Bible Reading Plans for 2009

Do you have a Bible reading plan for 2009? There is nothing that can prepare us better for the coming year than being in His Word.

Here are some resources that may help you in seeking God on a daily basis in the year to come.

Reading Plans to download:
Bible in a Year Plan
Bible in a Year - Chronological Plan
Biographical 4 Month Plan
61 Day Bible Highlights Plan
61 Days of Chronological Bible Key Events Plan
31 Days with Jesus Plan

One Year Bibles for purchase:
One Year Compact Bible - NIV
One Year Chronological Bible - NIV
One Year Bible - NLT
One Year Bible - ESV

Online resources:
One Year Reading Plan on YouVersion (also specific iPhone and Blackberry and mobile versions)
Bible Gateway Reading Plans
Daylights Devotional (there is also a one year plan at the bottom of each daily devotional reading)

How could God work in us and through us, if we would each be devoted to His Word on a daily basis?

Why Read The Bible?

7 Reasons to read the Bible from Psalm 119:

1. The Bible will keep us from sin.
Psalm 119:11 - I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

2. The Bible refreshes our souls.
Psalm 119:28 - My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.

3. The Bible guides our steps.
Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

4. The Bible brings us joy.
Psalm 119:111 - Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.

5. The Bible leads us to wisdom.
Psalm 119:130 - The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

6. The Bible gives us peace.
Psalm 119:165 - Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

7. The Bible connects us to God.
Psalm 119:176 - I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

Do you have a Bible reading plan for 2009?

The Life of the Open Hand

Let's make a point this week to focus on living "the life of the open hand" - to be givers and not takers. If you missed the message from this past weekend, remember that you can listen to it online or download it at either:

http://www.dayseven.com/messages_current.htm

or

http://www.summitviewcc.com/esermons.html

Living Nativity Video

God used the living nativity in so many ways in our own lives and in the lives of others. In case you missed it, here is a short video clip. God is good ALL the time!

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Remember that there will be a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 6:00pm at OneLife Center (122 W 29th Street).

Living Nativity Pictures

Here are some living nativity pictures from Saturday night.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of December 21st

Luke 1:37 (NIV)
For nothing is impossible with God.

Calling All "Pray-ers"

We really need your prayers for the Day Seven Church living nativity called "Jesus, Live in Loveland" that starts this weekend.

It will be this Saturday and Sunday the 20th and 21st from 6:00 to 7:30pm with multiple performances throughout the evening. There will also be children activities inside as well as refreshments and live entertainment.

And then on Christmas Eve we will have a single performance as part of our Christmas Eve service. Again it starts at 6:00 and will go for an hour or so with some refreshments afterward.

You can get some more information at www.dayseven.com/nativity.

May It Be To Me

I love Mary's heart in the first chapter of Luke. The Nativity for Mary was very personal. It was only more personal for Jesus and God. I love her response to the angel Gabriel - May it be to me as you have said. Wow! May it be to ME. She could have just said May it be as you have said but she understood the gravity of what this meant for her. She was central to all of this.

And each of us is central to how God wants us to be involved in His kingdom. How much would it bless God if our response to God of His requests of us would simply be: May it be to ME as You have said? If that could just be our default response, how much would that bless God? Immeasurably, I believe.

And of course it takes us believing that what the angel Gabriel said to Mary was true - Nothing is impossible with God.

Day Seven: The Nativity

The Think It Through for Day Seven Church for "The Nativity" teaching can be found here.

There is no Think It Through for Summitview for this week.

A Simple Willingness

It has been a good week reading through the book of 1 Peter. I continue to hear stories of people that were blessed by the presentation of 1 Peter last weekend. Just yesterday, we received an email that said, "I had tears in my eyes by the end of it. The Word is truly powerful and active!" Amen.

1 Peter 5:2-3 (NIV)
² Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

These verses convict me every time I read them or hear them. To willingly do what God wants me to do. There are certainly times, when in my flesh, I ask, "Why me? What do I have to offer?" But then God reminds me that it's only because He wants me to be what He wants me to be. That's why I am what I am - because God has deemed it so. And that it's not what I have or don't have but rather it's about what God can do with a willing heart.

That is true for all of us - no matter what role we play in God's Church. He simply needs a willing heart that He can work through to change the world. As we approach Christmas, let's not forget that it was through the willing heart of Joseph and Mary that God changed the entire course of human history.

A simple willingness to please God matters more than we'll ever understand.

Living Stones

A couple of years ago I did a teaching on being a "living stone."  As part of the teaching, I passed out a small stone to everyone as a reminder that each believer is a "living stone".  I carried the stone around in my pocket for many months and each time I reached into my pocket I would feel the stone and be reminded that I am a living stone.  I lost track of the stone but then found it again last week in the bottom of my backpack and I started carrying it around again.  I must admit that I have missed my stone.

In reading 1 Peter 2 this morning, I was again reminded that we as believers in Christ we are living stones. It's an odd phrase - "living stone."  Normal stones by their very nature seem inert and dead.  Certainly we do not perceive them as living.  But God tells us that we are "living stones."  Odd.  Why does God call us living stones?

We are living stones because our faith is supposed to be living and vibrant and active - not dull and dead.  We become more and more alive in the process of seeking God through His Word as we "grow up in our salvation."  Our "life" is put on display as we obey God, and as we obey, we are a priest testifying and proclaiming the "excellencies of Jesus Christ who has called us out of the darkness."

Let's make every effort today to be "living stones."

SALT Christmas Skating Party

A good time was had by the 80 or so people that made it out to the SALT Christmas Skating party last night. Here a few pictures.

Living Hope

The phrase that caught my eye this morning as I read through 1 Peter - chapter 1 was the simple phrase "living hope." How true is that? That we have a "living hope" and His name is Jesus Christ. What a disappointment a "dead hope" would be!

Verse 4 goes on to speak of our inheritance that the Living Hope has waiting for us in heaven. But how impatient I can be. I want my rewards and my inheritance now - in this life - RIGHT NOW. God help me to wait patiently and to be looking forward with great expectation to my inheritance in heaven.

What words of encouragement did God give you today from 1 Peter?

Hide-Away Verse: Week of December 7th

1 Peter 2:16 (NIV)
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

2008 Year in Review Video

Here is the 2008 Year in Review video from this past weekend. Enjoy!

Ugandan Widows' Craft Bazaar

As a followup to our Hope4Kids outreach a few weeks ago, Carolyn Griebe will be hosting a Ugandan Widows' Craft Bazaar at her home on Wed, Dec. 3rd. If interested, you can get more info here.

No Think It Through!

As you may have noticed this weekend, there is no Think It Through for this week. We'll be taking a break for this week. However, we will be posting some other things throughout the week so check back later.

Have a great week in the Lord - and remember to give thanks.

Pilgrims

I read this a couple of weeks ago. It is about the Pilgrims so I thought it would be good to share it on Thanksgiving. It is from "The One Year Book of Christian History." You can download the excerpt here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving!

