Loves the Bible
Sep 20, 2009 Sacrificial Followers
This weekend at Riv, we talked about growing as a Sacrificial Follower of Jesus. For the next 8 days, I am going to blog about the marks of a Sacrificial Follower and linking to a bunch of resources that may be able to help you grow in them.
The most important part of this will be your interaction, though. Please post your own suggestions, thoughts, and links so I and other people can learn from you as well. We each come from very different perspectives and what works for me may not work for you.
With that said, here are some thoughts on the first mark of a Sacrificial Follower.
Loves the Bible
A Sacrificial Follower of Jesus uses the Bible as the final authority on issues related to his life and faith. Here’s a bit of my teaching last week where I talk about this area:
When we asked Riv how well they did at this area of their life, it had the lowest number of people who said “I rock at this” of any of the 8 marks we went through. This is definitely an area we need to grow in! Here are a few basic ideas to help you get started in the the Word:
1. Get a Bible
This may seem very basic, but many people don’t have a Bible so it is pretty impossible for them to read it! Now it can be a bit overwhelming to pick one out in the bookstore, so here are a few suggestions:
If you are really new to reading the Bible or you are someone who has difficulty reading, pick an easy to read translation like the New Living Bible (this is the translation I teach from during the weekend services). If you are a bit more of a reader or someone who wants to dig deeper, check out the English Standard Version, which is a bit harder to read but “meatier.” For other thoughts on different translations, read this little paper.
You may also want to get a bible that has a commentary in it. Two I recommend are the Life Application Bible and the ESV Study Bible. Again, pick the one that fits your reading style / experience with the Word.
2. Get a Plan
At Riv, we are reading through the New Testament this year by reading one chapter each weekday. You can join us at Text.RivChurch.com. If this plan doesn’t work for you, just Google “Bible Reading Plan” and you will find about a thousand other ideas. You can even download an iPhone ap that will give you a daily reading.
Here are a few tips to help you as you are putting together your reading plan:
Set aside a specific time and place to read the Bible. Find the time and place that’s easiest for you. Are you a morning person? Read before diving into your day. Night person? Read in bed before zonking out. Find a rhythm that works for you.
Enjoy it. Reading the Bible shouldn’t be a chore, so don’t make it on! Try to read it with the same enjoyment you would an email from a close friend.
If you miss a day, skip it. Seriously, skip it. Don’t give it another thought. Remember, this isn’t a chore, so don’t feel guilty if you miss a day here or there. Just dive back in.
Make your reading a community deal. Discuss what you’re reading with others. You can talk about it in your Life Group each week or with your family around the dinner table.
Here are some other great resources to help you get started.
So, what practical suggestions would you add? What resources help you?
Tags: bible
Friday Random Linkness
Sep 18, 2009 Friday Random Linkness
I am on such an amazing Friday Random Linkness roll that I feel like rewarding myself with Friday Random Linkness:
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I think I’ve picked out my next USB drive.
This last year, we jumped on-board with Acts 29 and some have asked me why. This is why.
This guy knows how to run for office! Wow.
Good blog series on Healthy Pastors.
I laughed outloud at this.
OK…this mashup is sick: Bob Marley vs. Iron Maiden.
What happens if you blow a tire at 217 MPH? This does.
You learn something new everyday. Today, I learned how trains stay on the track.
This is seriously one of the coolest animations I’ve seen in awhile.
The Team: Brad Vermurlen
Sep 14, 2009 The Team
I thought I’d bring back my old Monday tradition (at least for this week) of highlighting a Riv team member. Today’s victim is Brad Vermurlen.
Brad started coming around Riv when he was a high school student. He since defected to the University of Michigan where he graduated with high honors. Now he is a Grad Student working toward his PhD in Sociology at Notre Dame. In his spare time, he works as a Research Team Captain at Docent Research Group. The bottom line is Brad is an uber talented, wicked smart, incredibly busy dude.
And yet he finds time to volunteer as my Research Assistant. I bounce my message ideas off of him, often sending him my first drafts and then he goes to work like a rabid research monkey. After a day or so (sometimes literally within hours), I open my inbox to find a research paper that contains all kinds of sources, statistics, analysis, and other assorted goodies to enhance my message. He also challenges my direction or take on different topics if he feels like I am in error or am misstating the facts.
I can’t begin to tell you how valuable Brad is to the team. Actually, I think I just began to do so. Sorry…I felt like I needed to clear that up otherwise Brad would rebuke me for misstating the facts. It’s just how he rolls.
9/11
Sep 11, 2009 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
I still remember my wife calling me eight years ago today during a pastor’s meeting to tell me a plane had just hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center. The rest of the day, the pastors sat in the Riv auditorium watching the news on the big screen. We were just shocked and unable to even go home.
We just sat there all day.
The next Sunday, Steve delivered the best, most timely message that helped people process their emotions. I don’t remember what he said but I remember how he said it. It was a great model for me of how to pastor your people during times like this.
I don’t have anything more to say really. This was just running through my mind so I thought I’d share.
