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A Sermon Notes Sheet for Older Children

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notes

Timothy L Brock (2018), public domain

They’re growing up so fast!

If you’re a parent, you’ve heard this refrain, perhaps from an older friend in your life. And there’s a reason you hear it so often—it’s true!

As children mature, they move through learning stages and require different aids along the way. On this blog we’ve devoted many posts to teaching children how to study the Bible, and we’ve given attention to the nuances of different developmental stages. Today we’ll do the same for helping children follow along during the sermon.

A Resource for Older Children

I’ve previously shared the sermon notes sheet I use for my 8-year-old daughter. The space for both writing and drawing helps her to follow along and enjoy the sermon time.

My older daughter is 12, and today I’m sharing the sermon sheet I made for her. It bears many similarities to the earlier document but with a few strategic differences.

I’ve taken away the instructions for drawing. My 12-year-old is mature enough, for the most part, to process the sermon in writing. (Although she occasionally does include a drawing on her notes!)

I’ve also added a few items to help her follow along with the preacher and process the sermon.

  1. In the instructions that open the area for sermon notes, I encourage my daughter to follow along with the sermon outline in the church bulletin (if one is provided). I also ask her to record the other Scripture references she hears so she can look them up and think through the relationship between different parts of the Bible.
  2. The middle of the sermon sheet is blank, allowing for as many notes as my daughter needs. But the back of the sheet asks her to write down one or two of the most important things to take away from the sermon. I want my daughter to think about the sermon as a whole and try to summarize what the preacher said. This skill requires some maturity that I don’t expect from my younger child.
  3. Also on the back page I point my daughter toward application. I remind her of the three spheres of application (head, heart, and hands) and I ask her to think of some applications that naturally flow from the sermon.

Fuel for Good Discussion

The last two items on this sermon notes sheet have been great discussion-starters for our family. If we are able, we will talk about my daughter’s responses to these questions over lunch or dinner on Sunday. The point here is not to grill her or put her on the spot, but her understanding of and reaction to the sermon helps each of us think about the teaching from the Bible we heard that morning. It can make for good discussions as well as good opportunities to train and disciple our children. Of course, the adults often learn much during these discussions too!

Take it and Use it!

Here is the document my 12-year-old is using. You are free to make a digital copy of your own and adjust it in any way you find helpful. (Instructions for doing this are on the third page of the file.)

The document is landscape oriented and is designed to be printed two-sided and folded in half. (You will likely have to choose “two-sided printing” and then “flip on short edge/side” when printing, though your computer may label these options differently.)

We hope this sermon notes sheet is helpful for you and your children as you carry on the task of reading and studying the Bible.

A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible

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When the newest Visual Theology book arrived in the mail, my daughters had the same initial reaction: Whoa, this is cool! It’s easy to see why they were excited.

A mixture of text and eye-grabbing graphics, this book is a great introduction to the Bible. It is a manual and reference book that will serve the church for many years, and I’m glad that Tim Challies and Josh Byers have created it.

Part 1: Trusting the Bible

Making no assumptions that readers of this book were raised in church, A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible begins with an introduction to the Bible. The first part of the book then explains why we can trust the Bible.

The questions that are addressed in part 1 are some of the most common and most important of our time: How was the Bible written? What makes the Bible unique? Can we trust the Bible? I found the section on the formation of the New Testament canon (pages 40–49) fascinating.

The infographics, charts, and illustrations throughout the book are visually stunning and stuffed with helpful information. The bold colors and striking shapes complement a creative use of pictures and graphs. In part 1, the timeline for the authorship of Old Testament books (pages 38–39) is a highlight.

Part 2: Studying the Bible

The second part of the book concerns studying the Bible, and chapter six provides seven reasons to do just that.

  1. Know God
  2. Know God’s will
  3. Become godly
  4. Bear fruit
  5. Defend yourself
  6. Fuel your prayers
  7. Fuel your joy

After explaining each of these reasons briefly, chapter seven addresses the important matter of how to study the Bible. Readers of this blog will find themselves in familiar territory (with familiar terminology) here, as the book offers an excellent primer on the Observe-Interpret-Apply Bible study method. There are some nice pointers about Bible memorization in this chapter as well.