Don't forget, we will be having a special time of celebration and thanksgiving this weekend. Hope to see you there!

2 Corinthians 4:15
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Pass The Bread, Please

In our reading for today (John 6:43-51), I was reminded that in a couple of days we will be sitting down with our family and friends and we will be saying over and over, "Would you pass the turkey, please." Or the potatoes (is potatoes spelled with an 's' or an 'es' - oh well) or the stuffing or the pumpkin pie or the whatever.

Let's not forget to thank God for the bread of life that will never spoil or run out or leave us wanting for more. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, came so that we could have everlasting life with our Maker and our Creator and He always satisfies to the full.

Looking Forward

Our reading for today (2 Corinthians 5:1-10) is so rich. Just some random thoughts as I read these versus this morning:

1. We groan. How true is this!? As we understand our eternity with God more, our groaning and burden for being with God will become greater and greater.
2. Guaranteed. Our destiny with Christ is guaranteed - so much so that God has given us a part of Himself (the Holy Spirit) as a deposit - and the best news is that He will redeem the deposit that He has made!
3. At home and away. The body that we are in right now is temporary and as long as we are in this body we are not as close to God as we will one day be. We can also have confidence in the inverse - when we are no longer in this boy we will be fully in God's presense, i.e. to be absent from the body is to be present in the Lord.
4. Yearning to be with God. Are we yearning for being with God and in His presence?
5. What we do now in this body matters. A part of being fully with God will be His judgment of how we used our time and resources while in our present bodies.

It is so encouraging to think about being with God and yet to be encouraged to make a difference where we are at today.

Are you looking forward to being with God and yet taking advantage of the opportunities that He gives you to do His work now?

Afterlife: Eternity With God

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of November 23rd

"I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."

John 6:47

Final Separation

Our reading today was Revelation 20:11-15. God is clear in communicating that everything that is not of Him will be forever separated from Him in the "lake of fire." That reality is sobering and humbling. In the end, it is all about God and the final kingdom that He is in the process of building.

I don't know what else to say other than I am grateful for Christ. May our hearts break, as God's does, for those that do not know Jesus.

Financial Coffee Chat

In these uncertain economic times we all need some encouragement. Come to the Financial Coffee Chat this Saturday at 9:30am @ OneLife Center (122 W 29th Street, Loveland).

God's Heart and Plan

As I was reading today's scripture reading (2 Peter 3:8-13) from the Think It Through for this week, I was struck by God's Heart and His Plan.

God's Heart: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

God's Plan: But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

I can be so impatient when it comes to wanting things to change, but not God. He is patient with us because He doesn't want to be separated from any person that He has ever created. NOBODY! God knows what's coming. There will be a new heaven and a new earth and His heart is that His people (those He has created - all of us) would join Him there in eternal relationship. And thankfully He has worked out all of the details - Jesus!

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

This is one of those truths that for me is very hard to read and think about. But at the same time, this scripture like all other scripture is from God and is useful to teach us (2 Timothy 3:16). So the challenge for me becomes what can I learn from this scripture.

I was thinking this morning as I read this scripture that if this was the totality of scripture this would be pretty hard to take. I am so thankful that God has provided all of scripture so that we can get a complete picture of Him and His heart. While there are consequences for our rebellion, there is also forgiveness, and ultimately an eternal life with God, in and through Jesus.

I am thankful for the totality of God's Word.

Afterlife: Eternity Without God

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of November 16th

"The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

2 Peter 3:9

The Swallower of Death

In our reading for today (Isaiah 25:6-8), I was struck by the phrase "he will swallow up death forever" and how the reality of that phrase came to be through Jesus. Jesus is the "swallower of death" - He conquered death. He overcame physical death, He was resurrected and in that single act He rendered death impotent. It has no power.

John 16:33 (NIV)
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Check Your Pulse

Don't forget to "check your pulse" as a reminder that God is in control. That even in the midst of seemingly chaos in our world, God is in control. Just "check your pulse" and feel the blood coursing through your arteries - it's God's sign to you that He is in control of even your life.

Life and Death and Resurrection

In our reading for today (1 Corinthians 15:12-34) the phrase that kept running through my head was "death matters" and what we believe about death matters. Certainly what we believe about Jesus and His death matters for all of eternity. While death ushers in the rest of our eternity, it is what we do and the choices that we make in this world that determines our eternal destiny and in that sense, life matters.

Not only does life and death matter but resurrection also matters:

1 Corinthians 15:16-17 (NIV)
For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

Hope4Kids Mission Trip Blog

The Hope4Kids Uganda mission trip blog can be found by clicking here. Take a moment to read about what the team has been doing over there and take another minute to post a comment to Carolyn and the rest of the team. I'm sure it would be encouraging to them.

It Matters

The thing that struck me in our reading for today (2 Cor 5:10) was that what I do in this life, before my physical death, matters in a big way. It matters for all of eternity in the context of God's kingdom. And yet I can have the attitude that this is just another day - not much different from the day before - and what I choose to do with this day doesn't matter all that much in the big scheme of things. That is nothing but a lie - it all matters in God's economy.

Let's make our blows count today by aligning our hearts with God's and engaging with what He would have us do.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of November 9th

Hebrews 9:27 (NIV)
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment

The Blood of Christ - Priceless

In our reading from Hebrews 9:11-28 for today there is a lot packed into just a short section of scripture. I am continually amazed at the "density" of God's wisdom. I guess for me, the thing that I was struck with the most was the reminder of how precious the blood of Christ is - the blood of Christ is, well, priceless - the value is beyond words.

How could a price ever be put on a life of eternity with God?

Afterlife: Life & Death

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

On That Day

Zechariah 14:9 (NIV)
The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.

There is a day that is coming that will be like no other day that has ever been. There has been a lot of talk over the past few days that on Tuesday of this week history was made. While that is certainly true, it absolutely pales in comparison to the history that will be made on that Day when the LORD returns to restore God's kingdom.

That's our hope; that's our joy. Let's not be deceived into hoping for anything less. The LORD reigns!

Uganda Prayers

Just a reminder on the Hope4Kids - Uganda mission trip that that many of you felt led to contribute towards. Carolyn leaves today on her way to Uganda. Be in prayer for her and for the rest of team that is going. Pray that God would use them to impact His kingdom. Pray for salvations and pray for life transformations. Also be in prayer for the safety of the mission team.

I wonder if one day when our time on earth is done if Jesus will say to us, 'Do you remember that time when you helped out in prayer and with material needs for that team to go Uganda, Africa?' And then maybe he'll continue on, 'You may have thought that wasn't much but understand that you did that for Me and it was a big deal. Well done good and faithful servant.' I wonder...

If you want to follow along on their journey, from what I understand, they will be blogging and posting photos. You can go to www.hope4kidsinternational.org/africa for more information. It will probably be around 11/10 before they will have the needed infrastructure available to start communicating.

Have a great day in the Lord.

New Series: Afterlife

We are going to be starting a new series this weekend called "Afterlife". Over the next 3 weeks, we are going to be talking about life and death and also what happens after we die. It would be a great series to invite someone to who doesn't have Christ in their life.

