3.31.12 decision points

For the past week, there have been numerous opportunties to see what happens at crucial decision points in our lives.  The more telling examination is what happens leading up to the decision.

3.30.12 salt

Bible Reading:  Judges 13-14, Mark 10

Reel thoughts:
If salt loses it's salty flavor, what is it good for?  Make sure that doesn't happen to you.

3.29.12 obedience for today

Bible reading: Judges 10-12, Mark 9

Reel thoughts:
God does not want promises for the future but obedience for today.

3.28.12- let Him lead

Bible reading: Judges 7-9, Mark 8


Reel thoughts:


Anyone who comes with Him, must let Him lead.

3.27.12 a fleece for change

Bible reading: Judges 4-6, Mark 7


Reel thoughts:


Did u notice how many times Gideon tested God, asking God to demonstrate evidence that he'd keep his promise?  How many times does God need to promise something before you decide to believe?  What more do you need to see or hear before you're willing to believe?


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3.26.12 generation to generation

Bible reading: Judges 1-3, Mark 6


Reel thoughts:


When the people forgot about God for one generation, the entire nation went to "hell" figuratively.  What are the implications of this for us today?

3.25.12 choose this day

Bible reading: Joshua 22-24, Mark 6:1-29


Reel thoughts:


At the end of his life, Joshua challenged the people of Israel to "choose this day who you will serve.  And as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  That choice will always cost you something, but the reward will always be well worth it.

3.24.12 justice or mercy

Over the past week while reading the books of Joshua and Mark, I've seen both sides of the same coin.  Justice, while much deserved is often a hard pill to swallow.  Mercy on the other hand, is undeserved and can be an equally hard pill to swallow, particularly for those who question the lack of justice.  God decides when to administer mercy, intervening in the cause of justice.  But I wouldn't take the risk that this will always happen.  


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3.23.12 faithful

Bible Reading: Joshua 19-21, Mark 5


Reel thoughts:


God is faithful to us even though we're not always faithful to Him.  

3.22.12 getting ahead

Bible reading: Joshua 16-18, Mark 4


Reel thoughts


it's not about getting ahead in the way most people think it is.  Jesus said in Mark 4, Listen carefully to what I'm saying- and be way of the shred advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own.  

3.21.12 thicker than blood

Bible reading: Joshua 13-15, Mark 3


Reel thoughts:


Jesus said, obedience is thicker than blood.

3.20.12 when it looks impossible

Bible reading: Joshua 9-11, Mark 2


Reel thoughts
When it looks impossible...it's a job for El Shaddai.

3.19.12 lessons

Bible reading: Joshua 6-8, Mark 1


Reel thoughts:


lessons from today:
- It always pays to be patient and get things in God's timing, not your own
- What a great way to mark an occasion, by reading and remembering God's word/promise about that particular event
- Jesus got up, well before dawn to pray.  Then, when the demands of the day began, he got to work because he was fueled and ready to go.

3.18.12 do the work

Bible reading: Josh 3-5, Mark 1


Reel thoughts:


After the children of Israel crossed over into the promised land, the first thing that happened was the manna stopped.  The daily miracle that sustained them in the wilderness, ceased because now they'd arrived at a land that was good for planting and harvesting.  It was time to do the work that they'd been destined to do.  No longer was the miraculous necessary.  Reaping daily rewards of provision in your promised land only requires doing the work God gives you, and taking advantage of the opportunities in front of you.  


SDW3

3.17.12 the right way

So, throughout the past week of readings, there's been this undercurrent of discovering "the right way".  I only put this in air quotes, not because I don't believe there is a right way (which denotes a wrong way as well, by the way), but because I believe that we're all still trying to figure it out.  Spoiler alert: we don't have to figure it out anymore.  Once you find God, you've found your way.  


The hard part is getting yourself to accept this truth.  Now that's a bombshell.

3.16.12

Bible reading: Joshua 1-2, Galatians 6


Reel thoughts:
It is not what you and I do, it is what God is doing.

3.15.12 Freedom

Bible reading: Deut 32-34, Galatians 5


reel thoughts:


Interesting scripture from tonight's reading: Its absolutetely clear that God has called you to a free life.  Just make sure that you don't use thi freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom.

3.14.12 God's way

Bible Reading: Deut 29-31, Galatians 3


Reel thoughts:


I'm more convinced now than ever that walking with God is a requires daily committment, and it's something to not be taken lightly.

3.13.12- rules and regulations

Bible reading: Deut 26-28, Galatians 3


Reel thoughts:


Both readings for today explore the purpose of rules/regulations.  What's your opinion about the role that God's commands play in your life?  Are they suggestions meant to be taken into account, or a script to follow exactly?  Is there room for deviation or interpretation, and if so what is the cost?


