Resources
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A Few Thoughts on Hope
During COVID, I heard a story about a Holocaust survivor and their thoughts on who didn’t make it: “That’s easy. It was the optimists. They would be ‘sure’ the war would be ending soon, and when it didn’t, they despaired.”
I’ve also heard a story about those who survived not just the camps but also the transition back to life after the war: the people who had simple hopes: “Someday, I’ll bake bread again.” “Someday, I’ll play my violin again.” The Bible affirms this idea:
A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God. (Ecclesiastes 2:24)
And of course, the Bible promises even more:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
QUESTIONS
- Does the idea of “simple hopes” ring true? Is it okay to find happiness in small things? Are there limits to this type of happiness?
- In all but the most dire circumstances, the simple pleasures of Ecclesiastes cannot be taken away from us. (Even during COVID, we could watch a sunset. Even when the news is bad, dogs wag their tails and cats purr.) Beyond these, the grand hopes of the Kingdom of God are absolutely guaranteed. What are some of the small and large hopes that help get you through the day?
- Life is full of trouble (John 16:33). What does it mean to have an “inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade”?
- What does “kept in heaven” mean? Does this mean “far away”?
- Pay attention to the timing of the gifts and promises in 1 Peter. Which are for now? Which are for later?
Conversing the Gospel
Here are several resources that examine the kind of heart and some of the skills that I think it takes to have deep, good conversations. The last three (marked "Remix") come from a short book I have written. They have been rewritten to make them a little easier to share with a friend.
Listening - Bible Study: 2 Kings 5
The Gift of Work
Does work make sense? Not, "Do you know what to do at work?" but, "Do you know why you are doing it?" Here are two Bible studies and one sermon that might help.
Tim Keller on Work (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12) (Link to audio)
To dig a little deeper, you might want to try one of these resources as well.
Bigger Gospel - Bigger World (Bible Study)
Our Work Loves Our Neighbor (Book Review)
Heavenly Good of Earthly Work (Book Review)
"Work Stories" (Parables about Work)
More Work Resources (Annotated Bibliography)
Staying Close to God in a Busy World
Life is busy! If cutting sleep is not an option, how can we find the time (or find ways) to keep our hearts close to God? In my experience, there are three things that help.
- Doing the things that best fit who you are. (Unless you are stuck in a rut. Then, do the opposite.)
- Looking for those moments where God is already "showing up."
- And if you are just getting started in daily prayer/reading the Bible, learning a simple structure
To help find what works for you, here is a short exercise: Getting Started (Or Re-Started) with God.
If you've never done this before, you might want to try the "7-minute approach" (or just ask a friend to show you what they do).
Living in the World
How are believers supposed to carry themselves in the world? Here are several Bible studies and one short paper.
Knowing, Living and Sharing the Gospel
Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (paper)
Reading the Bible
There are many good ways to read the Bible. You can read it for doctrine, looking for ideas about who God is and what the world is like. You can read it devotionally, asking God, "Is there anything you want to say to me today?" Or you can read it for the "drama," drawing insight and encouragement from the storyline ("Wow, God really does go with His people!") The first resource below is a Bible reading plan that takes you through highlights from the Old and the New Testaments with an emphasis on the "big picture" of the story.
The Story of Israel - The Story of Jesus
The second is a guide to reading the Bible with people who may be very unfamiliar with it.
God and Culture
God's image--even when people do not acknowledge it--shines through us all. This image shows up, on our best days, both in what we create and in what we desire. Here is a short paper that examines the "good news" the world says it is looking for.
The Bridge Illustration
For years, people have successfully used illustrations like the Bridge Illustration to communicate key truths about Jesus' life and death. Here is a link to the classic Navigator Bridge Illustration plus a link to a "one-verse" version of the Bridge.
The Bridge Illustration (link)
One-Verse Bridge illustration (link)
But sometimes, this kind of presentation can feel like too much, too soon. Here is a short illustration that explains why--and what we can do about it.
Follow, Like, Share, Don't Like
If you like what you find here and want to share any of these resources, please feel free. (Just don't sell them.) And if you find something here you don't like, let me know--I would appreciate the chance to communicate better or to learn where I am wrong!