Standing Firm

In our reading for today (2 Thessalonians 2), I was encouraged by Paul's exhortation for us to stand firm and hold to the truth. I'm sure it was difficult for the Thessalonians and it can be difficult for us in the midst of a changing political environment, a down economy, fighting two wars, a loss of income and jobs, increasing costs, etc. There is just a lot of uncertainty right now in our nation and in our world. But as God exhorts us through Paul, we can stand firm on Jesus Christ and His truth.

Our hope, as always, comes from Christ - not politics or the economy or anything else. The ultimate answer to the woes of this world will come in the person of Jesus when He invades our space for the second time.

And in the meantime, we must stand firm and cling to the truth.

SALT Fall Retreat

Just wanted to share some photos from the SALT Fall Retreat from this past weekend. An encouraging time was had by all!

Jesus Is Coming!

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of November 2nd

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."

Matthew 24:42

Fireproof Your Marriage

I am usually hesitant to endorse movies but...

Therese and I went and saw Fireproof yesterday evening. If you are married or thinking about getting married we would encourage you to take some time and go see the movie. It will be worth your time.

Friends

Proverbs 18:24
A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

In our reading for today I was reminded of how we need each other. Following Christ is a tough journey at times, and it is a journey that we were never designed to travel alone. We simply need one another. As much as I'd like to think that I can at times "go it alone", I know that is a lie that Satan would like me to believe. Because if He can isolate me from everyone else then he has me to himself and that is a perilous place to be.

Seek Jesus as your friend today. Reach out to someone today and be their friend.

Dont' forget about our memory verse for the week:
Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

To Help or Not to Help?

Almost every week we typically get one or more calls at the church from people who are looking for help. Much of our benevolence funding is directed through House of Neighborly Services because they have a much better infrastructure (efficient and effective) to support people in need. But every now and then we will get a call from someone in need that it seems that God would have us, as a church, reach out to them and help them directly.

I must confess, that for me, I can have a somewhat cynical view sometimes of people asking for help. I don't always trust that people are so much in need of help but instead are looking for an easy way out. And honestly, I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing. It might be discernment or it might just be a plain and simple lack of trust and faith. And so I typically end up in a "wrestling match" with God. And I ask Him questions like:

Is this someone that You have sent to us specifically for help?
Is this person conning me or are they in need of real help?
Will helping this person actually hurt them in the long run because helping them will just enable a continuance of harmful habits and patterns in their life?

Anyway, long story short, someone called the church yesterday looking for some help and seemed to be genuine and in need of a place to stay for a few nights. It seemed that they had worked through the proper channels to look for help but every service they had contacted was already maxed out and so was unable to assist them. However, they had found a couple of other churches that had been willing to help them.

So after a "wrestling match" with God, it seemed like God would want our church to help this family out (a husband and wife with 2 small children). And so we put them up for a couple of nights in a motel here in Loveland.

I hope this was the right thing to do. It seemed like it was. Be praying for this family. I do know this, they experienced the love of God whether they realize it or not. Be praying that their "God encounter" would bear eternal fruit. Also be praying for us a church during these difficult economic time as people will be needing more and more help. Pray that God would give us the wisdom and discernment to help those in need in the right way and at the right time.

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT)
¹⁰ "The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.
¹¹ It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

I trust that God was at work through His church yesterday and will be again today.

Friends of God

To think about being a "friend" of God - of Jesus Christ - is an awesome thought.

John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

What are you going to do for your friend today?

Commitment 101

Last night we had 11 folks attend the Commitment 101 class. I love teaching that class because every time it affirms for me that we as a church are doing the right things as best we know how from a Biblical perspective. What we do as a church has got to flow from how God has designed the church to accomplish His will in building His kingdom. While we are far from perfect, in most areas it seems that we are on the right track trying to do the right things. Sure we make mistakes but we are also willing to learn from our mistakes. God doesn't require perfection but He does require faithfulness and a willingness on our part to seek Him and His ways.

I shared the following quote from Vince Lombardi last night on commitment:
"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."

I would add - that is also what makes a local church work - commitment to God and to each other.

Jesus said that He would build His church - that's a guarantee - that is going to happen - our part is to just be willing participants wherever we are at and to let God use us in that process.

What A Challenge!

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

What a challenge! In and of myself, I am none of these. I can only be compassionate because God is compassionate towards me. I can only be kind because God is kind towards me. I can only be humble because God is humble. I can only be gentle because God is gentle with me. I can only have patience because God is patient with me. I can only forgive because God forgave me.

God, help me today to live these out in my life. My only chance of living these out today is because you are with me and for me. God, thank You in advance for your forgiveness as I fail at these today in thought or action or deed.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of October 26th

Romans 15:7 (NIV)
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Restoration: Part 4

The Think It Through for Restoration: Part 4 can be found here.

Your Choice

Today was a "Your Choice" day for our daily reading.

My verse today that ties into Restoration for our souls is:

Psalm 116:7 (NIV)
7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

The goodness of God provides rest for our souls.

What was your reading for today? Share it as an encouragement to everyone else by clicking the "Comments" link below.

Communication That Honors

As with everything else under the sun, God has given us instruction on what it means to honor others with communication. In the past 10 years or s, a new channel of communication that has become available to us - the internet. And like every other form of communication (verbal and non-verbal) that has come before, it comes with its own positive and negatives and it also comes with its own set of responsibilities. And like all other forms of communication, they can be used in ways that honor God and others or in ways that don't do either.

Within the "cloud" of the internet there are many forms of communication that includes web pages, email, instant messaging, and more recently blogging, among others. And again each of these comes with its own set of positives, negatives and responsibilities and as followers of Jesus Christ, we must always remember to do our best in following God's guidelines for communication. A non-exhaustive list such as the following comes to mind:

• Put others before ourselves (Colossians 1:10)
• Don't gossip about others or slander others (2 Corinthians 12:20)
• Always think the best of others (1 Corinthians 10:24)
• Focus on the positive in all things including other people (Philippians 4:8)
• Communicate with grace and truth (John 1:14)
• Communicate with love (Ephesians 4:15)
• Treat others in the way you would want to be treated (Matthew 7:12)

We also must remember that there are always right and wrong modes and channels of communication. Jesus once shared the following words with a group of His disciples as He was trying to teach them about proper communication channels.

Matthew 18:15-17 (NLT)
15 "If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the fault. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.
16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.
17 If that person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. If the church decides you are right, but the other person won't accept it, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

In other words, there are right ways and wrong ways to communicate with someone who sins against you personally or does wrong against you or offends you from your perspective. The first course of action, as I understand it, is to go to them directly and in private and try to resolve it in that realm first and then only if necessary to escalate it to higher levels. And in my experience, levels two and three are rarely necessary if level one is followed.

