Change your diet. Change your life!

“A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”

Charles Spurgeon

  Our national obsession with cooking shows, famous chefs and new cookbooks continues to grow. It’s estimated that we spend more than five hours a week consuming “food media,” yet only four hours actually cooking. That means the average adult spends more time watching, scrolling and reading about food than actually cooking. More than half of the 2,000 surveyed admitted that they’d rather watch a meal being cooked, or look at photos online than actually cook with many saying they’re too short of time, or the dishes look far too complicated to manage.

  Doesn’t that sound like a lot of Christians? Studies reveal that the typical Christian is biblically illiterate. The outcome of that is why many believers are both miserable and miserable to be around…just like those who don’t know Jesus.

  The solution isn’t overly complicated. It’s simply that you’ll never be a healthy, growing Christian or have all the blessings and the life that God desires you to have – if you do not habitually read your Bible, His instruction manual. To put it another way, you won’t have peace unless you have a regular connection with the Prince of Peace.

  Yet, there are all types of excuses for not reading our Bibles. They’re just that though, excuses! Here are some common ones. Are any yours?

  I don't have time. We always find time if something is a priority. What’s important to you? How do you find time for that?

  I’m not a reader. Then, be a listener. Most of us have smartphones and a blue tooth. Download a free Bible app and listen as you drive. You can even listen when you exercise or do tasks around the house.

  Reading makes me sleepy. Switch times and locations. Get a cup of coffee or hot tea. Stand up and read if you need to.

  I never get anything out of it. Ask the Lord to open your spiritual eyes before you begin reading (James 1:5), so that you understand His Word.

  The Bible is too confusing to me. It can be. Start with what’s clear like the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John). If you want something practical, read a New Testament letter like Ephesians, Philippians or one of the Thessalonians, or even the book of Proverbs. The Books of Revelation or Ezekiel are not the best places to start.

  How do you start reading the Bible?

  Pick a regular daily time. Make it an appointment like breakfast or lunch. Most of us keep our appointments. Choose a good time that works for you. Most find that starting the day works best. Some like to end their day reading their Bible. The time is unimportant; the consistency is. Pick a period of time when you’re not rushed. We all know a steady diet of fast food isn’t healthy. Short, rushed Bible reading isn’t spiritually healthy. You’ll need at least 15 to 30 minutes (most of us waste far more than that each day on social media). Plan a time when you’re alert so that you can be focused and give your full attention.

  Pick a Bible you can understand. There are many good translations available from the ESV (English Standard Version) to NASV (New American Standard Version) or the NLT (New Living Translation). It’s important that your Bible is easy to read with large enough print, durable enough to use and inexpensive enough that you don’t feel bad writing or marking in it. Your Bible is meant to be used. It’s not a museum piece.

  Read God’s Word not someone’s interpretation of God’s Word. There’s a place for devotionals like Our Daily Bread or Today in the Word, but they’re not a substitute for the real thing. They’re someone else’s interpretation of what the Bible says. Usually, they’re snacks, not meals.

  Have a plan. I enjoy reading the Bible all the way through each year. I haven’t always done that, but I appreciate a holistic approach. God’s Word isn’t a novel, designed to be read from Genesis straight through to Revelation. If you do that, you’re likely to drop out somewhere in Leviticus. What I enjoy about a Bible reading plan is that most have a daily section from the Old Testament, the New Testament along with Psalms and Proverbs. It helps balance out things. For example, when I’m drilling through some of the tougher portions of Job, my soul is also being fed from where I’m reading at the same time in the New Testament.

  If you’re going to read a book of the Bible over a period of days or weeks, read the whole book through first at one sitting. For example, if you want to read Romans set aside a time to read the whole book at one time. It will give you an overview and make your later sectional reading more profitable. This probably won’t work with a large book like Isaiah. Even there though you can read it in a couple of days to get the big picture.  

  God gave us His Word so that His Word would mold us to be more like Jesus. God wants us to understand the Bible, but it doesn’t stop there. We’re to apply His Word to our lives. It helps then to ask some key questions as you read the Bible…

  What is God trying to teach me? At salvation, every believer is given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16), yet we’re still tempted to think the way we did before salvation. Lasting transformation begins with the renewal of our minds (Rom. 12:1-2). Reflect on wrong thinking that the passage exposes.

  What does God want me to believe? It’s easy to understand truth at an intellectual level without allowing it to change how we live. God doesn’t want Christians to just know their Bibles. He wants Christians who think differently because they know their Bibles. Scripture must change our outlook on life and our worldview.

  What does God want me to do? When Scripture changes how we think, it produces tangible applications in how we live. Sometimes a passage gives us a direct command. Think about what sinful actions the passage exposes in your life and what godly actions you must pursue (James 1:22-27).

