February Bible Reading Plan

February's Bible reading plan focuses on the Seven Deadly Sins. The next 28 days will allow us to examine our lives and hopeful remove some of these self-destructive behaviors from our lives. I encourage you to use the SOAP method of reading the Bible found at the bottom of the page.


Envy

February 1 Matthew 18 – Focus on verses 1 to 4
February 2 John 3 – Focus on verses 26 to 30
February 3 Romans 13 – Focus on verses 11 to 14
February 4 Philippians 1 – Focus on verses 15 to 18

Lust

February 5 Philippians 2 – Focus on verses 12 to 16
February 6 Romans 6 – Focus on verses 1 to 14
February 7 Proverbs 5 – Focus on verses 1 to 21
February 8 Psalm 19 – Focus on verse 13

Gluttony

February 9 Proverbs 23 – Focus on verses 20 and 21
February 10 2 Timothy 3 – Focus on verses 1 to 9
February 11 2 Peter 1 – Focus on verses 5 to 7
February 12 Galatians 5 – Focus on verses 22 to 23

Greed

February 13 Deuteronomy 6 – Focus on verses 10 to 13
February 14 Luke 12 – Focus on verses 13 to 21
February 15 Matthew 16 – Focus on verses 24 to 26
February 16 Matthew 26 – Focus on verses 14 to 15

Sloth

February 17 Proverbs 6 – Focus on verses 6 to 11
February 18 Proverbs 10 – Focus on verses 4 and 5
February 19 Proverbs 26 – Focus on verses 13 to 16
February 20 2 Thessalonians 3 – Focus on verses 6 to 15

Anger

February 21 Matthew 5 – Focus on verses 21 to 26
February 22 Mark 3 – Focus on verses 1 to 5
February 23 James 3 – Focus on verses 2 to 6
February 24 Proverbs 12 – Focus on verse 16

Pride

February 25 2 Kings 19 – Focus on verses 23 to 29
February 26 Matthew 11 – Focus on verses 20 to 26
February 27 Luke 14 – Focus on verses 7 to 11
February 28 2 Corinthians 12 – Focus on verses 6 to 10

Complete the "S" by reading the scripture. Don't just skim through it, but really think about what it means. Imagine what the people involved were experiencing. Write down a verse or two that really stood out to you in your journal.

Complete the "O" by writing down observations about the scripture you just read. You may want to write your own summary of the passage, but more importantly, think about what God has to say to you through this part of his word.

Complete the "A" by writing down how this Bible passage applies to you right now, in your daily life. For example, in the parable about the prodigal son, which character do you identify with most: the loving and merciful father, the son who squanders his life and then repents or the resentful older brother? Do you see similar situations in your life right now? How can you respond in the way Jesus taught?

Complete the "P" by writing down a prayer. This is a personal message from you to God, so don't worry about getting the perfect words down. Just make it honest and heartfelt. Remember that God always listens, and already knows your needs. He just wants to hear from you.

My Life Lately

Ironic that a dissertation on humor can be quite dry at times. The editing and revisions are almost done! Here is a sample of what I am grinding through.

Hypothesis #1

A positive relationship will be demonstrated between a preacher's perceived humor orientation and perceived ethos.

Hypothesis #la

A positive relationship will be demonstrated between a preacher's perceived humor orientation and perceived competence.

Hypothesis #lb
A positive relationship will be demonstrated between a preacher's perceived humor orientation and perceived goodwill.

Hypothesis #lc

A positive relationship will be demonstrated between a preacher's perceived humor orientation and perceived trustworthiness.

Pearson Product-Movement Correlation demonstrated a positive correlation between the preachers’ perceived humor orientation and the perceived ethos of the preacher. The null hypothesis is rejected (table 3). The results show that a small positive relationship has been demonstrated between the preacher's perceived humor orientation and perceived ethos with r=0.27, p-value <.01; a small positive relationship has been demonstrated between a preacher's perceived humor orientation and perceived competence with r=0.24, p-value <.01; a small positive relationship has been demonstrated between the preacher's perceived humor orientation and perceived goodwill with r=.14, p=value <.05; a small positive relationship has been demonstrated between a preacher's perceived humor orientation and perceived trustworthiness with r=.11, p-value <.05.