That being said, I would like to remind all of us of the purpose of this blog. The purpose is to simply provide a tool to share and encourage one another as we grow in our relationship with God. This blog should never be used to gossip or slander or speak against anyone in any way. If there are offenses that need to be resolved, according to Jesus, there are better channels of communication.

We always welcome all feedback and are always up for dealing with any and all issues that may arise. We, as your pastors, simply ask that the proper channels are utilized and if you are unsure you can always ask and we'll do our best to guide you according to God's Word.

A good test that I try to filter my own on-line communication through is: "Would I say this, in this way, if the person or people that this is intended for were standing here right now?" It's a good question to ask for each communication that we send out into the vast space called the internet.

Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason

I am always amazed at how we can be people with the best of intentions and yet still wind up going down the wrong path and doing the wrong thing. As someone once said, "There is no right way to do the wrong thing."

I was reminded of this again this morning as I read our memory verse for the week, Mark 2:27-28.

Mark 2:27-28 (NIV)
27 Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Jesus felt that it was necessary to remind the people about the Sabbath. I am sure they had the best of intentions but they had wondered down the easy path of religion and legalism which ultimately leads to an "us versus them" mentality and divides rather than unites. Rules and religion is always easier than relationship and community but Jesus calls us to the latter.

It is easy to find ourselves on the religious path and quickly become burned out and exhausted of trying to keep up with all of the rules. But God wants to restore our souls not burden our souls. While it's true that God has given us boundaries and standards, they are not there as a way to get to God and for Him to be pleased with us that we have followed the rules, rather they are there because they provide a framework in which life works best. And a part of that framework in which life works best is when we follow God's rhythm of life of 6-on and 1-off. In that there is rest for our souls.

For most of us, today is probably one of the "6-on" days. Let's do our best to honor God with our time today as we work for His glory so that when our "1-off" day comes around we can step back and enjoy it and find true rest for our souls.

Have an awesome day in the Lord.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of October 19th

"Then He said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.' "

Mark 2:27-28

Holy Time

God gave me a new thought this morning as I read Exodus 20:8-11. The thought I had was that God set aside a specific portion of time to be holy. I have a much easier time thinking of something tangible as holy, such as 'holy ground' or a holy place like the 'holy land'. But I really hadn't considered that God has made a portion of time to be holy and that when we treat it as holy and do with it what God says to do with it that there is a benefit for us in that - we find rest for our souls.

The Rhythm of Life

As I read Genesis 2:1-3 this morning I was reminded that God established a pattern of living, a rhythm of doing life, if you will, when He created all that was necessary to create in six days and then took the seventh day to stand back and reflect on what had been done and to rest.

He could have certainly kept on creating but He didn't. Why? Maybe part of it was to speak to us and to say, 'There will always be more to do. But it's OK. It's OK to take a break and it's OK to rest even when there is more to be done.'

I don't know about you but I need to hear that again and again because my tendency is to think that it is not OK. And if I do take a break that I'm being lazy. But there is a difference between laziness and resting as prescribed by God. Laziness is when we don't do what we are supposed to do. Laziness is not working when we are supposed to work. God certainly says to work - Adam was even given work to do even in the context of the Garden before the fall of man.

But God also says to rest. Rest is good and is necessary. The rhythm that God has dictated on how to do life is a rhythm of 6 on and 1 off. Six days of doing and one day of stepping back, reflecting and resting.

6 on and 1 off - 6 on and 1 off. It's just like breathing.

Are you able to live in this rhythm? Why or why not?

Restoration: Part 3

The Think It Through for Restoration: Part 3 can be found here.

Simply Yes and No

One of the things that I appreciate about memorizing a verse is that as we are memorizing scripture, God uses it as a filter that everything that we come into contact with flows through. As I have been thinking about our memory verse for this week, Matthew 5:37, I keep coming back to the word "obedience" because it seems that obedience is simply saying "yes" or "no" in a way that lines up with God's will. And sometimes, actually quite often, aligning myself with God's will is extremely difficult. I was reminded of the difficulty in following Christ (of making my yes's and no's line up with God's will) as I read the following account of a China missionary family this past week:

Can God be trusted with our children?

The early years on the mission field were very difficult for Jonathan and Rose Goforth. Four of their eight children died in their first twelve years in China. During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, the family barely escaped with their lives. They traveled home to Canada for a brief furlough and then returned to China with a new addition to their family, little Constance, who was born during the furlough.

Back in China, Jonathan's new responsibility was to evangelize one-third of the Changte region. On their way to the mission station, Jonathan told Rose about the plan he felt God had given him to reach this goal. He would send one of his assistants ahead to rent a place for the family to live for a month. Once there, Jonathan would preach in the streets or villages during the day while Rose would preach to women in their courtyard. Each evening they would hold a service in their home with Jonathan preaching and Rose playing the organ. At the end of the month they would move to another town, leaving behind an evangelist to teach the new believers.

Rose thought it sounded like a wonderful plan, but as they had five little ones, she was adamantly against it. She would remain at their home at the Changte mission station, and that was that. Having already buried four children in China, she couldn't bear the thought of losing another, and she was convinced Jonathan's plan would put the children's lives at risk.

As they made the long river journey to Changte, Jonathan continued to plead with Rose. He also loved their children dearly and couldn't bear the thought of losing another, yet God had given him an inexplicable peace that they would be safe if they followed this plan.

Finally Jonathan said to her, “Rose, I am so sure this plan is of God that I fear for the children if you disobey his call. The safest place for the children is the path of duty. You think you can keep your children safe in your comfortable home in Changte, but God may show you you cannot. But he can and will keep the children if you trust him and step out in faith!”

The Goforths reached their home at Changte on a Saturday evening. On Sunday morning Rose left the children with their faithful servant. Two hours later Rose returned to find their son Wallace ill. The doctor was called, and he diagnosed it as one of the worst cases of dysentery he had ever seen.

For two weeks Jonathan and Rose struggled for the child's life. Finally Wallace began to recover. When Jonathan felt confident that his son would survive, he left to begin his first evangelistic tour alone.

The day after Jonathan left, baby Constance became suddenly ill, just as Wallace had, only much worse. By the time Jonathan arrived, Constance was dying. As the two parents knelt beside her, Rose suddenly experienced a revelation of God's love in a way she hadn't considered before—as a Father. All of a sudden she was filled with the realization that her heavenly Father could be trusted to keep her children. It so overwhelmed her that she could only bow her head and pray, “O God, it is too late for Constance, but I will trust. I will go where you want me to go. But keep my children!”

Such peace and joy came over Rose that when Jonathan turned to her and sorrowfully said, “Constance is gone,” she was comforted knowing that her baby's life had not been in vain.

Little Constance was buried next to two of her sisters on October 13, 1902, her first birthday. Armed with her renewed trust in God's faithfulness, Rose had two more children while they served as missionaries, but no more died in China.

(from the book "One Year Book of Christian History")

Obedience is hard but it has to start with trusting God. I have issues with trusting God when I lose a buck, let alone a child.

God help me (us) to trust you more so that my (our) yes's and no's line up with your will.

