Recommended Resources

Van Ride Resources

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On our van ride back from New Mexico some of the girls were asking me about good books to read and some resources that might be helpful to them for growth in Christ. They asked me to compile a short list so I did. I thought it might be helpful to other students and parents. 

Obviously this list is not exhaustive. Some of these books came up because of specific things we were talking about. And some just because I always recommend them to students. 

If I had to start somewhere I’d have them do the recommended reading of the gospel of John and Proverbs. And for books, I’d have them read ‘Don’t Waste Your Life’ and ‘Crazy Love’ first, or maybe Basic Christianity by John Stott. 

See below. Hope this helps some folks! 

•Don’t Waste Your Life, John Piper

•Crazy Love, Francis Chan

•Basic Christianity, John Stott

•A Life Well Lived (Ecclesiastes), Tom Nelson

•Contentment: Seeing God’s Goodness (31-Day Devotionals for Life) Megan Hill

•New Mercies, Paul Tripp (daily devotional)

•Passion and Purity, Elibabeth Elliot

•Taking God at His Word, Kevin Deyoung

•The Meaning of Marriage, Tim and Kathy Keller 

•The Reason For God, Tim Keller

•What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? Kevin DeYoung

•Cross-Cultural Servanthood by Duane Elmer

Where do I start reading the Bible?

Start with the gospel of John. Read it slow and as you do, look for, note, and ponder all the I AM statements. Also, note the miracles and encounters with Jesus. They’re not just events. They teach us about him and how we relate to God.

Some of my favs ch’s are 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15. I love the whole book

Also, here’s a simple study guide on John https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/intros/john.cfm

Also, Proverbs is FULL of wisdom for wise godly living. The book has 31 ch’s. Make it a goal to read 1 ch a day for the entire month. 

A sermon everyone should hear about the sovereignty of God, but especially young people who are worried about messing up their life 😅 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MDbKCZodtZI

Jesus is worth it!

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This past Sunday we look at Matthew 7:13-14 and talked about how the gate is narrow, the way is hard, but Jesus Christ is totally worth it! While looking at the narrow way of Christ we discussed how the gospel of Jesus Christ is different than any other approach to God. It’s been said that all other religions are man’s attempt at getting to God, but the gospel is God succeeding in reaching man, through Jesus Christ. Below is a source that I read part of that contrasts religion and the The Gospel. 

Nasty Weather, Eternal Truth

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When the weather gets nasty we naturally think about how we might fill our evenings or other times while being cooped up inside. I’d sincerely like suggesting “binging” on Jesus’ words in Matthew 5-7 commonly referred to as The Sermon On the Mount. Our church has recently been going through it, and getting the opportunity to work through it slowly has shown me that it’s even more rich and profound than I knew or anticipated.

Here’s a small sampling of what you’ll find:

•Where TRUE happiness comes from, the BLESSED life.
•Making a difference for God’s glory
•The importance of God’s Word above all other authority
•Getting to the HEART of God’s commandments
•Loving others well
•Generosity God’s way
•How to pray
•Where our treasure should be found
•Dealing with anxiety and worry

If you just read through the chapters it would take about 30 mins. Maybe do that first, but then go through it slowly, no more than a paragraph at a time. Take time and ask the passages some questions. What does this say about God, about man, and about the relationship between God and man? Is there a command to follow? A promise to remember? A truth to cherish? Take some notes in a journal. Pray to God and about what He’s revealing. Thank Him for His Word, for the Cross, and for desiring relationship with us and making the Way through Jesus Christ.

Netflix series are hit or miss. The news will suck the joy right out of you. Sports become blah after awhile. BUT THE WORD OF GOD IS ALWAYS LIFE-GIVING!

If you get stuck inside, consider redeeming the time in Matthew 5-7!

📖 ✝️ 🙏🏼 💡

As you open your Bible…

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As you open your Bible in 2021, pray:

I: “Incline my heart to your Word, not to selfish gain” (Ps 119:37)

O: “Open my eyes to see wonderful things in your law” (119:18)

U: “Unite my heart to fear your name” (86:11)

S: “Satisfy me with your unfailing love” (90:14)

—@JohnPiper H/T Matt Smethurst