Tag: Proverbs 31 Ministries

Five Ways to Stay Plugged In

Recently I returned from a mission trip in Mexico. The week away from the normal comforts of home was both inspiring and exhausting. Our group adapted well to riding on bumpy local buses to and from our worksites, doing manual labor without power tools, camping in tents, attempting to bathe with water slowly draining from a plastic “sun shower,” and even using port-a-potties with a rather pungent aroma. But there was one comfort of home that most people couldn’t do without: cell phones. While they were used mostly for taking photos and communicating with family back home, they appeared to be the one convenience that was indispensable.

The first year I went on the trip my eyes widened as I observed students clamoring for any outlet they could find to charge their phones. Every plug at the fast-food restaurants where we stopped on the way would be charging phones from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. Some creative students even hung phones from ceiling outlets.

My first year on the trip, I was fortunate enough to be on a worksite with a foreman who had a truck and a phone charger. I never had to jockey for position at a power strip in camp during the few hours the generators were running. Every year since then, I’ve relied on my first foreman to be my power source and he has graciously obliged. On our most recent trip, I scurried to his truck before program one evening and plugged in my phone. When I returned later, I was disappointed to see that it hadn’t charged at all. A quick investigation revealed that the cord had been unplugged from the lighter to make room for a different type of charger. I just hadn’t noticed in my haste. No matter how long my phone remained plugged into that cord, it was worthless without a power source.

And what is true for our all-important technology is even more essential in our spiritual lives. We simply can’t function well when we’re not consistently connected with our Power Source, God. Maybe this is the twenty-first century equivalent of abiding with the vine that Jesus describes in John 15.

I’ve been mulling over another passage on this theme written by Paul and Timothy:

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:9b-12, NIV)

The prayers offered by Paul and Timothy in this passage show the value and necessity of staying plugged into God for the source of our power. As we do that, we receive wisdom and understanding from the Spirit so that we bear fruit and grow, continually strengthened with His power so that we have endurance, patience and joy.

As summer approaches, most of us look forward to a break from our regular routines. We anticipate the ease of a relaxing vacation at the beach or the excitement of traveling abroad. Leisurely days reading a book by the pool or finally tackling a project on our to-do lists sound inviting after the rigors of the year.

What is unfortunate, however, is that for many of us a break from gathering for a large-group Bible study also equates with a break from our spiritual lives altogether. This is like hoping the charge on your phone will last throughout the summer without bothering to plug it in. It won’t.

So before you kick up your feet and revel in the newly opened places in your schedule, why not plan how you’ll stay connected to your Power Source during the break from your usual Bible study? Need some suggestions? Well, I’m glad you asked…

  1. Choose a new devotional to read daily. Take the time to do the suggested activities and to read and study the Scriptures included. Instead of rushing through it, make the time to absorb what it says.  Here are several I’d recommend:
  • Embraced: 100 Devotionals to Know God is Holding You Close by Lysa TerKeurst
  • Awaken by Priscilla Shirer
  • Encouragement for Today by the Proverbs 31 Ministry Team

2. Choose a book of the Bible and keep a journal. After each chapter, stop and answer these four questions:

  • What does this teach me about God
  • What does this teach me about myself?
  • What do I need to do as a result of reading this passage?
  • What character qualities do I see in God displayed in this passage? (Questions adapted from Day 5 lessons in Finding I Am by Lysa TerKeurst)

3. Choose a Bible study to go through or finish a Bible study workbook that you didn’t complete during the year. Invite a few friends to do it with you.  Take the time to let the lessons sink in and then apply them to your life. Schedule times when you can meet during the summer to discuss what you’re learning. Text or e-mail each other in between meetings so you can hold one another accountable.  Here are several I’d recommend:

  •  The Quest by Beth Moore
  • Becoming a Vessel God Can Use by Donna Partow
  • Women of the Word: The Family Tree of Jesus by Marybeth McCullum (I’ve revised and updated this since it was done at Focused Living in 2015-16) Click here for more information

4. Read a book to gain deeper insight on a topic you want to learn about. Get some biblical perspective from a trusted Christian author.  Here are a few I’d recommend:

  • Love Does by Bob Goff
  • Chasing God by Roger Huang (founder of SF City Impact and SF City Academy)
  • I Give You Authority by Charles Kraft
  • Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
  • Flourish by Natalie Maki (An author from CPC Danville!!)
  • The Peacemaker by Ken Sande
  • Fervant by Priscilla Shirer
  • Forgive and Forget by Lewis Smedes
  • The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns (revised and updated)
  • Surprised by Hope by NT Wright

5. Subscribe to an online study or devotional from one of your favorite Christian authors. You can start by subscribing to this blog if you don’t already. I’ll be posting throughout the summer.  Scroll back to the top of this post, look at the right side of the screen and you’ll see the heading “Subscribe to Blog Via E-mail.” Just fill in your e-mail address and click the blue “subscribe” button. Be sure to confirm your subscription the first time you receive an e-mail from this site. You might also check out the offerings at Proverbs 31.org. (The ministry founded by Lysa TerKeurst.)

