Learners for Life

“Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. 
Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.”
– Proverbs 9:9

School has started for most kids and they are now getting back into the swing of learning and growing in their knowledge of life and academics.  I remember quite a number of first days of school – I was usually the one who was super nervous about starting a new chapter and getting used to new teachers and classmates (well, all except for the years I was homeschooled…my mom didn’t make me nervous :) ).

One of the biggest “first day of school” stories I can recall is the year I started third grade.  We lived in Kentucky and I attended my church’s private school.  It was their custom at that time that on the first day of school they would gather all students and parents in the sanctuary of the church and then bring a teacher up and read off the students that would be in his/her class.  Once your class was called, you went with your parent up to your new classroom.  You wouldn’t know who your teacher was until that moment.  I remember that in third grade I didn’t care which teacher I got – all except for one.  The students who had just finished third grade the year before had said that this one particular teacher was really tough and mean.  I knew I did NOT want her.  We got to the point in the “ceremony” to the third grade class.  One third grade teacher had been called and her class filled and now it was time for the “tough” teacher to get her students.  I prayed my name wouldn’t be called.  Last names were called…and of course, I had to wait until the end to find out if I was in her class (hazard of having a last name with a “y”).  Well, wouldn’t you know it – I ended up in this “dreaded” teacher’s class.  I was devastated.  My mom tells me that as she took me up to my classroom, I was fighting off tears.  What a miserable year third grade was going to be…or so I thought.

As it turned out, my third grade teacher was the most phenomenal teacher I ever had.  What those crazy fourth graders had told us about her was for sure not true and, I suppose, was just to scare us.  This third grade teacher is actually the person who inspired me to one day be a teacher and instill the love of learning and growing in knowledge in others – something I do to this very day.

One thing I have learned in these post-school years is that you never stop learning and growing.  I think that learning as an adult means learning about how to do life and grow in your walk with God.  In this last decade (so over my twenties), I have most definitely done a lot of learning and growing in these two areas.  I’ve learned a lot about myself, about others, about the Bible, about my job(s), and about living life as an adult, among other things.

Proverbs 9 is quite an interesting chapter.  The writer, King Solomon, personifies Wisdom and Folly as individuals and goes on to discuss how these two “individuals” “live their lives.”  I encourage you to read the entire chapter, but I want to focus on two nuggets from it:

Nugget #1: Proverbs 9:9: “Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser.  Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.”  As growing Christians, we should take this straight to our heart.  It is super important that we personally be instructed and taught in how God wants us to live so that we can be wiser and righteous in our lives and walk with the God.  In order for our walk to match our talk (which makes our walk evident to the world), our talk/walk must be learned.  Additionally, we should heed these words and instruct and teach our fellow younger Christian brothers/sisters so that they too can be wiser and righteous.  Instruction/teaching (academic or not) should always be passed from generation to generation so that whatever is being taught is never lost…and this is especially important as it relates to God and His Word.

Nugget #2: Proverbs 9:11-12: “Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.  If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.”  Who doesn’t want to have a long and fulfilling life?  These verses tell us that having wisdom will be a benefit to us and add years and days to our life!  How great is that?!  These verses also give a warning of what will happen if we reject or ignore wisdom – we will suffer for it.  Ignoring wisdom is very dangerous because it’s putting you in a place where temptations may (and probably will) abound.  So how will we suffer for our ignorance?  I would tend to say that it depends on situation, but whatever it is, suffering doesn’t sound good. 

From one teacher to another (or even to those of you who are mainly “students”), make special note of this: make absolutely sure that whatever wisdom you are imparting or learning is that which is biblical.  A lot of things can sound really good to the ear, but when the rubber meets the road – it doesn’t always line up with Scripture.  Look what Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:3 – “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.”  Sometimes this is completely an accident, but there are sometimes where this is intentional (think prosperity preachers and the like). Part of you being the student (and we are all students of God’s Word) is to do your homework and take what you’ve been taught/what you're going to teach and check the source (the Word), because it’s author is inerrant and our ultimate Teacher.

