite author, Jerry Bridges.

In The Practice of Godliness, Bridges talks about gentleness as being a person where people find rest.  Basically, do people find rest in your presence or not?  As I even wrote last week that I want my home to be a place of rest for people, a place of quiet and enjoyment for people, I also want my presence to be that way.  When people are around me, when they leave me – who are they?  Are they rested?  Are they encouraged?  Are they pointing more to Christ than they were before they got to me? Do I press them into the gospel or do I drag them away from the gospel with my spirit?

“Christ’s whole demeanor was such that people were often restful in His presence.  This effect is another outworking of the grace of gentleness.  People are at rest, or at east, around the Christian who is truly gentle.”

“George Bethune said, ‘Perhaps no grace is less prayed for, or less cultivated than gentleness.  Indeed it is considered rather as belonging to natural disposition or external manners, than as a Christian virtue, and seldom do we reflect that not to be gentle is isn.”

Gentleness is a gift of the Spirit – it is not a personality trait.  we are giving these and therefore should back away from sin in order to manifest these.  We quench the Spirit when we do not manifest gentleness.

Style…clothing…accessories…I read many blogs.  But, how often do I stop to think about “clothing myself with gentleness.” (Col 3.12).  When I awake in the morning I’ve usually at least pondered my outfit for the day – but have I thought about how I’m going to display gentleness with the people I deal with and meet that day?  Usually I’ll answer that question – no.

How does being around gentle people affect me?  I can think of a men and women in my life who display a great deal of gentleness and kindness.  I LOVE being around them.  I come away from them rested, more joyful, and relaxed.  Not busy.  Not hurried.  I love that.  That is what I crave and desire.  I desire rest and ease in relationships.  Comfort, gentleness, kindness.  Me being around those type of people makes me want to be that way.

So, I should study Christ more.  I should study and see how Christ is gentle.  Jesus gives rest.  I want to be like him in my relationships.  Thankful for people in my life who manifest already (though imperfectly) the gentleness of Christ.  I am grateful that you are pouring out that grace in my life.  For however long I know you – know that you have invested in my life.

You take wounds: and make them whole.  That is the salve of Christ and His Word and His covering with His own precious blood shed on Calvary for me.

“The Christian who truly seeks to obey God through gentle character will actively pursue gentleness, striving to close himself with it.  He will place this godly virtue high on his list of spiritual traits and LOOK TO GOD the HOLY SPIRIT to PRODUCE this fruit in his life.  We should also ask the Holy Spirit to make us aware of specific situations in which we fail to act with gentleness and considerateness.  Only then will we be driven to pray fervently for the grace of gentleness.”

What books have you read on gentleness that you think would be good to offer for the discussion?

22 Feb 2011

Book 7 of 52: No Other Gospel (Josh Moody)

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Commentary and Gospel to preach to yourself: does it get any better?

Josh Moody, pastor of College Church in Wheaton (which I love by the way, just the city, the college, the grounds), took his sermons from Galatians and poured it into a readable, short-chaptered, book you can read in a month (as long as the month has 31 days). 

His only goal is to give a hard look at what it means to live our lives by ONE GOSPEL: The Cross, what the Bible says the Gospel is – and not let anything else interfere with that.  He succeeds.  The first couple of chapters were so highlighted I knew this would be a book I would pour into for years, and use readily as a resource when writing or studying or speaking at a conference, etc.  Such depth and insight.  Both scholarly and pastoral.

“We are practical atheists if we limit God’s usefulness of us to our personality.  God did not greatly use Paul because he thought Paul had all the right credentials.  It was not “Oh, Paul, he knows the Bible and has good connections, let’s get him.”  No, it was the religious terrorist.  How unlikely is that?  God delights to take unlikely people and user them because then the focus is on God, not on the unlikely people.” – 16

In thoughts of planning worship services: “When we plan, it is the Bible that must guide.  Our worship must be Bible-centered in order to be God-centered.” – 17

Just in case you ever wonder what you had to do with your salvation: “Our salvation does not start with us.  We do not initiate the process.  We did not come up with the plan.  We did not start it.  God did.” – 25

These are but a small taste to the rich truths that Moody brings out of Galatians into sermons and then puts them in your hands as a tool for you to know the gospel better.  Use this as a secondary source when studying/memorizing/learning Galatians.  It will be a blessing to your soul and life and ministry.

