The Rock

The Faithwalker's Journal — Ezekiel’s Wisdom—2 - Sunday March 21, 2010

For this is a rebellious people, false sons…who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”; and to the prophets, “You must not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions.” Isaiah 30:9-10

One of my least favorite chapters of Ezekiel is chapter 16. Here Ezekiel uses sexual imagery to show Israel’s disloyalty to God. The description is not pleasant. It could hardly be more blatant—I was shocked the first time I read it: “God, couldn’t You be more decent? Do You really think this should be in the Bible? Children might read this!” But obviously God is speaking through Ezekiel. God calls a spade a spade, a sin a sin. Before a physician can heal, he must diagnose accurately. God forces us to face truth, if we would come to Him. But His goal is restoration! He says tenderly to His people, “I’ll remember the covenant I made with you when you were young and I’ll make a new covenant with you that will last forever” (16:60 TM). We must face facts about our sin and God’s holiness. Denial of truth about ourselves or others’ situations will leave us living in a world of unreality with no exit. Pretending that fantasies and daydreams are harmless, an innocent way to avoid a painful reality or an unpleasant family situation, is to throw away one’s real life. It is one of Satan’s ploys that panders to our wishes—”speak to us pleasant words.” Romantic daydreams or sexual fantasies can create bondage and prevent God’s work in our lives. For parents, denial may be not asking questions of our teenage children—we do not want to know what we will not approve of. Recently a mother was quoted as saying to a teenager, “I do not want to pry into your affairs.” This is not love, but denial. Love faces facts and takes action.

Dotty Vanderhorst
Cornerstone Community Church

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 32:1-33:39; Luke 4:31-5:11; Psalms 64:1-10; Proverbs 11:22
[Read online bible]

by Dotty Vanderhorst — March 20, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Isaiah 40:26

Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

March 20, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — Ezekiel’s Wisdom—1 - Saturday March 20, 2010

Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, oh hold them back. Proverbs 24:11

Ezekiel has been my least favorite book in the Bible—too weird, too depressing. It’s not that I don’t like prophets. Isaiah is probably my favorite book—full of right-on diagnosis of problems, but also glorious promises. However, my last trip through Ezekiel was different. Eugene Peterson’s introduction in The Message really caught my attention. Listen to a part of it: “Catastrophe strikes and a person’s world falls apart. People respond variously, but two of the more common responses are denial and despair. Denial refuses to acknowledge the catastrophe. It shuts its eyes tight or looks the other way; it manages to act as if everything is going to be just fine; it takes refuge in distractions and lies and fantasies. Despair is paralyzed by the catastrophe and accepts it as the end of the world. It is unwilling to do anything, concluding that life for all intents and purposes is over. Despair listlessly closes its eyes to a world in which all the color has drained out….” Catastrophe has not been something I’ve experienced a lot. But when you ask God to use you in others’ lives, no matter what the cost, watch out. Do you want to live safely on the sidelines, enjoying hours of time spent on entertaining yourself? Are you who are parents overly protecting your own kids from the world’s temptations? Or are you willing to put your life on the line, affecting other lives for all eternity—even outside your family, outside your friendship circle? If you decide to enter God’s army, not just His family, you may find yourself in despair or denial at some points in time. Let’s look at how to avoid these.

Dotty Vanderhorst
Cornerstone Community Church

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 30:1-31:54; Luke 4:1-30; Psalms 63:1-11; Proverbs 11:20-21
[Read online bible]

by Dotty Vanderhorst — March 19, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

Matt and Nancy Heerema — My personal sushi chef

About three years ago, Matt came home from some far-and-away business travels all excited about eating sushi. I was definitely, um, hesitant to say the least about trying it, but after a taste, I realized that it was something for which I could probably develop a taste. Eventually, spider rolls (fried soft-shell crab…no real spider in it ;) ) became my favorite but I still turned up my nose at the actual raw fish rolls. But recently, I have turned over to the dark side…and now I really, really like the raw fish stuff. Matt and I now drool at the mention of a fancy rainbow roll. Good sushi is definitely not a budget food, so to tide us over between visits to our favorite local spot, Matt has become very adept at making homemade California rolls. They’re definitely not fancy, but we love them!

