Do Not Depart

Encouragement and Tools to Abide in God's Word

You are here: Home / Archives for spiritual growth

Building One Another Up in Love

by 1 Comment

Cheli began this week in our month-long series on Missional Living by writing about how the Church gathers to worship, serve, and then go out and impact the world with love. Today we look at how life in the Church also builds us up in love as we grow towards spiritual maturity.

Building Up in Love

Almost fifteen years ago, my husband and I composed our wedding vows half an hour before the wedding on a napkin passed between the bride’s room and the groom’s. When our pastor asked for the vows we intended to exchange following the traditional vows, we realized that we’d never written them down!

Thankfully, we had talked about the Scriptural foundation for our marriage, and we knew what we intended to put into those vows. So, I paraphrased Colossians 3:12-17 into a series of (admittedly ambitious, grace-dependent) promises on a napkin, and the wedding was on!

This is God’s model for the Body of Christ:

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:12-17)

What a beautiful, descriptive image of Church life! Paul wrote that Believers are to grow together in spiritual maturity into the likeness of Christ, making the Church body “grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). This passage in the third chapter of Colossians fleshes out some of the ways in which we build one another up in love.

Building with Patience

Today, some concerning policies at my children’s Christian school were brought to my attention. As I process it all, I am struck by the words that begin this passage, “Put on then….” There is an entire wardrobe of godly attitudes available to me, and they must replace the critical heart that bristled initially.

Have you ever tried talking a toddler into putting on a coat on a cold day, when it didn’t appeal to her? Good luck! Similarly, in Christ the garments of humility, patience, compassion, and meekness are available to me but require that I choose to put them on. As I process the school situation, I am commanded to prepare my soul appropriately before I speak.

 “Put on then, … compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
(Colossians 3:12-13)

With compassion, humility, and forbearance, we build up the Body of Christ.

Building in Harmony

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
(Colossians 3:14)

Love is key to harmony. A speaker at my church recently pointed out that our very diverse congregation spans a wide demographic range, including members who identify with both political parties; we even have members who have run for political office in both parties. What a set-up for division in a politically-charged, divisive season.

Our church, however, is committed to unity and love. Love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony, and hearts ruled by the peace of Christ hold us together as one body.

With love and the peace of Christ, we build up the Body of Christ.

Building with Wisdom

Colossians 3:16 tells us that we are to teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and it begins by identifying the source of that wisdom: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly….” 

The word translated “richly,” plousiōs, is also translated as “abundantly.” When the Word dwells within us, our lives abound in its fruit, including the wisdom to teach and admonish our Church family, spurring one another towards godliness. We must be cautious not to teach or lead primarily from human reason or worldly wisdom but to let everything flow from the wisdom of the Word of Christ.

With wisdom, we build up the Body of Christ.

Reflect

As I think through the ways that the Church was designed to grow corporately in spiritual maturity, these questions come to mind.

“In which relationships or circumstances do I need to put on humility and patience?”
“How does love contribute to harmony in my Church and in my home?”
“Am I letting the Word of Christ dwell in me richly and carrying that wisdom into my conversations?”

Praise God {Intentional Spiritual Growth}

by 1 Comment

As we reflect on intentional spiritual growth this month, let’s take a closer look at praise. What role does praise play in your daily life?

A year ago, I was leading a woman through prayer at the conclusion of a workshop we’d attended on spiritual and emotional healing. There were so many burdens on Lisa’s heart that she wanted to give to the Lord, but she was stuck. The freedom I had seen in many others over the past few days wasn’t coming to Lisa.

As we sat quietly listening for the leading of the Spirit, one of the workshop facilitators turned on a praise song. After a few moments, Lisa stood up. She began to softly sing the familiar words. Then she raised her hands. At the chorus, she began to march circles around our chairs as she sang.

When the song finished, Lisa returned to her chair beside me. Her face was streaked with tears, but she was ready to continue. We returned to the shame and hurt she had struggled to give over to the Lord. Now, everything had changed. She laid it all at the feet of her Lord and readily received His forgiveness, acceptance, and blessing. It was amazing to see her transformation over the next hour. She walked out of the church with a new peace.

Witnessing the power that followed Lisa’s worship made a profound impression on me. In the months that followed, the Lord began teaching me more about praise.

Praise as Battle Strategy

The role of praise is so significant that it was King Jehoshaphat’s front-line military strategy in a battle described in 2 Chronicles 20. The praise singers were sent out ahead of the army.

This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

…As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
(2 Chronicles 20:15b, 20b-22) 

What a great battle cry! “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” Read the last verse again. As they were singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against their enemies. The battle itself was not their responsibility. Worship was.

For the Lord is Good

Why do we praise God? The following verses give a few of the reasons the Bible tells us to praise God.

“Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!  

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
(Psalm 100:3-5)

Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.
(Jeremiah 20:13)

We proclaim His glory, His goodness, His everlasting love, His righteousness, His faithfulness, His mercy, and His deliverance. In short, we praise God for Who He is and for what He has done. This simple recognition has helped me examine the motives of my heart as I approach the Lord. Apart from intercession, aside from asking anything of God, am I spending substantial time in pure adoration?

Daily Praise

Praise is as vital to our daily walk with God as prayer. As we follow Jesus with intention this year, how can we add more praise to our lives? Following Lisa’s example, I’ve let myself become a bit more vocal and a bit more active in my praise. I moved my quiet reading and writing time from a local coffee shop to our guest room to allow my self to stand, to sing, maybe to dance.

What can you do to make worship a bigger part of your life?
Consider one of these possibilities in the next week:

  • Sing Psalm 118 with Shane and Shane
  • Recite or read aloud Psalm 100 as your day begins or before quiet time with the Lord.
  • Have you ever been on a prayer walk around a neighborhood or a building? Try taking a praise walk. Sing the Lord’s praises through your home. Sing in the kitchen, praise Him in the living room, and declare His goodness in the bedrooms of your home.

 

 

Practice the Pause: Intentional Spiritual Growth through Stillness

by Leave a Comment

Eat your vegetables so you’ll grow up nice and strong!

That’s what I tell my children at dinner, anyway. But the act of putting vegetables in your mouth does not make your body strong. The vegetables must be chewed, swallowed, and digested before they can do any good. So too, reading the Bible or listening to a sermon/podcast/teaching is only the first step in the process of spiritual growth. Like our physical bodies, our hearts and minds need time to chew, swallow, and digest the truth we find in Scripture.

When I think of growth – habits I want to build, changes I want to make – I think about action. What can I do? I make charts and lists to track my actions look forward to the end of the month when I will have a calendar full of check marks proving that I have made progress!

Growth takes shape under our intentional actions. Yet, it is during quiet moments of intentional rest that those changes take root. Meditation, silence, and rest. These are the tools of spiritual digestion, changing the Word of Life into energy to fuel our day, protein to build our spiritual muscles, and storage for later use.

Meditation

Meditation sometimes gets a bad wrap for its use in New Age practices. But the simplest definition is to think, contemplate or ponder something. Previous Do Not Depart writers have said, “Scripture gives a clear pattern of meditation filled with the One True God”.  Like tea steeping in hot water or yeast working through dough, “Meditation takes time to listen, reflect, rehearse, and rework God’s truth in our lives, kneading it into our souls and allowing it to grow and live in our minds and hearts.” (Read more about meditation here.)

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. – Joshua 1:8

 

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. – Psalm 1:1-2  

Rest

In my work as a writer and director, I sometimes find the most helpful thing I can do for a project is to step away. I take a pause from trying and doing and let the work steep in my heart. When I return, growth has happened. I see the story with new eyes and can move forward with the work.

Rest might feel inactive, but it is the outward expression of trust. Trust that the Lord is working on our behalf.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. – Isaiah 26:3 

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. – Psalm 4:8

Silence

Silence is another tool that can be misunderstood and misused. Culturally we tend to be uncomfortable with quiet, the same way we are with rest. It doesn’t seem productive. Yet, it is when we stop eating that our digestive systems go to work, giving life to the body. We have to stop talking so we can hear clearly.

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. – Ecclesiastes 5:2

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. – Psalm 62:5

In the same way we plan for rest in our workouts, space between meals, and getting the right amount of sleep at night, we must learn to be thoughtful with our study, giving ourselves time to soak in the Word and draw life from it.

Spiritual growth is a marathon. An all you can eat feast. A life-long pursuit we take one bite at a time.

Share
Pin6
Tweet
6 Shares

WRAP UP of Purity for Today’s Christian Woman

by 1 Comment

Does purity really matter? That’s the question we considered this month. As we said when August was just getting started, “If we’re going to talk about God’s truth, we have to talk about Purity for Today’s Christian Woman.”Wrap Up Purity for Today's Christian Woman

We hope the Bible study tools this month have challenged and helped you as they have us. Before the month slips away and we turn the page on the calendar, let’s wrap up with a look back at resources to help us apply truth to our need for living pure, holy lives.

Purity for Today’s Christian Woman WRAP UP

We hope this month helped you know what God has to say about our purity. Our team loves to share tools and resources for personal growth and for use with others in your circle of influence.

May God be glorified as we live more holy lives to reflect Him to the watching world in our homes, places of work, neighborhoods, and communities!

