Archive for July, 2009

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Reading Through the Whole Bible

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

Have you ever read through the entire Bible? 

Why did you do it?

Getting a handle on the whole counsel of God helps me understand some of the harder passages.  It gives me a context in which to figure things out.  Scripture must reconcile with the whole of Scripture.

Getting an idea of God’s big picture helps me gain perspective for the here and now as well as for the end times.

Getting a broad perspective helps me trust God more even when I don’t understand what is happening because I see through the pages of Scripture how He is a sovereign and faithful God.

How did you do it?

Some people use a plan that guides them through reading the Bible in one year.

I personally vary the ways I read through the whole Bible.  I usually do not give myself a time limit but rather simply go at a comfortable pace and get done when I get done.  Some methods have taken me a few years to make it through but it has been well worth it.  Here is what I’ve done some of the different times I’ve read through the Bible:

  • developed outlines as I went through the Bible
  • recorded everything that showed God and man communicating (prayer)
  • marked all passages that pointed to Jesus
  • determined what character of God it depicted
  • profiled the various Bible characters as I came to them
  • more diligently prayed over what I read than usual
  • underlined key verses for the passages I read each day

By changing the way I read through the Word each time, it doesn’t grow old to me and God has used some of the results in providing substance for materials on the web site and in seminars.  I didn’t read through the Bible for that purpose.  I read through the Bible because of my relationship with God, to learn more about Him and consequently build my love for and faith in Him but He uses it in various ways.

I taught a course called a Panoramic View of Prayer looking at prayer from Genesis to Revelation.  Lord willing, it will one day be available as a curriculum. 

The Walk the Walk as Those Who Have Gone Before utilizes a sampling of the Bible character profiles.  I found studying Bible characters very helpful.

Have you read through the whole Bible?  Why?  And, how have you done it?

Posted in God's Word, Walk with God | 1 Comment »

Spiritual Gifts: A Fad or Ongoing Reality in the Church?

Monday, July 13th, 2009

I regularly check the statistics for the MinTools.com site.  What I have found through the years continues to hold true.  The primary keywords people use to find this site are some form of “spiritual gifts.”  Actually, the phrase “spiritual gifts test” is at the top and the online spiritual gifts test is the highest hit page on the site followed by the spiritual gifts list page.

I am glad to see the consistency in these stats because there for a while I was concerned that spiritual gifting had become just the latest church fad.  Key Christian leaders wrote books on it.  Web sites with content on spiritual gifting grew in number.  All that was good for a “shot in the arm” but God’s design for the growth of the Church is the ongoing emphasis and use of spiritual gifts wherein everybody does their part.

From the beginning, teaching on spiritual gifts has been a part of the MinTools.com site.  It is the hub around which the rest of the site has been built.  How can a site designed to equip believers for ministry not include a major emphasis on spiritual gifts?

What about in your church?  Is attention to spiritual gifting just a fad or sporadic teaching emphasis or is it an ongoing reality and priority?  There are  key factors to operating within the sphere of gifting that tend to be present if it is a part of a church’s culture.

Posted in Spiritual Gifts | 2 Comments »

Wisdom is More Than Knowing

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

When I wrote the Walk the Walk in Wisdom Devotional Bible Study Guide, which is now available as a download and in book format, I saw that wisdom involves more than simply knowing the right course to take.  Proverbs 1:1-6 lays out a process that I call “The Five I’s of Wisdom.”  I liked it so much, I used it as a pattern for all the Walk the Walk devotionals.  Each book is laid out to work through these five I’s.

1)  Instruction:  to know

We will not know how to walk in wisdom without instruction.

2)  Insight:  to discern

We must get to the root of issues, looking beyond the obvious.

3)  Implication:  to be prudent

We must go beyond mental discernment, however, to seeing the practical use of truth in our daily life situations and relations.

4)  Implementation:  to be disciplined

We must actually plan how to realistically apply this good judgment to situations with which we must deal in life.

5)  Intake:  to add to your learning

We must realize that we will never stop learning, that there is always something new to take in.

Knowing what to do is usually the easy part.  Figuring out how to apply it to specific situations and then doing it is where wisdom really comes in.

In today’s world, no one can dispute the need for wisdom.  Who Doesn’t Need Wisdom?  Certainly you would agree that  Walking in Wisdom Makes Sense.  If you let us know what you need wisdom for, we would be glad to stop and pray for you that you have that knowledge, discernment, prudence,  and discipline to put it into practice.  And then, may you keep learning and growing in your walk as a result!

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The Importance of Children’s Ministry

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Children, as well as adults, need the touch of Jesus on their lives.

1)  Children are precious in Jesus’ sight.  He loves them!  He wants children to be brought to Him.

Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  (Mk. 10:14)

2)  Children need help in learning how to navigate in today’s world … and they have so much of life ahead of them.

Faced with war, terrorism, divorce, crime and other anxieties, many children are feeling

  • . . . vulnerable – What if this happens to me?
  • . . . frightened – Where can I go to be safe?
  • . . . hopeless – Who is going to protect me?
  • . . . helpless – There’s nothing I can do to keep it from happening.

They need the touch of Jesus.  They need His help to cope and deal just as we adults do.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come.”

3)  Children are a part of today’s church, not merely the church of tomorrow.

They are just as much a part of the body as adults if they know Jesus as their Savior.  “The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

As you look at the Greatest Commandments and the Great Commission and  read passages about the church (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4), no one is excluded.  You will not find degrees to which this is to be happening based on age or any other criteria.

4)  Children need a Savior and are at a prime age to trust in Him.

According to a Barna report, “nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (43%), and that two out of three born again Christians (64%) made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday.”

Based on these findings, childhood is a critical time to reach people for Jesus.  “Let the little children come!”

Ministry to children is important.  Whether you teach or help in any other capacity, you have a strategic role that goes beyond simply showing up and following a script.  You have a vital purpose.

Here are some resources to help you in your children’s ministry.

What are the practical implications of these four points for you?

Posted in Children's Ministry | No Comments »

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