We have yet to find a really good source of sushi-grade fish (as in here in Ames…any hints, anyone?) so we just use what we fondly call “Krabb” (imitation crab). And yes, we like to spell it out when we talk about it. :) A little avocado, cucumber, seasoned rice and KRABB on nori (seaweed paper) and don’t forget the sesame seed! DeLISH!

by Nancy — March 19, 2010 @ 8:52 pm (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Matthew 18:5-6

"Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."

March 19, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — Just Do It! - Friday March 19, 2010

But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” Exodus 4:13 NIV

If we want to see lives changed, we need to take personal responsibility. My heart can be like that of Moses: “please send someone else to do it.” Let’s not say that to God when He asks us to do something. Here are five practical tips for winning your friends and family with love. Pray for opportunities. It’s fine to pray, “God, help us reach the world.” But I would suggest you pray for opportunities in this way: “God, give me an opportunity to share the Gospel today that I can’t turn down”—and use specific names of people you know when you pray. Build a bridge of listening and caring. When asked how he got saved, a Chinese exchange student said this: “My friend built a bridge between my heart and his, and Jesus walked across.” Are you remembering names? Are you remembering birthdays? Are you being generous? Doing these things builds bridges. Find out what they like, and do it. Don’t just find someone who likes what you like to do. Find out what other people like and join them. It’s a great way to both befriend people and win people to Christ. I’ve played basketball and video games for Jesus. I’ve learned guitar; I’ve rock climbed, I’ve drywalled—all to build relationships. I became a scout master (and I don’t even like camping) to win the hearts of my kids. Get equipped. Get trained to share your faith. There are many great tools available. Take an outreach class. Get some gospel tracts to share with people you meet. Finally, Just do it! The Gospel is too important not to tell other people.

Bill Young
Faithwalkers West 2009

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 28:16-29:40; Luke 3:23-38; Psalms 62:1-12; Proverbs 11:18-19
[Read online bible]

by Bill Young — March 18, 2010 @ 10:01 pm (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

March 18, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — It’s not about You! - Thursday March 18, 2010

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” Exodus 4:1 NIV

Fear of rejection often prevents us from loving like Jesus did. Moses had this problem when he questioned God. Notice how many times Moses refers to himself in the above verse? You have to understand something important: It’s not about you! Rebecca Pippert, author of Out of the Salt Shaker, says, “Christians and non-Christians have something in common: we’re both uptight about evangelism.” But God’s love dissolves our fear. John tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” (1 John 4:18). Let me tell you a story. Last summer my family and I were on summer vacation in Des Moines, Iowa when I got a message on my cell phone from a guy in Salt Lake City. He was both irate and threatening. I was on vacation—we were going to the state fair to see the butter cow. I didn’t want to deal with this guy. But I called him back, a bit angry myself, as well as a bit fearful. I didn’t want a lawsuit against our church. It turned out he didn’t understand the situation, didn’t have all the facts. After an hour and a half of calming him down, we had become friends. I was ready to get off the phone and go look at the butter cow. But God nudged me to say: “If you were to die tonight, do you know that you would go to heaven?” He didn’t know, but was interested. After 45 more minutes of conversation, he prayed to receive Christ. That was in August. In October someone sent me Patrick’s obituary. Could it be that God got him angry at me so that I would share the gospel with him before he died? We don’t want to miss the opportunities God gives us.

Bill Young
Faithwalkers West 2009

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 26:52-28:15; Luke 3:1-22; Psalms 61:1-8; Proverbs 11:16-17
[Read online bible]

by Bill Young — March 17, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Isaiah 55:10-11

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

March 17, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — Stamp Eternity on My Eyes - Wednesday March 17, 2010

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 NIV

We need to see people in light of eternity if we are going to love like Jesus. Jesus saw people as harassed and helpless. He had compassion on them. Is that the way you see the dying people around you? Or do you see them as messed-up sinners that you don’t have a lot of time for? When our God has compassion, He does something about it. He wants us to stop wasting time and start caring, sharing, and loving. People are going to hell. Are you willing to do anything about it? I have a friend who pastors an old denominational church. He has a heart to reach people. The church has a board that is not really outreach-minded. He was recently in a board meeting. The church was spending millions on renovations, but not on reaching people. He was trying to convince them to take some of their resources and spend them on the dying people out there. After they said “No,” he was so frustrated that he said, “If that is the way you feel, I would like to make a proposal to the board that we change our mission statement to the following, and we emboss it above the stage so that everyone who walks through our doors can see it when they walk in: ‘You are going to hell and we don’t care.’” Needless to say, the board of my friend’s church voted it down. I like this quote from Leonard Ravenhill, English Christian evangelist and author: “Lord, stamp eternity on my eyes, ‘heaven’ on one and ‘hell’ on the other, that I might see every single human being in light of eternity.” Lord, help me to do that today.