Check out this WRAP UP of tools & resources for Purity for Today’s Christian Woman

Click To Tweet

15 Verses to Pray for Personal Purity

by 2 Comments

Our personal purity has a purpose.  To live God’s way in an ungodly world, we need to engage the power of prayer in our lives. Not only do we need help to resist temptation, but we need God’s work in us to give us a truly pure heart. We only have to look to God’s own Word to find powerful verses to pray for Personal Purity.  At the end of this post you’ll find an easy printable list to make these verses part of your prayer time.

Purity for Today's Christian Woman

  1. I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. (Psalm 101:3a) ~ Help me choose things of value for my learning and entertainment.
  2. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) ~ May my words & thoughts please You.
  3. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23, 24) ~ Please show the true condition of my heart and lead me to being pure of heart.
  4. How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:9,11) ~ Help me to know, remember, and obey the truth of Your word.
  5. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. (Ephesians 4:19) ~ Keep me from becoming callous to sensuality and impurity.
  6. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
    (Romans 12:2) ~ Renew my mind daily so I will know what is acceptable to You.
  7. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
    (Psalm 119:37) ~ When I am tempted to look at worthless things, help me turn away and find life in Your ways.
  8. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.
    (Proverbs 16:2) ~ Please weigh my spirit and show me how to be pure in Your eyes.
  9. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
    (2 Timothy 2:22) ~ Help me flee temptation & pursue righteousness, faith, love & peace.
  10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) ~ Create a clean heart in me.
  11. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) ~ Give me a desire to glorify You with my body.
  12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.
    (Romans 6:12) ~ Help me to be obedient with my passions.
  13. A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Proverbs 25:28) ~ Teach me to have self-control that comes from your Spirit.
  14. Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 16:41) ~ Give me a desire to be a person of prayer so I will refuse temptation.
  15. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13) ~ When I am tempted, show me clear ways of escape and show me Your faithfulness.

Download your printable copy of 15 Verses to Pray for Personal Purity

Holy habits for everyday life

by 6 Comments

We’re already practicing holiness, to one degree or another. People might say you’re “all in” when it comes to letting God’s holiness drive your habits.  Others might say you’re one of those who keeps God’s holiness and your habits in separate categories.

But what does God say? Does He leave it up to us to decide how holy we want to be, practically speaking? Or does He gives us any kind of a picture to show us how holiness looks in the everyday life of His followers?

The first part of Ephesians spells out our identity in Christ; the second illustrates how that identity matters. As we change who we were, contrast who we are, and imitate who the Father will always be, our new holiness in Jesus changes everything.

Holy habits everyday life

Holy habits due to change

Do you describe your dietary choices with words like “vegan, gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, or sugar free?” A lifestyle change impacts how we spend, what we talk about, what decisions we make, and how we think. A lifestyle change is no small choice … if it’s authentic.

True followers seek “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)

No one follows Christ without making a genuine change. Ephesians 4:22-32 shows us how a life of loving the Holy One requires putting off our old self and putting on the new. Old habits like lying, sinful anger, stealing, corrupt talk, and unforgiveness have to be put away. Like cleaning out Twinkies when we choose to go sugar free, past routines fall away as we take on holy habits in their place. True followers of Christ Jesus change.

Holy habits due to contrast

Sports seasons inspire fans to bring out team flags, wear jerseys, do cheers, and follow players. Devotees don’t follow every team; just their own. They may be aware of others, but they don’t buy into others. Real followers want their loyalty to be known. It’s the same for real Christ followers, “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:8)

Instead of continuing to let darkness reign in our practical life, new life in Christ means the light of the Lord shines into every area of our personal everyday. The fruit of the Spirit within us comes out in how we talk to customers, discipline of our children, respond to hardships, solve financial problems, react to our mate, view our computer screen, deal with family relationships, see our culture, choose reading material, conduct our sexual life, participate in our local church, and get dressed daily. God’s light where darkness once reigned shines into every crack of our lifestyles.

The contrast brought by Christ can’t help but create holy habits where darkness once reigned.

Holy habits due to imitation

Reflection reveals the authenticity of our admiration. After all, isn’t imitation the highest form of flattery? A child’s mimicry on Fathers Day shows how much they watch, idolize, and strive to follow dad … or not. God’s unchanging holiness only requires a change in those who call Him “Abba,” Father. Our imitation brings Him praise.

For the children of God, holiness in practical living is the only believable response to the Father. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God,” (Ephesians 5:1-2).  Our growth in practicing holy living reveals the genuine nature of our adoption as sons of God.

Before we joined God’s family through Christ’s holy sacrifice, we were “sons of disobedience.“  When our father was the Devil, we imitated him. Once we’re adopted into God’s holy family, covered in a righteousness not our own, our Father is God, and we imitate Him through obedience. Like a child who grows older, revealing more and more of their father’s nature in the way they look, talk, walk, smile, laugh, and do life, so a child of God imitates the heavenly Father in holiness more and more.