There are many things I’m so grateful to have learned – these things have made me a more informed and knowledgeable person who is able to live and communicate with others in society.  Conversely, there are things I wish I didn’t have to learn – like about hurt and grief and loss.  All of these things combine, however, to shape and grow us into the people God wants us to be.  When we gain wisdom from what we are taught, we are then able to handle future experiences/challenges and help others down the road who may be going through similar situations.  I’m thankful, and I don't take it lightly, that I am able to do that as a teacher in ministry with children from all walks of life (a passion passed on to me from my amazing third grade teacher) because I am passing the wisdom of God onto the future generations so that they in turn can do the same.

Learning isn’t over when we walk across the stage with a cap and gown and diploma in hand. The reality is actually that we will be learners for life.

Prepare to be a learner for life!

Forsaken for Me

"About three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lena sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?')" - Matthew 27:46

Loneliness and abandonment are situations that most people hate enduring.  Feeling like you don't belong and that you're forgotten can bring even the most strong-minded person down in a deep, dark valley full of tears, hurt, and depression.  Thankfully, we know that no matter what we go through in this life, Jesus is our constant and ever-present friend that sticks closer than any brother ever could (and maybe even would).  We don't have to fear being completely forsaken in this life because we know Jesus will be there to walk with us through ever single moment - good or bad.

Can you stop and imagine, however, if Jesus wasn't there for us during our hardest moments?  If you're like me, you probably don't want to even imagine it.  To imagine going through pain and hardship completely and utterly alone seems like more than I could ever endure.  Yet someone did just that...and it is the very person that is with each one of us during our pain and hardship - our precious Savior, Jesus.

Matthew 27 outlines - in detail - the events leading up to the death of Christ.  He endured far more than hardship...He endured torture and agony.  He was accused of lying, when all His words were complete truth.  He was mocked by those who, just days earlier, had praised Him.  He was scourged and beaten and forced to carry part of the cross to which He would soon be nailed.  As hard as all of this is for us to even read, none of it compared to the torment of abandonment Christ felt as He was breathing His final breaths.  Matthew writes that around 3:00 in the afternoon, Jesus yelled to His Father, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46).  While this was actually a portion of a Psalm that Christ was quoting (Psalm 22:1), I don't think He was saying this to "just" quote Scripture, I believe that when Jesus said this, He meant it with every fiber in His being.  The torture of having to endure this horrendous suffering alone was now a reality for Jesus - He was completely alone with people laughing at his demise, with blood pouring from his head, hands, and feet, and with death waiting right around the corner.  And God wasn't - really He couldn't be - there.  That is scarier than any horror movie could ever be.

God still loved His Son, He just couldn't be there for Him because God knew that this action and the feelings - all the feelings - associated with it were a necessary step in the redemption of mankind.  As humans, sin separates us from God, and as we learn in Romans 6:23, the punishment for sin is death - eternal separation from God.  When Jesus was nailed to the cross, He took that punishment for us which meant He had to endure it - being separated from everyone and every.single.thing.  So when Jesus was on the cross crying out in a loud voice this portion of Scripture, it wasn't just a repeating of a verse He had learned as a child in Hebrew AWANAs, it was a proclamation of how He felt at that exact moment.

My NLT Study Bible commentary states, "Jesus was not questioning God; he was quoting the first line of Psalm 22 - a deep expression of the anguish he felt when he took on the sins of the world, which caused Him to be separated from His Father.  This was what Jesus dreaded as he prayed to God in the garden to take the cup from him (26:39).  The physical agony was horrible, but even worse was the period of spiritual separation from God.  Jesus suffered this double death so that we would never have to experience eternal separation from God."

As hard as being forsaken by others may feel to us, Jesus is the one constant we have to depend on - always.  Jesus had no one.  He was forsaken so we wouldn't ever have to be.  What a friend we have in Jesus!  

As you reflect on this past Easter weekend, I hope you will continue to take to heart the sacrifice Jesus has made just for you.  He sacrificed everything - His relationships, His emotion, His identity, and His life - all so you wouldn't have to endure eternal separation from God and be alone for eternity.  He loves you THAT much.

If you are struggling with feeling forsaken or abandoned by others or someone in particular, remember Jesus' last words on earth and let them be an encouragement to you as you walk through this lonely time - "And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b).

Below is a video clip of the song that inspired this blog post...one of my favorite songs that has ministered to me so strongly over the past few months.