Don't Give Up

I was encouraged this morning as I read Galatians 6:7-9 as God reminded me once again that it is not easy to follow Him. It's not easy because it's not passive. In order to follow Christ I must sow and reap according to how God would have me sow and reap. Of course, we have been given free-will by God and so we can choose to sow and reap whatever we choose. But God's desire for me is that I would sow what He wants me to sow so that I can reap what He wants me to reap. And to keep doing it again and again and to not give up even when it is painful and hard. And if I don't give up God promises a harvest. I'm counting on that harvest but until that time comes, I'll just keep sowing.

I also read this from Psalms this morning:

Psalm 116:6-7 (NLT)
The LORD protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and then he saved me. Now I can rest again, for the LORD has been so good to me.

God is indeed SOOOO good and He gives us rest. My story is no different - I was facing death and then He saved me and in that there is rest for my soul.

What has God taught you today?

Carrying My Own Load

As I read Galatians 6:2-5, I was reminded again that I have a load to carry for which I am responsible. And it's my personal load. We each have our own load to carry. That's a given according to scripture. The question is am I willing to carry it and do I believe that God will give me the strength to carry it. It's a choice that we must make day by day.

Claim It and Own It

Matthew 5:37 (NIV)
Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

In my notes from this weekend, I wrote down the simple phrase "Claim my Yes's and Own my No's". What does God want me to say "Yes" to and what does he want me to say "No" to and believing that God can and does guide me if I take the time to seek Him.

My prayer for this week is simply that I would seek God in a greater way this week and be more sensitive to His guidance and direction and that He would give me the courage to appropriately say yes or no depending on the situation.

How did God speak to you this weekend?

And The Winner Is...

With a 100% of the vote in, it looks like we will be watching "Flywheel" at our movie night on Tuesday, October14 at the OPs Center at 7:00pm. This is a great family movie with a great message from the same creators as "Facing The Giants" and "Fireproof." We will have popcorn and some other goodies in addition to water and lemonade. Feel free to bring your own munchies if you'd like. Hope to see you there.

If you need help finding the OPs Center you can click here for a map.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of October 12th

Matthew 5:37 (NIV)
Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Restoration: Part 2

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Hope4Kids

Contributions for our Hope4Kids outreach are due by October 19th. We are focusing on three primary areas:

Funding for mosquito nets to prevent malaria ($5.25 per net)

Hygiene kits (quart size Ziplocs filled with personal hygiene products)

Craft supplies (primarily material and yarn to make dolls for young girls)

1 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV)
Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

God has entrusted us to do good and to be His hands and feet in this world.

For more information on how we at Summitview and Day Seven can be a part of reaching across the globe to families in Uganda, Africa click here or go to www.hope4kidsinternational.org for more information about Hope4Kids International.

Sheep on a Mission

In our reading for today, John 10:7-10, I was reminded of another verse in the Old Testament, Isaiah 53:6 -

Isaiah 53:6 (NIV)
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

We are sheep, but we are sheep on a mission. We are sheep with a purpose. We are redeemed sheep. We are sheep that are cared for by the Shepherd. We "come in" for encouragement and training and protection and to just be together but we also "go out" through the gate to do God's work. We go out in the field where it's dangerous - you just never know where the next wolf is.

I like to think of the weekend and Fellowship Teams as a time when we "come in" and the rest of the week we "go out" for the purpose of doing God's will.

Let's be sheep on a mission - together!

Movie Night is Coming!

Make your selection for the movie you would like to watch at the OPs Center on Tuesday, October 14th @ 7:00 pm. The movie poll is over on the right sidebar. Take a second to register your choice.

God is GOOD

God is SOOOO good! This last Sunday was our first day in the new auditorium at MVHS. It all seemed to go pretty well. It is certainly different and we'll be working through some of the issues as we go forward in the weeks to come. We welcome any and all comments - just leave us a comment by clicking on the "comments" link below this post.

In the meantime, here are some pics from our first day:

Restoration: Complete Joy

In our reading for today, John 16:22-24, I was reminded that God so desires to restore my soul. He wants me to come to Him and ask for restoration - restoration that will bring complete and abundant joy to my soul - and to ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

But how often is it that I look for restoration elsewhere - to things like the pleasures of the world for my restoration? To things like vacations or material things or work or hobbies or watching TV or even sleep. While those things are not bad or "wicked", there is only "incomplete joy" in them as opposed to "complete joy" that can only come from God in the name of Jesus.

God give me the courage today to seek for complete joy only in You.

Let's take some time time today to focus on God as our shepherd by meditating on Psalm 23:1-3a: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul."

Restoration: My Shepherd

Have you asked the Lord to be your shepherd today?

Have you made time for Him to lead you beside quiet waters?

Have you found rest for your soul today?

Restoration: Part 1

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of October 5th

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul."
Psalm 23:1-3a

Worship Him Together

This coming weekend is a BIG weekend. We will be moving into the new auditorium this Sunday to give it a try. It's exciting to be on the move once again. God has provided for us since a group of families came down to Loveland from Ft. Collins in 1995. We may be moving to a new place but our purpose will never change - to carry out the Great Commission (to make disciples) by obeying the Great Commandment (to love God and others).

Be in prayer over the next few days as God prepares us for the transition. If you worship at SVCC, we'll see you there on Sunday. If you worship at Day Seven, you are invited on Sunday to come and support your brothers and sisters at SVCC.

Psalm 22:22 I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.

Reasons to Worship

As I read 1 Chronicles 16:23-36 this morning, I was struck by simply my need to acknowledge God for who He is. And then I thought what better way to do that by pulling out my "Reason to Worship God" list that I started yesterday that was a "Next Step" suggestion from the "Think It Through" for this week.

Here is my Top 10 list that I started yesterday and was reminded of this morning:

God deserves my worship because...

1. He's God (could have probably stopped right there!)
2. He has given me life
3. He has given me a wife
4. He has given me a family
5. He provides for my needs
6. He has given me salvation through His son, Jesus
7. He has given me a church family
8. He has provided leaders and staff for His local churches (SVCC and Day Seven)
9. He has given me gifts and skills
10. He has given me the Holy Spirit to guide and direct me

I have many reasons to worship - to bow down, shaw-khaw' - God. This list is just the tip of the iceberg, but it's a start.

Have you started your list? What's your reasons? Share them if you'd like.

The Blessing of Worship

The thought that I had this morning as I read Deuteronomy 11:13-21 was simply that there is a blessing in worshiping God. And how often I can miss His blessing because I'm too busy worshiping other things.

How has God blessed you today?

Amazed: Worship

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of September 28th

Psalm 95:6
"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."

Everlasting Love

God sparked my heart this morning as I read Psalm 136. Can there be any mistaking that God's love is everlasting after He repeats it 26 times? God simply wants us to embrace the fact that His love never ends. How reassuring that as we live in this temporary, messed-up world that we have an everlasting God whose perfect love will last for all of eternity.

