2 Ways to Read Your Bible

I preached a sermon last Sunday that bothered me.

It is not that I disagree with what I said or regret preaching the sermon. It just bothered me. It bothered me because I did not want to listen to what I had to say.

The sermon was about the proper way in which one should read their Bible. It would have been easy to stand up and say, "You should read your Bible everyday for at least 30 minutes - 15 from the New Testament and 15 from somewhere else in the New Testament."

What I did was look at two ways we tend to read our Bible. The sermon was titled, "A Mirror and a Magnifying Glass."

Sometimes we use the Bible as a mirror.

We look into it to examine ourselves. We read the story of God redeeming His people and ask questions like, "How should this change how I treat my neighbor?" and, "How can God's forgiveness of my sins influence the way I forgive others?"

Other times we use the Bible as a magnifying glass.

We look into it to examine others. We read the stories of Jesus rebuking the Pharisees and say things like, "I have run into some Pharisees in my day." and, "I sure am glad I am not like the people I know who are like that Pharisee who said that he sure was glad he wasn't like that tax collector."

This sermon bothered me because I am good at the magnifying glass method. When I was young, I was very good at judging the flaws of others. I could tell you all the sins of my classmates and knew how they compared to my good qualities.

As I grew in my relationship with The Creator, I realized how wrong my attitude was. I then started to judge all those who still judged as I once did.

Satan used my holy momentum to flip me over his head.

I still wrestle with this.

Even while preparing this sermon, I thought about the people from my past that I knew had turned scripture into a giant magnifying glass. In preparing for my sermon I was convicted by my own message.

I have found that this makes for the best sermons.

When speaking about preaching without notes, Andy Stanley once asked, "How do you expect your congregation to remember your message if you can't remember your message."

I think that the same holds true when the preacher hopes to convict his audience. How can I expect to convict people with my sermon if I am not convicted by the study I have put into the sermon.

So read your Bible. Let the story convict you. And whether you are a preacher or not, share with others how that great mirror of scripture has convicted you to have a better relationship with The Creator.

A Drunk Holy Man

As you may know, I am not the holiest man in the world.

The main reason being that the "Holiest Man in the World" contest is held in Scotland every year, and the IRS will not let me deduct the airfare as a business expense. You also have to be at least 30 years old to enter.

This is a shame because I feel I could make a strong showing in the contest, especially since I own a tie that matches my Bible. If that is not a holiness home run, it is at least a triple.

The first man in scripture to be the holiest man on the planet is named Noah (Some might make an argument for Adam or Methuselah, but this my blog...so no arguing).

A Worthless Baby

I realized yesterday that my oldest daughter is better at stuff than my newborn.

The 15 month old, Claira, was kicking a giant ball that I think she stole from Wal-Mart around the house while the new born, Macy, was just lying there. Claira was doing a jig, a dance that seamlessly combined the art of spinning and the art of jumping, while Macy again did nothing to entertain me. Every time they play dodgeball, Claira wins.

The Brain Argument

Have you ever had a perfect comeback, the type of retort that makes everyone around you simultaneously say, "Zing!!"? 

I have.

In fact, this happened to me just this morning. I was in a conversation with someone who tends to disagree with me, and I pointed out their faults with such wit and wisdom that all who listened were astounded. My adversary even opened his heart to the error of his ways. It was awesome.

Now I have to admit, I did have a bit of a home-field advantage since this argument took place in my shower...and the man I was arguing with was not present.

Minor details aside, I still won the argument.

It seems like these brain arguments happen to me often. Even though I always win, I do not think this practice is healthy for several reasons...