So, it's been a while since we've talked about studying the bible in depth on this blog, hasn't it? I hope you haven't given up studying your bible even though the 9 month reading plan is over. To be honest, I find it easier to study the bible in a group, probably because of the accountability aspect. I'm looking forward to community groups starting up again for the fall semester. You should consider plugging into one wherever you are.
If you are looking for a way to dive deeper into God's word, consider going through Rick Warren's '40 Days in the Word' study campaign. Rick Warren provides great study methods for how to get more out of your bible reading. They are a lot of work, but they're easy to follow and will certainly improve the quality of information you can get out of reading your bible.
Showing posts with label Rick Warren. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rick Warren. Show all posts
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Evangelism
This post has nothing to do with the bible reading, but it does relate to something else I read today. I've been reading Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Church, and he said something quite interesting about evangelism:
"My dad is the best fisherman I've ever met. If there is only one fish in a lake or stream he will catch it. . . . How did he do it? ... Did God just like him better?
"As I got older I realized his secret: My dad understood fish. He could 'read' a lake and figure out exactly where the fish were; he knew what time of day they liked to eat; he knew what bait or lure to use depending on the type of fish; he knew when to change bait as the temperature changed; he even seemed to know exactly how deep to drop the line into the water. He made it as easy and attractive as possible for fish to swallow his hook - so they did! He caught fish on their terms.
"In contrast, I never had a strategy when I went fishing. I'd cast out anywhere in the lake hoping something might bite. Fish rarely went for my hook because I fished with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. . . my fishing spots were usually determined by what was most comfortable to me. I had no strategy, and my results showed it.
"Unfortunately, many churches have this same lackadaisical attitude toward fishing for men and women. . . They want to win people to Christ as long as it can be done a comfortable way." (pp. 185-186).
"My dad is the best fisherman I've ever met. If there is only one fish in a lake or stream he will catch it. . . . How did he do it? ... Did God just like him better?
"As I got older I realized his secret: My dad understood fish. He could 'read' a lake and figure out exactly where the fish were; he knew what time of day they liked to eat; he knew what bait or lure to use depending on the type of fish; he knew when to change bait as the temperature changed; he even seemed to know exactly how deep to drop the line into the water. He made it as easy and attractive as possible for fish to swallow his hook - so they did! He caught fish on their terms.
"In contrast, I never had a strategy when I went fishing. I'd cast out anywhere in the lake hoping something might bite. Fish rarely went for my hook because I fished with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. . . my fishing spots were usually determined by what was most comfortable to me. I had no strategy, and my results showed it.
"Unfortunately, many churches have this same lackadaisical attitude toward fishing for men and women. . . They want to win people to Christ as long as it can be done a comfortable way." (pp. 185-186).
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Innocent of the blood of all men
Acts 20:13-38
I must admit that when I first read Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders, I thought that for some reason, the Ephesians were arguing about Paul's previous life of persecuting the Christians. When Paul said that he was innocent of the blood of all men, I thought that referred to the people he had killed before he became a Christian. I read a few commentaries on this passage though, such as William Barclay's, Matthew Henry's, and Barnes's notes, and I found out that Paul was actually just saying that he preached the gospel with such dedication in Ephesus that if people weren't saved, it was through no fault of his own.
I hope we can say the same for ourselves. I was reading Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Church this morning and he was saying that faithfulness does not exclude fruitfulness, rather, it requires fruitfulness. Jesus said a number of times that bearing fruit is of utmost importance. In fact, he even cursed a fig tree that didn't have fruit as an example to his disciples about the importance of bearing fruit. Am I being faithful? If I believe the answer is yes, is there evidence of my faithfulness?
I must admit that when I first read Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders, I thought that for some reason, the Ephesians were arguing about Paul's previous life of persecuting the Christians. When Paul said that he was innocent of the blood of all men, I thought that referred to the people he had killed before he became a Christian. I read a few commentaries on this passage though, such as William Barclay's, Matthew Henry's, and Barnes's notes, and I found out that Paul was actually just saying that he preached the gospel with such dedication in Ephesus that if people weren't saved, it was through no fault of his own.
I hope we can say the same for ourselves. I was reading Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Church this morning and he was saying that faithfulness does not exclude fruitfulness, rather, it requires fruitfulness. Jesus said a number of times that bearing fruit is of utmost importance. In fact, he even cursed a fig tree that didn't have fruit as an example to his disciples about the importance of bearing fruit. Am I being faithful? If I believe the answer is yes, is there evidence of my faithfulness?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)