15 Feb 2011

Tool Tuesdays: ESV Journaling Bible

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“Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes.” – Psalm 119.5

Continuing with the Tuesday is for Tools idea, I thought I would take one of my favorite Bibles and highlight it.  One of the Bibles I purchased during my time at THE Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was Crossway’s ESV Journaling Bible.  I didn’t use it that much for a while, but now it is the one I constantly have with me (though at this moment it is on my desk at the office, and I am in my bedroom, so not 24/7, but you get the picture).

The view inside the ESV Journaling Bible is a 4 column text (2 on each page) with lines on the outside of the columns to write in.  There are very few reference notes found at the bottom.  At the back there are introductions to each of the books of the Bible, though definitely not as in-depth as in the ESV Study Bible. 

How I use it: Since I write curriculum for my day job, I use it to take notes on passages that I’m writing on, so if I get to teach on those passages or don’t have the curriculum with me, I can know the exact points that I brought out in the curriculum.  Or…if someone is speaking on a given passage, I can take notes because others are more brilliant than I am and come up with more insightful thoughts into Scripture.  I love sitting, listening to someone preach, and just jot away (either with pencil or a fine-tip pen that won’t bleed through the pages). 

The only thing I don’t like about this Bible is there is not a concordance in the back.  The good thing about it is I’m learning to know where certain verses are and trying to keep their addresses tucked away in my brain.

Fun thing about it: on a random day at the offices: you can walk by both my office and my boss’ office and find the ESV Journaling Bible in black laid open in front of our monitors.  And my boss’ wife has one too – but hers is prettier. 

Do you have a favorite Bible?  Are you a person who writes in their Bibles or not?  How long have you had your Bible?  I do have one from my late elementary years, but I don’t think I have one from any earlier than that.

9 Feb 2011

Book 6 of 52: God is Great (Toddler Storybook Bible): Larsen

by | posted in: Bible, Books | 1

Crossway continues to nail theology and produce Gospel-centered resources for the church and families.  I LOVE this publishing company!

Now: on to the book at hand:

Most faithful readers of this blog know that I love the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.  This Bible for children is a Jesus-pointed, engaging read for families and children to read together.  Every story points the reader to Jesus, the Hero of the Bible.

Carolyn Larsen has written a Bible very similar to Lloyd-Jones for toddlers.  What a great gift for new parents, or for a child’s 2nd birthday.  What better way to start them out on a journey toward Jesus then to give them this Bible with beautiful illustrations and theology.

Things I love about Larsen’s God is Great:

1.  Succinct.  There are only 17 Bible stories in this toddler Bible.  For toddlers, this is pretty good.  It is digestible.  It is repeatable.  It is simple.

2.  Color.  Toddlers love bright colors.  It helps the pages comes alive!  Caron Turk does a splendid job of using her God-given talents on this project.

3.  Theology.  Larsen bee-lines to GOD in each story.  This Bible is not about how to make your child a better child, neighbor, sister, or brother, son, or daughter.  This Bible takes them where they need to be headed: to GOD.  This Bible, in child-terms, teaches: the eternality of God, God’s righteousness, His goodness, His Sovereignty, His guidance, His truth, His power, etc. Your children need to know these truths.  This is a resource that can help you teach it!