The current study indicates the pastor’s effective use of sacred humor is useful in building an ethos with the listeners. A positive relationship is demonstrated between a preacher's perceived humor orientation and perceived ethos. A positive relationship is also demonstrated between a preacher's perceived humor orientation and the three components of perceived ethos: perceived competence, perceived goodwill, and perceived trustworthiness.

WD - 40 to the Rescue

A typical day.

1. Wake up. Shower. Get the boys breakfast. Cheese Grits for Benjamin. Oatmeal for David.

2. Drop Benjamin off at school.

3. Realize that I am out of gas.

4. Coast into the gas station.

5. Put 16.27 gallons of gas in a 16 gallon tank.

6. Drive through the car wash for the first time in 6 months.

7. Drive to my office.

8. Get out of my car and realize that it really is dark green.

9. Work on church stuff and edit dissertation all morning and afternoon.

10. Meet with a couple who I am doing a wedding for in March.

11. Benjamin comes to my office after the kid's ministry.

12. Snag some leftover fried chicken from the youth room and call it dinner.

13. Leave the church with Benjamin.

14. Try to unlock clean car that has been in my outside in the freezing weather for 11 consecutive hours.

15. Realize locking my doors may not have been the best idea I had all day. Can't get in car because the locks are frozen.

16. Go to my office and get some WD - 40.

17. Use one of the best products ever invented to get into my car.

18. Stop at Sonic to celebrate the invention of WD - 40, me getting chapter 4 edited and revised, and Benjamin getting all the questions on his math test correct. Peanut Butter Fudge Malt for me. Banana Spilt Sundae for Benjamin.

19. Help Benjamin with homework.

20. Read a few chapters of Once a Runner.

21. Talk to Amber.

22. Fall asleep.

Sex

Amber and I are talking to a bunch of high school students this weekend about sex. Here are some of Frederick's Buechner's thoughts on the subject:


Contrary to Mrs. Grundy, sex is not sin. Contrary to Hugh Hefner, it's not salvation either.

At it roots, the hunger to know a person sexually is the hunger to know and be known by that person humanly. Food without nourishment doesn't fill the bill for long, and neither does sex without humanness.

Promiscuity is an appealing view in that anything goes as long as nobody gets hurt. Who is to say who gets hurt and who doesn't? Maybe it will be years before the X-rays show anything. Maybe the only person who is hurt is you.

Sex is sinful to the degree that, instead of drawing you closer to the other human beings in their humanness, it unites the bodies but leaves the lives inside them hungrier and more alone than before.

Sex can be holy and sacred, after all it is God's idea and without sex the human species would become extinct in about a hundred years or so. Sex can also be secular and profane. As Buechner writes, sex is a lot like nitroglycerin, it can either blow up bridges or heal hearts.

(See Wishful Thinking pp. 107-109)

Ekklesia Apostolos

Here are the Bible verses from my sermon this morning. I talked about the six functions of the church.

Listen here

Stare into the Eyes of God

Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” –Revelation 4:8-11

Pair up with Friends

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. –Acts 2:42-44

Care for Each Other

They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. –Acts 2:45

Dare to Live

Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied.

“Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke! Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. –Daniel 3:19-28

Bear the Pain of the Hurting People

Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up and went home! Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority. –Matthew 9:1-8

Share Your Faith

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” –Matthew 9:35-37

Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! “Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. –Matthew 10:5-9

Boys

I spent the day with the boys and Amber, after she got home from work this afternoon. My favorite thing is doing nothing with them.

These pictures are from two years ago. They grow so fast!

Early Birthday Present

Norah Jones tickets! Thank you Amber.