Goals in 2016

Blogging hasn't really been my thing. As you can tell by the sporadic method of posting, I'm on-again off-again when it comes to writing on this blog. However, I recently attended a conference on prayer and leadership in Jefferson Oregon (info here), and was encouraged and convicted to be intentional with personal goal setting. I want to become a better writer, which would require writing more frequently. So, I have made it a goal for 2016 to write one blog post per month this year. You can see this one is written on the last day of January, so procrastination wins this time. But no longer! Starting in February, I intend to write at least one blog post before the month is over. As an encouragement to you (and an added sense of accountability for me), below are my personal goals for 2016.

1.       I will read the Bible in 60 days during the months of September and October.

2.       I will write my final speech to be delivered at my funeral.

3.       I will read 24 books, and keep up with magazines.

4.       I will write a personal mission statement.

5.       I will go skiing 3 times, one of those times will be with Olivia and the babies.

6.       I will increase my prayer time to one hour every day by the end of the year.

7.       I will recruit two people (other than Olivia) who will agree to pray for me consistently.

8.       I will do the Wallowa Lake triathlon with Olivia.

9.       I will take each of my kids out individually on a daddy date once per month.

10.   I will call my little brother Conner once per week.

11.   I will write a blog post/article once a month.

12.   I will begin the habit of ending my day with a time of confession of sin.

13.   I will listen to at least one sermon podcast each week.

14.   If asked to preach, I will read the given passage and its context at least 50 times, and pray for a total of 1 hour during the sermon prep.

15.   I will pray with Olivia three times a week.

16.   I will write a prayer of daily commitment and start the habit of beginning each day with this prayer.

17.   I will memorize 24 passages of Scripture, writing each new passage down 10 times while also reviewing previously memorized passages.

18.   I will study and complete book overviews, including charts, for 8 books of the Bible.

19.   I will make a final decision regarding seminary, submit my application(s), and spend time looking for grants and scholarships.

20.   I will go see Brian Regan live in the Tri-Cities with Olivia on Valentine’s day.

21.   I will review these goals no less than once a week. 

Bible Study: Genesis

So it's been almost a year since my last post. Wow! I'd like to be more consistent about posting here, but I have a life outside of blogging that takes up quite a bit of time ;)

Anyways, I thought I'd share with you some of my personal Bible study practices. I recently started a new Bible reading plan and I'm really enjoying it. Here's how it works: I read through one book at a time. Each morning, I (usually) wake up before my children and read for about a half hour. During that half hour I read a chapter, and then give that chapter a title and write a one paragraph summary. After that I move onto the next chapter. So here's a typical morning: Wake up, get woken up (splash cold water on my face, put contacts in, etc.), short prayer, read Genesis 1, title and summarize Genesis 1, read Genesis 2, title summarize Genesis 2, read Genesi STOP - babies woke up. Pick up Genesis 3 tomorrow or later today if there's time/desire.

After I finish the book, I reread all the summaries and write a "Plot Synopsis" attempting to summarize the main flow of the book in a concise manner. I identify key themes, characters, verses, settings, etc. From there I distill "Timeless Truths" from the text. These are Biblical truths about God, us or the world that are true no matter when or where you are (example: God always keeps his promises). They are taught either explicitly or implicitly in the text. From the timeless truths, I try to find personal application and takeaways: how does the fact that God keeps his promises affect me right now? How should I respond to that truth?

Here's my work on Genesis. 

I recently started Matthew and will be working through that, hopefully finishing before the summer camp season starts. I hope you find it helpful and encouraging. Feedback is always welcome.

PS - I plan to write a personal position paper soon regarding the issue of whether or not Christians should use firearms for self defense (specifically, whether or not I should use a firearm for self defense). I'll probably share those thoughts here, stay tuned.

Sermon: Philippians 3:7-11

I recently had the privilege of preaching from Philippians 3:7-11. Below is the sermon. If the audio player is working, just follow this link.

Why Did God Kill The Canaanites?