Do you want more resources as parents:

1.  Jesus Storybook Bible – linked above

2.  Catechisms for Young Children

3.  Leading Little Ones to God – Schoolland

And some I have found fabulous for parents:

1.  ApParent Privilege – Steve Wright/Chris Graves

2.  Big Truths for Young Hearts – Bruce Ware

3.  Instructing a Child’s Heart – Tripp

6 Jan 2011

Book Review: J I Packer’s Praying the Lord’s Prayer (Crossway)

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Of course during the new year time we see a lot about New Year’s resolutions and most from what I’ve seen this year have to do with reading and memorizing the Word more.  These are crucial to a Christian’s growth.  Another key discipline in the life of a Christian is prayer.  I’ve been flipping through this little gem of a book for a while now, but then decided to sit down and read it.  J I Packer is usually known for his deep theology books like Knowing God (which I also love).  But, this one, though rich in theology, is more pastoral and practical than other ones I’ve read by him. 

He walks through each phrase of the Lord’s prayer which has taught me more ways that I can pray like Jesus, and reminding me of the hope there is in praying the very words of Christ.  My life verse, Colossians 3:16, says to let the words of Christ dwell richly…how much more so in my prayer life?

At the end of each short, read-in-one-sitting, chapter has a list of study questions (perfect to use in a small group setting) and a few other passages of Scripture to broaden your understanding of the subject matter.

In matters of adoption: “Jesus directs us, however, to do it – in other words, to seek access and welcome to God’s presence on the ground that we are children in his family and he looks on us with a father’s love.” (21)

In the matter of sinful nature: “Were we left to ourselves, any praying we did would both start and end with ourselves, for our natural self-centeredness knows no bounds.” (41)

“I cannot sincerely ask for the doing of God’s will without denying myself, for when we get down to the business of everyday living, we regularly find that it is our will rather than his that we want to do, or to see happen.” (58)

On matters of food: “The Christian way is not to deify them (bodies), making health and beauty ends in themselves, as modern pagans do, nor it is to despise them, making scruffiness a virtue, as some ancient pagans once did.  It is rather to accept one’s body as part of God’s good creation, to act as its steward and manager, and gratefully to enjoy it as one does so.  Thus we honor its Maker.  Such enjoyment is in no way unspiritual for Christ’s disciples, for them, it is like their salvation, the Lord’s free gift.” (73)

On the will of God: “Christians look at their lives God-centeredly.  They see God as the one whose action has been the decisive factor shaping their lives, and as the only one who is able to assess what they have achieved.” (96)

Photo Source: http://www.ccftucson.org/

5 Jan 2011

Book Review and Giveaway: Read and Share Bible (Thomas Nelson)

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The kind folks at Thomas Nelson Publishers recently contacted me about doing a book review on their Read and Share Bible and gave me one to giveaway to one of my readers.  So, to be elegible for this giveaway, just leave a comment about one amazing thing you do in your family worship or children’s worship at church to get the Bible into your children’s hearts.  These comments alone will be a blessing to me in the ministry I’m involved in.

I have to say there is one children’s Bible out there that I use as a plumb line for all others.  Unfortunately, this one doesn’t match up, but it does have some great qualities.  Here are the impressive traits about this children’s Bible:

1.  The amount of stories.  Some children’s Bible only has the “popular” stories or ones that are often told.  This Bible has over 200 stories retold by Gwen Ellis.

2.  I love the user-friendliness of this Bible.  There is a table of contents (including topics, Scripture passages, and page number).  Ok, I know this may not sound like much.  But, I find it difficult in other children’s Bibles to find the story corresponding to the passage in the “real” Bible.

3.  At the end of every story, there is a question.  So what?  This is a helpful tool for parents as they take the leadership in their children’s lives as their primary discipler.  Some parents have no clue what it means to teach their children about worship and Jesus.  Maybe they didn’t grow up in a home with Christian parents who led in family worship?  Maybe they are new believers who don’t know what that might look like.  Thankful these questions are there so parents can have a helpful resource for starting conversations with their children about what it means to treasure Christ.

So, what are your tips for getting the Word in the lives and hearts of children?  Leave your comment and I’ll choose a winner and send out the Bible on Tuesday, January 11th.

Thanks Thomas Nelson!