Psalm 136:26 (NIV)
²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

Everlasting Renewal

2 Corinthians 4:16 - Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Why do we get tired, why do we feel like quitting at times, why do we wonder if we are making any difference? Because outwardly we are wasting away. That is just a fact of living in this physical world. But how refreshing to be reminded that inwardly we are indeed being renewed day by day. And so therefore, we can go on day by day and not lose heart.

President Lincoln put it this way before leaving friends and family for his first term as President of the United States of America: "I now leave, not knowing when or whether ever I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail."

The Everlasting God renews us. Praise Him for that!!!

Memorization Help

I have been using this FREE software tool for the past few weeks to help with verse memorization, so I just thought I would pass it along in case anyone is interested.

Click here

God is Bigger Than Me

As I was reading Revelation 1:1-8 this morning, my predominant thought was simply the immensity of God. That God is everlasting and forever, the beginning and the end - He's everything. That's a lot to get my small mind around, but I think that's the point God wants to get across to me. That He is bigger than I am.

When I have that perspective then my own wants and desires - what I think is best for me - starts to shrink and my focus shifts away from myself and onto God and what He really cares about. And my own pettiness starts to shrink into the background. And it all starts with the acknowledgment that God is bigger than me.

Child of the Everlasting God

John 1:12,13 - Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

It blows me away to think that the Everlasting God gave me (and you!!) the right to be one of His children by simply believing in His Son Jesus Christ. It's not something that I "have to do" but something that I get "to be" - a child of God - forever.

God is truly AMAZING!

Amazed: Everlasting

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of September 21st

"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hands."
John 10:28

Comfort Food

In our society there is this thing called "comfort food." This is what it says on Wikipedia about "comfort food": The term, comfort food refers to a variety of familiar, simple foods that are usually home-cooked or eaten at informal restaurants.

In our reading for today (John 14:1-14), I was struck that our real "comfort food" is Jesus Christ. He used both bread and water to describe Himself to us. He wants to be in relationship with us (to be familiar with us) and it should be simple and uncomplicated and it should be informal in the sense that He wants to be a part of our everyday lives.

And so for me, the question that came to my mind was: How comfortable am I with Jesus? Is Jesus my "comfort food" in this world or do I look to other things in this world to find comfort?

And so I ask you the same: How comfortable are you with Jesus?

Also as a reminder: How are you doing with the memory verse for this week? John 14:11

What Was I Thinking?

OOPS! For today's verse, I put down Matthew 6:1-6 on the Think It Through and it should have been MARK 6:1-6. The verses in Matthew are great - just not a lot to do with miracles! Any how, sorry for the confusion.

If God gave you any thoughts on either Matthew or Mark 6:1-6, I'd love to hear them. Join the conversation and click on the "Comments" link below to share your thought.

For me, the thought that came to my mind as I read MARK 6:1-6, was that I can so often miss what God is doing right in front of me. Sometimes it's because I'm not paying any attention or that I'm so self-focused but sometimes it's because I can forget that God is in EVERYTHING. He's in my life, He's in my family's life, He's in my work, He's in my marriage, He's in EVERYTHING and He is working miracles in EVERYTHING. And when I forget that, I can easily miss His miracles.

In that sense, I can become "too comfortable" with Jesus and forget who He really is - God in the flesh - and I miss what God is doing around me through His miracles.

Remembering To Not Forget

In our reading today, I was reminded how easily I can forget God's miracles in my life.

Nehemiah 9:17
They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.

Let's remember today to not forget what God has and is doing for us. Let's honor Him by remembering His miracles.

Amazed: Miracles

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Hide-Away Verse: Week of September 14th

John 14:11
"Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves."

Settling For Less

From today's reading in Jeremiah, I was reminded at how easily I can settle for less than God's glory. Every time I choose my way over God's way, I am settling for less than what God desires for me.

Jeremiah 2:11b - But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols.

God, help me (us) to make choices today that reflect your GLORY.

Who Am I?

As I re-read Psalm 8 just a few minutes ago, I was drawn once again to verse 4 where David asks God, 'who is man.' I can't help think that David's question really has more to do with himself than with mankind in general and that David is searching God to reveal to him who he is in the midst of what God has called him to be and to do.

I am reminded of Moses when God was asking him to do extraordinary things and Moses' response was simply, "Who am I?" And my question is the same - who am I - that God can somehow use me to accomplish His purposes and to reveal His glory. I don't understand how it all works but I trust that it does.

It's true for all of us. God has crowned us all with glory so that we can become who He created us to be and to do the things we have been wired to do.

Who are we? We are His people designed to reveal His glory. Amazing to think about and at times challenging to believe - but it's true!

Glory Revealed

John 2:11 - This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

This verse struck me in that Jesus revealed His glory and thus God's glory often by what He did in God's name. And God wants me to do the same. Part of how I can reveal God's glory is by what I do. Jesus used miracles and while God may never use me to to do miracles (He may but He may not - His choice) whatever I choose to do in His name will reveal His glory. But what I choose to do on my own will not.

I think it's interesting that Jesus said that He did only that which the Father told Him to do. Jesus was able to reveal God's glory simply through His obedience.

By God's grace, may that be true of me and of us.

Have a great day in the Lord and remember to focus on John 1:14 and let God speak to you about His glory.

Glory: Accept One Another

It amazes me that simply our acceptance of one another brings glory to God.

Romans 15:7 (NIV)
⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

It doesn't say accept those that are like you - it simply says accept one another. I am not sure there could be anyone as different from Christ than me when Christ accepted me and yet He did accepted me and when He chose to do that it brought glory to God. The same thing happens when I accept others - even in the midst of our differences.

Amazed: Glory

You can find the Think It Through for this week here.

Let's take some time this week and search for God's glory.

Back By Popular Demand

For those that have requested the church picnic promo video - here it is:

Hide-Away Verse: Week of September 7th

John 1:14
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Project Hide-Away

This fall, the verse memory program is being expanded to both students and adults so that your whole family can memorize together!

Starting this week you will receive verse cards on a week-to-week basis. These verse cards can be picked up at a table in the back of the sanctuary. Each week’s verse will be related to the message shared that week. It can be found on the Think It Thru and it will also be posted on our blog site.

On our blog site you can also post any thoughts you have about the teaching from that week.

Adults and S.A.L.T. can say each week’s verse at the table in the back either 15 min. before or 15 min. after the service. Kindergarten thru 5th grade have the opportunity to say them during their class time.

Psalm 119:11 says:
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

The entire church is working on the same memory verses, from Kindergarteners to adults. Now your entire family can hide God’s word in their hearts together!

The Throne of Grace

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

To be firmly rooted in who Christ is and who we are in Him is key to reveling in His grace. Jesus, the Son of God, understands us because He was one of us - He was fully human but at the same time was God and also the Son of God. That's a lot to wrap my mind around and I'll never fully understand it in this life, but that doesn't mean it's not true - it just means that I can't fully comprehend it.

To embrace it as truth yields confidence in approaching the throne of Christ and confidence leads me to find the courage to accept and receive His mercy and grace which then yields even more confidence in Christ which gives me even more courage. And then I find myself in His "recursive circle of grace."

