Building on the disciplines we spoke of last week, where we talked about being reminded of where our contentment really comes from, this week we try out a few practices that will strip away distractions from our lives and cause us to look more deeply at ourselves.
Scripture Memorization
Memorizing Scripture is not nearly as essential as it used to be. In the time of Jesus very few people could read and very few written copies of anything existed, so people memorized HUGE portions of the Bible. Most of the quotes that people make in the New Testament were made from the person’s memory, not from their reading the actual document. For most of the history of the modern world, if you didn’t memorize it, you didn’t have access to it!
Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream
Watch the video or check out the sermon manuscript
When you have the support you need, your time with God is great, and you are in a place of purity–God has the chance to really change your life. His timing is different with everyone, but at some point, He’s going to break your heart. That’s right:
Break your heart
Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls, but also those of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (2Tim 2:20-21, HCSB)
You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run to win! All those who compete in the games use self-control so they can win a crown. That crown is an earthly thing that lasts only a short time, but our crown will never be destroyed. So I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air. I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Why is the Bible filled with stories of people? Is it really crucial to know the tendency of Abraham to lie, or to hear the story of Ehud tricking, killing, and escaping from the Midanite king? We’ve got the story of Jesus, we have the commandments, isn’t that enough? Read More →