Part 3: Seeing the Bible

The third and longest part of this book offers an overview of different sections of the Bible. In chapter 8, the authors lay out the main thrust of God’s Word.

We, too, miss the main point of the Bible if we fail to see and discover Jesus in all the Scriptures. Yes, the Bible is a book about God. But even more specifically, the Bible is a story about God’s plan of salvation for us in Jesus Christ. As we read God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation, we discover the Son of God, who came to save us from our sins. (A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible, page 105)

It’s hard to miss the focus on Jesus in this portion of the book. Every chapter title connects a section of the Bible to an aspect of God’s plan to send Jesus. I appreciate the way these chapters set the information and narratives of these groups of biblical books within the larger context of redemptive history.

It’s hard to pick one favorite infographic from part 3. Here are three at the top of my list.

  • The timeline of the kings and prophets of Israel and Judah (page 143) is excellent. I have trouble remembering these historical sequences, so I’m sure I’ll use this as a reference.
  • On page 148, the Psalms are grouped and categorized by book, author, type (lament, thanksgiving, etc.), whether the psalm is an acrostic, and whether the psalm is messianic. I’ve never seen a chart quite like this.
  • A breakdown of the last week of Jesus’s life is on page 177. The events of this week are organized chronologically (by day) and by location (Bethany, Mount of Olives, etc.), with relevant locations in each Gospel listed.

A Great Resource

As I paged through this book, I couldn’t help but think about how timely it is. Biblical literacy is low, so the church needs an accessible introduction to our holy book. And the combination of succinct, punchy text and beautiful graphics meets modern readers where they are.

This book is part a larger visual theology project by Challies and Byers, about which you can learn more here. This endeavor seems to have a sound vision driving it. Challies and Byers use words where description and explanation are needed, and they use pictures and illustrations to highlight space, proportion, sequence, similarity, or time.

I highly recommend this book. It will appeal to children (starting, I’d guess, at age 8 or 9). But it is a great reference for Bible readers and students of all ages.

You can purchase this book at Amazon and the Westminster Bookstore, among other retailers. (At the time of this writing, the prices at Amazon and WTS were virtually identical.)

Disclaimer: The links to Amazon and Westminster Bookstore in this post are affiliate links.

Context Matters: The Prodigal Son

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celebration

Hieu An Tran (2018), public domain

Perhaps you’re familiar with the story of the Prodigal Son. This parable has made it well into the cultural atmosphere. We hear the term “prodigal” whenever anything precious returns.

Within the church, this story is everywhere. It is held up as both a model of repentance and a reason for parents of wayward children to hope. Many sermons have been preached and many books have been written on this famous parable.

Are we reading this story properly in context? Is it really all about repentance after reaching the lowest point? When we learn to read the Bible for what it is, and not as a collection of morals and memorable phrases, we’ll find that some of our most cherished stories have a different or deeper meaning than we’ve assumed.

The Context of Luke 15

The story of the Prodigal Son is found in Luke 15:11–32. But it would border on Bible study malpractice not to read this story in the context of the entire chapter. We find stories of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and then the lost son. These parables seem to rush out of Jesus in one long breath, so we should consider them together. (In fact, Luke refers to the three stories as “this parable” (Luke 15:3).)

Additionally, we cannot miss the introduction Luke provides.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable. (Luke 15:1–3)

Note that the parables are addressed to the Pharisees and scribes after they grumbled about the way Jesus welcomed tax collectors and sinners. They were offended Jesus would share his time and space with such people.

The Lost Sheep

In verses 4–7, Jesus tells the well-known story about the one sheep out of a hundred who was lost and then found. Notice the ending of the parable and its emphasis on rejoicing, made especially relevant by the audience Jesus was addressing.

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Lost Coin

In verses 8–11, Jesus tells the story of a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. She seeks diligently, finds it, and throws a party.

And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Lost Son

Let’s note the way the third story picks up on the themes we’ve already mentioned.

