📖 8 Things the Bible says about itself:

1. IT’S INSPIRED. All Scripture is God-breathed… – 2Timothy 3:16

2. IT’S TRUE. The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. – Psalm 12:6

3. IT’S AUTHORITATIVE. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. – James 1:22

4. IT’S CLEAR. The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. – Psalm 119:130

5. IT’S SUFFICIENT. All Scripture is…profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

6. IT’S POWERFUL. The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword… – Hebrews 4:12

7. IT’S CHRIST-CENTERED. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me… – Jesus, John 5:39

8. IT’S PRECIOUS. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. – Psalm 119:72

H/T Matt Smethurst @ The Gospel Coalition 1/20

I know Psalm 23 by heart and reference it and recite to myself all the time. The fact that the Lord is my Shepherd is a huge help in all kinds of circumstances.

🫣 Scared? Psalm 23 📖

🥺 Worried? Psalm 23 📖

😵‍💫 Can’t sleep? Psalm 23 📖

🤨 Getting slandered? Psalm 23 📖

😢 Preaching a funeral? Psalm 23 📖

🤔 Need reassurance in life? Psalm 23 📖

This evening I was researching the last part of Ps 23:2 ”He leads me beside still waters” and I came across something kinda cool — a lengthy, in-depth audible meditation on Psalm 23. I think the idea is that it allows you to focus and enter into the rest that God has for us in the Psalm so you can rest your mind, your soul and your body.

So, I don’t know what you have going on in your life right now but I bet Psalm 23 can help! Here’s the YouTube link

⬇️⬇️⬇️

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8oSbFlTpwiE

From our #PointMan Bible study this am…

⏱ 30 mins / 15 in Bible📖 / 15 praying🙏🏼
3️⃣ 3 X’s a week
📍 at particular place
⌚️at specific time
🗓 for 6 weeks

🏃‍♂️Medical research shows that if we consistently engage in cardiovascular activity for just 30 minutes 3 X’s a week it makes a dramatic difference in our overall health. 90 minutes out of 7 days can keep you from having to go under the knife for heart surgery 😬 Seems like a no brainer.

Now think about it in terms of spiritual health. If we would set aside at least three times a week of focused on interrupted time with God, 15 minutes in his Word and 15 minutes in prayer, imagine the difference it would make!

1 Timothy 4:7-8 says…train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Are you engaged in regular, intentional spiritual training? Would you commit to 6 weeks of 30 mins, 3 X’s a week, 15 mins in the word and 15 mins in prayer? If so you’ll need to pick a time and a place and make it a priority. If it’s not something you’re already doing it’ll be life-changing! And if you already do it YOU KNOW it’s life-changing!

For your reading, just do a chapter or a few vs’s a day for 15 mins. Here’s a few of my go to ch’s/readings:

Psalm 23
Psalm 1
Mathew 6:5-15
Luke 15:11-32
Romans 3:21-31
Romans 8:1-11
Romans 8:12-30
Romans 8:31-39
Psalm 91
Psalm 42
Psalm 51
Psalm 127
Psalm 128
Psalm 119:1-8
Exodus 20:1-21
John 3
John 9
John 11
John 14
John 15
Galatians 2
Ephesians 2:1-10
Philippians 2
Philippians 4

Well, that’s more than enough for 6 weeks 3 X’s a week 😅 🤷🏻‍♂️ These are just a few that came to mind for me. A quick google search will reveal tons of Bible reading plans. The main thing is DO IT. Make it a priority with a time and place and I guarantee you won’t regret it. 👊🏼

For 15 mins in prayer? Pray about what you just read! God has just spoken to you by His Word, speak back to Him. Also here’s a helpful/memorable model for prayer:

A.C.T.S.
•Adoration
•Confession
•Thanksgiving
•Supplication (requests)

Hope someone finds this helpful! Y’all keep looking up!

Our Point Man study this morning was about the necessity of the Word of God in the life of a man. It was so encouraging to hear man after man share about how God has used the Bible in their life to help them get rooted, grow, and keep perspective. Many shared how it wasn’t until they got gut punched by the storms of life that they realized just how important daily time in the Word is. Jesus said man does not live by bread alone but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4). Our souls need the Word of God like our bodies need food!

Steve Farrar writes “God’s Word gives me a dose of reality. There is right and wrong; there are consequences for making wrong choices…I need God’s commentary on life every day. A Christian man in this society is swimming upstream against the current. Without the constant nutrition of the Word, he will soon tire and be dragged off by the sheer force of the current. A solid education of biblical truth is not optional for the family leader…It’s not easy to hold onto convictions when you’re in the minority. You and I live in a society that is constantly trying to chip away at our biblical convictions. My time in the Scripture each morning underscores why I hold those convictions. We are in a war for our families, and we cannot afford to compromise the divine absolutes given us…As I read and ponder the Scriptures, I am forced to evaluate my convictions. Perhaps some of them don’t agree with God’s Word and need to be changed. Or maybe I’ve started to compromise convictions I’ve always held. As I am exposed to Scripture, I find encouragement to stand firm in the truth and not negotiate what the Bible clearly teaches. Each day I have to make choices based on my convictions…I need God’s input to make consistently right choices. I must feed on Scripture every day…I cannot afford to be spiritually anorexic when I’ve been given the responsibility to lead my family. A malnourished man is worthless in hand-to-hand combat. Because he has no strength, he is easy prey for the enemy.”

