Patrick O'Connell

Read the Bible for Story

A quick reminder: read the Bible for story. 

I am leading a small group this term and together we are reading through the New Testament in 90 days. I am finding many people struggle to read because they are focused on the chapters and verses in their Bibles. Many people don't know that those were added much later to the Biblical texts. They also have a way of cutting the stories and natural narrative flow into artificial chunks that confuse newer readers.While most chapters in the Gospels and Acts begin a narrative chunk, many in the epistles do not. Of course, the section headings are added by publishers, they do conform to the natural flow of the text better than the chapter divisions. 

I am finding that when people focus on the story/narrative flow they engage deeper with the text.

If you struggle reading the  Bible may I advise you to read according to the section headings and not the chapters. 

Reading the Bible this Year

If you are looking for a Bible reading plan for the year, may I suggest The One Year Bible.

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/

http://www.oneyearbibleblog.com/

Memorization Monday

I am going to try and memorize one verse from the ESV per week. I'll post the verse on Monday and try and blog about it during the week. The goal is to memorize the verse by the following Monday.

Here is this week's verse.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Titus 3:3-7

I've been meditating on this passage:

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us, richly through Christ Jesus our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:3-7 ESV

Words in my heart

I am reminded of why I long to be better disciplined about memorizing scripture:

I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11

ESV

Do you preach the Gospel to yourself?

Do you preach the Gospel to yourself everyday?

This is something I've been contending with in my life since reading Jerry Bridges' book, The Discipline of Grace. Bridges devotes all of chapter three to this topic. His thesis is simple: a majority of confessing Christians don't really understand the Gospel because we have a tendency to believe it's only for sinners. Bridges takes it much farther than this but his point has made an impact with me. He advocates that Christians get to know Romans 3:19-31. He calls this 'The heart of the gospel.' Those of us who follow Jesus must preach the gospel to ourselves everyday lest we forget God's gift of grace. According to Bridges, this is essential to our spiritual growth.

Here, I've copied the ESV version of the passage below. Time permitting, I'll try to write more about this in the future.

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law,so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

27Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

The Bible Experience

I recently downloaded some of The Bible Experience files from iTunes. This is a complete Bible 'Experience.' At first I was skeptical but the production is a very high quality. Rather than simply a bland reading of scripture, this is more a dramatic presentation, replete with sound effects. The files are cheap on iTunes (only $1.95) so it's easily affordable. I'd recommend downloading a few if you want to add something new to your Bible reading.

The Kingdom of Heaven Has Come Near

Day two of the One-Year Bible and I read this in Matthew:

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

Matthew 3:1-2 (TNIV)

I've been asking myself all day, do I really live this reality? I mean the kingdom of heaven in near according to this verse but do I acknowledge it? Is this having an impact on the way I live my life and my relationship with Jesus?

To be honest, I am not so sure. I would like it to. I think it would create some profound change in my priorities and the way I viewed my relationship with the world.

After praying about it, it dawned on me that I haven't done often enough what the verse commands and that's to REPENT. Literally, turn around. That's what I've been doing all day. Telling God that I repent of my sins, my iniquities, my failures, etc. and instead turn toward Him. This cannot happen once or even a dozen times. It must happen all the time. My heart becomes hard with accumulated sin and I am unable to acknowledge that heaven has come near. When I repent my eyes are opened to the fact that the kingdom is near.

What about you? Do you agree with me?

    

    

Hello 2008!

Happy New Year!

We have just arrived back from a short trip back home to Chicago. Other than some nasty weather during the drive back, all went well. We spent some quality time with family and friends while I finished up some business. Now it's back to KC and back to work.

I am going to try and be a better blogger in 2008 which for me means trying to post at least once per day. (I know I set this goal for myself in 2007 and failed miserably but…)

Here are some of the things going on:

1. I've started a new journal. For the past 6 months I've been really intentional about journaling.
2. I began the One-Year Bible reading program. Check out this blog if want to read through the Bible this year.
3. Working on projects related to Restore Community Church.
4. Been playing Guitar Hero III for Wii with the kids.
5. Joined the YMCA here in KC and can't wait to get at it.

What about you? What have you been doing lately?

Rage

I came across this verse during my daily readings:

A man's own folly ruins his life,

yet his heart rages against the Lord.

Proverbs 19:3

Notice the word rage. I looked it up--just to be certain I understood it properly--and found this explanation:

Violent uncontrolled, explosive anger; intensity; passion.

Seems there are a few of us who make a mess of our lives and then get really angry with God about it.

Huh? People really blame God for their own troubles?