A child of God has changed, lives in contrast to the world, and imitates the Father through holy habits in practical ways in everyday life.

Would you be willing to pray this prayer?

Father, You are my Father. I want to imitate You, like a genuine child who reflects Your nature. Would you make me alert to practical areas of my life where I need to mimic You more? Help me see where I’m acting more like the old me than the new me. Show me how to apply holiness in all of my life habits.

I want my kids to serve!

by 12 Comments

Kids-who-serve_DoNotDepart

Nobody wants a lazy, selfish kid. So we pray, we teach, we assign, we lead. (And sometimes beg, cry, quit—and pray a lot more.)

Teaching kids to be servants is not for the idle. Here are four questions to consider and ideas to try for training your child to better love and serve others.

1. WHAT DOES MY CHILD ENJOY?

Draw on your child’s natural interests and gifts. Is she creative? Let her draw pictures to pass out to the elderly at church, send to grandparents out of town, or take room-to-room at a nursing home. Does your teenager love being outside? Let him mow the lawn for new parents in your neighborhood or be a student chaperone at the middle-schoolers’ campout. A budding musician? My young friend Jamie recorded and sent her song to a young man bedridden with a fatal illness. It was so valuable to his family that Jamie was asked to sing the song at his funeral.

While we all have to serve in ways we don’t like (who longs to clean a toilet?), we usually get hooked on serving by doing what we do like. Discover what your child enjoys and watch them become devoted to serving that way.

2. WHAT ARE MY GIFTS?

Share how you enjoy serving. If you teach Sunday school, let your child assist you for a semester. If photography is your gift, arrange for you and your child to take pictures for families with foster kids. One of my passions is to serve the homeless so I brought my daughter to the simple wedding of some homeless friends. She brought her camera (her passion) and ended up creating a wedding album for them for free, a blending of both our passions.

If you enjoy what you’re doing as a gift, not a duty, your joy is contagious. It might slow you down with a child along, but service isn’t about efficiency; it’s about people.

3. WHERE ARE WE ALREADY SERVING?

Look closer where God is already working in your family. Maybe you don’t need a new venture, but can expand an existing one. If your daughter’s Girl Scout troop plants flowers at a neighborhood park, maybe you and she can follow up with weeding once a month. My kids had an annual service project with their classmates at a soup kitchen. But when we learned they appreciated volunteers any time, we went back as a family more frequently. When my sister-in-law brought her grandson to visit my mother in assisted living, she took him around to brighten the day of other residents as well. Even babies (especially babies!) can serve in that way.

Once you start imagining, many opportunities may unravel out of an existing one.

4. WHO NEEDS HELP?

Watch for needs in your own home, your neighborhood, and your world. Then find age-appropriate ways to help. Maybe you can’t travel overseas with your little ones, but your kids can pray for missionary families and write letters to encourage them. My area had an EF3 tornado rip through last month. While it wasn’t the place for young children to help, I saw many teenagers who were great servants in cleaning up the debris.

God prepares good works for us to do; we just have to see them and respond. (Ephesians 2:10).

WHO BENEFITS WHEN KIDS SERVE?

Obviously others will benefit as your child serves them. But don’t judge the value of the service by how many it reaches or how much appreciation is expressed (or not). Given with the proper attitude, all service is worship to God if it touches another soul with His love. When good works point toward God, He is honored by getting the glory He deserves (Matthew 5:16).

Your child will also be blessed (it is more blessed to give than to receive! Acts 20:35). Maybe they can’t see it immediately, but they will as they grow in compassion, in skills, and in Christ-likeness. When they invest in others, it grows their love for others (Matthew 6:21).

But you, the parent, will also profit! When my youngest wanted to go to Central America on a mission trip, I decided to go just to keep an eye on her. But I ended up being changed by the experience myself. While our serving prompts our children’s serving, their serving also enhances ours, allowing the Lord to work on our hearts and increase our own willingness to initiate service.

Serving together, after all, is how Jesus taught His own disciples to serve. He apprenticed His twelve apostles by living together for three years. They watched, learned, and participated in what He was doing, then learned to do it on their own once He left.

Isn’t that what you want for your children? Let them watch, learn, and participate with you now. Then when they’re on their own, by God’s grace, they’ll keep it up themselves.

Want to share this post? Click to tweet:

“Nobody wants a lazy kid. 4 guidelines for training your child to serve: http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2WG @DoNotDepart” tweet here

“All service is worship to God if it touches another with His love. http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2WG @DoNotDepart” tweet here

Let the Children Come - monthly feature on helping children to abide in God's Word via DoNotDepart.com

Give us your advice on helping kids serve.
What has worked for you? Not worked? Let’s share with each other.