  No other book will so radically change you as the Bible both for this life and eternity. It’s silly to own a Bible and rarely read it. As we enter 2020, make this the year when regular Bible reading is a part of your daily life.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

You're never to old to learn more...about the Bible

“Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the Book widens and deepens with our years.” Charles Spurgeon

  Next Sunday our women’s ministry is launching something that’s been a burden on my heart for some time – a Sunday morning Women’s Bible study. We’re just trying this. We don’t know if it will work. Our goal is to have something more convenient for women, particularly those in the workplace or who homeschool. We do know that if we never try it, it’s certain that it will never work. This new study on the Sermon on the Mount will meet each Sunday at 9:30 am, beginning March 12^th in the big classroom downstairs.

  Currently, we have one morning women’s Bible study and two evening ones. But if a woman is employed outside the home or homeschools, those can be very difficult times. Some 70% of women work outside the home. While many husbands today have stepped up and do more of the housework, the bulk of the work around the house still falls on the wife. For many reasons then a week day or night Bible study is tough to fit in.

  At Grace we are committed to group Bible study. Why? Why do we believe that studying the Bible as a group is so important?

  Jesus never intended for Christianity to be a spectator sport. Group Bible study is invaluable. Small group study is so effective that Jesus used it to train His own disciples. They, in turn, modeled it with having their own Bible studies. Churches first met in homes.

  Christianity was never meant to be individualistic. All of us know that Jesus died for me…somehow we miss He died for us, He died for the Church. God’s plan is for Christianity to be relational—first, in a relationship between ourselves and God. Then, horizontally, in relationships between ourselves and those around us. Group Bible studies move us from being spectators in a weekly church service to more active participants in a like-minded community committed to spiritual growth.

  As we dig into God’s Word together, the Holy Spirit can open our eyes as a group to God’s Truth that He has written there for us. It provides an opportunity for us to share different perspectives and insights. It’s an opportunity to stretch and broaden us because of the interaction. Studying God’s Word with others causes friction – and that’s a good thing. As iron sharpens iron, the Spirit begins to grind off our sinful rough edges. The Book of Proverbs says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). More information is also retained when there’s active engagement and involvement. Biblical literacy is enhanced.

  Application and accountability bring understanding that moves God’s Word from the mind to the heart. Transformation is encouraged (Romans 12:2) and our lives are changed by the work of the Spirit. It’s cumulative. When we grow in grace and our lives are changed, the lives of those around us are changed as well.

  But relationships don’t just happen. They must be intentional. They must be planned and scheduled. Be honest. How many times have you said to a friend, “We have to get together some time?” It’s a good thing that neither of you waits by the phone because it probably never happened. Intention is not the same thing as investment. The only thing that God said was NOT GOOD, prior to sin, was “it is not good for man to be alone.”

  We all need a cadre of friends to help weather the storms of life. But friends require an investment of time and a level of vulnerability and trust. As Hebrews 10:24-25 says we should, “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” Where better to accomplish this than in a group Bible study setting?

  It’s in a group Bible study where we can celebrate life’s victories, find  prayer support (we all need that), be encouraged in tough times, and keep ourselves accountable in our personal growth. Group Bible studies offer a structured time to focus on topics that address our needs as well as our interests. They offer an enlivening arena to help carry us from Sunday to Sunday and a safe place to work out the challenges we all face. The bottom line is God created us for each other and we need each other.

  We are the Body of Christ. We’re Jesus’ hands and feet on earth, the ones who are to continue His work. Group Bible study is not so we know more and fill our heads with information. It’s to be life-changing. It’s so we can serve each other and serve together. One of the best ways that we can get to know each other and become deeper friends is by serving together.

  Recently, my friend, Amy Zott, succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Jane and I became lifelong friends with Amy and Jeff Zott but it started as the four of us worked on a project together. Rotary assigned us to help a shut-in with some yardwork. Working together on this elderly man’s yard birthed a great friendship. So please never do a project at church alone. I’d encourage you to ask someone from church to help you with a personal project. Then, you could help them with one of their projects…and we will all grow together in His grace and love.

  And if this new Bible study doesn’t fit you, we have several other choices. Bill King and Rich Benson are teaching a great study on the Book of Colossians, The Born Supremacy. Ron Strelow and I are beginning a new study, “Where is God? He’s closer than you think.” If you’re not yet a member of Grace Church, attend the New Member’s class. It’s a way to find out what makes us tick at Grace, to understand our DNA. 

  So please, join a SML (Sunday Morning Live) class! God designed us to need Him and each other. What better place for that to happen than in a small Bible study group? Sign-up today! 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.

Guardrails keep a marriage safe!

“Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right.”   Charles Spurgeon

  When I’m driving on a trip, I typically look for the shortest route. Sometimes though the shortest route isn’t the best one, at least as far as the condition of the roads are concerned. For example, when I’m headed to the Chicago suburbs, rather than taking I-94, I’ll snake down Wilmot Road to pick up Highway 12. But there’s a curve on that road that if you’re not paying attention or going too fast, you can be in real trouble. Fortunately, there’s a guardrail. I’d imagine that it was installed after a few mishaps. Someone finally realized that putting in a guardrail might save lives.