The younger son left his father with his inheritance, squandered it, and reached the lowest of all possible low points for a Jewish person: feeding pigs (an unclean animal) and even longing to share their food (verse 16).

This son “came to himself,” planned his speech, and headed home. He was planning to take a place as a servant (verse 19), but his father would have none of that. The father “ran and embraced him and kissed him” while he was still a long way from the house. The son confessed his sin and admitted “[he is] no longer worthy to be called [his] son” (verse 21).

The father then shifted into party-planning mode. He called his returning child “my son,” and “they began to celebrate” (verse 24).

If we’re looking at the three parables of Luke 15 as a group, we’d expect the story to end here, in celebration. But we have eight verses and one major character remaining.

The Grumbling Son

The father’s older son bristled at the sound of the party for his prodigal brother. “He was angry” and refused to join the festivities (verse 28). The conversation between the older brother and the father that followed shows that the older brother is a spitting image for the Pharisees and scribes at the beginning of the chapter.

The older son emphasized his service and rule-keeping to his father, and he wondered why his father never allowed him a party (verse 29). The son couldn’t believe that his brother who wasted all of his inheritance money on sinful pursuits was worthy of the fattened calf (verse 30).

The central points of the chapter can be found in its final two verses.

And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” (Luke 15:31–32)

The older brother didn’t grasp the freedom and joy of being with his father. And he didn’t grasp the heartache and loss of his brother’s departure or the significance of his return. As the NASB puts it, “we had to celebrate and rejoice” (verse 32).

We Must Rejoice

Though the first two stories in Luke 15 involve searching for something that is lost, that is not the main theme of this chapter. And though all three parables feature the restoration of what was lost, that’s not it either.

In telling this parable to the Pharisees, Jesus is shining a bright light on God’s delight and pleasure in welcoming sinners. There is joy in heaven, joy before the angels of God—a party worthy of rings and robes and fattened calves—when even one sinner repents.

And for those who do not share the Father’s joy in welcoming sinners? Well, their focus on the law instead of the Father should make them re-examine what it means to be a child in the first place.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Context Matters: Count the Cost

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coins

Michael Longmire (2018), public domain

Perhaps you’ve heard that Christians need to count the cost. They must plan and be prepared; they should always know what they’re getting into.

The advice to “count the cost” often comes up when raising money for a new building or a missions trip. (Let’s color in that thermometer!) I’ve also heard people use this expression when launching a project or undertaking a new venture.

What does Jesus mean by this little phrase? In Scripture as in life, context matters. If we learn to read the Bible properly—instead of as a loose collection of proverbs and pull-quotes—we’ll find that some familiar phrases and verses have far different meanings than we’ve assumed.

Jesus Teaches About Discipleship

The phrase “count the cost” (or “calculate the cost”) only appears one place in the Bible: Luke 14:28. The larger context is Luke 14:25–35, where Jesus lays out the demands of being his disciple.

Jesus punctuates this sermon with three statements about what qualifies a person to be his disciple; the phrase “cannot be my disciple” appears in verses 26, 27, and 33.

These are indeed hard sayings!

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. […] So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26–27,33)

It is between the second and third warning that Jesus uses two illustrations about counting the cost. In the first (Luke 14:28–30), Jesus tells of a man who wanted to build a tower. If the builder lacks the proper finances and supplies, he will end up with an unfinished project and ridicule. In the second illustration (Luke 14:31–32), a king ponders an upcoming battle. Outnumbered two-to-one, if he foresees disaster for his army, he will pull out of the fight and ask for a peace treaty.

In the first illustration, the question is: Do I have enough? In the second: Am I strong enough?

What is the Cost?

In the middle of a discourse on discipleship, Jesus’s illustrations raise a natural question: What is the cost of being a disciple of Jesus?

The answer from Jesus flashes as stark as lightning. “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Combined with verses 26 and 27, the comprehensive answer is as simple as it is difficult. Being a disciple of Jesus may cost you everything.

Christian discipleship is not about frequent cost-counting and recalibration. It must be obvious from the beginning of your journey with Jesus that you may lose everything. In fact, you must be willing to lose all family, all possessions, all respect, all dignity—even your very life—as a Christian disciple.