 

Wisdom for today … still calling

by 6 Comments

The Bible isn’t the only book of wisdom. Around the globe, men have reached for other books claiming to be the source of wisdom, also known as “skill in godly living.” When biblical wisdom literature was recorded, scribes of parallel cultures and kingdoms also penned their words and stories. But when we talk about biblical truth, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work,” (2 Timothy 3:16).  God’s book self identifies its content as inspired by the one true God, and that makes its wisdom unique and essential.

When we refer to biblical Wisdom Literature we include five books:  Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. The righteous, the wicked, and the true God play the main parts in these books, revealing the limits of mankind’s wisdom and the necessity of fearing of God to prosper and find peace. In the times their words were written, voices opposing God’s ways called out from ancient streets peppered with a plethora of gods, but today voices call out from media screens, digital highways, steel framed cities and hand held gadgets. The tug of war for how we live hasn’t changed, but in many ways, the appearance of “righteous” and “wicked” has. Some may assume, then, the Bible doesn’t speak to life today, but Wisdom Literature’s concrete teaching matters as much now as when Job scraped his oozing sores.

Keys to unlock the 5 Wisdom books:

  • Job – This book addresses the same questions asked today:  Can we trust God? Is He good? Where do we find real comfort? The relatable character’s story takes place outside of Israel. Ultimately, we can put our faith in the sovereign God.
  • Psalms – Not all of these songs written for public worship fit in the “wisdom” category. Divided into 5 books, the Book of Psalms likely began as personal expressions of emotion, adapted for congregations. This book gives shape to our intense feelings about life in pursuit of God. Basic Old Testament themes like the fall of man, the One God, and the covenant relationship come to life here.
  • Proverbs – This collection of wisdom makes it clear that to be skillful in godly living, we must fear God and walk His way in everyday life. Practical truths show what a restored life with God looks like in our behavior, producing a joyful, useful life. Wisdom is available to all, and we discover it by comparing the wise man, the foolish man, and the simple man.
  • Ecclesiastes – This is a book for our day; Ecclesiastes explores trusting in God while living in a messed up world. Poetic devices help organize these proverbs into clusters with a plot line about the unfolding of a  quest for a good and satisfying life. This could be written in our day.
  • Song of Solomon – Intimacy stirs up emotion, and this book of love poetry is no exception. With a variety of opinions on its interpretation, some treat it as an allegory of God’s love for Israel and others as a picture of Christ’s love for the church. Authorship is not certain, but we agree that it’s a love story. There’s no doubt this poetic book demonstrates how God’s ways are the pathway to delight.

In the New Testament the Book of James and some of Jesus’ own teaching also qualify as “Biblical Wisdom Literature,” but these five Old Testament books form the collection commonly known as Wisdom Literature.

Today, as in days of old, “fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov. 1:7) but wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the market she raises her voice,” (Prov. 1:20).  Wisdom asks, “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?” (Prov. 1:22). It’s hard to hear the call of wisdom in today’s world, but our children, families, and world are desperate to understand and apply skill in godly living that leads to a relationship with God and His peace.

“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Prov. 1:22)

What evidence do you see that people desperately need biblical wisdom?

Click here for the printable Wisdom Bookmark to accompany our study of Wisdom Literature.

Prayer never left school

by 8 Comments

How is a christian child supposed to live out their faith at school if they can’t pray? As a teacher, daily I heard the voice  over the intercom declaring a “moment of silence,” as if someone in an office far away had the power to stop or start it. A “moment of silence,” code words for prayer, was announced to appease those who objected to banishing of prayer in public schools. But prayer never left school.

As long as children know to turn to the ever-present God who hears them from their desk, their locker, the playground, or the cafeteria, prayer cannot be crushed. Heavenward cries cannot be legislated, though some may try.  Having spent years as a public school teacher, I have watched believing children shine as lights in their school. Praying parents are still able to send their children armed with the voice of petition when they head off to a traditional classroom.

The best lesson a child ever learns in public school may be how to pray, and they won’t be guide by that far off voice declaring “the moment of silence.” They will still tune in to the trusted and loving voice of their prayerful parent.  We can help children learn to make prayer their own, to make it personal, while in a not-so-open environment.

Teach children to initiate prayer.

  • Call on God anytime.
  • Call on God anywhere.

Teach children to make prayer personal.

  • Call on God in your own heart, thoughts, and mind.
  • Call on God for your own needs, concerns, and feelings.

Feeling prayer pressure forces a child to learn how to turn their thoughts and their silent conversations to the Lord, their Lord, as they encounter trouble of their own or see others in trouble. There’s no need to wait for a moment of silence or even the freedom of home; we can teach our children to be kids who pray in a world that won’t.

“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (Ephesians 6:16-18).

Prayer depends on our commitment to communicate with our waiting God, not the setting where we do our days.