It's been a while since I've posted. I've put some serious time and thought into a question I've had for a long time. I was always taught that God loves everyone. But I've had a growing discomfort with God's treatment of the Canaanites in the Old Testament. It was time to hit this issue head on. I ended up writing an essay on the subject. I've posted the essay online in hopes that it may help any others struggling with this issue. Below are the introductory paragraphs:

"In Deuteronomy 7, God commands his people Israel to annihilate the inhabitants of Canaan. After they enter the land, he says they “must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.” (Deuteronomy 7:2). This appears to contradict the loving merciful God who, as John says, is love (see 1 John 4:8, 16). How could this God command the killing of all these people? This portion of Scripture receives little or no voluntary attention because of its difficulty. For many of us, this is one of those quiet questions that festers in the back of our minds – conveniently forgotten until it’s forced upon us by our Bible-in-a-year reading plan.

This essay will attempt to answer the question of why a good God would command the killing of the Canaanites. Theologically, this is referred to as herem warfare; when God’s people totally destroy all living things – men, women, children, and animals – offering them as a sacrifice to God. The problem could be stated like this: If God is merciful and loving, how could he commission the killing of an entire people? To the modern reader, the command seems unfair, bigoted, and racist. Only a serious and thorough examination of the Scriptures can address this issue."

If you would like to read the full essay, click here.

What are your thoughts?

Sermon - Guard Your Heart

I recently had the privilege of preaching from God's word at my church, First Baptist Church of La Grande. The text is Proverbs 4:20-27. The sermon is titled, "Guard Your Heart" and is 43 minutes long. Constructive feedback is always appreciated.




(If the audio player above does not work, then follow this link)            

              My son, pay attention to what I say;
         listen closely to my words.
               Do not let them out of your sight,
         keep them within your heart;
               for they are life to those who find them
         and health to a man’s whole body.
               Above all else, guard your heart,
         for it is the wellspring of life.
               Put away perversity from your mouth;
         keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
               Let your eyes look straight ahead,
         fix your gaze directly before you.
               Make levelb paths for your feet
         and take only ways that are firm.
               Do not swerve to the right or the left;
         keep your foot from evil.

Have A Drink of Water

The Bible is a great book! One of the many reasons I love the Bible is that there is always something to learn. I just recently finished reading through the Bible and one of the things I did as I read through it was underlined areas where water is mentioned in the Bible. I used a blue colored pencil and my underline was in the shape of waves. This post is about what I've learned about how water is used in the Bible. Generally speaking, I think most uses can be placed into one of five broad categories. There are certainly more, but these are five big ones I found.

1.       As a setting for or means of a miracle

This category included times when God actually uses water to do something amazing. It can be that water is actually used in the miracle itself (i.e. splitting the Red Sea) or it’s in the setting (i.e. Jesus’ Baptism). There are a plethora of verses and sections of Scripture that would fit here. Probably the most obvious example is the parting of the Red Sea as the Israelites were running away from Pharaoh’s army in Exodus 14. Also included would be water flowing from the rock (Exo 17), Jesus walking on water (Matt 14:25), Jesus calming the storm (Matt 8:23ff), Jesus turning water into wine (John 2), the healing of Namaan (2 Kings 5), the crossing of the Jordan  river (Joshua 3), and many others.

2.       As a positive description of God

There are many times in the Bible where God describes himself using water. One of my favorites is Jeremiah 2:13, “My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” Certainly Jesus is drawing upon this passage and others when he is talking with the Samaritan women in John 4, and again at the Feast of Tabernacles in John 7:37-39. Other verses that fit here are Zech 14:8, 1 Cor 10:4,all throughout Isaiah, Hosea 6:3, and many others.

3.       As a form of judgment and wrath

God also uses water to judge. One clear instance is the flood in Genesis 6. You also have the storm that came upon Jonah’s boat when he attempted to flee. Hosea 5:10 says, “I will pour out my wrath on them like a flood of water.” This may be one reason that John says in Revelation 21:1 that there was no more sea.

4.       To establish God’s power or faithfulness

God’s control over water is often used as evidence for his power and might. Psalm 104 describes God’s incredible strength and greatness. One phrase sticks out, “at your rebuke the waters fled,”. Additionally, throughout the Scriptures, we find authors referring to past events of how God used water as a reason for trust God in the future. Repeatedly the splitting of the Red Sea and the water coming from the rock are used as means to encourage people to trust in God for provision. Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah 9.