The question of counting the cost only needs to be raised once, because the answer is always the same. The only fruitful disciples are those who are willing to drop everything, as Jesus highlights in the last two verses of this chapter (Luke 14:34–35). Like tasteless salt, a Christian still clinging to family, possessions, or life is not effective or useful.

Lose Everything to Gain Everything

Jesus demands everything of his followers. But those who give up everything for Jesus will not find loss, but gain. Those who have Jesus have everything.

And in giving up everything, Christian disciples follow the pattern of the same Jesus who issues the call. He laid aside all family, possessions, relationships, glory, and dignity—at both his incarnation and at the cross—to purchase the salvation of his people.

Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? There is no discount, and the bill is extreme. But Jesus supplies what you lack and gives joy along the path.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

 

Take the Obvious Step

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steps

Mahkeo (2017), public domain

If you need refreshment or encouragement, schedule some time with a new Christian. The recently-reborn often have a clarity and passion lacking in those who are older in the faith.

A friend was recently telling me about a new Christian he knows. I was thrilled to hear the steps this young man was taking! He heard biblical teaching on stewardship and finances, and he asked for helping making a budget. He was convicted about church membership, so he looked for a local body to join. He read the Great Commission and began inviting his unbelieving friends to an evangelistic Bible study.

For this young man, there is great power in recognizing and submitting to Jesus as Lord. When the master’s commands are clear, there is no room to argue.

How We Mangle Application

As we study the Bible, we often come up short when it comes to application. This is both understandable and regrettable.

Our flesh is fiercely resistant to the Spirit, so it is natural to omit application. It’s the hardest step in the Bible study process precisely because it is the most personal. Application requires repentance and faith and change, all of which are hard.

But stopping short of application is also a great tragedy. In fact, many unbelievers would be comfortable observing and interpreting the Bible. We show and pursue the fruit of the Holy Spirit when we apply God’s truth personally and corporately.

Even those familiar with solid Bible study principles may wriggle out of applying God’s word. Seasoned Christians, tired of “read more, pray more” mantras, may dig and brainstorm instead. They end up distracted by a countryside hunt when the treasure was sitting on their doorstep.

Different Kinds of Application

In an effort to seem original or deep, our chase for applications can dodge the undeniable thrust of a passage of Scripture. We approach the gold mine with a shovel and end up buried under a pile of nuance.

It’s worth re-orienting ourselves. Peter has urged us to consider two directions (inward and outward) as well as three spheres of application (head, hands, and heart). Though this makes six total combinations (our worksheet can help), not every passage will land on every person or group in all six ways.

However, dividing possible applications into these categories may lead you away from actually applying the main point of a passage. Resist this temptation! Sometimes the next steps are obvious, and instead of spending time checking boxes, we should direct our prayer and planning toward the clear application.

There may be something obvious we should believe (head application).

There may be something obvious we should embrace or love (heart application).

There may be something obvious we should do (hands application).

A Recent Example

My small group is studying Luke, and at a recent meeting we read Luke 14:1–24. In part of this passage (verses 7–11), Jesus tells a parable about a wedding feast. Jesus insists that his followers should not assume a place of honor but rather the “lowest place.” This way, if anyone is in the wrong chair, the public re-seating would be honoring instead of shameful. Jesus ends the parable with his main point: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

In our meeting, we talked about humbling ourselves. How can we remember our standing before God on a regular basis?

In the moment, I thought of an obvious application: confessing my sins. In remembering my sins and taking them to God, seeking and receiving his forgiveness because of Jesus’ work, I have a plain application of this passage. I have been trying to work this into my regular devotional life.

Find the Next Step

Not all passages have obvious applications, but some do. If you have been following Christ for many years, you may instinctively resist what seems easy and obvious. However, these applications are abundant in Scripture for a reason: We need to hear them. Often.

And, as always, remember Jesus as you apply his word. Walk toward that application in the Spirit’s power and with the understanding that—as a Christian—you are already loved and forgiven.