What a wonderful thing His grace is!

Grace: God's Got Me Covered

What struck me today from our reading of Colossians 2 was the simple reminder that I am covered by God's grace. His grace just is - it's not earned but rather received and when I receive it in humility I reap the benefits of His grace on me:

• God initiated His grace toward me and drew me into His grace (v13)
• God has canceled all of my wrongs (v14)
• Victory is found in the grace of God (v15)
• All of history pointed toward the grace of God - Jesus Christ (v16)
• But what matters in the present is the reality of Christ (v17)
• God's grace is the "seedbed" for my faith and God causes me to grow (v19)
• Through God's grace I now belong to Christ (v20)

Thanks be to God that His grace has me (and you) covered when we receive it.

Grace: God's Indescribable Gift

I love what Paul shares in 2 Corinthians 9 about God's grace. He's trying to describe grace but in the end he throws up his hands and submits to his inability to describe it.

14And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

One day we'll be able to fully grasp God's grace and we'll be able to see it for what it is. Until then, we like Paul, can participate and to a certain extent be an extension of His grace to others as Paul is attempting to describe in this passage, but in the end we simply have to accept and receive God's gift of grace as just that - an indescribable gift.

God, WOW us with your gift of grace this week.

Saving Grace

One of the most amazing aspects of God's grace to me is it's power to save us from ourselves. When reading Titus 3 this morning I was reminded at the power of God's grace. It has the power to save us and to change us from what we once were and into tools that God can use to build His kingdom.

May we choose to stand in God's grace today and to let God have His way with us today.

What is God revealing to you about His grace?

Amazed: Grace

We kicked-off a new series this weekend called "Amazed" and we are asking God to heighten our sense of wonder and awe of who God is and what He is doing in the world around us.

The first week we explored God's amazing grace.

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Proverbs 25

28 Like a city whose walls are broken down
is a man who lacks self-control.

This verse got me thinking about the purposes of the walls of a city. The walls of a city provide protection for the city and more specifically protection for the people of the city. Our self-control provides protection for us. When we lack self-control we will be exposed to danger.

I have always thought it was interesting that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. That the only way to grow in self-control is to be connected to something outside of ourselves - the Spirit of God.

Galatians 5:22-23:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

How did God speak to you through His Word today?

Becoming Wise: Trust

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Proverbs 22

I didn't get very far this morning before a verse jumped out and grabbed me!

1 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

A "good name" is a good testimony for Jesus but a "bad name" is a poor reflection on Christ.

God give me wisdom today to be a good witness for You.

Proverbs 21

17 He who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.

I can certainly relate to this verse. Our family was recently on vacation. I always seem to struggle on vacation because for me a vacation is a playground for my flesh and my flesh craves pleasure. And since I'm "on vacation" I can tend to justify a lot of pleasures. And now that I'm back, I need to constantly be reminding myself that "real pleasure" comes from God and is found in God - not in the things of this world.

It's not that God wants me to not experience pleasure in my life but when my pleasures are selfish and are put above God then they become idols that feed my flesh and they drive a wedge between my relationship with God.

What can you relate to from today's reading from Proverbs 21?

Church Picnic!

Don't forget about the church picnic on Friday evening!

Proverbs 20

9 Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure;
I am clean and without sin"?

Let's face it, I sin, you sin, we all sin. Thanks be to God that He has provided THE answer for our sin - the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus washes us clean. The blood of Jesus yields forgiveness. The blood of Jesus brings life - eternal life.

If you know Christ, take a moment today to thank God for His Son, Jesus. If you don't have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, why not?

Proverbs 19

11 A man's wisdom gives him patience;
it is to his glory to overlook an offense

No doubt I need more patience in my life. I need patience when frustrated, when anxious, when confused, when troubled when ... - I guess I need patience at all times. This verse says that patience comes from wisdom so I guess I need wisdom in order to find patience.

Lord give me wisdom today so I can find patience.

Becoming Wise: Anger vs. Madness

This week's Think It Through can be found here.

Proverbs 15

1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

18 A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.

Both of these verses ring true this morning. I was in a conversation where a harsh word stirred up anger in me. Then, being impatient, I made things worse. What to do?

I need to work on being patient.

In this case, I initiated a conversation because I needed some information about something specific. However, the information was not forthcoming and there were some harsh responses instead. What I should have done was be patient, putting my needs aside, and find out what's going on with the other person -- having a conversation with them to meet their needs and trusting that God will meet mine one way or another.

I think I'll do that now...

Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:8
The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.

Proverbs 14:15
A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.

Proverbs shows us that is it wise to plan out and give thought to your ways before acting. I find that in my life, when I am quick to jump into something (actions or words) - I tend to follow my flesh and do what is wrong. However, when I stop to contemplate my actions, the Holy Spirit has a chance to speak and guide me in the right direction.

Proverbs 14:22
Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

Proverbs 13

13:10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

I notice in my life that when I am filled up with pride, it's the "I'm right, and everyone else is wrong" mind set, and when somebody tries to talk to me, there isn't always a problem between them and me, but little do they know in my heart there is a quarrel going on.

It says here, that wisdom is found in those who take advice... When I take advice from someone, (setting pride aside) right away I'm showing that I am in need of help with something, not that I have a weakness, but that I don't have everything in life figured out, now that sounds wise!

Jesus' twelve disciples were considered wise, and they were less than perfect. When pride got the best of them, there were quarrels, and if you ask me, I'd say they were very wise people in taking advice from Jesus himself.

May we do the same, and ask God for the advice, then follow through with what God would have us do with what he tells us, even if it isn’t what WE thought we should do.

Proverbs 12

23 A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself,
but the heart of fools blurts out folly.

Do you ever notice how tempting it is to pass on that juicy
bit of information you just learned, whether it is juicy or not?

There's something in us that wants to one-up the person we're
talking to -- as a result, every little thing we experience, learn,
or hear tends to become part of our conversation. And our
conversation becomes shallow and meaningless.

God calls this folly and calls us fools for doing this.

I may be tempted to blurt out every little thing, but it is prudent
to keep it to myself and learn to listen in humility rather than
sprinkle a conversation with every little tidbit I can get in.

Proverbs 11

The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires. (v. 6) The righteous man is rescued from trouble, and it comes on the wicked instead. (v. 8) The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death. (v 19)

Proverbs 11 reminds us of what a blessing it is to lead a righteous life. Not only are we rewarded in heaven, but often times it makes things a lot easier in our present life.

I know in my life there is a tremendous amount of peace when I know that I am on the path that God has me on. On the other hand, if I'm straying from it - my evil desires do eventually get me into trouble.

Verse 19 reminds us that the only truly fulfilling life is on of righteousness; anything short of that will leave us empty.

Becoming Wise: Compassion

The Think It Through for this weekend's teaching can be found here.

