September 2008
It’s time again for “readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmetic” according to the calendar on my desk. Summer is winding down and kids are longing to get back into the classroom and get to work. I think.
How about you? Do you enjoy expanding your mind and learning new things? Are you a “life-long” learner? You should be! Just as we want our children and grandchildren to learn and grow, so too, we as God’s children should continue to learn and grow. With the fall season upon us, I’d like to challenge you to take a couple of steps in your life-long learning journey.
First, if you do not currently attend a Christian Education class on Sunday mornings – begin this week! There are three different opportunities for adults at LBC to learn and grow in their faith. One of them is right for you. Second, become a well-rounded reader. I think that one of the greatest gifts God has given us is the ability to communicate truth and ideas on the written page. And be sure to read good literature. Reading from the hand of excellent authors can enrich the mind and stir the heart. After all, if God didn’t want us to read, He never would have revealed Himself through the written Word.
I could give you a long list of books that I’d love for you to read, but let me just recommend four books this month:
1. The Bible is of course first on the list. But take the time to read it and enjoy the variety of styles found in this collection of sixty-six books. You’ll find poetry, narrative, oratory, apocalyptic writing. There are love stories, mighty battles, wisdom, intrigue and suspense . . . all revealing God’s work among His people.
2. Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is a classic devotional that takes you through the life of Christian, a follower of the King who makes his pilgrimage through life until he finally enters the Celestial City. This book should be read by every Christian.
3. Confessions by Augustine, is his testimony of faith. Another classic that deserves to be read and digested. Augustine exposes his sinful heart, not through murder or adultery, but by the simple act of taking fruit off the tree of a neighbor. Augustine’s understanding of the depravity of man and the absolute need of God’s complete work for our salvation is based on his thoughts and experiences found in the pages of this book.
4. The Brothers Karamazov, is the final novel of Russian author Dostoevsky. It is considered the crowning achievement of his life’s work. The story portrays a parricide in which each of the murdered man’s sons share a varying degree of complicity. It deals with the “spiritual drama of moral struggles concerning faith, doubt, reason, free will, and modern Russia.” This is a very thought provoking novel.
If you’re not already, become a reader. You’ll gain insights that will help you understand yourself, the world around you, and the God who created it all.
Pastor Lew
How about you? Do you enjoy expanding your mind and learning new things? Are you a “life-long” learner? You should be! Just as we want our children and grandchildren to learn and grow, so too, we as God’s children should continue to learn and grow. With the fall season upon us, I’d like to challenge you to take a couple of steps in your life-long learning journey.
First, if you do not currently attend a Christian Education class on Sunday mornings – begin this week! There are three different opportunities for adults at LBC to learn and grow in their faith. One of them is right for you. Second, become a well-rounded reader. I think that one of the greatest gifts God has given us is the ability to communicate truth and ideas on the written page. And be sure to read good literature. Reading from the hand of excellent authors can enrich the mind and stir the heart. After all, if God didn’t want us to read, He never would have revealed Himself through the written Word.
I could give you a long list of books that I’d love for you to read, but let me just recommend four books this month:
1. The Bible is of course first on the list. But take the time to read it and enjoy the variety of styles found in this collection of sixty-six books. You’ll find poetry, narrative, oratory, apocalyptic writing. There are love stories, mighty battles, wisdom, intrigue and suspense . . . all revealing God’s work among His people.
2. Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is a classic devotional that takes you through the life of Christian, a follower of the King who makes his pilgrimage through life until he finally enters the Celestial City. This book should be read by every Christian.
3. Confessions by Augustine, is his testimony of faith. Another classic that deserves to be read and digested. Augustine exposes his sinful heart, not through murder or adultery, but by the simple act of taking fruit off the tree of a neighbor. Augustine’s understanding of the depravity of man and the absolute need of God’s complete work for our salvation is based on his thoughts and experiences found in the pages of this book.
4. The Brothers Karamazov, is the final novel of Russian author Dostoevsky. It is considered the crowning achievement of his life’s work. The story portrays a parricide in which each of the murdered man’s sons share a varying degree of complicity. It deals with the “spiritual drama of moral struggles concerning faith, doubt, reason, free will, and modern Russia.” This is a very thought provoking novel.
If you’re not already, become a reader. You’ll gain insights that will help you understand yourself, the world around you, and the God who created it all.
Pastor Lew
posted by Pastor Lew @ 3:47 PM
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