Living in a Crazy World

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."  - Romans 12:2

The world is rapidly…and I mean rapidly…changing.  The things we hear on the news, see on social media, or just hear around the watercooler each day increasingly show us that our world is much, much different than the world of even a year ago, let alone five years ago.  Just stop and think about all of the big headlines (and not necessarily covered by the mainstream news) that have happened over these past eight months – terrorism, environment, marriage, foreign policy, civil rights, gun control, abortion, and the list goes on and on. 

With all that is going on in the world today, do we keep up with it?  Do we change our behaviors and patterns to match today’s culture so that we “fit in”?  Logically it would make sense to blend in with culture because that way we would have friends, be in the “in” crowd, and not stick out like a sore thumb. As believers, though, in our hearts we know we can’t conform to the way the world is turning.  If we did it would be going against everything we believe and stand for in our faith in Christ (marriage – Mark 10:6-9; abortion – Psalm 139:13-16; civil rights – Romans 12:8; and it could go on and on). 

Paul spells it out point blank in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  I believe that Paul is definitely telling us as believers not to get caught up and be a part of the “big ticket” problems and cares of the world such as the ones previously mentioned, but I also believe that Paul is encouraging believers to not get caught up in the “less mentioned and easily overlooked problems and items” of the world as well.  I’m sure you are now wondering, “what does she mean by ‘less mentioned and easily overlooked items’?”  Thank you for asking. 

I believe Paul is also telling us as believers not to conform ourselves to more “common” day-to-day things like pride, lying, deceit, drunkenness, slander, idolatry, adultery, and the list could go on and on.  For some of us, we don’t correlate the “less mentioned problems” of the world with the more notable problems of the world, but they are one in the same.  The Bible even tells us that God hates these things.  Proverbs 6:16-19: “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes,  feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”  In one of his other books, Paul tells us: “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Did you see what was mentioned there? While some of those are definitely deplorable acts, notice those “easily overlooked items.”  They seem small, but in reality they are just as equal as the “big ticket items” in the sight of God.  Things like lying, false witness, stirring up conflict, hatred, discord, jealousy, dissensions, etc. … all of these the Lord hates.  Any of those sound familiar and quite common?

Romans 12 isn’t just advice to new, baby Christians to leave the things of the world behind when they choose to follow Jesus, it’s an appeal to established, mature Christians who also need to heed its words.  As Christians we aren’t perfect.  We have our pitfalls and, yes, we sin.  It doesn’t matter whether the sin is deplorable or one of those “easily overlooked ones”…sin is sin and God hates it. 

I think Romans 12 is an even more crucial verse for established, mature Christians because of how hypocritical we can appear to the world if we are following in its screwed-up ways.  The devil is looking for every possible, minuscule way to get into our Christian lives so that we lose our Christ-like witness.  John 10:10a says, “The thief [devil] comes to kill, steal, and destroy…”  Although we are Christians, we aren’t exempt from temptation or sin; we are subject to the world’s ways just as easily as an unbeliever – the devil knows this and will do whatever he can to take advantage of that fact.  We fall into the temptation/sin and end up hurting our Christian witness to unbelievers. We don’t have to just fall into the temptation of “big ticket” sins, we can sin by lying, cheating, stirring up conflict, creating discord, and the like.  Unbelievers see it and immediately call us out as hypocrites because we are doing something we know – and maybe at one time espoused – to be something contrary to Christ and His Words.  This is why God hates sin, especially for the Christian, because it makes us look like fools in His Kingdom.

But because God is a good, good Father, there is hope in how to live in this crazy world.  Just look at the end of the verse I mentioned earlier from John 10:10.  After telling about the devil, Jesus says, “...but I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.”  In Him is fullness of life!  Praise God!  When we take up our cross and follow Jesus…and I mean follow Him with complete abandon …He will give us the strength we need to not conform ourselves to the world.  To do this, we have to be willing to be transformed through the renewing of our mind (I take that to mean delving deep into the Word of God and also being willing to listen and do what the Holy Spirit asks us to do).  That can be hard – even for the mature Christian – to do because it requires sacrifice and giving up control over our wants and desires. 

