by Kimberly | Dec 12, 2013 | Bible
Oh, with Jingle Bells, Joy to the World, and Silent Night – we often approach Advent and the Christmas season with a much anticipated (and deserved) joy in our hearts, smile on our faces, and bounce in our step. And rightly so. The hope and knowledge that the second person of the Trinity came willingly to become a little baby born to obscure people in a remote nothing town – amazing.
As Elyse Fitzpatrick teaches us “The Son agreed to be sent as a redeemer for a race of men yet to be created, but in order to do so, He would have to become a new sort of person, one in the likeness of his fallen brothers and yet immutably God. He agreed to do this not out of necessity, not because he was forced to or lacked something in himself that only the incarnation would provide, but because of God’s own purpose and grace…” (pg 30, Found in Him).
Jesus knew that His mission when He came to earth was to die. Who would do that? Certainly not you or me!
But, God did. Jesus did. Full of the Holy Spirit.
So, when we open Christmas presents and sing carols and drive around and look at lights…remember that the cross was in the future. For you. For me. For the glory of God.
by Kimberly | Oct 30, 2013 | Bible, Books
I used to work in a chain Christian bookstore. Bibles took over the place. There were so many. And so many have come out since the mid-90s. There is a Bible for teens, children, moms of _______, dads who golf, etc. If you are charismatic – you have a Bible just for you. If you follow certain preachers – they probably recommend a certain Bible. Why is there a need for another one?
I was intrigued by the Gospel Transformation Bible and was excited that we got it in the mail.
Here are three reasons I love the Gospel Transformation Bible and maybe some thoughts that will point you to it if you are in the market for a new study Bible:
1. The design. This may not be the most important factor in choosing a new study Bible, but I think the simple black and white hardcover design is fabulous. Simple and precise. Very easy to read and find what you need inside, too.
2. The preachers and scholars that Crossway chose to use is varied. There are men and women from different denominational backgrounds, some are preachers, others are teachers or professors at seminaries. It is encouraging to see the common ground that the Gospel brings together.
3. The main focus: the Gospel. The notes that you will read in this study Bible will all point to one thing – the Gospel – Jesus Christ. He is most important part of any theological discussion. He is what all the Scriptures point to.
Appreciate Bibles that focus on this one thing – Jesus!
This is from the Crossway website about the Bible: “Focusing on heart transformation rather than mere behavior modification, their points of application emphasize the Hows and Whys of practical application to daily living—in short, how the gospel transforms us from the inside out.”
by Kimberly | Mar 26, 2013 | Bible, Books
I have a love-hate relationship with certain books.
The one relationship I have now is with Dave Harvey’s Rescuing Ambition. It is a very heart-check book but one that is difficult to handle when he writes things that the Spirit is convicting you of and wanting to eradicate in your life.
“We love glory. We were created to look for is and to love it when we find it. We’re pursuers – we go after things we value. What is it for you?” (Pg 21, 19)
If I say I’m a believer, and live my life for the glory of God…then why do I write? Do I honestly want to write this blog, write books, teach Bible studies for my glory or for the glory of God?
That is what I’ve been wrestling with this month. I want readership. I want to write a book and not have it just sit on a shelf and be a coaster on someone’s coffee table. I want it to change someone’s life. Why? So that God can get more glory than me – that His name can be made much of – or if I was honest would I say that I want people to know my name and my blog and think what I do is great and meaningful?
I do love to write. This has been a hard month, but one of more time to just be (or play Candy Crush) or to play with our son. My Sweet Mister doesn’t want me to give up writing. He encourages my writing. That is encouraging to me. I want to do what I do with a right heart toward the God who gave me the gift of writing and speaking in the first place. Not for notoriety or fame or publication or for thousands of hits. I need to keep this on the forefront of my mind daily as I start back to writing again.
So, for the three of you that read this blog, thank you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life. Be glory-seekers, too!
by Kimberly | Nov 6, 2012 | Bible, James
I am sure every one of you reading this has received and given many gifts. Some have probably been small and insignificant (every white elephant Christmas gathering you’ve ever attended) and some have probably been costly and important. Let me share a few of my favorite gifts with you that I’ve received.
I’m looking at two of my favorite gifts as I am writing this chapter. One is a water color painting of the skyline in St. Augustine, Florida drawn from the viewpoint of the Bridge of Lions. I studied at Flagler College in that beautiful north Florida coastal town and for the last two years daily drove over this bridge and got stuck at the drawbridge. I loved this town and all that it brought into my life: a wonderful church, mentors, and friends. My mentors gave me this as I graduated from college. I loved it and have always wanted to have a home to display it in. We have it in our apartment on the mantel as a gorgeous reminder of home and friendship.
