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A Call for Your Stories

As we continue to read through the Bible we are learning all about God’s story. But as we come near the end of Year in the Bible, I want to hear your stories, too. I want to hear how spending this time reading God’s Word has shaped you and challenged you. I want to hear how God is working in and through you. What passages have especially stood out to you over the year? Have there been parts that were unexpected and surprising?
Have you been reading alone or with a group? How has that experience been? Have you learned more about God? Does God’s plan seem all the more amazing having read in this way? Are you encouraged to continue on? Have passages been brought to your mind in times of need? How has what you’ve learned helped you be a better follower of Christ?

If you have something to share–which I reckon you do, I’d love for you to email me. It can be just a few sentences or as long as you’d like. If you’re less of a writer, just contact me and we can get together and talk. Part of the joy of being the Church is coming together with fellow believers and sharing how God is moving in our midst.

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Doodlings on James

If we were to imagine what it would look like to be quick to listen and slow to speak, what would it be?

Is this the makeover that we need?

Quick to Listen, slow to speak = Big ears, small mouth.
Quick to Listen, slow to speak = Big ears, small mouth.
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Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak

I’m not sure how many times I’d repeated in my head (or deserved to have someone say to me), “quick to listen, slow to speak.” This of course is part of James 1:19 and is a simple directive, b it sure is hard. We all want to be heard. We’re tempted to think ourselves much smarter than we truly are and we want to give our two cents. But we don’t stop there, adding additional cents and finding ourselves in debt in the conversation. Having given so much speech, we owe the other person some time of listening.

Tell me if these situations are familiar to you–either as the victim or perpetrator:

  • One person in a conversation does not seem to be really listening, probably because he uses the time when the other person is talking only to think about what he’ll say next.
  • A person uses the story of another merely as a platform to tell another story that she thinks is much greater than the first.
  • Someone cuts you off to either agree, disagree, or correct the opinion that he actually did not hear since he interrupted you in the first place.
  • You have a friend who loves to tell you all about what is going on in her life, but has no time to listen to you.
  • You put your foot in your mouth because you jumped to conclusions without waiting for all the facts or because you didn’t wait for someone to finish.

It is so easy for us to fall into these traps. Embarrassingly, it is easy to complain when someone else does it, but then go off and do those very same things. But we need to evaluate ourselves, be humble in our relationships and conversations, and follow this command. The text goes on to say we should be “slow to anger” and being a person with patience who is slow to speak is key. I find it hard to imagine a hothead–someone quick to anger–as also someone who is a great listener and very humble.

On the flip side, don’t you find yourself drawn to people who listen to you? Who are patient as you speak and ask you questions? This can be a great witness for Christians to their neighbors, especially in a frantic world that is hurried and where we’re having more online relationships or transactional relationships. If you are one who listens, you’ll be taking a step to show the love and care God has for us to someone who may really need it.

This is also a lesson we need to make sure to apply to those God has placed close to us, those about whom we care most. That group is often one that sadly gets our worst, along with our best, since we see them so much. We can be so sure we already know them well enough, so we jump to conclusions, cut them off, or tune out. But we need to slow down.

If you need to be quick, be quick to listen. Give yourself time to really hear people. Take time to think. Then be slow to respond.

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Double Dipping a Bonhoeffer Quote for James 3

James 3 is the chapter known for its passage on taming the tongue. We often associate this phrase with restraining the tongue, keeping it from doing harm. I like to think of it in the positive, as well. We should harness our speech to do with it the great goods that God equips us for. Certainly we need to keep from hurtful language, but speech has so much power for good. We get a sense in the passage that complete control over the tongue is impossible, but that should not prevent us from faithfully working on this area of our life.

I already used this quote once before, but I like it so much and it applies so well to this idea of taming the tongue for good. So forgive my repetition.

But God has put his Word into the mouth of men in order that it may be communicated to other men. When one person is struck by the Word, he speaks it to others. God has willed that we should seek and find His living Word in the witness of a brother, in the mouth of a man. Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth. He needs his brother man as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ. The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure.
Bonhoeffer, Life Together

James 3 is also the text for our focus passage this week, so I hope you take a look. I think we tend to underestimate the power and influence of our own speech and maybe this week you can go through some of the questions and reflect on the role that speech has in your own life–for good or for bad.