Whatever ideas you decide to try, make it a priority to continue engaging your faith. My prayer is that you’ll connect to your spiritual Power Source during the summer months with the same consistency that you charge your electronic devices. Happy summer!

Swimming Against the Current

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“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

Pushing our paddle surfboards off the wet sand, my husband turned to me, “Which way do you want to go, right or left?”

Studying the ripples on the water in the early morning light I eased onto my board and let the current carry me for a moment before answering decisively, “Let’s go right.  That way we’ll be paddling into the breeze and against the current.  It will make the trip back easier when we’re tired.”

It was hard work as we bent our knees, dug in our paddles and slowly made our way through the harbor.  Every muscle in my body was flexed, poised to keep me firmly balanced standing on the board and skimming through the water.  I had no desire to take a spill and get wet in the early morning chill.

As we rounded the tip of Balboa Island for the return trip, we reaped the benefit of our choice to do the hard part first.  We slipped along with the current, feeling like we had the strength of superheroes.  With each stroke of the paddle we made significant progress and could look up and enjoy the sights and sounds all around us in the Newport Harbor.

Skidding onto the cool, wet sand as we returned, I thought about how often our walks of faith mirror what I’d just experienced out on the water.  Sometimes making choices to lead a godly life feels like a fight to swim against the current of the world around us.  Spending time with people who don’t value the things of God can make following Him with our daily life choices a challenge.  When we feel like we have to go it alone, it can be a lot like I felt paddling against the current and into a head wind.  It’s a grueling effort, but the Bible tells us it’s worth it:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

When we persevere, we grow in numerous ways.  There is probably no faster means for growth than clinging to God in the midst of adversity:  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

When we choose to “go with the flow” and let the current sweep us along with the actions and attitudes in popular culture, we’ll find our spiritual disciplines slipping and our infrequent times with God becoming stale and dry.  It is impossible to remain solidly planted in one place spiritually; we will either be swept with the current of the world around or make an effort to paddle against it.

Conversely, there may also be times in life when following God seems easy and fun.  We feel His strength flowing through us as each dip of the paddle into the water propels us forward at an amazing rate.  I liken this to times when we are connected consistently with other Christians and are studying God’s word, worshiping and serving together.  We feel energized and excited as we watch God work among us and are motivated to want more of Him in our lives.

Summer is a season when most organized Bible Studies take a break.  As people scatter for travel or other activities, they tend to put their time in God’s word on the back burner.  It’s still a priority, but not something they tend to with the same diligence.  While rest and rejuvenation are part of God’s desire for our lives, taking a “vacation” from Him or His Word is not.  Many people experience serious spiritual “slippage” in the summer as they focus their attention elsewhere and leave God out of the mix.  Let me encourage you not to be one of those people.

Summer can be a great time to explore a concept that you’ve been wanting to know more about, to read that book that’s been gathering dust on your shelf or to review the study you didn’t have time to savor during the fast pace of the year.  Below are a few ideas to keep you engaged and to help you paddle against the current so that you can continue to build your “spiritual muscles” and experience the rich and full life God has for you, no matter what season it is.

-Pick your favorite Bible Study from the past year and reread it chapter by chapter throughout the summer.  Write down a list of things you want to remember that you learned from it to help you solidify them and apply them to your life.

-Choose a Christian book to read this summer.  Invite a friend to read it with you.  You can even set up a reading schedule to discuss it over coffee or lunch on the weeks you’re both in town.  Here are few suggestions to get you started:

One Thousand Gifts by Ann VosKamp

Seven by Jen Hatmaker

A Confident Heart by Renee Swope

A Different Kind of Wild by Debbie Alsdorf

Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst

 The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg

Strong Women, Soft Hearts by Paula Rhinehart

The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge

Fresh Brewed Life by Nicole Johnson

-Sign up for a Bible Study being offered at church

-Invite a few friends, neighbors or members of your Bible Study to do a workbook and DVD Bible Study together at one of your homes.  If you live near CPC, there are a number that can be checked out from the church library.  If you don’t, look for studies available at lifeway.com or Christianbook.com

-Sign up to receive a daily devotional at Proverbs 31 Ministries www.provberbs31.org (Lysa Ter Keurst started this ministry)

-Choose a book of the Bible to read through this summer.  Write down questions you have as you read and take the time to do word studies and read commentaries that will help you understand it better.  You can also pick up helpful study guides for specific books of the Bible at the CPC bookstore or other Christian bookstores.

The options are only limited by your imagination.  So, pray and ask God to show you what His plans are for you this summer.  Then, dip you paddle in the water and point yourself against the current- you won’t be disappointed.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8).