Bill Young
Faithwalkers West 2009

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 26:1-51; Luke 2:36-52; Psalms 60:1-12; Proverbs 11:15
[Read online bible]

by Bill Young — March 16, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — How Much do You Have to Hate Them? - Tuesday March 16, 2010

The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians.… So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:7-11 NIV

If we want to love like Jesus, we need to be concerned about the lost. We can’t be indifferent about spiritually dying people. Let’s compare and contrast God’s heart and Moses’ heart in today’s passage. Our God sees suffering: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt” (verse 7). God sees our misery and our pain. He sees, He hears, and then He does something about it, just as He did for the Israelites in Egypt. Moses was probably very surprised when God wanted to send him. We have this “Charlton Heston picture” of Moses—burly and buff with a deep voice and perfect hair. We think, “Oh, if I could only be as brave as Moses.” But Moses was really a chicken at times. He said, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh…?” He was scared. When our God has compassion, He does something about it. People are going to hell. Are you willing to do anything about it? Famous illusionist and noted atheist Penn Jillette said the following: “I have no respect for Christians who don’t evangelize. If you really believe that people are going to hell and you have the answer, how much do you have to hate them not to tell them?” Is our selfishness keeping us from loving the lost?

Bill Young
Faithwalkers West 2009

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 24:1-25:18; Luke 2:1-35; Psalms 59:1-17; Proverbs 11:14
[Read online bible]

by Bill Young — March 16, 2010 @ 8:00 am (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Colossians 3:9-10

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

March 16, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — Life-Changing Love - Monday March 15, 2010

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV

On November 28th 2008, it was Black Friday. In a Long Island N.Y. Walmart store, a 34-year-old Walmart employee was crushed to death. A crowd waiting to get into the store got out of control. Hundreds of people bull rushed through the doors. Walmart employees had to scramble on top of vending machines to get out of the way. Employees got on the intercom and pled with people to leave the store. They begged people to clear the area saying, “Please—our friend is dying.” And you know what people said back to them? “We’ve waited all night. We’re not leaving.” Half a dozen people went to the hospital that day, and one man died. He was killed by a crowd rushing in to save twenty bucks on a flat screen TV and a few bucks on a pair of Wranglers. A man was dying, and people kept shopping. Christians, people are dying all around us. Are you still sleeping? Are you watching TV? People are dying all around me. Do I even care? I have trampled people who are dying. I have walked right past unbelievers every day without caring. That’s not what Jesus did. How do we love like Jesus and not trample people? As we understand the love of God, it will compel us and cause us to love like Jesus who died and rose again. John 13:34 says, “A new commandment I give you. Love one another” (NIV). As we understand God’s love, we’ll be able to love the world.

Bill Young
Faithwalkers West 2009

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 22:21-23:30; Luke 1:57-80; Psalms 58:1-11; Proverbs 11:12-13
[Read online bible]

by Bill Young — March 15, 2010 @ 5:00 am (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — John 15:16

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

March 15, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

March 14, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — Set Apart - Sunday March 14, 2010

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17 NIV

Given the grim economic news that hits us daily—rising unemployment, increasing national debt, shrinking GDP, falling home prices— it’s hard for me not to be fearful. But the above passage of Scripture reminds me that this world will pass away. When I don’t love the world or all that it has to offer, that liberates and enables me to live in faith—not fear. In other words, if I don’t love this world, then I don’t have to stress or freak out when bad stuff happens to it. The world is passing away, but I will live forever with God. That’s a fact, and a sure-fire way to fortify my faith! I’ve been trying to model this in my home life as well. I recently shared some thoughts with our two young boys about not loving the world, and my wife Krista read 1 John 2 out loud to them. Thankfully, something must have registered in their little minds. A week later my three-year-old Aiden (now four) was looking through one of our photo albums and spotted a picture of himself sitting in our old car. “I loved that car,” he said. “We need another one just like it.” Five-year-old brother Kael (now six) responded, “Aiden, the Bible says don’t love the world, and that car was part of the world. We shouldn’t love it.” My little prophet learned the lesson of chapter two and took it to heart. So should we.