  • Start your child’s day with prayer, before they ever enter a “legislated” world.
  • Role play how to pray when they encounter a need or a prompting to talk to God.
  • Talk about how to use a “moment of silence” and what to do if/when it is announced.
  • Consider tools like keeping a small prayer notebook or card in their desk/locker.
  • A lunch box is the perfect place to insert prayerful words of encouragement.
  • Pray together about the concerns of the traditional school world.

Don’t wait for the designated moment of silence. Begin your child’s day with prayer and show them that prayer goes anywhere the people of God go.

“Fruit of the Spirit” Summer Study – You’re Invited!

by 8 Comments

Last year, I planted two fruit trees – one lemon and one lime. I carefully placed them in large pots on the patio using the soil recommended by the nursery for citrus trees. Both received the same amount of sun and water. Both bloomed. Both had numerous visits from bees and butterflies.

The two trees have had the same care and nurturing, but the fruit production has been drastically different. The lemons seem to be growing overnight. The flexible young tree branches curve down under their weight. My husband and I anticipate large slices of the tangy fruit for our iced tea later in the summer.

In contrast, the limes look pitiful. When the blooms faded, tiny little fruit balls emerged, but only two or three have grown much. Many have turned brown and dropped off. God intended for both trees to grow fruit, but only one is fulfilling its purpose.

God also intends for us, His children, to bear fruit. According to Jesus, when we follow Him closely our lives will produce “much” fruit (John 15:5). Is your life producing an abundant harvest or are you in serious need of some spiritual fertilizer?

 

You Are invited!

This month here at Do Not Depart, we will be studying the fruit of the Spirit. You are invited to join us each Tuesday as we explore Galatians 5:16-26 and related passages. Whether we need some major pruning or just a little shaping up, all of us could benefit from studying and applying what God’s Word says about the fruit of the Spirit.

Here are a few things we’ll learn in Fruit of the Spirit: Plant, Cultivate, & Grow

  • What are the characteristics of a “fruitless” life?
  • What does it mean to “live by the Spirit?”
  • Just what is “fruit” anyway?
  • Am I “fruity?”
  • What should the fruit of the Spirit look like in my life?
  • How can I improve my harvest?

Each week as we study together we will Plant God’s truth in our hearts, Cultivate our own lives to receive that truth, and take action to help it Grow! The study will be in blog format and also available as a PDF download. Today, we combine the intro post and an optional study on the context of the book of Galatians.

Where do we begin? Context of Galatians

The way God chooses to apply the truths found in His Word can vary with the individual and their circumstance. However the meaning of a biblical passage never changes. It will always mean what God originally intended for it to mean. Before we can make application to our lives we must have a good grasp of the original meaning by considering the larger context. (For more information on biblical context read “Context is King.”)

Galatians is a letter written to a specific people at a specific point in history for a specific purpose. Therefore, we need to know who, when, and why to understand the meaning. (Download the PDF of today’s lesson on the context of Galatians.)

As you work through today’s lesson, you’ll discover that some of Paul’s original audience struggled with legalism and some were abusing their freedom in Christ by indulging sinful desires.

Let’s discuss this today. So far in your Christian life do you feel you have been influenced more by the “law,” your own nature, or by the Spirit? (We may not have the influence of the Mosaic Law, but the “do’s” and “don’ts” or religion are still prominent.)

 

A RECAP of Tools for Truth While You Travel

by Leave a Comment

Thanks for coming on vacation with us this month at Do Not Depart! We’ve had a rich month of sharing practical, often printable, tools to help you weave God’s word into your travel plans. We pray these tools and ideas have nurtured the holy habits in your life’s journey. Here’s a recap of the road we’ve traveled together.

Tools for Truth While You Travel

  1. The heart behind our team sharing Bible study tools for vacation & travel season
  2. 6 Tips for keeping your quiet time on track in the Simple Summer
  3. 7 Days of devotions for your family vacation
  4. Memory verses for trips, with a printable
  5. A printable Family Vacation Faith Journal
  6. Fitness and Faith:  Keeping on Track While You Travel – 7 tips that work for fitness and travel!
  7. Traveling truths: Bible verses for safety and travel in printable memory cards for your next trip
  8. Tips for packing scripture by Losing the Weight When You Travel

Like any great vacation, this month has been refreshing and inspiring, taking us to beautiful places. We’ve also savored words from the heart of a traveling shepherd in Psalm 23 in our Memory Verse Classics, and we’re reflecting on the richness of God’s plans for our life’s journey in Jeremiah 29:11.

Our team prays that this month has been a help to you as we aim to abide in the Word together!

Have you enjoyed a vacation or time of travel this summer? How did you experience God’s truth in your journey?