A Sermon Notes Sheet for Young Children

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bible and notes

Nils Stahl (2019), public domain

Christian parents have a great privilege and a weighty responsibility. We must teach and show our children how to trust and follow Jesus. What an important calling! (And what a reminder of our need for God’s grace!)

Whether we do so well or poorly, we’re always discipling our children. This happens around the table, in the park, and on the way to school. And it certainly happens at the weekly corporate worship service.

How should we worship God? Why do we sing, or give, or celebrate communion, or pray? Why do we listen to someone talk for thirty minutes? These are natural questions for children to bring to their parents.

The Sermon as Discipleship

The sermon is probably the hardest part of a Christian worship service for young children. And because of this, the sermon is a big source of tension in families and stress for parents.

Here’s an encouragement to parents: Hang in there! Keep going! Your kids will grow and mature, despite all evidence to the contrary. And the approach you take to the sermon—even from a young age—really matters.

I’ve written before about how to help your children listen to the sermon. In that article I focused on what to do before, during, and after the sermon. In this post, I’ll provide a practical tool to use during the sermon.

As Children Age

If a church offers a nursery and parents decide that is the best option for their young children, that is great! Nursery workers at a church offer a vital and life-giving ministry. The rest of this article will address children who stay in the worship service.

As children move past board books and snacks to puzzles or drawing, parents can tie the activities into the sermon. Every little pointer can train children to listen and pay attention.

After a few more years, parents can encourage a mixture of coloring and note-taking. A thoughtful preacher or children’s ministry director might even provide activity sheets for children that incorporate the sermon’s Bible text.

When children are able to write on their own and listen for longer stretches of time, parents can teach them to take notes during the sermon. A note-taking sheet provides an activity while also training children to listen and record important truths.

The Goal

As a father, I try to instruct my children in age-appropriate ways. Understanding their limitations is crucial, because demanding too much is a recipe for frustration all around.

I’m not expecting my children to understand the sermon completely. I don’t require adult-level processing of the information they hear. I’m not as concerned about the present as I am the future.

I want to develop good habits in my children. I hope they come to the sermon with eagerness and expectation. I pray they will give attention to the Bible and honor God as they attend corporate worship.

If my children hear and remember enough of the sermon that we can discuss it later, that is a victory. Even small snippets of truth can be great fodder for conversation.

Finally, I want my children to learn the practices of mind and body needed to worship God during the sermon. I want them to discern what is true to the Bible and to respond with joy and obedience. These are all learned behaviors that I’m praying my parenting efforts encourage.

For You and Your Children

Here is the document I created for my seven-year-old daughter. We have been using it weekly for several months. Since she cannot process the sermon quickly enough to take copious notes, her sermon sheet has space for both notes and drawings. For her, this mixture is great; she’s been engaged through the whole sermon since we started using these.

But I designed this document to be helpful for you. You can make a digital copy and edit it for your own situation. Create more space for drawing or note-taking, or add an element I omitted. Talk to your children and make adjustments as needed.

A few final notes about the document itself.

  • The sermon sheet is written in landscape orientation (11 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall). It should be printed out two-sided and folded in half. This makes it easy to tuck into a Bible on the way to and from church.
  • When printing, you may have to choose “two-sided printing” on your computer and then the option “flip on short edge/side.” (Each printer is slightly different.)

Use It!

Consider this document a starting place; nothing is one-size-fits-all. But I hope this worksheet will encourage parents, grandparents, children’s ministry directors, and pastors to pray and help the young ones in their churches learn how to be attentive during the sermon.

Thanks for visiting Knowable Word! If you like this article, you might be interested in receiving regular updates from us. You can sign up for our email list (enter your address in the box on the upper right of this page), follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to our RSS feed. 

3 Essential Ingredients for Understanding the Bible

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bread dough

Nadya Spetnitskaya (2018), public domain

It’s not popular these days. So many people are counting carbs and dodging gluten. But it’s true: I love bread.

Bread is one of God’s great gifts—a gift so great that even someone with my paltry cooking skills can throw together a passable loaf.

While there are thousands of variations, the core bread recipe is remarkably simple: flour, water, yeast, and salt. That’s it.