Josh Whitney
The Rock

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 21:1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Psalms 57:1-11; Proverbs 11:9-11
[Read online bible]

by Josh Whitney — March 13, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

Tony & Kirsten Hill — Kindergarten MONTH in review (weeks #20-23)

I can hardly believe it’s been a almost month since I have written a homeschooling update post. Oh wait, yes I can!  During that month we watched the Olympics almost every night for two weeks.  And we did our taxes.  And it got warmer out and it felt like we were doing less school.  I knew I would fall off the weekly or even bi-weekly bandwagon at some point!   Now that I am about to start my quarterly editing work, I thought I better hop back on this bandwagon of writing update posts, lest it become a quarterly update of our homeschooling activities.

Here’s what we’ve been up to in Madeline’s Kindergarten studies:

Bible: We’ve been alternating been the 252 basics lessons and reading from “Leading Little Ones to God.”   This is proving to work out well.  Some of this has been unintentional, as we do tend to lose those little take home sheets from church every now and then.   But other days as I have read through the take home lesson from church, I felt like it didn’t really fit Madeline’s needs very well (such as one lesson that started off, “think about that teacher at school no one likes” or something like that).  And on those days we just read out of the “Leading Little Ones…” book.

Social Studies/Geography: We spent about three weeks studying China. It was fun reading fiction and non-fiction books together and watching a couple of videos.  We worked on a lapbook but didn’t finish it.  The siren call of first warm melty snow and then puddles for splashing made the idea of spending extra time inside coloring, cutting and pasting to be less appealing I think! I may have also chosen lapbook pieces that were too complicated and required too much of me and not enough of her.  I would really like to finish it up, just to say we did it.  We’ll see if that happpens…if it’s going to happen, it will probably mean me staying up some night to do most of it, just leaving a bit of gluing or coloring for Madeline to finish.

We moved to the continent of Europe this week, beginning our study with a lightweight study of Great Britain — essentially just reading a couple of books together.  We’ll study Ireland this next week in conjunction with St. Patrick’s Day!

Phonics/Reading/Handwriting: Madeline continued working on her Explode the Code workbook pages almost daily — this provides for her handwriting practice as well as working on phonics skills.  We also checked out sets #2 and #3 of the BOB Books from the library.  While doing BOB books set #1 proved frustrating to Madeline in the past, she is at the right stage in her skill development right now, and they are perfect! She is learning new phonics skills all over the place, and has said that working on the BOB books is her favorite part of doing school right now.

Math: We are continuing our quick progress in Right Start Math level A.  After making it up to lesson 27 earlier this week, I decided to skip us ahead to lesson 35 so we could continue studying addition — something Madeline is very excited about.  She is actually skipping WAY ahead on her own and trying to figure out how to add two digit numbers and about how the hundreds and thousands places work.  She asked if we could skip ahead to studying addition of numbers in the teens, but I am keeping her working on addition “the right start way”  with the lessons the book presents so we don’t miss out on the cool way this program teaches math.    The lessons we skipped covered geometry and money topics…we’ll go back and cover those after we either finish the addition lessons or when Madeline needs a break from that topics.

Science: Despite my best intentions, we still aren’t doing quite as much science as  I would like.  We did have a blast doing a “solid, liquid, gas” scavenger hunt around the house, and we started the lesson on Air.  We also took advantage of the nicer weather (and Madeline’s curiosity about things she was observing outside) to talk some about seeds and the coming of spring.

by kirsten — March 13, 2010 @ 7:18 pm (CST)

Tony & Kirsten Hill — Menu Plan…Saturday?

Clearly it is well past Monday this week, very late for a menu post… I could have just waited until tomorrow and started with next week, but I was afraid I might not get to it.  I did start writing my Menu Plan Monday post for this past week, but somehow the draft did not get saved, and while I was waiting for time to look for links, the post got lost.

The second half of March is going to be a busy month with Erik’s birthday, a trip to Ames for a wedding and my quarterly editing deadline.  So, I spent the time to write out the next four weeks of menus all at once.   I also put extra effort into getting deals at the grocery store.  As of today I should have pretty much everything I need for the month (other than produce, milk, eggs and coffee) to last me for the rest of the month.   I will also need some extra food for Erik’s birthday party and I will probably make quick trips to Rainbow to double a few coupons on the next couple Wednesdays…but on the whole I am really happy with the fact I have spent just a bit over half of my grocery budget for the month and have enough food to make dinner through the end of the month and even a few days beyond.