5.       Simply to mean water

Occasionally, the Bible uses water just to mean water. When describing the rebuilding of the temple in Ezra 3, it says that cedar logs were brought by the sea. There are a couple of times when it simply means water and is not being used as judgment, as a setting or means of a miracle.

By the time you get to this paragraph, you've probably already realized that a fair amount of times water is used in the Bible, it’s used in more than one way. For example, the splitting of the Red Sea is a miracle of God, a form of judgment, and is used to establish God’s power. Jesus calming the storm is a miracle, and also a method by which he establishes his own identity as God. We can’t squish the Bible into categories. What I've done here is simple show 5 ways that water can be used in the Bible.

Finally, before I end this post, I’d like to say something about baptism. I think one of the reasons baptism is so significant for believers is that is shows that God has worked in our life. When God cleansed the earth of evil, he did it by the flood – thereby establishing Noah and his family as the new race on earth, when he brought the Israelites out of Egypt and established them as a nation, he did it through the Red Sea. When he brought the Israelites into the promised land, he did and  it through the Jordan River. The point is this: God’s people pass through water to be cleansed, washed, or even “reborn” if you will. In fact, Paul says that the Red Sea was a baptism for the Israelites (1 Cor 10:1) and Peter says that the flood symbolizes our baptism (1 Peter 3:20-21). In baptism, we identify ourselves among God’s people who have reborn by passing through water. He washes and cleanses us and we declare his work in our hearts. 

On The Brink

Bungee jumping is an amazing sport. After getting harnessed up and tied into the rope, the jump master will tell you to get on “the platform.” The platform is about 4 square feet (2ft by 2ft). It’s tiny. There’s only two things you can do from the platform (three things if you count peeing your pants): stand there, and jump. Once you’re on the platform you look straight ahead the jump master counts down “3, 2, 1, JUMP!” And then you bend your knees and fly! In my experience, it’s best to just jump when you’re told to jump. Don’t psych yourself out and don’t second guess it, just go.

As I write this, I am sitting on the brink of a major change in my life. It’s 1am on Dec 30^th, 2012 and later today, there will be a commissioning service in which my wife and I will be sent off by our church. Monday morning, we leave for La Grande, Oregon where everything I know is about to change. I won’t be near my family or friends, I’m switching churches, and I’ll be starting an entirely new job. Life is about to become very different for me. Inside my heart, anxious dread mingles with nervous excitement. I kind of feel like I’m on the platform and it’s about time to jump. I’m looking forward to everything that this change will bring. Olivia and I will make many new friends, discover new interests, and have more time as a family. On the other hand, I’m starting to finally appreciate the closeness and security my life in Portland has brought me. I’m going to miss my family, I’m going to miss my church, and I’m going to miss my friends. There’s so much ahead, but there’s also so much behind. I’m excited, but I’m also scared. I think we all feel this way, at least a little, when we’re on the edge of change.  

When the Israelites were on the brink, they were scared too. They didn’t trust God to lead them out of Egypt (Exodus 5:20-21). When he did, he led them straight to the edge of the Red Sea, where they didn’t trust him again (Exodus 14:10-12). Over and over God brings the Israelites to the brink, where their only job is to trust him, and they don’t. When it was time for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land, 12 spies were sent in. When they returned, only 2 were brave enough to believe God’s promise. The other 10 spread chaos and created havoc. They were scared.

When God brings us to the brink, we get scared. It’s not just the Israelites, it’s all of us. It seems that we always prefer where we’ve been to where he’s taking us (even if where we’ve been is bad). For Olivia and me, it’d be safe to stay in Portland. It’d be comfortable to stay with friends, family, and our church. The struggle for us is that we want to stay with what we know; it’s safe. But God has seen it fit to bring us to the brink. He’s decided that it’s time for us to move. It’s time for some change. He’s put us on the platform and started counting. We’ve decided to jump because where God is taking us is where we want to be, even if it’s scary. This is how God grows people; on the brink.