Why I Dislike Blogging and How I Plan to Change It

So I made it a goal in 2016 to blog at least once a month. It's not a ton, I know, but it's a start. I made the goal because I want to become a better writer, and be in the practice of writing a little more consistently. It's a good goal, and I'm glad I made it, but I've procrastinated two months in a row now. It's almost the end of February and I haven't written anything. I have a few ideas and topics written down, but I decided to pass on them this month. Instead, I would like to share some self-reflection. Anytime I find myself avoiding a known responsibility, I try to uncover what's behind it. There’s something in me that usually needs to change – either an unrealistic expectation, a misunderstanding, or something else that’s causing me to slow down. So, over the last couple of days I've been asking myself "Why do I not want to write that blog post? What about it is bugging me?" After giving it some thought, I believe my pride is at the bottom of it. 

I have some unrealistic expectations for myself and blogging. I have believed a lie that if I'm blogging, the content needs to be original, insightful, intriguing, or at the very least funny. Of course, I hope my writing has some of those qualities. But at its base, this expectation reveals pride. I want people to think I'm smart and wise and funny. This is yet another instance of seeking the approval of men. I need the gospel to speak to this area of my soul. While I hope to write quality posts that are worth a few seconds of somebody's time (if nothing else, my wife will read this, and maybe my mom...), my main goal is to sharpen my writing, not to get people to tell me I’m good enough, smart enough, and doggonit, people like me. My identity is found in Christ, not a blog. I am consciously dropping this expectation of myself. I intend the content to simply help me articulate thoughts on any given topic. Hopefully this will sharpen my thinking and writing skills. 

Additionally, I've felt like the blog post needs to be long. I don't know why, but I've always had this vague feeling that my blog posts need to be more "professional." I imagined them being really long, and include complex arguments and take a lot of energy to structure and write. Again, pride comes in. I have realized that I'm thinking more highly of myself than I ought to. I don't need to prove myself to anyone, and even if I did, a blog isn't the way I'd go about it. So, I've decided to set a reasonable length requirement that will keep me writing a decent chuck, but not too much. The requirement is at least 400 words. This sentence ends the post at 490 words. 

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.