Get in the Word and Don't Stop!

I was gifted with a New King James Study Bible when I was baptized in 1996 at a small Southern Baptist church in Central Indiana. It wasn't until early 2001 when I was 27 years old that I read through that entire Bible. It was the toughest year of my life, so I committed to reading and studying my Bible regularly in a new way. The next year I moved to South Korea to serve with a Christian organization, and my future mother-in-law gave me a New American Standard Bible. It became my go-to translation for six years until the ESV Study Bible was published in 2008. 

I used to write all 66 books and chapters of the Bible on paper and mark off the chapters when I completed them. I now do it on my Mac and highlight the chapters I've read. Keeping track of what I'm reading has helped ensure I don't neglect any part of God's Word. I have struggled through parts of Old Testament history and prophecy and often forget what I've read, but God's Word has been a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). 

Megan and I expected our three children to be in God's Word seven days a week. They didn't always accomplish the goal which would result in a healthy talk from yours truly. Grace Noel completed her first reading of the Bible in elementary school, and Rosalie did it as a middle schooler. Josiah Lee, our 7th grader, has completed the New Testament and is now reading the Psalms. Are there parts of the Bible that went over their heads? Absolutely. Welcome to the club. We still wanted them to read every word of the Bible and ask us questions when things got confusing. Seeing my kiddos reading and studying their Bibles has helped me walk more closely with Jesus.

If little kids can read the entire Bible, there is no reason YOU can't do this. We spend so much time on social media, attending sporting events, and watching movies and TV shows. Yet it only takes ten to twenty minutes for the average reader to complete three chapters in their Bible. There are 1189 chapters in the Bible and reading 3.25 chapters a day is all it takes to have it done in a year. If you don't like reading, then listen to the Bible. This can be done as you enJOY breakfast, complete a household task, drive to work, or before you go to bed. Consistently feeding on God's can help us progress toward holiness. It can help us resist accepted sins like complaining about our jobs, showing impatience with our children, and being anxious about our finances. It forms us. 

Consider downloading one of the Bible reading plans here and grow in your relationship with God. Figure out a Bible reading rhythm and let God speak to you in new and exciting ways!

All Scripture is breathed out by God and 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

Debunking Eight Common Christmas Misconceptions!

Millions enJOY Christmas, but how well do most people know the true Christmas story? If you watch The Nativity Story, The Star, or Christmas With the Chosen: Messengers, can you tell fact from fiction? What is misrepresented in these family-friendly films that should be discussed with your family and friends? Below are some common Christmas misconceptions that might surprise you. If that's the case, let's talk! Most importantly, let's dig into God's Word so we know the true message of Christmas and that Christ is the reason for the season and life. To God be the glory!

1. Writing Merry Xmas is NOT disrespectful. The X has a long history of symbolizing the name of Christ. It involves the first letter of the Greek name for Christ. Christos is the New Testament Greek for Christ, and the first letter of the Greek word Christos is transliterated into our alphabet as an X. 

2. The Bible does NOT say Mary rode into Bethlehem on a donkey on their 65 to 80-mile trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Perhaps this was the case, but it's highly possible that Mary rode in a cart or walked for about a week or so.

3. Luke 2:7 says there was no room at the inn for Joseph and Mary. This sounds as if Jesus' parents went to a hotel, but they might have been hoping to stay in a relative's guest room. The Greek word for inn, kataluma, could mean a room on the upper level of a home. 

4. Luke 2:7 also says Jesus was laid in a manger. Since Jesus' parents might have gone to a crowded home for the census, Jesus might have been born on the lower level of a family member's home where animals stayed at night, NOT in a separate barn or stable.

5. Jesus was NOT born on December 25th, 0 A.D. We don't know the exact day Jesus was born, and most Bible scholars say He was born around 6 to 4 B.C. Knowing when Jesus was born isn't a big deal, but knowing Jesus came and who He is is of eternal significance!

6. Maybe more than three wise men (Magi) visited Jesus. Although tradition says three wise men visited Jesus and the Bible says Jesus was given three gifts, the Bible does NOT say there were only three wise men from the East (likely the Middle East).

7. Many nativity scenes have a star over the manger. That's nice, but the star was given to the Magi, not to the shepherds watching the flocks when the angels announced Jesus' birth. Matthew tells us a star led the Magi to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem (days, months, or even years after Jesus' birth).

8. Joy to the World is technically NOT a Christmas song. This is a song about Christ's second coming, not His first. If you want to keep singing Joy to the World during Christmas, wonderful! In fact, sing it during the Christmas season and every season of the year!

What did you already know? What surprised you? Drop a comment to share!

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21