Bible Study
Fulfilling the purpose of small groups
I have had the joy of participating in multiple study/community/small groups over the course of my 30+ years as a Christian. For the most part, these weekly gatherings have been a regular boon to my life. They encourage me. They sharpen me. They equip me. I look forward to them.
I say “for the most part” because occasionally the dynamics shift and the benefits are lost (or at least reduced) due to human frailties disrupting the fruitfulness.
Read MoreWhat a little light can do
With the glorious colors of fall also come darker mornings and afternoons. Not having the glow of morning sun to greet us can be difficult for those of us who don’t rise early enough to be greeted by darkness year-round. Even as a morning person (my kids laugh at how early I go to bed!), there’s something defeating about making my way into the kitchen or family room in the dark.
I started using light timers to facilitate an easier entry into my fall and winter days. Though I’d used them for years to automatically turn on lights in the afternoons and evenings, having them click on in the mornings was something new. And I discovered how much I liked feeling the living areas of the house were already “awake” when I entered them.
But there was another—lovely and unexpected—spiritual boon to this electronic tactic I’ve been using…
Read MoreWhat we miss when we read the Bible alone
I’m a sucker for a good story.
I know you are, too. We can’t help it. God hardwired it into our brains. Functional MRIs show how our brains respond to stories (versus information)—more areas of the brain light up and with greater intensity. And even newer research has shown something fascinating: our heartbeats seem to synchronize when we hear a story at the same time, in a shared experience.
How. Cool. Is. That?!
While this is obviously relevant for my work with speakers in crafting their content, I think there’s a treasure here for followers of God, as well.
Read MoreWhat I learned from writing out the entire book of Genesis
Yes, all 50 chapters of it.
It took 179 pages and 346 days.
I began on June 1, 2020 and wrote out between four and fourteen verses every day. Why? The short answer is that writing Scripture by hand keeps me engaged in a way that my wandering mind won’t always permit. (The long answer is here.)
I have a new appreciation (and respect!) for the scribes who painstakingly wrote out the entire Bible until Gutenberg invented the printing press. But there’s more for us here than just admiration.
Read MoreHow to study the Bible (without getting bored or distracted)
How often have you sat down to read your Bible and—just a few paragraphs later—discovered you’d become distracted and your mind had wandered to the list of things you need to get done? Or you got interrupted?
It can be challenging to keep our minds focused. We live in the age of distraction, with both people and devices clamoring for our attention (I’m looking at you, notifications). Attention—focused, deliberate attention—is a priceless skill, especially when it’s aimed at knowing God better through His Word and prayer.
But how?
Read MoreHello, again!
I’ve missed you, friends!
I’ve written so many blog posts in the recent months… in my head. I really have been writing quite a bit, but the content has been specifically for Our Daily Bread Ministries so I haven’t had the ability to post more here. (If you’re not familiar with Our Daily Bread, please do check it out as an accessible yet thought-provoking daily devotional. Whether you prefer to receive them in print or through social media, they’ve got options! My devotionals will begin appearing in March of 2017.) I do hope you’re following me on Instagram and Facebook, too; when the radio is silent on the blog, you can usually count on something on those sites (but I still don’t seem to be able to Tweet). Read More
Authenticity: Rising tide lifts all boats
I wasn’t sure I wanted to “share.”
I knew the tears would well up in my eyes. (Insert cursory feminine joke about mascara here.) And I haven’t known these women for very long, so tipping my emotional cards felt (extra) risky. We were discussing hypocrisy in the Christian life and how our social masks put an intimacy barrier between us and others. My story was relevant to the topic and even illustrated the point, all while pressing on tender parts of my heart.
I did open myself up and was met with compassionate responses. We talked more about how putting ourselves “out there” often invites community, builds friendship, Read More
The Other Kind of Mat
Nobody wants to be a doormat.
Who could aspire to such depths? Weak. Passive. Feeble. These aren’t desirable personality traits.
This summer I’m using IF:Equip as my Bible study (join in; it’s free!). We’re slowing inching our way through the Beatitudes with accompanying passages. This week is a deep-dive on Matthew 5:5.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (ESV)
Nobody has ever accused me of being meek. (Though StrengthsFinder does argue that I have a Harmony strength. What??!) I’m opinionated and vocal. Without a strong leader to counter-balance me, I’ll run away with any project, committee or meeting I’m part of. So, these words of Jesus usually cause me to discount myself from being blessed or inheriting the earth. I don’t even want to be meek. But Jesus says the meek are blessed.
So shouldn’t I want to be?
If God is sovereign, then…
Sometimes my actions defy logic.
Any man reading this would probably attribute that statement to the absence of a Y chromosome. Ha!
Given that I’m a linear thinker who relies on logic to make decisions, allocate time and [try to] parent my children, ignoring logic seems foolish. And it usually is. I’ve recently been studying Gideon’s story in the book of Judges. This meek man’s time as God’s chosen warrior depicts beautifully that His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). It has caused me to re-examine the areas of weakness in my life, temperament and faith. I didn’t have to look far to find the most glaring of weaknesses: my need for control. Read More
For His glory
It’s hard for me to imagine the Messiah coming in any other fashion than Jesus’ bodily form.
I think that’s because it’s the only way I’ve ever heard, or known, the story. A baby. In a manger. But when I stop to consider that God put on human flesh, I really can’t imagine that either.
Can you?
Seriously. God. In bodily form. The One Who caused “the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear” (Genesis 1:9) walked upon its very soil. He Who designed our bodies to need nourishment ate meals with family, friends, “sinners” and disciples. Our God — limitless in power — temporarily limited Himself to live in our circumstances and culture. Jesus was willing to release the equality He shared with God (Philippians 2:6) to serve us. Read More