 

Family Vacation Faith Journal

by 8 Comments

You have such good intentions, but then you get swamped by the list of things to do to get ready to go:  stop the mail, give the neighbor the key, set your vacation email response, take out the trash, turn off the water, pack the Epi-pen, get sunscreen, print off the reservation … And so by the time you get in the car, you’re just so glad to be driving away from it all. You can’t wait to get out of cell phone range so you can really relax.

You wanted to memorize together, do a devotion together, and simply pray together, but maybe you need to invite a member of the Do Not Depart team to go with you on vacation for that!  (We would LOVE to!  We pack light and don’t take up much room! Just contact us through our FB page :) ) What you need is a journal to guide you on the journey.

This month we’ve given you some golden practical printable tools to use when you travel.  If you use them, you will be BLESSED to make the truth a sweet part of your vacation experience. That, we can guarantee, even if you don’t invite us to go with you!

But today I want to give you a 10-page journal to guide your journey. Family Vacation Faith JournalHere are some ways to use it.

5 Way to Use the Family Vacation Faith Journal

  1. Take a look at the pages together before you even start to pack.
  2. Take it into a restaurant with you to use, instead of those coloring pages.
  3. Take a clipboard and let the “back seat dwellers” use it as you travel.
  4. Take a few minutes over breakfast each day of your trip to do a page.
  5. Take it “on location” for when you need 5 sitting down min. at the beach/park/camp.

 

You can print out your copy right now, or print out a copy for each family member, but make the  Family Vacation Faith Journal a part of your next family journey. Single or without kids? No matter … we can all use a Faith Journal in our travel bag. You will be blessed, even if the journal helps you focus on a solo trek. Use your other printable tools to go with your journaling times.

Remember, “Vacations are not only times for adventure, rest, and relationship. Vacations are also opportunities for a fresh infusion of truth into our tired lives.”

Bible study tools for vacation & travel season

by 3 Comments

When temperatures rise, class schedules end, and daylight hours linger, most of us take time off from routines and work.  Vacations call us to places of rest or adventure. The open road invites us to sigh deeply and hit our inner reset button.

Bible Study Tools for Truth While You TRAVEL Holy habitsIf we’re honest, it can take a lot of work to get to those places of rest, but it’s worth it. Just one day of digging our feet in the sand, smelling crisp mountain air, or hearing unfettered laughter from those we love is enough to motivate us to do what it takes to go on vacation. After searching for the best deal for our budget, reserving our lodging, buying tickets or checking tires, making arrangements for the cat, stopping the mail, buying sunscreen, and more, we still hope and pray we haven’t forgotten anything. We might leave out what matters most.

If weighing luggage is part of your preparations, you carefully decide what goes and what stays. If children are part of your plans, you pack every crevice of a mini-van with tricks for every potential over the miles, and then you drive all night. With so much to think about to make a vacation all we dream it can be, all we pray it will be … it’s not hard to see why we might forget something that’s part of our routine lives, but still needs to be part of our time away. How can we keep up holy habits when we’re on the road and away from home?

Vacations are not only times for adventure, rest, and relationship. Vacations are also opportunities for a fresh infusion of truth into our tired lives.

While we probably don’t have room to take our study Bibles, prayer notebooks, concordances, and prayer partners, there’s an alternative to just leaving truth out of our time away. This month we invite you to open up your beach bag or backpack and pack some tools designed to help you make the truth a fresh and functional part of your travel plans. We’ll share some ideas for individuals and even for family. After all, Jesus beckons us to get away from our burdens and find rest … in Him.

 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ~ Matthew 11:28

The Do Not Depart team looks forward to taking a deep breath, closing our eyes, and enjoying a rest from work and routines. It’s not only a great chance to catch up on sleep, read good books, eat seafood, try a paddle board, sleep on the beach (Can you tell we really want to go on vacation?), or play games late into the night. It’s also a sweet time to quench our thirst with the Living Water and enjoy Him apart from the usual things of our days.

Will you join us? It’s time to get away for a little vacation together!

Click to tweet this post and share about the June theme at Do Not Depart.

It’s our pleasure to serve & follow Jesus

by 4 Comments

SurrenderWhere I live, the temperature crept up into the flip flop zone today, and the sky was the color blue that makes you want to stand on top of a hill and spin around. You know what I mean, don’t you? Apparently, this clear, sunny, warm day also made everyone crave Chick-fil-a. Our double drive-thru lines stretched out to the street as cars full of people dangled their hands out of their windows. The employees were not rattled by the masses or the lunchtime challenge. No, if you’re going to work at Chick-fil-a, you have to be ready to answer every customer with a genuine “My pleasure.”  Becoming an employee comes with certain expectations.

If anyone serves Jesus, you have to follow him. Becoming a disciple comes with certain expectations.

