Weekly Wisdom [06.08.18]

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Need some Weekly Wisdom?  Here are my favorite resources of the week.

VERSE OF THE WEEK

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God [2 Cor. 1:3-4].

BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Happy Christian by David Murray

In The Happy Christian, professor and pastor David Murray blends the best of modern science and psychology with the timeless truths of Scripture to create a solid, credible guide to positivity. The author of the acclaimed Christians Get Depressed Too, Murray exposes modern negativity’s insidious roots and presents ten perspective-changing ways to remain optimistic in a world that keeps trying to drag us down.

The Happy Christian invites readers to shed negativity and become countercultural missionaries by demonstrating the positive power of the gospel in their lives.

  1. Remember: we are what we think. If our minds constantly feed on all this negativity, our moods will inevitably darken, taking everything else—our words, actions, health, relationships, and so forth—down with them into the abyss. We become what we think (xv).
  2. We don’t want to linger there any longer than we have to. Some preachers, teachers, and parents love to dwell in the smoke and fire of Mount Sinai more than the love and grace of Mount Calvary (37).
  3. Christian hope is a realistic expectation of and joyful longing for future good and glory based on the reliable Word of God (92).

PODCAST OF THE WEEK

How Can We Tweet to the Glory of God? by Ask Pastor John

How do we tweet to the glory of God? Surely we all have a lot to learn in stewarding our new media for eternal purposes. Here’s the question as it arrives from Lisa, a regular listener: “Pastor John, hello and thank you for this podcast and thank you for your presence on social media. I want to reach the people in my online sphere with the gospel. What are simple things average Christians like me can keep in mind to use social media with eternal purpose, evangelism, and edification?”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

The fact that something is risky is not an indication that God isn’t in it.  Sometimes that is the very indication that he is in it. -Matt Perman

SONG OF THE WEEK

I have had this worship song in my head and on my heart all week!

“I will build my life upon Your love, it is a sure foundation.”

POST OF THE WEEK

What the Southern Baptist Convention Needs Right Now by Sam Rainer

For far too long, we’ve been wrong. We were wrong about slavery. We were wrong about Civil Rights. Now many of us are wrong about the #MeToo movement. The Southern Baptist Convention has been wrong about horrifying sins. Obvious sins. Massive sins affecting generations. Right now, we’re a dumpster fire, and we keep fueling it with shovels of manure. We’re full of it, and the world is watching. That’s not hyperbole.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Get a Scripture Memory App.  If you want to stay current with Scripture memorization, I encourage getting an app.

I found an app called Scripture Typer which has been fantastic.  This is why I personally love it so much:

  1. It syncs between any mobile devices and computer so you can track progress through any devices you own.
  2. It has 3 main levels of mastering a verse which allows you to increase your knowledge (plus other helps like image cues or recording features).
  3. It keeps your verses in a systematic rotation of review.  Once you have mastered a verse, you have to review it within 24 hours.  After that, 2 days later, etc.  This ensures that you are keeping up with verses you have learned and not forgetting about them.
  4. They do rank users which is a little conflicting.  You don’t want to go into Scripture memory to beat people on the leader board, but what that does provide for me is a personal stimulus to increase the number of verses I am working on memorizing.
  5. In the in-between sections of my day, it provides a meaningful activity on my phone rather than staying on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

You may not like the app.  You may not want to spend a few bucks on it.  The app isn’t the end for me, it is simply a means, and you need to find the means for you.  We memorize Scripture so that we don’t sin (Ps. 119:11).