Tag Archives: Spiritual Growth

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Classic Bible: My Favorite Passages From 2 John

This is part of the Classic Bible: Favorite Stories & Passages series. Read more from the series!

Some of the easiest parts of the New Testament to read are the writings of John. While in college at Ozark Christian College, I translated his Gospel and his first epistle in Greek class.

Walking In Love

His style of writing is easy to read and understand. As a result, I usually encourage new Christians who want to know what parts of the Bible to read to start with John.

In my reading this week, I covered the epistles. Even though these letters are short, 2 and 3 John especially so, there is a lot of great stuff packed into them.

Here are a few of my favorite passages from the second of John’s letters.

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Memorize Scripture – Week 15

I don’t know about you, but I can be pretty timid at times.

I don’t like confrontation, although I can do it when necessary. But sometimes, my natural inclination is to step back and not be directly involved.

Take a look at this week’s passage. It’s 2 Timothy 1:7:

2 Timothy 1:7

In order to get a better handle on this, I looked up the words timidity and timid in the dictionary. Here’s what I found:

  1. lacking in self-assurance, courage, or bravery; easily alarmed; timorous; shy.
  2. characterized by or indicating fear: a timid approach to a problem.

God tells us pretty explicitly that he didn’t give us a spirit of timidity. You’d think that the opposite of that is that he gave us a spirit of boldness.

While that may be true, that isn’t what the text says. Paul writes that God gives us “a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Wait. What?

Timidity is lacking in self-assurance, courage or bravery. But Paul says that the opposite virtues are power, love and self-discipline.

Maybe we need to rethink our definition of timidity. Because I’ve never really associated it in the way Paul does.

So this week, I’ll be looking at my life and see where I need to apply more power, love and self-discipline.

And I might even do it boldly!

What areas of your life need to see this new opposite of timidity? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Memorize Scripture – Week 13

When life starts to get crazy, we need assurance that God is in control.

With our upcoming move to Florida a month away, this week’s passage helps me to keep things in perspective.

You can find it in Psalm 121:1-2:

Psalm 121:1-2

I know the psalmist is most likely speaking about God’s protection from his enemies.

I get that.

But in my life right now, one of my biggest enemies is stress.

Knowing that God is in control is an incredible stability factor.

In what areas of your life do you need God’s help right now? You can share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Memorize Scripture – Week 12

Our lives are in a pretty significant state of upheaval right now. We are moving from the south-central part of Missouri to the Gulf coast of Florida.

This isn’t a move we really sought out. The opportunity just fell into our laps, and God worked out the details.

And we are convinced he is leading in this.

That makes this week’s passage seem especially poignant. Take a look at it in 1 Corinthians 2:9, from the NLT:

1 Corinthians 2:9

God does things so much bigger and more magnificent than I, or any of us, can even possibly imagine.

And there are layers here that we can uncover one at a time.

From this verse I can see that God’s provision for me is huge:

  • He loves me.
  • He saved me.
  • He has provided my family.
  • He has worked continually in my life in so many ways.
  • He has orchestrated this transition to Florida and has displayed his involvement in the tiniest details.
  • He has prepared a place for me that is better than Florida, or Missouri… Heaven.

Watching as he unfolds his story in my life is an incredible experience! I am continually surprised and amazed!

What is God doing in your life right now that defies the imagination? You can share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Book Review – Living Close To God by Gene Edwards

Living Close To GodGene Edwards has recently released a new book that is described as a way to grow into a spiritual life that takes you deeper than daily devotions.

Edwards is a self-proclaimed doer. As such, he has always had a tough time with the various methods of “being” a Christian. In order to deepen his relationship with Christ, he had to figure out a way to do this that matched his personality.

In Living Close To God (When You’re Not Good At It), Edwards describes just how he has done this.

While there was much in this book that was excellent, very little of his strategy resonated with me. I’m quite content to sit with my Bible and read for hours; and gain much from it. I’m probably the exact opposite of who he wrote this book for.

But the strategies that he describes look to be something that would work well for those who has a similar disposition as Edwards. He has also included two study guides, one for groups, and another for individuals to utilize to help them familiarize themselves with the practices outlined here.

All in all, Living Close To God (When You’re Not Good At It) seems to be a great resource for deepening the spiritual life, and one I’m glad to have on my shelf.

Do you have trouble living close to God on a daily basis? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Living Close To God (When You’re Not Good At It), by Gene Edwards, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Memorize Scripture – Week 11

Last week, I stated that if I had to choose a favorite book in the New Testament, Philippians would place very high on the list.

This week’s passage is also from this short letter, in the very next chapter.

Take a look at Philippians 3:14:

Philippians 3:14

It’s too easy to take our eyes off of the goal.

When I learned to play baseball as a kid, one of the main things my coach, Rocky, kept saying was “Keep your eye on the ball.”

The same is true with golf. You have to keep your eye on the goal.

This is a necessity for so many things in life: you have to keep your focus on the end result.

Paul says that this is a crucial part of the Christian life as well. Keep your eye on the goal.

Don’t be distracted.

The world will throw everything it can at you to distract you. And if you lose your focus on the destination, you’ll drift off course very quickly.

So, keep your focus on the prize. Press on.

What do you do to help keep focused in your faith? You can share your thoughts in the comments section below.