Today in Blogworld 10.07.14

So Many Stories in a  Mama’s Hands

Mom’s work hard and it shows in their hands.

The Shocking Un-truth About Church Budgets

This is something for churches to consider as it is church budget planning season.

37 Mean Cats

See, this is why I don’t like cats. They are jerks.

When Your Child’s Personality Annoys You

I don’t know if anyone would admit to needing this article, but it has some really helpful advice for cultivating your child’s personality no matter how much it differs from your own.

Phillies fans are notoriously rude, but this is just funny:

3 Ways You Can Keep Your Greek

I’m not very good at foreign languages. I took three years of French in high school and mostly only remember how to say “shut your mouth, Mike”. I guess because of repetition.

I tried learning some Greek on my own before going to seminary but I mostly learned bad habits. Then in seminary I finally was able to take a few Greek classes. I am far from an expert but I am at least proficient.

Maybe I should say I was at least proficient. At the beginning of the year I realized how little I remember from the Greek classes I took a couple years ago. After reading Constantine Campbell’s book, Keep Your Greek, I decided to change this. There are three tools/practices I’ve been using to help me keep my Greek and to even grow in my knowledge of this New Testament language.

First, I have made it a practice to take my Greek New Testament whenever I hear preaching from the New Testament. This sticks my nose in the text and causes me to engage the original language.

Secondly, I use Bible Arc at least twice per week in sermon preparation. While arcing each passage I am interacting with the original text. This makes using Greek practical. I’m doing far more than simply trying to read words—I’m asking questions about how these words are functioning in a sentence. This has been invaluable in not only getting my Greek back but improving as well.

Thirdly, my Greek professor, Dr. Rob Plummer, has done us a great service by creating a new website called Daily Dose of Greek. For two minutes, five days per week, he emails a video to subscribers and walks through a passage of Scripture in the original language. This daily discipline is keeping me familiar with the Greek language.

Here is Dr. Plummer explaining Daily Dose of Greek. Sign-up today:

Today in Blogworld 10.06.14

10 Ways to Make Your Small Group More Evangelistic

Small groups tend to be inward focused. But it’s vital for their own growth and for the growth of the kingdom that our small groups are also evangelistic. Here are ten ways to make them more evangelistic.

What It Takes to Survive and Thrive in Ministry

I’ve had seasons where I’ve felt like I’m barely surviving in ministry. And I’ve had seasons that have felt more healthy. This article is spot on.

How God Embraces the Embarrassed

This is healing for all those that have experienced embarrassment.

The Lost Virtue of Modesty

Here are 5 biblical reasons that Christians should embrace modesty.

This looks like a solid flick:

A Week of Rest (YWS Week 39)

richardsibbessmallWelcome to a year of reading Richard Sibbes together! The reading plan for the entire year can be accessed here. I encourage you to stick with us, allow yourself time to read, and soak in the riches of this gifted and prolific Puritan preacher. You will be edified and encouraged.

If you have trouble with how Sibbes used words, check out the Lexicons of Early Modern English for definitions from the period.

Week Of Rest

Happy friday, friends. If you’re like me, you’re enjoying post-season baseball. My Nationals play in 4 hours, and Mike’s Royals have taken a 1 game lead on the Angels after defeating the A’s in a play in game. If you don’t like baseball, I’ll pray for you.

We’re taking this week off, so that you can catch up on your reading. If you haven’t read much in a long time, don’t worry. Get a head start on next week’s reading, A Rescue From Death, With A Return Of Praise. It’s on page 135 of Volume 6 of Sibbes’ complete works. You can also find it here.

God bless y’all. Rest. Savor Christ every day, and I hope you are learning and being encouraged by the Heavenly Doctor’s exposition of scripture.

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Last week, we read A Saint’s Comforts.

Next week, we read A Rescue From Death.