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3 Ways to Gain Greater Understanding of Old Testament Books
It’s the beginning of the year and you are determined to read the Bible from start to finish. You get through Genesis, perhaps even Exodus, but then Leviticus appears. And if, by sheer resolution you get through Leviticus, you trudge into Numbers which seems like another version of Leviticus. Your determination wanes until the next year when you try again…only to find yourself once again stopping when understanding Old Testament books is confusing. Sound familiar? Or maybe it’s just me. I think I’ve read Genesis and Exodus over 10 times, before coming to a screeching halt at Leviticus. Or I’d skim Leviticus just to grow weary in Numbers because none…
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5 Secrets of Discipleship | Giving Jesus Away
In the Christian community we hear a lot about discipleship. But what is it really and how do we actively do it? Is it just a Christian buzz-word or is it a Biblical way of doing life together? The answer is found in the Greek. What is a Disciple? Jesus issues what Christians call the Great Commission in Matthew 28 as he ascends into Heaven. “Go and make disciples.” As his last commandment, this must be pretty important. In Greek, the original language used in writing the New Testament, disciples is translated from matheteuo, which means be a disciple of one, teach, instruct. The root word for matheteuo is mathetes:…
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3 Benefits of a Bible Study Tray & How to Make Your Own
I discovered it sitting on an end-cap aisle at Marshalls. It quickly found its way into my cart. Since then, it’s called various places in my house “home.” On the nook table holding a centerpiece. On the ottoman containing remotes. On the side-table displaying books. And then, one day, it found its purpose. It transformed from an ordinary end-cap display tray into my Bible study tray. Why You Should Consider Using a Bible Study Tray 1. Limits Time Stealing Distractions Before my simple brown tray found its real home, my Bible study materials were scattered throughout my house. When I did make time for my quiet time, I usually spent…
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Overwhelmingly First | An Anthem for My Journal & Soul
I opened the floral cover and paused. It shouldn’t have been a hard question, but it was. A Verse to Pray Over This Journal is what caused such contemplation. Sounds simple, right? Just pick one of the 31,102 verses from the Bible. To a girl who has grown up in church, this should’ve been an easy thing and yet it gave me such hesitation that words did not come for weeks. Why did this challenge me so? Why didn’t I just write one of my favorites? (Hosea 6:3 is one of my favorites, by the way). I was waiting for a particular verse. For a verse that the Lord hadn’t…
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30 Days of Reflection | All Points to Jesus
I challenged myself during the month of April to immerse myself in the story of Jesus. I created a reading plan and everything. I wanted to still my mind and prepare my heart for Easter. On April 1st, I began at the beginning and I had no idea all that the Lord would teach me during the 30 day period. As the month progressed, I found myself excited to read the next day’s passage. The Lord began opening my mind and digging out my ears (if you read my reflections on Day 5, you’ll know what I mean). Today, I finished. And you know what made the most impact on…
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When Your Bible Study is on Life Support | How to Fall Back in Love With the Bible
I called this post “When Your Bible Study is on Life Support” but honestly there have been times (more than I’d like to admit) when my Bible study was just plain non-existent. It didn’t come in for oxygen and a IV drip – it flat out coded on the table. Untouched except for Sunday mornings when I remembered to grab it for church, only to scramble a week later trying to find it again. It was usually back on the nightstand, or even worse left in the car. Unnoticed. Unused. Without thought. This is not how fruitful and impassioned followers of God live. This is how haggard and floundering wanderers…
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5 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Easter {with Reading Calendar}
If you are anything like me, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush of obligations around holidays. I’m already trying to formulate our plan for Easter morning as we head to church and then juggle time with our families. But this year, I want it to be different. I want to focus on the meaning and not just the must-dos. I don’t want to just attend the Good Friday and Easter services at church and then get on with my agenda and schedule. I want to absorb it all. The purpose of it. The pain of it. The relief of it. The meaning of it. I want to press…
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Girl, Jesus is Better
If I’m honest, it’s been a rough week for me. I’ve felt swallowed up by my feelings. And the worst part is – it felt good. It felt good to be angry, it felt good being “justified” in my emotions. Sometimes the hard part isn’t getting out of the pit. Sometimes the hard part is wanting out of the pit. The Lord has been so kind to me in my pursuit of him this year. And yet, sin still rears its ugly head, crouching at the doorstep of our souls. Yet, in the midst of my pride and justifications, my soul whispered: “Is Jesus better?” Is knowing him and being…
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How to Wrestle Well | Asking the Hard Questions
I am so incredibly glad I didn’t commit to reading the Bible through in a year. If that had been my resolution, failure would fall pretty hard right now. I’m not just chapters behind, I’m books. As in plural. As in way behind. But I didn’t commit to reading the Bible through in a year. I resolved to read the Bible. And I have. Not every day, but I always regret it when I don’t. My days feel off and I feel the sledgehammer of self fall hard, and self is an ugly thing. I’ve been sitting in three chapters or so in Genesis for over a week and just…
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Why the Story of Abraham & Issac Isn’t a Barbaric Tale: It’s the Story of Mercy & Freedom
I still remember my mom reading me The Tale of Three Trees. It’s a children’s story about three trees who all had very different dreams. One wanted to hold treasure, the other dreamed of sailing with kings, and the last wanted to be the tallest tree in the forest. As the story continued, I remember leaning in as my mom read, all of their dreams seemed to be shattered. The first tree was turned into a feed box. The second, a little fishing boat. And the third, was just slabs of lumber. But that wasn’t the end of the story. Turns out all of their dreams did come true, just…
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Trailblazing Pioneers | How to Run When You Don’t Feel Like Running
I don’t like to run. I actually hate it. I hate it…with a passion. I overheat easily and my legs get red and itchy. It’s in fact a miserable experience. So when I read any type of metaphor about running in the Bible, I have to disassociate it with my full-hate relationship of running as a choice of exercise. And yet, I couldn’t seem to get Abraham out of my mind. Even after I turned the page on his death. I couldn’t shake the repeated phrases of him running to the visitors in Genesis 18 or how he rose early and saddled his donkey to obey God when God seemed…
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Rouse My Soul | Encounters with God on the Dusty Road
I jolt up out of bed fumbling to turn off the alarm. I woke earlier, but decided to rest my eyes for another fifteen minutes and must have fallen back to sleep. I quietly grab my glasses from the nightstand and slip into dining room. The notebook covered table makes me smile. This is my watch-tower – where I meet the Lord in the mornings. Long before the alarm clock ever goes off, he’s already there warming the chair for me. I squint my eyes against the light and rub the blur away. My eyes may be foggy and I may have had a sluggish start, but as I sit…