Here’s what’s on the menu this week:

Monday (3/8): We had chicken quarters cooked in the crock pot (marinated in Sun Dried Tomato dressing…yum!), make-ahead mashed potatoes from the freezer and carrots.

Tuesday: We had pulled pork sandwiches (freezer leftovers from Kai’s birthday) with coleslaw and sweet potato fries

Wednesday: We had Enchiladas with chips and salsa — one pan of Seafood enchiladas and one pan of Bean and Corn enchiladas (filling is beans, corn, onions, tomato sauce or enchilada sauce, and green chilies if you want it to be spicy).

Thursday: We had Fish Chowder (recipe from crockpot356.blogspot.com) and fresh homemade bread

Friday: We had Chicken Spaghetti Bake (recipe in this post) and broccoli

Saturday: Grill out burgers and hot dogs…yes, it is optimistic but we are going to “welcome spring” with a few friends on Saturday night.

Sunday: It’s Pi(e) day! Get it…3/14…uh, huh.  So, we will have Taco Pie for our main course and some kind of sweet pie for dessert.  Madeline requests Raspberry pie, but I don’t know how that will turn out with frozen raspberries.

Future weeks:

Monday (3/15): Pork loin, baked potatoes, salad or veggie

Tuesday: Chili Bake (from the freezer) and a salad or veggie

Wednesday: It’s St. Patrick’s Day! I’m trying a Corned beef brisket for the first time, served with potatoes and cabbage (maybe served as Colcannon).  And maybe some Irish Soda Bread?

Thursday: Chicken, bean and rice burritos

Friday: A pasta casserole with the Sun Dried Tomato Albacore I got free at Rainbow last week.  No exact recipe…I’ll be making it up as I go along.  Serve with a veggie or salad.

Saturday: Meatloaf and a potato or rice side dish from the freezer w/veggies or salad

Sunday: Erik’s birthday party at lunch (menu TBA), and either leftovers for dinner or maybe Broccoli Cheese Soup.

Monday (3/22): Pork chops and a potato or rice side dish and a veggie or salad

Tuesday: Spaghetti or an Italian Pasta Bake

Wednesday: Curried Chickpeas with rice and maybe Naan.

Thursday: Erik’s birthday…maybe Pizza? Or something else of his choosing.

Friday-Sunday: Trip to Iowa

Monday (3/28): Tacos with ground beef

Tuesday: Chicken Tettrazini (recipe in this post) and a veggie or salad

Wednesday: Pork Roast and a potato or rice side dish with a veggie or salad  (notice all the pork in the menu? Can you tell I used 10 pork coupons recently to stock up when it was on sale a couple times?). 

Thursday: Tator tot casserole

Friday: Chicken Tortilla Soup (recipe from crockpot365.blogspot.com)

By Saturday, April 3rd I am hoping my editing will be finished and I can do Saturday double coupons to start stocking up for April. 

For lots more menu inspiration, visit Menu Plan Monday every week at orgjunkie.com!

by kirsten — March 13, 2010 @ 5:42 am (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Luke 6:37-38

"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."

March 13, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — The Heart of a Servant—3 - Saturday March 13, 2010

I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage,who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. 2 Corinthians 8:10-11

Step One in selfless serving is to be secure in who you are in Christ, and to have the right motivation. Step Two is to be on the look-out for needs and opportunities and notice them. Step Three is very simple and has become a popular slogan for a certain brand of sport shoe: “Just do it!” When God shows you a way to serve or how you can meet a need, don’t let the opportunity slip by. First look for ways to meet the need in secret. Maybe someone is a little short of money. Find a way to slip it to them (in their Bible, or coat, or…). Maybe someone’s bike tire is flat. Find a way to fix it when you know they will be gone. The possibilities are endless. So many of our great intentions never get carried out. Might we strive not only to desire to serve, but also to do it. Selfless serving is really just another way of loving. Paul said in Galatians 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Your assignment: Find a way to serve someone anonymously today. And have fun doing it!

