Thursday, April 24, 2008

Eagerly Study the Word

A few reminders
I came to the realization today, that I did not send out my weekly email last week. Oops! My apologies. It was one of those weeks.

Since we all need reminders sometimes just a couple of quick reminders for you. This weekend we have a work day at Lord of Life on Saturday. Also a coffee house with special music by Jared Olson and his fiancee Melissa. Should be a great time. On Sunday we wrap up our current message series called the Journey to Financial Freedom. After, the 11am worship is a voter's assembly with the purpose of extending me the call to officially become Senior Pastor at Lord of Life. So a busy weekend ahead of us. Looking forward to some good times.

God has been really good to Lord of Life Church the last few weeks. I am incredibly excited for the possibilities. Each of us plays an important role. Each of us has a unique contribution we make to the work and to the mission of the church. However, summer is a time when many of us back down. But I am believing that this will not be a summer in which we back down in any such way, but will be a summer where we continue to move forward like never before. I am believing God for new individuals and families to walk through our doors and to be touched with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am believing God for an incredible VBS at the end of July. I am believing God for relationships to be restored, families to be reunited, and our church to be re-energized. Please join me in praying for all these things and more. And even more than pray I want to invite you this coming Sunday, to commit to not backing down, but going forward. Many of you received commitment cards in the mail. I want to encourage you to bring these with you as we offer our time, treasure, and talent to the Lord of all Life.
Eagerly Study the Word
Over the next couple of weeks I am going explore some characteristics we ought to bring with us when we seek to study God's Word. This is a list that was originally developed by Charles Stanley that I though was very good. The first characteristic we out to bring to our study of God's Word is to study it eagerly.

When I think of eagerness I think of excitement and enthusiasm. I know being at VBS as a child and it was so much fun to play the games, do the craft, eat the snack, but then we came to the Bible Study part of VBS. I can say that I was not as excited about this part as the other things. Maybe I still approach the study of the Bible in the same way. Sometimes I am so much eager to turn on the Cubs game or surf the Internet than I am to crack open the Word. It is too easy to distracted by busyness and less important things in life.

We are going to pray that we will not be distracted. But that that we will study the word with eagerness, with enthusiasm, with excitement. That we would open the Word as an opportunity and not an obligation.

I think of my daughter, Abby. Every night at bedtime she is eager to read as many books as we will allow. Her children's Bible is always one of her favorites. I pray that we all would have that same eagerness.

How does the saying go, "Sin will keep you from your Bible, and the Bible will keep you from Sin." I like that. Let's get in the Word. Maybe you have fallen off a little in your reading. Don't worry pick it up today. Remember that our goal is not to read through the Bible, but to be in the Word.

April 27
Judges 7:1-8:17
Luke 23:13-43
Psalm 97:1-98:9
Proverbs 14:7-8

April 28
Judges 8:18-9:21
Luke 23:44-24:12
Psalm 99:1-9
Proverbs 14:9-10

April 29
Judges 9:22-10:18
Luke 24:13-53
Psalm 100:1-5
Proverbs 14:11-12

April 30
Judges 11:1-12:15
John 1:1-28
Psalm 101:1-8
Proverbs 14:13-14

May 01
Judges 13:1-14:20
John 1:29-51
Psalm 102:1-28
Proverbs 14:15-16

May 02
Judges 15:1-16:31
John 2:1-25
Psalm 103:1-22
Proverbs 14:17-19

May 03
Judges 17:1-18:31
John 3:1-21
Psalm 104:1-23
Proverbs 14:20-21

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