  That’s the purpose of a guardrail. They’re designed to keep us from straying into dangerous territory. Thousands of miles of guardrails line our roads and interstates. They have a very simple purpose – to keep a small accident from becoming a larger one. We don’t pay attention to guardrails until we need them, but when you need them, they can save your life.

  Applied to our lives, our spirituality and relationships, guardrails protect us. Often our biggest mistakes can be avoided if we have guardrails steering us in the right direction. The goal is never to see “how close I can get to a guardrail without crashing.” That’s dumb. Ideally, we never get near the guardrail. Yet, we need guardrails to keep us from going “too far” or from moving in a dangerous direction that could end up in tragedy.

  All of us need guardrails in our lives. That struck me when I read recently about Supermodel, Chrissy Teigen, taking lots of heat in the court of public opinion for an offhanded remark she made. Chrissy is married to musician, John Legend. In a recent interview during New York Fashion Week, she said, “I do want to have kids one day, so it's something that I have to think about. But the rule is no hot nannies. I trust John, but you never know with these men.” Her remark made her a cultural leper. She was treated as if she was Amish, totally out of touch with modern times…even (gasp) sexist. Personally, I think she has a lot of wisdom and discernment.

  Yet, it’s not just men, it’s all of us. God created us as sexual beings. Part of the Creative Mandate, Pre-Fall was to “be fruitful and multiply” within the fulfilling boundaries of marriage. Yet, too many of us underestimate our ability to resist sexual temptation. Over the years many individuals that I’ve counseled who sinned sexually weren’t hunting for an opportunity to commit adultery, yet, they unwisely put themselves in a place that essentially made them a sitting duck.

  There are constant reports of some famous person committing adultery, often with the individual hired to care for their children. The individual doesn’t have to be attractive, they just have to be available. We erroneously reason that just because someone isn’t a “10” according to this world’s standards, there’s little danger. Often adultery is committed with someone who’s far less attractive than a spouse, yet other needs for intimacy were being met that are not sexual in nature.

  It’s a myth that only those who are living in an unhappy marriage commit adultery. Often, even someone in a very happy marriage finds themselves tempted to become involved with another person outside of the marriage. Age is also not a factor. We foolishly think that someday we’ll outgrow our sex drives. We won’t. A godly man that I dearly loved and admired, in his later years, made some serious sexual blunders. It’s far easier to prevent an accident than to clean up all of the wreckage afterwards. So let me suggest some wise guardrails to install in your life.

  Never be alone with someone of the opposite sex, other than your spouse. Don’t meet them for coffee or lunch. Don’t be in a car alone with them. If you hire a babysitter, let the parent of the same sex take them home. If you’re in a situation where it’s unavoidable to be with someone of the opposite sex (like work), make sure your spouse knows when, where and how long. That not only protects you from temptation, it helps protect your reputation. You don’t want to create a scenario where whispers of improper conduct could be entertained.

  If you’re single and dating, never be in a bedroom alone together. While your bedroom may be your little domain, particularly if you’re living with your parents, you’re putting yourself in a place of vulnerability and lowering walls of protection. Don’t stay out on a date into the wee hours of the morning. Fatigue lowers our resistance to sexual temptation.

  Be very wary of emotional intimacy. There are those of the opposite sex that we’re naturally attracted to. Oftentimes they have strengths our spouse lacks. For example, if your spouse is an extrovert, you may find yourself attracted to someone who’s more of an introvert. So if you find yourself sharing deep thoughts and feelings with a member of the opposite sex, warning lights should go off. Be very careful about discussing problems or inside information about your marriage with someone of the opposite sex. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “Would I want my spouse to hear what I am saying about them or our marriage?”

  Online relationships can be disastrous for a marriage. Many marriages are damaged by emotional affairs via e-mail, Facebook, or other Web-based forums. A close friendship with a member of the opposite sex can result in emotional intimacy. Indications of an emotional affair include sharing intimate thoughts or personal information, talking in detail about your marriage in a negative way, and keeping the relationship secret from your spouse. An “emotional affair” can almost be as devastating to a marriage as a physical one.  

  Make time for doing fun things in the marriage. The “couple that plays together, stays together” is true. Having fun and laughing together helps keep your relationship strong. It’s easy to become bogged down with the business of life. Too many couples fail to make time for fun alone together.

  Having a good sex life and enjoying a sense of romance is a vital part of a good marriage. Learn what each other’s idea of romance is and discuss what feels romantic to you. Be imaginative and creative. Let your partner know how attractive they are to you.

  Take time for meaningful conversation. Know what’s important to your partner. Make time to simply talk and share your lives with one another. Remind yourselves of the unique history you already have together.  

  Adultery and immoral relationships don’t “just happen.” There are small decisions that lead to an affair. Set up some guardrails today to protect your marriage and purity before you crash and have a moral disaster.  

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