Daniel P. Goering
Die Brücke (The Bridge)

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 19:1-20:29; Luke 1:1-25; Psalms 56:1-13; Proverbs 11:8
[Read online bible]

by Daniel P. Goering — March 12, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — John 14:16-17

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

March 12, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — The Heart of a Servant—2 - Friday March 12, 2010

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45

Once our heart is willing to selflessly serve, the next step is to pay attention to the needs and opportunities around us. Part of being a selfless servant is to take time to notice opportunities to serve. How easily we become consumed with our own important work. Of course people should serve me, because I have to prepare the Bible study, or make the meal, or call all the people, or…. We have a nice list of reasons why others should be serving us. But this was not Jesus’ attitude. He came to serve, and was always looking for ways to meet the needs of others around Him. The example of the apostle Paul impressed me recently. How’s this for a stressful day? After enduring the harrowing experience of the storm at sea where all were sure they would die, and after surviving the shipwreck by clinging to pieces of debris from the ship, Paul was finally washed ashore with the other survivors on the isle of Malta. And what did Paul do at this point? Let me show you: “But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire…” (Acts 28:3). While most of us might have thought we deserved a bit of a break, Paul did the menial task of gathering the firewood! He, like Jesus, did not come to be served, but to serve. Step Two of effective servanthood is to see the needs and opportunities right under our noses. May God give us eyes to selflessly serve those around us.

Daniel P. Goering
Die Brücke (The Bridge)

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 16:41-18:32; Mark 16:1-20; Psalms 55:1-23; Proverbs 11:7
[Read online bible]

by Daniel P. Goering — March 11, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

The Rock Audio Feed — Message 3-11-2010

by Craig McClanahan — March 11, 2010 @ 12:08 am (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — 1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

March 11, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — The Heart of a Servant—1 - Thursday March 11, 2010

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. John 13:3-4

A prerequisite to effective service is that we first have a proper view of ourselves. This is one lesson we can distill from Jesus as He washed the feet of His disciples. One translation says “Jesus, being conscious that…He had come forth from God and was going back to God” (Bible in Basic English—BBE). Jesus served His disciples out of a clear understanding of who He was, where He had come from, and where He was going. This understanding is also critical for us to serve people as we should. There can be many motivations for serving. Obviously it does not please God, nor does it result in future gain, when we serve just to be seen by men (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16). Other motivations are duty and obligation or from a conscious or unconscious attempt to earn God’s favor. To serve selflessly, we must first have an accurate grasp of who we are before God and in Christ and have an assurance of His calling on our lives. What truths about our identity in Christ can free us to truly serve selflessly? 1. We are qualified to serve because He has gifted us (1 Peter 4:10, 1 Corinthians 12). 2. As we understand our unworthiness, we can escape the trap of thinking too highly of ourselves and can think so as to have sound judgment (Romans 12:1-3). 3. We are His slaves, and our rights really belong to Him anyway (Luke 17:7-10, Philippians 2:3-8). This consciousness is Step One in selflessly serving.

Daniel P. Goering
Die Brücke (The Bridge)

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 15:17-16:40; Mark 15:1-47; Psalms 54:1-7; Proverbs 11:5-6
[Read online bible]

by Daniel P. Goering — March 10, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Jude 1:24-25

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

March 10, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — Walking Strong as a Faithwalker—2 - Wednesday March 10, 2010

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:67-68 NIV

What does it take to be a life-long faithwalker? Here are three more traits you need to develop in your life. A faithwalker is a disciple who grows in his or her commitment. I pray this prayer almost every day: “Lord, help me to love You with all my heart and soul and mind and strength today.” I’ve committed myself to the Great Commandment and loving my neighbor. I’ve made committments to my wife, my family, my local church, my leaders, this world and the Great Commission. What are you committed to? Practical measures of your commitment can be seen in your attendance, your service, and your giving. A faithwalker is also a disciple who daily practices spiritual disciplines. Did you have your quiet time this morning? We need to pray. We need to read, study, and memorize the Word. We need to pursue reconciliation and restitution with any brothers and sisters we have wronged. We must examine our heart daily. And we must proclaim the Word. Finally, a faithwalker is a disciple who loves God today more than yesterday. Meditate on Romans 8:39 “Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT). Our whole Christian experience is based on this love. If you don’t know this love, ask God daily to help you understand this love. I ask God every day, “Help me love You more today than I did yesterday.” Develop these five traits in your life, and they will help you maintain your course as a lifelong faithwalker.