If we do decide, however, to buckle down and completely surrender our lives to God instead of surrendering it to the world, we have a great reward ahead of us!  The tail end of Romans 12:2 says that should we choose to follow God with our whole heart and life and transform ourselves by renewing our mind, then we will be able to learn God’s perfect and pleasing will for our lives.  I don’t know about you, but knowing what God has prepared ahead for my life is something that definitely interests me!

In a “perfect world,” Christians would separate themselves from the rest of the world so that they wouldn’t have the temptations that the world offers and so that they could truly live out Romans 12:2 with nothing to worry about.  But we don’t live in a “perfect world,” and as Christians we are to be ambassadors for Christ and go into the highways and byways telling others about Him.  It’s gonna be hard because we’re going to be faced with temptations and obstacles along the way.  We’re going to be forced to give up control of what we want to do.  My pastor, Mike Glenn, likens it to swimming against the current...a task that, in our own strength, is quite hard to accomplish.  We’re going to lose friends, stick out like a sore thumb, and even face ridicule and/or persecution.  However, if we set our sights on the Son and our Father and choose to renew our minds in them, we truly won’t have to worry about anything else because they are in control.

This is a loaded blog and I totally realize that.  I’m even convicted and I’m the one writing it!  It’s my hope, however, that you aren’t discouraged and feeling like you can’t step up to the task of following Romans 12:2 because YOU CAN!  Our Savior is so great, so strong, and so powerful and He will give you the strength you need to follow Him in this crazy, crazy world.  In fact, less than 2,000 years ago He prayed just for you as you live in this insane world that you would have the strength to live for Him.  Let the following prayer…prayed just for you by Jesus in John 17:9-25…be an encouragement to carry you through this world and live a Romans 12:2 life.

From Jesus -

“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. ¹⁰ All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. ¹¹ Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. ¹² During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.

¹³ “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. ¹⁴ I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁵ I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. ¹⁶ They do not belong to this world any more than I do. ¹⁷ Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. ¹⁸ Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. ¹⁹ And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

²⁰ “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

²² “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. ²³ I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. ²⁴ Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

²⁵ “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. ²⁶ I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

Mirror the Word

 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.” – James 1:22

As a teacher to kids, I have the amazing opportunity to speak words into the ears of earnest listeners who are just itching to learn about something they’ve never heard before.  I love seeing the light bulb go off in their heads when something that I’ve said “clicks.”  It’s always my hope, however, that listening isn’t where it stops…it’s always my hope that the kids take what they’ve heard and mirror it in their own lives. 

Thankfully, I’ve had the blessing of seeing kids apply what they hear to their lives.  I think about the times kids have come to me and shared that they want to make missions their career, or the times kids have shared with me how they showed Jesus’ love, and even the times I’ve gotten to go on mission trips with kids and watch them serve.  To see them live out the words that they’ve heard or read from the Bible and reflect that in their own lives fills me with so much joy and thankfulness, but it makes me equally aware that I do that personally in my own life as well.

The book of James has quite a bit to say about how we as Christians should live out our faith…and one of those ways is by putting action to what we learn from the Scripture.  Read this powerful passage from James 1:22-25:

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Those first three sentences are very influential and important.  We can’t just listen to what we hear or read from the Scriptures.  We…and notice the word James uses…must do what it says. 

Now in some cases, for a Christian, doing what the Scripture says is kind of a no-brainer…look at these examples (and note that there are many others that could fit in this category):

- Worshipping God (1 Chronicles 16:23-31)

o   Attending church, singing worship music in car

- Telling others about Jesus (Matthew 28:19)

o   Going on a mission trip, teaching people about the Bible

- Reading the Bible (Joshua 1:8)

o   Memorizing scripture, committing ourselves to daily quiet time

- Praying with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:16)

o   Thanking God for his blessings, praying for others

In other cases, for a Christian, doing what the Scripture says is a lot harder than it sounds (and note that there are many others that could fit in this category too):

- Speaking truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)

o   Do we share our frustrations with others lovingly or with no regard to their feelings?

- Carrying another person’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

o   Are we willing to walk with our hurting brothers and sisters in their deepest sadness and hurt?

- Being concerned about others and encouraging them (Hebrews 10:24-25)

o   Do we truly have concern for what others are going through in their day to day lives?  Enough to reach out to them and offer them an encouraging word?