Experts can punch up the flavor with add-ins and fancy baking techniques, but those four ingredients are essential. Without them, you might whip up something delicious, but you don’t have bread.

It’s the same way with understanding the Bible. There are a few essential elements that must be present if we’re to learn from God’s word.

The Bible

This may be obvious, but it must be said. In order to understand the Bible, we need to actually read the Bible!

We don’t need to be Hebrew or Greek scholars. God has been generous in providing plenty of quality English translations. And for most of us, these translations are easy to access.

But we do need the actual words of the Bible. Not study notes or a friendly devotional or a commentary. Not at first. We need time to read, hear, and meditate on the words of God.

The Bible is meant for Christians to read and understand. God is not trying to hide its meaning from you. You are smart enough to read and study the Bible.

Humility

If we aim to understand the Bible, we must approach it with humility.

What is true in our personal relationships is also true in our approach to the Scriptures—in order to learn, we must be convinced that we have things to learn! When we draw near to the Bible, we are submitting to an authority. We approach the bench in handcuffs, we do not bang the gavel. The posture of the Christian disciple must be one of open hands, bowed head, well-worn knees.

As we meet with God in his word, we acknowledge that we are naive and foolish. Ignorant and forgetful. Frail. Incomplete in our understanding.

But God is wise. He is experienced. All-knowing. Never forgetting. Strong. On top of all that, he loves to communicate about himself and his world through his word.

When we call the Bible “God’s word,” this is not just a synonym. This is a reassuring, bulls eye-accurate description. We must come humbly to the Bible because the God of the universe stands behind these words.

The Holy Spirit

Finally, we need help to understand the Bible. This is help that God loves to give, but we cannot understand the Bible on our own.

God helps us grasp the Bible by coming to us himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. We need the Spirit’s work and power to give us both insight and the gift of repentance.

The Holy Spirit is described as our helper and teacher (John 14:26). Paul writes that we have received the Spirit of God “that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12), and that, because of the Spirit, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. Pray and ask for his help as you read the Bible.

Closing

There is more to say about studying the Bible, of course. This website is devoted to saying more about studying the Bible! But this article is about the essentials.

Remember this the next time you seek out God in the Scriptures. Read the Bible. Approach with humility. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help. And God will give you hearty, nourishing, sustaining food that will bring deep satisfaction to your soul.

ESV Journaling New Testament, Inductive Edition

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First we got the single-column Bible. Then came generous side margins. The latest advance in journaling Bibles seems to be interlinear space, and it’s wonderful.

For people who like to mark up their Bibles, studying God’s word with pen or highlighter in hand, there never seems to be enough space. We want more room for notes, questions, symbols, and arrows. This is especially true for Bible students who underline, circle, or box words in the text—in a standard Bible, these marks could easily obscure the text in the subsequent or preceding line.

Enter the ESV Journaling New Testament, Inductive Edition, published by Crossway. This book provides 3/8 inch of space between lines of text, opening up lots of options for engaged students of the Bible.

luke

Excellent Design

I love the philosophy of this Bible. This is from the introduction.

It is in light of this conviction that Crossway offers to the church the ESV Journaling New Testament, Inductive Edition. The text is spaced out line by line, designed to facilitate active engagement with the Bible with a pencil or pen in hand. Repeated words can be circled, key transitions can be noted, striking phraseology can be reflected on. With space to jot notes and insights, this edition will be a versatile tool in a Christian disciple’s engagement with Scripture.

Crossway kindly sent me the black hardback version of this Bible for review. This Bible lays open flat, and the elastic band will remind journal lovers of the famous Moleskine. The wide outer margins and interline space provide plenty of room. This is not a Bible to sit down and read for hours; this is designed as a workbench and laboratory. It has great potential as a markup Bible.

