MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Doxology
Read It: Romans 16:25-27 (NRSV)
25 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
Learn It:
This type of writing that Paul wrote above is called a doxology. dox - means praise and ology - means writing, so a doxology is a writing of praise to God. There are many different types of doxologies that Paul and other writers in the Bible have written down for us. The most famous would be: "praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him, all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen." This doxology was written in 1674 by Thomas Ken. These types of writings are a way to talk about God and tell about all the great things that God does for us and all of creation.
Share It:
What are ways that you praise God in your daily life? What are the different things that God does in your life that you are grateful for? What are the things that you see in creation that just shouts that God is alive and active in the world? How might your views or attitude change if you constantly looked for ways to praise God and ways that God does things for you? Talk about these questions and anything else that may come up during your share it time together.
Live It:
During this week take some time either alone or with your family and write your own doxology (praise writing). Think about what kinds of things you are grateful for that God does in your life and write them in a way that gives praise to God.
Share It:
What are ways that you praise God in your daily life? What are the different things that God does in your life that you are grateful for? What are the things that you see in creation that just shouts that God is alive and active in the world? How might your views or attitude change if you constantly looked for ways to praise God and ways that God does things for you? Talk about these questions and anything else that may come up during your share it time together.
Live It:
During this week take some time either alone or with your family and write your own doxology (praise writing). Think about what kinds of things you are grateful for that God does in your life and write them in a way that gives praise to God.
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Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post. Let others know if you and your family found this useful.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Thankful Christian
Read It: 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NRSV)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Learn It:
I don't know about you but this seems a pretty hard task for even the best of Christians. There are times in our lives when we get down and sad and it makes it hard to rejoice. We also have so many things going on: work, sleep, cooking, chores, etc. that it makes it hard to pray without stopping to do other things. When we are down and having a hard time it makes it hard to rejoice in everything that happens to us. Let's take a look at what this might mean though: Rejoicing always means that we should always remember that in both the good times and bad times in our lives we have a God that loves and cares for us so much God gave us Jesus as a sacrifice. In that we can always rejoice. To pray without ceasing is to again always keep God and the work of Jesus in the forefront of our minds. It doesn't have to be a formal prayer but an offering of our thoughts up to God. In those ways we can then give thanks to God knowing and seeing all that God does in our lives in all circumstances.
Share It:
Spend some time today talking about the things that God does in your lives. What can you see that God does in both the good and the bad? What do you see God do in the extraordinary and in the ordinary everyday things? What are ways that you can give thanks to God for those things? What offerings can you lift up to God for all the circumstances that you have gone through? Talk about these and other things that come up during your time together.
Live It:
This week as you work, play, etc. spend some time focusing on rejoicing in the things that God has given you and how you are able to to work through life knowing the blessings you have from God. That will be your way of rejoicing always and by constantly "thinking" about those blessings you will in a way be praying without ceasing. Enjoy those blessings!
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Learn It:
I don't know about you but this seems a pretty hard task for even the best of Christians. There are times in our lives when we get down and sad and it makes it hard to rejoice. We also have so many things going on: work, sleep, cooking, chores, etc. that it makes it hard to pray without stopping to do other things. When we are down and having a hard time it makes it hard to rejoice in everything that happens to us. Let's take a look at what this might mean though: Rejoicing always means that we should always remember that in both the good times and bad times in our lives we have a God that loves and cares for us so much God gave us Jesus as a sacrifice. In that we can always rejoice. To pray without ceasing is to again always keep God and the work of Jesus in the forefront of our minds. It doesn't have to be a formal prayer but an offering of our thoughts up to God. In those ways we can then give thanks to God knowing and seeing all that God does in our lives in all circumstances.
Share It:
Spend some time today talking about the things that God does in your lives. What can you see that God does in both the good and the bad? What do you see God do in the extraordinary and in the ordinary everyday things? What are ways that you can give thanks to God for those things? What offerings can you lift up to God for all the circumstances that you have gone through? Talk about these and other things that come up during your time together.
Live It:
This week as you work, play, etc. spend some time focusing on rejoicing in the things that God has given you and how you are able to to work through life knowing the blessings you have from God. That will be your way of rejoicing always and by constantly "thinking" about those blessings you will in a way be praying without ceasing. Enjoy those blessings!
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Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post. Let others know if you and your family found this useful.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
God Time
Read It: 2 Peter 3:8 (NRSV)
8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.
Learn It:
This passage is often taken literally to mean that there will be a reign of Christ for 1,000 years. As we know though it has been longer than that since Christ died and rose again; in fact it has been almost double that since then. This passage then is not a literal passage about when things might happen but is a passage about how we see time and God see time. God sees the whole scope of what has happened in the past and where God wants the world to go. God is trying to bring all things to God's self. We see time as moving forward and God sees it more as drawing to. I know this is a deep concept but I think it's helpful to understand that our time and God's time isn't quite the same thought process as ours is.
Share It:
Bring out a clock and time your conversation together today. Have you ever experienced a time when a moment or an hour or some length of time seemed either much longer or much shorter than the time actually was? Why do you think that happens? Sometimes in our own lives time doesn't always seem to be equal even though we know that it is. So if the passage isn't literal what do you think this verse is all about? What message about God and about Jesus do you think the author is trying to convey? The author is using this verse when talking about Jesus coming again; so with that in mind why do you think that he is saying these things?
Live It:
Take this week and make sure you have a clock with you. Spend some time this week in prayer and spend it in other various ways and see how much time might fly or slow down for you. Think about the ways that we spend our time and see how this passage might relate to any or all of it.
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Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post. Let others know if you and your family found this useful.
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