Proverbs 8

Prov.8:34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.
Ever wander what it means to be blessed? Does it mean material things? Money? Good health? Maybe even answered prayers? Here I think it is talking about gaining wisdom, growing in understanding, maturing in Christ, deeping our walk with God. What about the ability to see life from God’s perspective?

Proverbs chapter 8 is talking about Wisdom’s call, the first thought that crosses my mind when I read the second part about “watching daily at my doors, and waiting at my doorway.” Reminds me of a dog we had once, always waiting for us to arrive home, sitting there anxiously, nothing else mattered, she would lie there at the door and wait for the door to open and for us to walk in.

Do we do this with God? Are we just so excited to wake up in the morning and spend time with Him? Are we lying there anxiously the night before? Just wandering what God wants to speak to us about in his word? Or are we waiting at the church doors, ready to serve him, and excited to hear the teaching from his word?

I find that in my life the more excited that I am about God, anxious to hear from him, the more I get out of his word, and the more clearer his word is to me, and all the more that I’m going to hear from him, and receive his blessing. (Wisdom)

Proverbs 7

24 Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths
26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.

Have you ever warned your sons about the adulterous wife? Maybe not. What about today's equivalents? Things like internet and print pornography, R-rated movies, explicit music, the reason behind the exploitation of women in advertising, etc.

If Solomon lived in our day and age, I'm sure he would have talked about all of these as well as discussing dating and proper relationships with girls. We should do no less with our sons.

Proverbs 6

1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
if you have struck hands in pledge for another,

2 if you have been trapped by what you said,
ensnared by the words of your mouth,

3 then do this, my son, to free yourself,
since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands:
Go and humble yourself;
press your plea with your neighbor!

I don't know about you but when I use words that are not not truth, I feel trapped. Of course, the answer according to God is to humble myself and to speak the truth. Truth is freedom, lies are a jail, humility is the key to freedom.

Proverbs 4

14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evil men.

15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.

A good reminder that I need to be proactive in avoiding evil. Doing evil is a choice and I can either choose to engage in evil or to turn from evil. It reminds me of one of the first verses I ever memorized:

2 Timothy 2:22 -
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

God, give me the sense to flee evil today.

Did God give you a thought from Proverbs 4 today? Write a comment and share it.

Becoming Wise: Friends

Let's work on developing friendships this week. Our friendship with God and our friendship with others.

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

Have a GREAT week!

Proverbs 1

As a parent, I need to understand that it is primarily my responsibility to nurture and teach my kids. To instruct and to teach them according to God's standards that He has for me as a parent and according to what my kids need to know and understand. Our kids are really God's children that He has entrusted to us for a little while to parent them - to teach and instruct them.

8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

What did God teach you today from Proverbs 1?

Proverbs 31

As a husband, I am convicted every time I read through Proverbs 31. It reminds me of the gift God has given me in my wife.

31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Men, our wives deserve our praise. Let's make a special effort today to let them know the preciousness of the gift we have been given by God.

Proverbs 30

2 "I am the most ignorant of men;
I do not have a man's understanding.

3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

The biggest barrier to my learning may be that I think I already know what I need to know. Maybe the biggest barrier to becoming more like Christ is thinking that I am "good enough" or "close enough" already.

May we be known as a church that is thirsty for the wisdom of God and hungry becoming more like Christ day by day. We need to be "learners and doers" not just "knowers."

A question for us: How can we learn and grow today - in Christ?

Proverbs 28

19 He who works his land will have abundant food,
but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

20 A faithful man will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

How often I would prefer to take what seems to be the easier path and yet God wants me to pursue the path that He has put before me. Many times my fantasies seem much more attractive than God's plan. But God is looking for those people that are faithful and committed to Him and those who will persevere in patience.

Becoming Wise: Being Honest

The Think It Through for this week can be found here.

The Jesus Formula

As our Fellowship Team shared last night about a lot of different things in our lives and what God has been teaching us, I was reminded again of "the Jesus formula for successful communication:

Successful Communication = grace + truth in the proper proportions given the current situation

Have you been able to use this formula this week in your conversations in the various relationships God has positioned you in?

Proverbs 25

28 Like a city whose walls are broken down
is a man who lacks self-control.

Without walls a city is unprotected and chaos prevails. In my life, self-control leads to stability and order. Without self-control, my flesh will overrun my life. Without self-control, self-discipline is impossible. Self-control is absolutely necessary in a life live for and with God.

I have had to use self-control this week to engage with God - to read His Word, to pray and to memorize Ephesians 4:29. To be honest, most days those were not MY first choices, but they were my best choices.

Proverbs 24

28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,
or use your lips to deceive.

As we learned last weekend how our words are powerful. My goal should always be to use my words in positive and encouraging ways. My that be true of my words today.

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Proverbs 23

31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!

How easily I can be enticed by things that shine and sparkle and seem to go down smoothly. God give me the strength today to resist the enticing things of this world and engage only with what is honoring to You and our relationship.

My action plan for today is to be aware of what draws my heart and to choose to engage only with those things that bring me closer to God.

I think I have Ephesians 4:29 pretty much down - now just need to commit to it and apply it. How is your memorizing going and what did God speak to you through Proverbs 23?

Proverbs 22

17 Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,

18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.

As I read Proverbs 22 this morning, these verses jumped out at me and encouraged me that wisdom is a process that we must pursue. It starts with us being attentive to the wisdom that comes our way and then making a choice to listen to it and then choosing to believe it as being wise and then finally applying it in our lives.

These verses also encouraged me to work on memorizing Ephesian 4:29. How is your memorizing going so far?

Memorizing Ephesians 4:29

As I was working on memorizing Ephesians 4:29 this morning, I thought it might be good to work on it "together!"

When memorizing, it can often be helpful to "break it down" into smaller chunks, so I am trying to get the first part of the verse down today which is:

Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,

My plan for the week is to break it down as follows:
Monday - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,
Tuesday - but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,
Wednesday - that it may benefit those who listen.
Thursday to Sunday - all of it

To also help myself and my family I threw together some "verse cards" - you can download a copy from HERE. I will be giving them to the family and will post some around my desk area and carry a few around with me so I will be reminded often.

Proverbs 21

31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the LORD.

A good reminder today that at the end of the day victory is ultimately up to God. Victory is God's business - not mine. My part is to simply ready myself for this day, ready myself to be used by God in whatever way He sees fit. Lord, have your way with us today.

Share your thought that God gave you today from Proverbs 21 by clicking the "Comments" link below.

Becoming Wise: Wise Words

Let's seek to use our words with wisdom this coming week. Our words are powerful, use them for good this week.

Try to memorize Ephesians 4:29 in the coming week.

The Think It Through can be found here.

Proverbs 18

22 He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favor from the LORD.

I was convicted by the above verse this morning as a husband. I know this is true, but I often do not express it as if it is true in my marriage.

I pray this morning for myself and for all of us husbands that we would not only know the truth of this verse but that we would be able to express it to our wives in the context of our marriages. My action point for today is to express the reality of this verse to my wife.

What wisdom did God give you today? Let's be ones that "live the Word" today.