reasons for reading the Bible

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Each day I continue to use the YouVersion.com devotions to feed my spirit. Yesterday was another great day, and thus I am sharing with you Day 17 of 30 of “Life on Mission”. I pray this will encourage you as it did me…

I was speaking at a youth conference in Australia to about 50 youth. At one point, I asked them to all shout their name so I could hear them; all the kids screamed at once. The sound was chaotic. It rattled the windows and forced people to cover their ears. I couldn’t differentiate a single name. I then asked one girl to stand up in the back. On the count of three everyone else was to shout “Noise.” She was to shout her name. I counted to three and listened intently. Literally, through the noise, I heard her say Sharon. I heard her voice because I was intentional about disregarding the noise.

The point is this, there is so much noise in the world that when we really need to hear God, that isn’t the time to come up with a strategy. Spend time with God in the quiet. Learn the sound of his voice away from the chaos. Then, when you need to hear him, you will be better able to hone in on His voice and separate it from the noise.

Trying to explain what God’s voice sounds like is a real challenge. How do you explain the sound of being barreled in a wave while surfing? How about the sound of a beautiful sunrise? How do you explain the sound that an infant makes when they are happy? The best way to know what God sounds like is to read your Bible.

It is my conviction that God will never speak anything to you that conflicts with what scripture says. Thus, knowing what the Bible says is hugely important.

Ask God to help you store his word in your heart. Pray that he will remind you of the things you’ve read when needed.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

John 10:27 NLT

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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