Rory Whitney
Faithwalkers West 2009

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 14:1-15:16; Mark 14:53-72; Psalms 53:1-6; Proverbs 11:4
[Read online bible]

by Rory Whitney — March 9, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Proverbs 20:9

Who can say, "I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin"?

March 9, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — Walking Strong as a Faithwalker—1 - Tuesday March 09, 2010

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NIVAnyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. James 4:4 NIV

It’s one thing to burn hot for God for three days or three weeks. It’s quite another thing to serve the Lord for the long haul. Today and tomorrow we’ll look at five traits you must have if you ever hope to last. First, a faithwalker is a disciple who displays courage. Courage has to define you as a Christian. Faithwalkers will be asked to do hard things, to speak up, to correct, to reprove—it takes courage. You will be asked to display courage with your lifestyle choices. Being a faithwalker will influence whom you marry, your education, your job, where you live, and how you raise and train your children. You will be asked to train your children in a godly way that this world doesn’t understand. We are strangers in this land, and we don’t fit in this world. We have got to be men and women of courage who know how to tap into the strength that only God can give. Second, a faithwalker is a disciple who lives by his or her convictions. I’m not just talking about theological and doctrinal convictions, but lifestyle convictions. What are the convictions that God is developing in you day by day? You are a Christian? Then live like it. You should look different, act different, talk different. If your aim is just to enjoy this world, James 4:4 says that you can’t be a friend of God. We want to be winsome and reach out, but it is Christ in you that the world is attracted to. This isn’t my home, and it shouldn’t be yours.

Rory Whitney
Faithwalkers West 2009

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 11:24-13:33; Mark 14:22-52; Psalms 52:1-9; Proverbs 11:1-3
[Read online bible]

by Rory Whitney — March 8, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

Matt and Nancy Heerema — One of my top picks: The Jesus Storybook Bible

In my previous post I mentioned The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jago. I think that some of my friends might be tired of hearing me talk about it because I get so excited about it!

Originally, I read about it last summer and the high praise was echoed several other places when we decided to check this out. Matt and I were so impressed with how Sally Lloyd-Jones gets to the heart of both of the Old Testament and New Testament Bible stories. Her tagline to the title is “Every story whispers his name” which says it perfectly: she brings out so beautifully how the Old Testament accounts point to Jesus. Her words are simple enough for our three-year-old to understand, but woven together in such a way that Matt and I have both found tears in our eyes at different times while reading this aloud. You can check out the deluxe version to hear an audio sample of the account of creation to get a feel for her writing style.

I’ve given this Bible as a birthday gift and also as a baby shower gift. You might say, “Well, isn’t a Bible a bit down the road for a baby?” If you have given birth, you probably are familiar with the exhaustion haze that comes from being up at all hours with a newborn. This is the perfect way to provide a new mom with something encouraging (but not too brainy!) to read at this time.

Adults will find Jago’s illustrations intriguingly artsy and kids will be drawn to the emotion in the characters’ faces. Our daughter will ask, “Why does he look so sad?”

Although this is definitely the first recommendation out of my mouth when someone asks about a children’s Bible (or a gift in general!), I’m just excited about getting (almost) any Bible in the hands of kids and their parents. In case you’re looking for something slightly different, we also own this board book Bible, this children’s Bible (which has simple discussion questions), and this children’s Bible that goes into a bit more detail. However, in clearly communicating the gospel, I feel like this one is tops.

by Nancy — March 8, 2010 @ 9:54 pm (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Psalm 68:19

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.

March 8, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — A Spirit of Humility—3 - Monday March 08, 2010

If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness. 1 Timothy 6:3

Did you notice something missing here in verse 3? After instructing Timothy to speak to the slaves (vs. 12), Paul writes about false teachers in the church. As I read this, I thought “Wait a minute, Paul. What about the slave masters? What words of instruction are for them?” But Paul gives no exhortation to the masters. Why not? No one can say for sure. But could it be that Paul was simply addressing the “main issues” that Timothy needed to know in building the church? If so, the first three verses of 1 Timothy would indicate that building a spirit of humility (through the example of slaves) and squelching false doctrine (which undermined godly living) were higher priority to Paul than instructing masters. Paul is directing Timothy to build a church of humility and faith. We read in Habakkuk 2:4, “Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.” Based on this verse, someone once pointed out that faith and humility are really the same coin—just opposite sides. Humility comes through a life of respectful submission and service. Faith comes by rejecting the deceptions of false teaching and listening to the truth of God’s word. God earnestly desires a spirit of humility in the church. But it will not come easily. It results when church members model it in the workplace, and when leaders courageously remove false teaching that undermines godly living. Are you committed to building a spirit of humility in your church?

