If you are like us, you may be doing some projects at home that you have been putting off. My wife and I are cleaning out the attic. We have brought down about 25 years’ worth of old bank records and tax forms. We have two huge totes on our front porch from the shredding company, one is completely full, the other nearly…
I have been sorting through files of old conferences and training programs in which we were participants or leaders. I have found some materials that I am going to keep. I have been scanning all of that into the computer. The garage is next… My oldest son said that if any of us exit this time with a cluttered attic or garage we haven’t used the time well.
I have been asked to teach a session at our church online in three weeks. Its up in the air whether I go to the church or do it from my home office. I’m one of those who are most at risk. I have been preparing by reviewing some of the work I have done on the topic in the past.
This afternoon I pulled that file and went through all the studies that I have done on the topic, which is, the necessity of each of us being in the Word ourselves. It seems I have been hammering that for a while.
I found a message I shared on a Wednesday night at one of the churches we attended in Kentucky. It was on the same subject dealing with the identical issues that we seem to be facing in many if not all the churches we have attended since then.
Many of us as believers seem to gravitate to those who are excellent teachers or preachers and rather than engaging personally in the Word ourselves, we are satisfied with what we are told by those teachers or preachers.
I have had at least two men, who attended excellent churches, with excellent pastors and teachers admit that they didn’t want to do the work, they would rather have someone tell them what to believe. In talking to pastors this seems to be a continual and abiding challenge.
So, in three weeks, I will take up this subject again – truth be told, I have never put it down. I would appreciate prayer should you think of it. As we get closer, I will give you information on how you can watch it live or on replay. We are trying to figure out how to do a live Q&A if I do it from my office and not the church… Stay tuned…
I have been sorting through files of old conferences and training programs in which we were participants or leaders. I have found some materials that I am going to keep. I have been scanning all of that into the computer. The garage is next… My oldest son said that if any of us exit this time with a cluttered attic or garage we haven’t used the time well.
I have been asked to teach a session at our church online in three weeks. Its up in the air whether I go to the church or do it from my home office. I’m one of those who are most at risk. I have been preparing by reviewing some of the work I have done on the topic in the past.
This afternoon I pulled that file and went through all the studies that I have done on the topic, which is, the necessity of each of us being in the Word ourselves. It seems I have been hammering that for a while.
I found a message I shared on a Wednesday night at one of the churches we attended in Kentucky. It was on the same subject dealing with the identical issues that we seem to be facing in many if not all the churches we have attended since then.
Many of us as believers seem to gravitate to those who are excellent teachers or preachers and rather than engaging personally in the Word ourselves, we are satisfied with what we are told by those teachers or preachers.
I have had at least two men, who attended excellent churches, with excellent pastors and teachers admit that they didn’t want to do the work, they would rather have someone tell them what to believe. In talking to pastors this seems to be a continual and abiding challenge.
So, in three weeks, I will take up this subject again – truth be told, I have never put it down. I would appreciate prayer should you think of it. As we get closer, I will give you information on how you can watch it live or on replay. We are trying to figure out how to do a live Q&A if I do it from my office and not the church… Stay tuned…
Old notes - and memories - can be very precious. I remember Sharon lovingly preparing meals for our four girls and feeding each one as we sat at the table. For a time they were each very content to have the food spooned into their open mouths. But the time cane when each would try to grab the spoon and if we relented would start (very sloppily) spoon the food in their bowl into their own mouths (or at least try to). We encouraged it.
ReplyDeleteI love to hear gifted preachers/teachers who generally have training, time and gifting I do not have. I learn an immense from such people. BUT - I can't imagine not being able to pick one of my several Bibles and spend time with God myself to hear what He, my loving heavenly Father might have to say to me personally.
That in itself takes training, and thank the Lord for men like you with a heart to help the rest of us. The Lord bless you for your hard work!
I like the image. I can see three of the girls around the table the fourth was after my time. Great teachers, preachers, and authors are a gift from God. I agree and if you were to look in my study you would find floor to ceiling book shelves in some cases two deep.
DeleteBut we cannot live or deeply know our Lord and our God if we only know that which others have found. For we have not seen it ourselves. Thus it is really not ours. We are learning and living the Christian life by proxy.
When we study on our own. When we personally engage, then when we hear or read those who are gifted, we are in a conversation. We don't enter into that conversation as blanks, rather we listen with ears and see with eyes that have worked through the issues. We compare and contrast what they have seen with our discoveries. Then our benefit is much greater.
Frankly, they are the ones who lose. Because they do not get the benefit of hearing what we have seen. Ephesians 4:14 - 16.