This weekend I’m doing something I’ve never done before–officiating 2 weddings in less than 24 hours! Hope I don’t get their names confused! Ha! For real, it will be fun. Weddings are always a joy to be a part of. Even more than the ceremony itself, I enjoy getting to meet with couple’s before their wedding. In some cases, like the two couples I’m marrying this weekend, my wife and I get to do a good amount of premarital counseling. Now, as you married folks know, there’s no amount of premarital counseling that can adequately prepare you for all of the challenges and joys of marriage. Every relationship is unique  and needs God’s wisdom and grace in unique ways. BUT, there are some things that can be very helpful to know going in to marriage. I’m not sure where we picked them up, but over the years my wife and I have settles on 5 topics, or “marriage killers” that we like address with couples before they marry. We talk about the challenges of each topic, and then offer biblical wisdom, resources, and counsel for each one.

1. Communication
2. (dealing with unmet) Expectations
3. In-laws
4. Finances
5. Sex and Romance

And just to be clear, these challenges are not exclusive to newlyweds! Doesn’t matter if you’ve been married 5 days or 5 decades these “marriage killers” tend to represent the source of a lot of problems in marriage.

“I want to read and study the Bible, where do I start?” This is something I am asked pretty often, and I am always encouraged to hear! God has revealed himself in the Bible, so when a person is saved by faith in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14-16) they naturally get serious about learning the Bible.

Here’s how I typically advise people who are looking for a place to start:

Start with one of the 4 gospel accounts, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. These are a great way to learn more about who Jesus is and how we can be made right with God through Him and his work done on our behalf.

Pray before you read. Bible reading is part of a relationship with God. Open the conversation with God in prayer. There’s not a secret formula to praying, but here is a link to a prayer guide.

Consider just reading one paragraph a day. Bible reading is not a race, and you’re not trying to learn AR points 🙂 It’s better to get it than to merely get through it. Take some time to really take in what is being said. I use a pen and underline/circle words and phrases that stand out to me.

After reading the paragraph, ask some questions in view of the paragraph you just read:

1. What did this teach me about God?
2. What did this teach me about mankind/myself
3. What did this teach me about the relationship between God and mankind/myself?
4. Is there a commandment to obey or something I need to do after reading this?

Then pray again, as a closing to your focused time with the Lord.

Hope this is helpful. I’d also recommend making a daily habit of reading and reflecting on the Psalms, maybe a psalm a day or a chapter a day depending on the length of the psalm, and becoming familiar with the practical wisdom found in Proverbs.

If you have an interest in another, more indepth method of Bible reading and study check out the 3 step method in this post.

Or if you are interested in a Bible reading plan with significantly more content check this out.

Excellent highlight video by Jason Carney of a recent mission trip to the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico.

Link to Grace Notes, Grace Bible’s monthly newsletter, check it out!!

GRACE NOTES JULY 2016

For some, when I say that I am not a supporter of Joel Osteen’s teaching you probably think, “DUH! He’s a prosperity preacher!” For others you might think “REALLY!? He has such a positive message. Why would you NOT support that?!?!”

About a year ago a friend of mine/member of my church family posted on Twitter that she was currently reading one of Mr. Osteen’s books. I messaged her about it and brought some things to her attention. I thought I would share my message to her with you all. My intention is not to slander Mr. Osteen, but rather to raise what I feel like are some legitimate concerns about his teaching. Below is exactly what I sent to her via text message and screenshots below that. I have deleted her name from the screenshots, but did ask her permission before posting.

Hey girl. Pls don’t think I’m the Twitter police when I share this w/you 🙂 
And pls know that I you are free to read whatever you want, & I respect that..:but I saw your post about Joel Osteen. First of all, props to you! I’m so glad to see you making efforts to feed your soul, few girls your age are doing that w/their time….but to say that I have reservations about Joel would be an understatement To be fair, I was “warned” about Joel & other “prosperity preachers” in ministry training, so I’m definitely hypersensitive to them, but as your pastor and friend I wanted to give you a chance to make a decision on whether or not his (Joel’s) teaching is in line w/biblical Christianity. Here’s a link to a post that brings up some of the same concerns I have http://themattwalshblog.com/2014/09/04/joel-osteen-wife-heretics-thats-america-loves/ and here’s a short YouTube vid about the prosperity gospel and its dangers ESPECIALLY in 3rd world countries as they don’t have the the $$ & resources that we have & are seen as not having enough faith or saying the right “powerful” words. http://youtu.be/G-V_91c5ojU
And one more by Matt Chandler http://youtu.be/w3oFFZQqKdc
Pls let me know if you have questions about this & pls don’t take this as me telling you what you should/shouldn’t read. Just want you to be informed. Much love, Roy

My friend said that what I shared with her was helpful and that she had passed it on to others. That’s my intention, to be helpful.

“Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled the fragrance of the perfume.” John 12:3

“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” -Paul, the apostle — Acts 20:28

“May God show us a vision of ourselves that will disvalue us to the point of total devaluation. From there He can raise us up to worship Him and to praise Him and to witness”  -AW Tozer

“Has Jesus become our mascot, our projection? When you look at him, what do you see?”

This post poses a great question to Christians, Do you adore Jesus?

http://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/but-do-you-adore-jesus

As a child I remember being told “Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.” Not something you hear much anymore. Today, God or Jesus have become our culture’s exclamation point, or preface to using curse words in disgust. Why do we do that? Do we somehow feel like breaking the 3rd commandment will make a situation better? Is it an act of rebellion against God? What’s even more strange, many ppl throw God’s name around who don’t even believe in him?!?! Weird. Why not yell “unicorns” or “Sasquatch”???

Well, when I was told as a kid not to take the Lord’s name in vain, my understanding of that was not to say God (or Jesus) unless I was praying, or talking about him in a good way. That’s a good place to start, but it’s a limited understanding. There’s a reverence that goes with the use of God’s name. Below is a great (and short) article on the subject:

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-does-it-mean-take-lords-name-vain/

And another, Why It’s Wrong to Take God’s Name In Vain:

https://www.crossway.org/blog/2016/01/why-its-wrong-to-take-gods-name-in-vain/

How do we measure wether or not a church is fruitful? Is it as simple as a headcount on Sunday morning? Number of people professing their faith by walking an isle, raising a hand, etc. It’s not that simple. Drawing from he wisdom of Jonathan Edwards and the example of the church in the New Testament, Jared C. Wilson offers some great insight on the subject at the link below.

http://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/5-distinguishing-marks-of-a-fruitful-church

Grace Notes is our church’s monthly newsletter. Check it out at the link below:

GRACE NOTES JUNE 2016

We’ve primarily taught thru books of the Bible on Sunday mornings at Grace Bible for several years now. It doesn’t sound cool, slick, or “relevant” but there are benefits to this approach. Jared C. Wilson outlines a few in this post: 8 Reasons To Preach Through Books of the Bible.