- Losing our life for Christ (Mark 8:35)

o   Would we be willing to lose our life for believing in Jesus, as is the case today for so many martyrs around the world?

Quite a lot to consider, isn’t it?  You see, the words of the Bible aren’t just suggestions for us as Christians to follow, they are the commands of God that He expects we follow.  Some things require simply our obedience, other requests require sacrifice…the giving of ourselves. 

James uses a very powerful visual in the passage above…did you see what it was?  A mirror!  What a great illustration for us to have to visualize how the Word of God is to be an essential part of our lives.  If we glanced in a mirror and then forgot what we looked like, what was the purpose of going to the mirror in the first place?  A mirror is a reflection of who we are.  That is what the Bible is to us as Christians!  The Bible tells us who we as Christians ARE to be!  It’s our guidebook for how to live, it’s our answer key to the tests of life, it’s our mirror into the image of Christ!  Like James says, we must do what it says!

I realize and understand that doing everything that the Bible says is a tall order to fill.  It’s hard to do some of the things the Bible asks us to do.  However, in order to heed the words of the Bible we have to be willing to step outside of our own boxes, egos, and comfort zones to put action to what the Word of God says to do.  James says in verse 22 that if we don’t, we’re simply fooling ourselves.  I don’t want to be a foolish Christian…I want to be a following Christian…one that follows the truths and words of the Bible, no matter how hard they might be.

Look at yourself in the mirror, whether literally or figuratively, and ask yourself this question, “Am listening AND putting into action the Word of God?"  If your answer is yes, then good job, you are totally on the right track and if you have any advice for the rest of us in how to live a life of complete surrender to the Word, please share it with us!  If your answer is no, then stop and contemplate where you are falling short.  Is it in obedience?  Is it in sacrifice?  Is it in something else?  Pray about it and ask God to reveal to you how to follow Him in what He asks you to do through His Word.  Finally, DO IT…mirror His Word!

Mirror the Word of God!

The Cross at Christmas

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given” (John 1:14a, 16)

Quite a number of years ago I invited a friend to a Christmas program put on by the church I was attending at that time.  As with many church Christmas programs, the presentation featured the entire story of Jesus – from the manger to the cross to the resurrection.  I knew my friend had attended the program and the following week asked her what she thought of it.  Her reply, “Well, I thought the music and everything was great, but I just don’t understand why we have to see all the cross stuff.  That’s what is celebrated at Easter, not Christmas!”  What a statement...and one that I know she's not alone in voicing at this time of year.

When we attend community Christmas programs, get Christmas cards, or display figurines during the holiday season, we see images of or resembling the nativity – Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, angels, shepherds, wisemen, and maybe a sheep here or there.  Rarely, if ever, are images of the crucifixion prominently displayed.  Our music around this time of the year also centers around baby Jesus and those individuals who were a part of that First Christmas.  While some carols do discuss Jesus in his later years, many times those verses are skipped for time or for the simple fact that they don’t relate to this “season.”  

The fact that Jesus’ later life is overlooked for many during this time of year is an utter shame because without the things he accomplished and did during his later years, He wouldn’t be who we celebrate Him to be at this time of year – our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Crucifixion scene at the recent 2015 Sevier Heights Baptist Church Christmas Program

We sing that “Christ the Savior is born,” but had He saved anyone at the time of his birth?  No.  Yes, Christ had come to earth, but it wasn’t until 33 years later as He died upon the cross did He really and truly become our Savior.  When He died, He took with Him the punishment of all of our sins, “‘He Himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’” (1 Peter 2:24)  At the moment He cried “It is finished,” and breathed His last breath, He became the Savior of the world.  Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth as a baby those 33 years prior had now been fulfilled.  God so loved the world…past, present, and future…that He freely sacrificed His Son, Jesus, so that anyone who believes and trusts in His Son’s name would have never-ending life in heaven with Him (John 3:16, paraphrased).