The Nines
Sep 10, 2009 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
Lots of people have been asking when my teaching from The Nines will be available and I just found out it is already on YouTube. Those folks at Leadership Network on the ball! You can watch all the teachings here.
UPDATE: If you are having trouble viewing this video, try this link.
Lessons from the Assistant to the Coach
Sep 10, 2009 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
See my fancy ball-cap? I got that because this past year, I was the Assistant to the Coach for my son Jesse’s baseball team.
Make sure you read that carefully. I wasn’t the Assistant Coach…I was the Assistant to the Coach. I just barely qualified to get the hat.
My job was to do whatever the Coach needed me to do. I carried stuff, took stats, hit (terrible) pop flies and (pathetic) grounders. I worked with the pitchers utilizing the vast baseball knowledge I have gleaned from my 10 year old son.
I also pulled a few muscles, got hit by a foul ball because I was standing on the wrong side of the fence, woke up sore many days, got laughed at by the coaches (and kids) (and wife) for my lack of baseball knowledge, and got completely run over by a 11 year old girl when covering home plate during a scrimmage.
And I wouldn’t have traded the time for anything. I had the time of my life.
Here are a few lessons I learned this season:
- If you want to learn, find someone to mentor you. For me, this was the head coach Mike, who is an awesome coach and has become a good friend. It was also my son Jesse…but that’s my next lesson:
- Be willing to learn from those younger (or organizationally under) you. None of us knows if all and sometimes the best mentors are those who are looking to us to lead them.
- Revel in the grunt work. When you are new to something, you gotta climb the ladder. That means you do the menial stuff no one else wants to do. Not only that, if you don’t learn to love it, you will never be able to lead effectively later because you have to follow well before you can lead well.
- It’s not all about winning…but it’s kinda all about winning. Sure, kids’ sports are all about important character lessons, having fun, etc. But it’s also about winning. You can have both–you should strive for both.
Leadership Network presents “THE NINES”
Sep 9, 2009 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
All day today, I’ll be attending Leadership Network’s “THE NINES”. I’ll Twitter thoughts throughout the day so you can follow me over there if you wish.
Titus
Sep 9, 2009 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
Today, on the Text Project, we’re diving into the book of Titus. Here’s a little video summary of the book for ya.
To listen to the series I did a few years ago on Titus (alt.church), head to RivChurch.com.
God’s Will For Your Life
Sep 8, 2009 Book Reviews
One of the most misunderstood aspects of Christianity is the idea of God’s Will. Not in the big picture sense, rather in the “God’s will for my life” sense. So many people at Riv are in life stages where they are making pretty big decisions: careers, dating, marriage, schooling, etc. The question invariably comes up,
“What does God want me to do about [INSERT CURRENT PRESSING DECISION]?”
The question seems to haunt us throughout our life, in every season we are in. We spend so much time trying to figure out what God wants us to do that many of us become paralyzed and we do nothing at all! When I was in college, I stumbled onto a book that have a refreshingly biblical perspective. It is quite long though and many people I have recommended it to don’t read it because of this. However, in the last year I have come across two more books that hit this topic very well and very biblically.
Here’s some thoughts on each of these books in order of ease of read.
This book is written by East Lansing pastor Kevin DeYoung and it is a very fast / very basic primer on the concept of God’s Will for your life. I read it on the beach in one quick setting this past summer. The title says it all: “Just Do Something.” Seriously. If that confuses you, that means you have been sucked into an unbiblical approach to determining God’s will for your life. Trust me, once you get this you will begin to feel tremendous freedom.
Decision Making God’s Way: A New Model for Knowing God’s Will
This book goes a bit deeper than the last one and gives a little bit more biblical context from both the Old and New Testaments. It’s not as flashy or in your face as DeYoung’s book, but it is very solid and to the point.
Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View
Now this baby is my favorite by far, but it’s the longest read. If you really want to get into it, this book breaks down the traditional ways people think about determining God’s will and challenges them using the Bible. Friesen then does an incredibly thorough treatment of the subject again by using the Bible. I remember reading this baby in college and it contained the most “normal” reading of the Bible regarding this topic I had ever read.
Finally, if you want to dig into this a bit more with a few other people, I highly recommend a class we are offering on “Decision Making.” The next time it’s happening is September 20, 27, October 4, and 11 and you can find out more at RivU.RivChurch.com.
Friday Random Linkness
Sep 4, 2009 Friday Random Linkness
What? “Only three weeks,” you say? Pishaw! I give you week 4 of Friday Random Linkness!
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Social Media Addicts Association (SMAA) Meeting
On the other side of the coin, maybe it’s not bad to be an addict.
Seems like every year there are some cool pictures from the California wildfires. Cool but sad.
Need parallel parking lessons? Take them from this kid.
A handy flowchart detailing the differences between how Men and Women’s brains work during arguments.
Design flaws in Star Wars.
I’m an optimist, how about you?
If you hate snakes, don’t watch this.
Looks like Jennifer Knapp may be coming back on the scene. This is cool because she is one of a handful of Christian artists I really like.
And finally…take a break and watch 100 years of special effects in 5 minutes.
