Category: PASSION Resources

Books of the Year

On By BrianIn Book Look

Tis the time of year to make lists of the best books of the year.  Of all the books I read, three stood out as the best. They are:

HolyAvailableHoly Available
by Gary Thomas
The basic idea is that Jesus is still active today, and we need to be available to be used by him.  You can read my Book Look for a fuller summary.  It is incredibly quotable.  I quoted from it several times here on the blog:

Humility-02Humility: The Forgotten Virtue
by Wayne Mack

I read two books on humility this year which complemented each other well.  This one digs into the Scriptures to explore our humility before God and with one another.  You can read my Book Look for further information.  This book also provided some good quotes:

Humility-05Humility: True Greatness
by C. J. Mahaney

This one briefly looks at our humility before God, and then at the humility of Jesus.  Half of the book then explores practical ways to grow in humility.  This last section was especially helpful.  Here is the Book Look for more information.  A few quotes:

Merry Christmas!

On By BrianIn Family Collection, Holidays

I hope you all have a merry Christmas tomorrow.  Here are a few good Christmas posts:

God Became a Man – Justin Taylor
Some good classic quotes on the incarnation from Spurgeon, Augustine, and more.

Why a Virgin Birth? – Douglas Wilson
Good answer to the question…

5 Ways to Play With Your Kids This Christmas – Trevin Wax
Dads, this one is for us.  You may not like every idea, but the post gets us thinking in the right direction.

Fighter Verses

On By BrianIn PASSION Resources

FighterVersesYesterday we said that one application of delighting in the Word was to memorize it.  I have been reading the Redwall series to my kids.  They love it, and so naturally they have memorized some of the lines.  They love Narnia, and can quote lines from the books and the movies.  If we delight in the Word, shouldn’t we be able to quote lines from it?

But the Bible is a big book!  What verses should we memorize?  One good approach is to memorize verses that you have been reading and meditating on.  Which verses seem to jump out at you as a special challenge or comfort from God?  Memorize those verses.

But there are also some basic passages that touch on the basic teachings of the Bible, and basic issues that everyone of us face as we fight the good fight of faith.  The folks at Children Desiring God have chosen 260 passages as basic passages which they call Fighter Verses.  They have created a five year program that has you learning one passage a week.  Many churches use this program to encourage each other to memorize Scripture together.  I encouraged the folks at my church last week to try it in the coming year.  I just started working through it myself.  Perhaps you might want to try it too.

I encourage you to visit their site.  It is packed with helpful Scripture memory resources.  They have a bookmark with all of the 2013 verses on it, plus a strategy for learning and remembering them.  If you want to create memory verse cards, they have a link to easily do that.  They also have a blog post each week reflecting on the verse you will be learning.  Plus there are apps for your tablet or smartphone to help you learn the verses.  They have audio resources and more.  Explore their site, and ask God if he might have you use this resource in the coming year.  And if not, how else might he be calling you to memorize his Word in 2013?

Declaring The Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Fam2012 218

Lake Superior Shore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Fam2012 248

Waterfalls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Bond Falls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Thanksgiving Posts

On By BrianIn Holidays

Here are some good posts to ponder for Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving Quotes – Three Passions

A Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving – The Valley of Visions (via Tim Challies)

Thanksgiving and the Appropriate Number of Prepositions – Tim Challies
(You must be thankful to, not just thankful for)

What Really Happened on the First Thanksgiving – Justin Taylor

Family Feuds and Tensions over the Holidays – Justin Taylor

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving giving thanks to our great God!

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Lake Superior coastline in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20