Now I know that thinking about image of the cross, as it carries with it the horrors and violence that Jesus endured during his crucifixion, is hard, especially during this time of year.  The Christmas season is for the most part a very happy and joyous season and we are urged to spread “tidings of comfort and joy” to others.  I wholeheartedly believe this and I’m not discounting this at all.  Yes, we need to show love to others this year.  Yes, we should give gifts to others to remind us of God’s gift to us.  Yes, we should sing and rejoice about this little baby born in Bethlehem.  With all of that, however, it is vitally important for us also to remember the cross and Jesus’ sacrifice for us in order to be truly and fully aware of how important this time of year is for us as followers of Christ. 

If Jesus hadn’t come to earth as a baby to grow and be the man who died on the cross for our sins, He wouldn’t be the Savior we celebrate Him to be at this time of year.  Without His sacrifice, we wouldn’t know the true meanings of love, sacrifice, mercy, grace, service, forgiveness, and the list of characteristics could go on and on and on. 

At Christmas, as believers in Christ, we should be ever aware what John began his gospel proclaiming, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given” (John 1:14a, 16).  And as we reflect on His sacrifice, we can rejoice and celebrate the fact that He did not stay dead.  He arose!  This baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes at His birth, and as a man wrapped in grave clothes at His death, conquered the grave and now lives!  Now THAT is reason to sing “joy to the world!”

It’s somewhat unconventional (and uncomfortable) to think about the cross at Christmas, but it’s important because it helps us to remember, appreciate, and rejoice at the life, death, and resurrection, not just the birth, of this baby who changed everything just for you and me.

Take time this Christmas to reflect on the cross...it's how we remember the reason for the season.

Nuggets of God's Wisdom

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Recently I had the opportunity to substitute teach 1^st grade Sunday School.  For me it was like going back to my roots as 1^st grade Sunday School was the very first place I became involved in when I came to FBC Morristown.  Those were such joyous times as I looked forward to being personally involved in kids’ lives each Sunday and watching them grow in their knowledge and understanding of Jesus and His Word.  It is hard to believe that the very first 1^st grade group I taught is now in the ninth grade!  I feel extremely old!

The lesson for the week I subbed was about Psalm 104.  I initially wondered how on earth the kids were going to be able to relate to a psalm…I mean some psalms are a bit depressing and others hard for even me to wrap my mind around.  While a few of the psalms are very familiar to me, this one…Psalm 104…was not.  As I began to delve into the psalm, however, my worries about the kids understanding it were completely gone.  The entire psalm was about Creator God how great He is for creating such a beautiful world.  The psalmist describes with such imagery each facet of the earth…from land to sea to sky…and praises God for His greatness in creating it.  Psalm 104 is written with such visually appetizing words that you could almost close your eyes and paint a glorious masterpiece in your imagination. It is most definitely a perfect psalm to pair with the Creation story from Genesis!

Have you ever found new nuggets of wisdom in the Scriptures?  For me personally, I am increasingly amazed to discover new and exciting things in the Bible!  This experience with Psalm 104 is just one that recently happened to me, but there have been other passages or verses that I have come across that I never knew existed.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”  As Christians, the Bible is our manual for daily living and has been given to us by God to equip us in our walk with and talk of He and His Son.  It’s not designed for us to just read and then apply to one aspect of our life and move on – it’s designed for us to apply to all aspects of living and to learn new truths from throughout our entire life.  No matter the circumstance or situation, the Scriptures have something for everyone.  The psalmist praised God for the Scriptures so beautifully by saying, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  As the written Word of God, the Bible truly illuminates the way for us to go. 

The key to finding new nuggets of wisdom in the Bible is to read and study it.  Don’t let it sit on a shelf collecting dust…open it and discover new and exciting truths and/or passages that apply to you or that you can connect to other parts of the Bible.  One great (and easy) way to find how Scriptures connect with other Scriptures is to look at the cross references (those are the little book-name/verse references to the side of the passage/verse you are reading).  These additional references take you to other parts of the Bible that relate to the particular passage you are studying.  Another way you can connect certain truths to different parts of Scripture is to look at a concordance which is a book that lists different Scripture references that connect to one particular truth.  However you choose to delve into the Word, as you do, you will begin to see God’s grand design and how all things (from Old Testament to New Testament) connect together for His glory and honor. 

Grow in your Christian walk by digging deep into the Bible.  D.L. Moody said, “The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.”  He is so right.  Open God’s Word, discover new and exciting nuggets of wisdom from the Father and watch the transformation of your heart and mind begin.