Also, here’s a quote and some statistics from a Men’s devotional by an author named David Murrow: “Spending consistent time in the Bible can literally turn your life around. Research indicates that men who engage in the Bible at least 4 times a week are:

• 57% less likely to abuse alcohol

• 68% less likely to stray away from their marriage

• 61% less likely to view porn

• 74% less likely to gamble

• More than twice as likely to share their faith and disciple others

• More than 4 times as likely to memorize Scripture”

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. Psalms 1:1-3

Great group of POINT MEN here! I love these brothers. This morning we talked about TIME, how “less time = less influence” and how we can better invest in those around us, especially our kids. 

I made this acronym for myself as a reminder for how to best use T.I.M.E. as a dad.

T – thank God for the kids daily. In the Bible children are always a blessing, never a burden

I – integrate/invite my kids into my life and let them know me

M – moments that teach. Leverage natural teachable moments rather than lecture.

E – example. Don’t just tell them, show them. Live out in front of them what I want to see in them.

#pointman

Lots of conversations about how Gunter and surrounding communities are growing. How should small town people respond to lots of growth? What should our attitude be?

I’ve lived in little towns in Grayson County pretty much my whole life. I remember when all the water towers had fresh paint and Melissa was just a beer store. Sounds funny to many, but I like waving at people on the road and having them wave (or nod) back. I enjoy knowing most people by name, hearing coyotes

So when I hear Gunter’s the next Prosper or Celina’s the next Frisco, or whatever the comparison, I have mixed feelings. But I keep having this one command from the Bible come to mind that seems especially applicable “welcome one another as Christ welcomed you.” (Rom 15:7)

Seems pretty clear how God wants me to respond to new people, He wants me to be welcoming. And not just welcoming, welcoming like He’s welcomed me! Christ met me right where I was, loved and helped me beyond measure. His welcome to me has never been anything but warm and encouraging. Seems only reasonable that I’d strive to do that for others.

The fact is, despite all the talk, we’ve got a looong way to go before we’re anything close to a big city But if it’s 1 new neighborhood or 50 new developments, doesn’t matter.

Faithfulness to God’s commands is our role. He’s is in charge. There’s a lot of comfort, encouragement and rest in that!

Peter denied even knowing Jesus, 3 X’s

Zacchaeus the crook tax collector

Saul/Paul the persecutor

The woman at the well

Moses the murderer

The prodigal son

The list goes on and on. And then there’s the name I’m most familiar with, Roy Layman. All of us, sinners in need of grace and a path forward. We could’ve, and by many standards should’ve, been written off as worthless. But we weren’t. Because God is full of love. And Jesus made the way. And we got to be used for God’s glory. He’s not embarrassed of us or wishing He had a better team. He calls us son/daughter and we call Him Father.

Us redeemed losers also serve as proof that God loves everyone and can use anyone. Knowing that ought compel us to never give up on anyone. Not because we believe in people, people let us down. But because we believe in God, He never fails.

🏈 🔵 I went to Gunter’s football banquet tonight and loved it! It’s mainly a time for coaches to say great things about their players.

I was sitting there thinking, in the many sports I played I never had a bad coach. They all put their heart into their job, set a good example, and tried to make me a better person and athlete. I wasn’t always the best player but I always had great coaches. So my favorable experience has made me partial toward coaches, no doubt. But I love coaches and especially love to hear them brag on their players. The season is long with lots of ups and downs, corrective coaching, and even some butt chewing’s along the way. I know it does a lot for those young men to know that at the end of the day, when the Friday Night Lights go out, their coaches love them and have so much good to say about them.

I had a thought, and I hope this doesn’t seem irreverent to the Lord by comparing Him to a coach because I don’t mean it that way. But as I listened to coaches brag on players I thought about an encouraging verse in the Bible:

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. – Zephaniah 3:17

I bet some of those players hearing a coach speak about them were kinda surprised by how much their coach loved of them and had so many nice things to say. Same is true for us and God. But by faith in Christ, He really does delight in us. He quiets us with His love. He’s glad we’re His. Like a proud coach, He sings over us.

I know God is way more than a coach. But He’s not less. In one sense all of life is a competition to maximize all that we have for the glory of God. As we do that, we need to remember that we’re not earning His favor. He’s already glad we’re His. In spite of our many flaws and failures, He’s glad to have us on His team.

🏈 ✝️

📷: OurGunter

My buddy Benny Hood shares the testimony of his battle with Covid and the faithfulness of God.

Grace Stories: Benny Hood from Grace Bible on Vimeo.