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3.12.12 our true social safety net

Bible Reading: Deut 23-25, Galatians 2


Reel thoughts:
While reading today's old testament reading, i realized that the bible, in particular the old testament Levitical laws, has a lot to say about how to live in peace with one another. It specifically also has much to say about our treatment of the poor, powerless, widowed, and those who need help.  Imagine if we were as thoughtful about how to protect the unprotected today, imagine the social safety nets we could create.  But the thing is, it's been tried and failed.  We can't create social safety nets large or reliable enough because we're fallible people.  Paul's letter to Galatians reminds us that God's our only safety net.  


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3.11.12 the only thing left to do

Bible Reading: Deut 20-22, Galatians 1


Reel thoughts:


I've been thinking about this a lot lately, at what point do we reach the place where we realize that really, submitting our lives to God is the only "reasonable" thing left to do?  And why does it take so long sometimes?  Of course we each personally know these answers.  For me, it may be because of my own stubbornness, or sense of pride, or fear about relying on God.  For others it may be the same things.  Whatever it is, everytime I read God's word, it reminds me of two things: first, everything God put on the line for me to make a quality decision to know Him, and second, everything that i put on the line when I fail to accept what He offers.  


SDW3

3.10.12 The gulf

Reel thoughts
A lot of the readings over the past few weeks has been about the gulf between what God wants, and what we do.  There's no real way to bridge that gulf on our own.  We've tried and failed through the entire history of humanity.  That's why we need God.  It's for our own good (even when we don't understand why).  

3.9.12 The whole truth...

Bible reading: Deut 17-19, Romans 16


Reel thoughts:
...and nothing but the truth.  Key verse: Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble.  We're more complete, when we take the time to get the full story, and not just a portion.  But that requires patience, discipline, and suspending judgment in order to listen.  


SDW3 

3.8.12 Strength in us

Bible Reading: Deut 14-16, romans 15


Reel thoughts:
there was one verse in particular in today's reading, which dealt with the beauty of sharing our faith.  It said, those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us.  Strength is for service, not status.  It was a good reminder, along with the rest of the passages today about helping the poor among us, that we are all called to serve where we are.  Just when i'm prepared to complain about what I don't have, or how tough I think I've got it, I'm reminded that there's always others who have it worse, and indeed, I have something to offer even in my own difficult times, that can help someone else.  And this brings me perspective.  


SDW3  

3.7.12 Your relationship with God

Bible Reading: Deut 9-11, Romans 14


Reel thoughts:


Verse of the day: Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others.  You're fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent.  


I wonder what this means for our everyday lives as Christians, and what the power of our testimony should be?


SDW3

3.6.12

Bible reading: Deuteronomy 8-10


Reel thoughts:


verse of the day: make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up, make sure you don't become so full of yourself and your things that you forget God your God.


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3.5.12- Place your ordinary life

Bible Reading: Deut 5-7, Romans 12


Reel thoughts


It's interesting that the two chapters in Deuteronomy coincided with Romans 12. The key message overlaps: the first commandment, and really the only one that matters is to put God first, and everything else will fall into place.  That's a helpful reminder when you're feeling overwhelmed, have too much on your plate, or you're just tired from all the work that you feel you have to do to keep up with the pace of your everyday life.  I suspect that we've complicated things (i know I have), and made things more difficult than they have to be.  If only we'd simply put God first, I wonder how much more easily everything else would fall into place? 


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3.4.12- What pleases God

Bible reading: Deuteronomy 3-4, Romans 11


Reel thoughts


God is a jealous God, and He's also a compassionate God.  Both of those two go together, and in our understanding of his compassionate, jealous love for us, it's our job to please Him.  We can never earn His love, that's been freely given, but we can return His love by obeying Him.  That's what pleases Him.  


SDW3

3.3.12

Being a Christian is free, but it'll cost you everything.  That's the synopsis of the readings for the week.  i think about the Al Green song Let's stay together...how can this be the way we describe our love relationship with God?  

3.2.12 experience is a costly teacher

Bible reading: Deut 1-2


Reel thoughts:


The sermon that Moses gives in Deuteronomy (which also happens to be his last), was a powerful reminder of basically all the lessons God has taught this generation's parents through experience.  But since many of the folks listening to this sermon hadn't actually witnessed these things, just heard about it from their parents, they needed rationale to understand why God's way was the best way.  Moses was trying to spare this generation a generation of heartache and poor decisions like the former.  I'd personally much rather get lessons for free than have to pay for them with experience.  Experience sometimes is a costly teacher.  


SDW3

3.1.12 God projects

Bible Reading: Numbers 35-39, Romans 9


Reel thoughts:


How often do you get caught up in your "God projects" that you miss God?