John Hopler
Great Commission Churches

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 10:1-11:23; Mark 14:1-21; Psalms 51:1-19; Proverbs 10:31-32
[Read online bible]

by John Hopler — March 7, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)

Matt and Nancy Heerema — Why I didn’t “get” the gospel until I was sickened by the ugliness of my sin

After I saw this YouTube video today, I was thinking about my own experience of how seeing my sin more clearly has made me see the gospel in a completely different light. Dr. Piper says it so well:

I would say that I’ve been a Christian since about age 6, when I “asked Jesus to come into my heart.” Since then, I would have said I had a pretty good understanding of Jesus’ work on the cross, dying to pay for our sin. And for the most part, I was a fairly good kid: keeping my nose out of trouble, and generally doing what was expected of me. However, when I would hear songs like “The Wonderful Cross” and “Jesus Paid It All” and I would think, “Good grief…I haven’t done anything all THAT bad…” and part of me would just feel really uncomfortable.

A situation about two and a half years ago changed that. A set of circumstances made me see clearly, I think probably for the first time, how ugly my sin is to God. Without really realizing it, I had come to really, really like how people responded to me when I did the right/good/noble/expected things and ended up valuing that over God’s opinion. And in turn, I figured that God would probably be fairly impressed by that, too. Over and over the Bible talks about how God isn’t impressed by the things that people are, but that God sees past it and looks at the heart. I realized how awful my seemingly good works looked to God: things that I did to look good to people that were often motivated by jealousy, pride, or selfishness. Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t looking so hot in God’s eyes. Here’s this girl trying to be all religious when inside her heart is just ugly. In the Bible, Jesus uses religious people quite frequently to show how their hearts were in the wrong place and how they really liked the respect that their position got them. And that was me!

All of a sudden, I realized that need for that blood. I was really dirty. I am still so amazed that God hasn’t just zapped me out of existence…considering all of the junk that has been (and is) in my heart and mind. But, he loved me enough to not only not zap me out of existence, but to pay for all of the ugly things that I have (and still will) done.

There’s a children’s Bible that I love (The Jesus Storybook Bible) that puts it so simply: “All Naaman needed was nothing. It was the one thing Naaman didn’t have.” I was trying to please God and please people by doing, by having it all together. But all we need is the understanding that we don’t and can’t have it all together…that all our attempts at being good and perfect will fail. That’s why we need Jesus’ blood from the cross, the perfect sacrifice to pay for our sins.

by Nancy — March 7, 2010 @ 6:00 am (CST)

Daily Bible Verse (ESV) — Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

March 7, 2010 @ 12:01 am (CST)

The Faithwalker's Journal — A Spirit of Humility—2 - Sunday March 07, 2010

Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles. 1 Timothy 6:2

In Ephesians chapters five and six, Paul addresses three types of relationships: husbands and wives, children and parents, and slaves and masters. Each is a relationship that has a follower and a leader. The follower is to show honor. The leader is to lead in love. It is noteworthy that in each of these relationships, Paul addresses the follower first. I believe that he does so because the follower is the one who sets the pace for modeling “all humility” in the church. In 1 Timothy Paul writes to his young disciple in Ephesus and urges him to teach slaves to honor their masters in their service. He makes a special point to caution slaves to be even more respectful towards masters who are believers in Jesus Christ. The temptation was for slaves to think of their masters primarily as “brothers” needing no extra respect. But Paul corrects this thinking by urging slaves to show even more humility towards those who are believers. A woman left a secular job to work for some Christians. There she encountered more problems than she expected. Her pastor asked her if she was working as hard as she did for the unbelievers. She wasn’t. The pastor told her to work harder and to show even more respect—and to see if God would clear up the problems. She took his counsel and found that the issues eventually disappeared. How are you doing in showing “all humility” towards the Christians in your church?

John Hopler Great
Commission Churches

One Year Reading Plan: Numbers 8:1-9:23; Mark 13:14-37; Psalms 50:1-23; Proverbs 10:29-30
[Read online bible]

by John Hopler Great — March 6, 2010 @ 10:00 pm (CST)