The Ultimate Servant

Just after announcing that the time had finally come for the Son of Man to be glorified, Jesus explained that when “a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,” it is able to bear a harvest. Knowing that he was about to sacrifice his life on the cross in order to offer the gift of eternal life, Jesus directed his words to those who would serve him and follow him. Instead of recruiting disciples with promises of an easy journey with guaranteed low pain and high prosperity, Jesus told the truth. He was going to be the ultimate servant by surrendering his life for others, and those who want to serve him will be called to do the same.

The Following Servant

To serve Christ the Lord is to be ready to answer every lost person with a genuine desire to sacrifice self as a follower of Christ. It may mean you forego a pleasure in order to make room for someone else. It may mean you give up your own recognition to defer to another person. It may mean you risk your reputation by claiming to know Christ Jesus. It may mean you surrender your life to a government that demands you renounce your faith. It may mean you run into a smoke filled Boston sidewalk just moments after a bombing to carry a victim to safety, because that’s what Jesus did for us in the conflict of eternity.

The Servant’s Truth

It’s unthinkable that we would serve Jesus and not follow him in a daily life of surrender. To be his servant is to be his follower. Modern church culture often sells a watered down version to entice would-be recruits to an easy grace, but Jesus tells it like it really is.  Grace came with a high price, and to follow in the steps of the One who paid it, we must also live a life of surrender. For the genuine servant of Christ, it is possible to do the hard work, even the sacrificial work, of following because, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

The Servant’s Promise

The Chick-fil-a job application promises a positive work environment, competitive pay, training, flexible hours, and even fun employee outings. They’re looking for “friendly, enthusiastic people who enjoy serving customers.”  That’s awesome if you’re Chick-fil-a, but Jesus asks for more and promises more.

  • If you serve him, you have to follow him daily, everywhere, even to the hard places.
  • You have to surrender everything, but you gain everything.
  • He promised, “If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him,” (John 12:26b).

Jesus glorified his Father by surrendering his life, and he invites us to do the same. “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).

To serve Jesus is to surrender your own agenda and follow him, and as you do, it will be his divine pleasure to welcome you to a present peace with him now and a perfect future with him for eternity.

  •  Has God ever asked you to make a sacrifice as His servant/follower?
  • What scripture gives you confidence that God will enable you to do the hard things?

Why Bother?

by 6 Comments

Spiritual Disciplines: Soul Training themeOur culture has trained us to expect instant gratification and overwhelming results for minimal effort. Fast food. High speed internet. Movies on demand. “The Easy Button.” We can even “Jump-start” our weight loss. We aren’t used to waiting. We aren’t conditioned for hard work and long-term investment.

So why bother practicing the spiritual disciplines? The disciplines require long-term commitment and hard work – things unfamiliar to us. What in the world would be worth the time, discipline, and self-denial?

Why bother with spiritual disciplines?

Throughout January, here at Do Not Depart, we will be exploring the why of spiritual disciplines. We’ve been told we should, but discussing the why will encourage us to follow Christ in obedience. Today, we’ll look at the disciplines in general. As the month progresses, watch for the why of specific disciplines like prayer, Bible intake, service, and more!

Fulfilling our God-ordained purpose is the overarching reason for practicing the spiritual disciplines. Before God even saved us, He determined that we should be conformed to the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:28-30). That is God’s ultimate goal for us – to be like Jesus. He wants to refine us, shape our character, mold us like clay in His divine hands.

Only God can cause this spiritual growth and transformation, but He chooses to work through our obedient cooperation. Paul told Timothy to “train yourself to be godly” (1 Tim 4:7) and commanded the Romans to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2). The author of Hebrews warns us to “make every effort… to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14).

Personal Benefits of Discipline

In addition to Christ-likeness, genuine pursuit of the spiritual disciplines yields other personal and exciting benefits:

  1. Spiritual depth – Our culture today teaches us to be superficial. Even Christians today lean toward shallowness. The spiritual disciplines take us beyond ourselves and the selfishness of our lives and plunge us into spiritual depths previously unknown.
  2. Freedom – Scripture tells us that when we die to self, we also die to the sin that enslaves. Obeying God through commitment to the Disciplines liberates us from the weight of “self” and frees us to serve Him.
  3. Intimacy with God – Through the disciplines we can experience and know God in ways and at levels not otherwise possible. They are the means of relating to God. Like Moses on the Mountain, we will be positioned to meet with God face-to-face.
  4. Joy – We will sense God’s pleasure with our obedience. We will live in the glow of His presence. We will find fulfillment in God’s purpose for us.

Are you ready? The beginning of a new year is a great time to make a new commitment to fulfilling God’s purpose for you!

Has your attitude about spiritual disciplines changed? Share your experience with us today.

 

Find Us on Facebook


Recent Posts

Archives