Another favorite gift I’ve received is my engagement ring. When a girl has waited so long for something to important – it better be good! Most typical girls I know have searched the websites and looked in jewelry stores picking out their ideal engagement ring; I was no different. I didn’t want a solitaire because I was afraid it would get caught in my hair or messed up with food as a I was cooking. I wanted the main stone to be flat and round. I, like any smart girl, told both of my best friends what I desired in a ring. My smart boyfriend asked them what I liked. He then picked out the ring himself. When my best friend saw it weeks before he proposed, she knew I would LOVE it. And believe me, I did. Even now, I sit and stare at it as the light bounces off the shiny stones and reflects its warmth. It is a sign of my husband’s love for me, not because it is shiny and pretty, but because he thought of me when he was buying it.
These two gifts are reflective of the love and relationship of the people who gave it to me. My mentors and my husband are definitely 2 of the most important earthly relationships that I have. These gifts are earthly – one will collect dust and the other will need to be cleaned to keep its sparkle.
What is a gift? A gift is something undeserved. Did I deserve an engagement ring? No. Did I deserve a beautiful painting? No. If I had, these would not be gifts, but more like paychecks. They wouldn’t mean as much either. But, because both parties desired to give me something just to show their love for me, these gifts meant so much more. Thankfully, they gave, because I didn’t deserve either one of them. God demonstrates Himself to be a gracious giver to us time after time in Scripture. This giving demeanor is still true in our lives today. Let’s take a look at James 1 and see what this little book says about God’s giving nature.
James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
by Kimberly | Nov 4, 2012 | Bible, James
Finishing off from James 1:12
Psalm 73:25 : Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”
So, how does this command to desire nothing line up with the awaiting a crown? I understood this a little better after a conversation with my husband over dinner. The crown will be given by God Himself, and therefore my desiring of the crown, is a good thing because it is a gift from God. Here is an example:
My husband comes home one night bringing me 7 fresh-picked yellow roses for our 7 month anniversary. He says “Thank you for being my friend.” What would happen to our friendship if I took the roses and threw them in the garbage? I am positive that would not be the reaction that he wanted. But instead, I did what any grateful wife would do: I hugged and kissed him, told him thank you, then placed the sunshine-filled vase in a place where everyone could see – and even posted a picture and put on social media exclaiming what a great husband I had.
The same idea applies for our heavenly crown. Would we want to be handed a dingy crown when we got to heaven? Certainly not. We want a crown reflective of the One who will give it to us. We want to work for the praise of God. And when God gives it to us, we will be thankful because we will fully understand then that our good works were not for our glory but for His (Matthew 5).
When we say we desire a crown, or we work and are faithful to receive the “crown of life” – we desire God’s praise. This is something we should desire. All of life should lead toward hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
by Kimberly | Nov 1, 2012 | Bible, James
This month I will be posting excerpts from the Bible study I’m writing. Hope you are blessed. Would love any thoughts that you have.
Why is there a need to study Scripture? There are many reasons. Dr. Wayne Grudem, a professor and theologian, has this to say about the necessity of Scripture, “the necessity of Scripture means that the Bible is necessary for knowing the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will.” (ST, pg 116)
So, let’s take those three and apply them to a study like this on the book of James:
1. We study it for a better knowledge of the gospel. In this study, I hope you will see that the book of James tells us that we are not perfect, cannot do all the demands that the Word gives us, yet there is one who has done everything perfectly. That is the essence of the Gospel. We are not perfect, but are loved by someone who is perfect.
2. We study the Word to maintain our spiritual life. How can a marriage survive if the couple never communicates or shares life together? How can a friendship thrive if there is no line of communication and time spent with each other? Just as there can be no harmony in a marriage or friendship without communication, there is little growth in The Lord without time spent reading His Word. It is His letter to His children. Why wouldn’t we want to read it?
3. We study the Word of God to know His will. Romans 12.1-2 tells us this – that we can know God’s good, perfect, and pleasing will. How do we know it? We can read, study, know, memorize, and reflect upon the Word He has given us. Then when we are faced with a decision to make, we often won’t have to worry about what to do. The Spirit will bring what we already know to remembrance (John 15-17). One of the Spirit’s roles is to be our Teacher. One of his primary ways of doing that is through the Word of God.