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A Delight of Reading the Whole Bible in a Year

I have not had as much chance to post this past week as I have been way at a conference. Several of the speakers delivered fantastic sermons, which is always a benefit of these events. But I had a special delight this year as I heard from books like Daniel, Ezra, Ephesians, and Timothy. As the preachers delivered the messages I was so much more familiar with the scriptures that they were using.

But that isn’t to say that I now know enough. In reading though the Bible this past year I am instead primed to learn more and learn better. I loved knowing the context of the stories, remembering conversations had or posts written about those passages, and being challenged in new ways on what I thought I knew.

When they stepped back to give context, I was right there with them. The texts were still fresh in my mind, much closer to the surface, and much more accessible for the Spirit to use in my hearing and responding to the Word. It wasn’t like I was having to watch the same movie over again. It wasn’t at all tired or boring. The Bible is a living Word and I could see that as I had the chance to sit and receive it.

I pray you find that same delight as you grow more familiar with it and continue to read and re-read and read again God’s Word.

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A Mix of Boldness and Gentleness

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, butaccording to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:1-7

Paul urges gentleness for the believers in these churches. He does not want the Christians to be quarrelsome but rather courteous to others. By the early churches example of such humble love and service, many were impressed with the new movement of Christians.

It didn’t mean they were pushovers. Just before this section Paul exhorts them to be bold in the truth, not letting anyone disregard them. They are to teach and rebuke with authority.

In today’s church, especially as it acts more publicly, do we find such a balance? Is it courteous and nice to the extent that we disregard ourselves and our own teachings, not wanting to offend anyone? Or are we so bold about the truth that we lose all humility and kindness?

Paul wants them to be both, and the humility I think is key. He reminds Titus, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.” How can we treat those who do not know Jesus Christ and his gospel when we are no better ourselves, save for the mercy of God? We should treat others well in hopes of impressing the love of Christ upon them, rather than condemn them as though we were in a position to be the judge ourselves. We all need the mercy of God, and that should be central to the message we carry to others, and to each other in the church.

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A look back at Psalm 119

Psalm 119 Screenshot

Better late than never, right? This would’ve made for more sense a couple of weeks ago when we looked at the very long psalm, Psalm 119. If you were at our church, you would’ve heard a sermon that said a great deal about this unique psalm, but I did not include anything on it here on the site. And maybe you’re more of a visual person.

I found this some months back and it emphasizes the acrostic nature of the poem (how each line of the stanza begins with the same letter, with the proceeding stanzas moving along through the Hebrew alphabet). It also points out the place that God’s Word holds throughout the psalm. The way this site puts it is this:

Psalm 119 is telling us that to know the Creator God you must know His law, ordinances, word, commandments, statutes, precepts, decrees, testimonies, ways, and faithfulness.

I’d really encourage you to go take a look at this, and maybe skim down to the end first, as it has a word of explanation that helps make sense of the rest.

Basics of the Bible – Psalm 119 (It is pretty big, so it may take a moment to load).

A supposedly more friendly mobile version is here.

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God’s Work, Not Our Work

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.
2 Timothy 1 :8-9

As much as this is a letter to Timothy and about his ministry, it isn’t really about him. Paul wants to keep the focus on Jesus Christ and what he has done. It is not on the basis of our work that we are called, but because of God’s purpose and grace.

That doesn’t mean we aren’t called to do a work. We are. God has a plan for us and wants us to follow it. But just as it isn’t all about Timothy, it isn’t all about you or me. We are to make our work point to Jesus.

We do have a role to play, but Jesus deserves all the glory. We would have nothing if not for the grace given in him.

It reminds me a bit of this quote from Stacey King, a teammate of Michael Jordan.

I’ll always remember this as the night that Michael Jordan and I combined for 70 points.
(Said after Michael Jordan scored a career high 69 points and Stacey King scored 1 point against the Cavaliers. )*

*But when it comes to the work of our salvation, we don’t even contribute that one point.