There are so many positives for this product that I hate to mention any negatives. I have only two cautions. The first is about the name—this does not seem like a journaling Bible to me. There is ample space to interact with the text, but there is not as much space to do what is typically considered journaling. (I don’t personally use a Bible for journaling, but those who do might be disappointed.) My second caution is that the thickness of the paper in this Bible is closer to thin, Bible paper than it is standard journal paper. Consequently, pencils, highlighters, and ballpoint pens are better choices than gel, roller ball, or fountain pens if you are concerned about writing bleeding through to the back of pages.

marked

How About the OT?

The retail price for this Bible is $39.99, but it is available for far less than that at both Amazon and Westminster Bookstore. (At the time of this writing, the price at Westminster Bookstore was almost $3 less than at Amazon.)

I recommend this Bible for anyone who wants to dig into the Bible text and get their hands dirty. I hope that Crossway considers publishing a two-volume edition of the Old Testament to mirror this Bible. (They have just released the Old Testament version of the ESV Scripture Journals, so there’s hope!)

Disclosure: the links to Amazon and Westminster Bookstore are affiliate links.

The images used in this post were provided by Crossway.

Context Matters: God Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart

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woman looking out window

W A T A R I (2018), public domain

If you’re a Christian, you may have heard that God has promised to give you the desires of your heart. That sounds amazing, doesn’t it?! Indeed, this quip has been used to justify both questionable actions and bad theology.

In this article, we will look at this phrase in its context, because context matters. When we learn to read the Bible properly—and not merely as a collection of one-liners and sound bites—we’ll find that some of the most famous passages take on different and deeper meanings than we’ve thought.

A Conditional Promise

We should begin with the most obvious fact. The phrase “he will give you the desires of your heart” is only half of a verse. Plucked clean and held up in the wind, this seems like an unconditional promise. But we must consider the entire verse!

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

That’s a harder pill to swallow. It’s a conditional promise—if you delight yourself in the Lord, then he will give you the desires of your heart. In the immediate context, this is powerful. If we desire God, he will give us our desires, which must include him!

But there’s more here. The first two verses of the psalm are an exhortation not to be envious of the wicked, “for they will soon fade like the grass.” Then verses 2–6 exhibit a pattern, as the reader is urged to love the Lord in various ways and he promises to respond and act. The parallel structure of these verses helps us understand what it means to “delight yourself in the Lord” and what it means that God “will give you the desires of your heart.”

Followers of God should “trust in the Lord and do good” (verse 3), “commit [their] way to the Lord” (5), and “trust in him” (5). Then God will grant them to “dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness” (3), “he will act” (5), and “he will bring forth [their] righteousness as the light, and [their] justice as the noonday” (6). Notice the circular pattern here—the more we commit our ways to God and trust in him, the more he will give us growth in righteousness, which leads to more trust in God.

The Larger Picture

The entire psalm is repetitive but instructive. The wicked will fade away and perish, but the righteous will inherit the land. David’s reference to “the land” throughout this psalm picks up on God’s covenant promise, dating back to the days of Abraham, to dwell with his people in their own land.

David goes on to describe the ways people pledge themselves to the Lord and the ways he cares for them.

How do the righteous act? They do not envy the wicked (verse 1); they are still before the Lord and wait for him (7); they do not worry about the ways the wicked prosper (7); they cease from anger and wrath (8); they wait for the Lord (9); they are meek (11); they are generous and giving (21); they delight in God’s way (23); they lend generously (26); they turn away from evil and do good (27); they speak wisdom and justice (30); they keep the law of God in their hearts (31); they wait for the Lord and keep his way (34); they are people of peace (37); and they take refuge in the Lord (40). These actions go along with delighting oneself in the Lord.

Now, how does God care for those that honor him? He will give them the land (9); he will give them land and abundant peace (11); he will turn back the plots of the wicked (15); he upholds them (17); he knows their days and their heritage will remain forever (18); he does not put them to shame in evil times (19); they have abundance in the days of famine (19); he will give them the land (22); he upholds their hand (24); he will not forsake them (28); they will dwell in the land forever (29); he will not allow them to be condemned when brought to trial (33); he will exalt them to inherit the land (34); he gives them salvation (39); he is their stronghold in troubled times (39); and he helps them, delivers them, and saves them (40). These blessings go along with receiving the desires of our hearts.

Conclusion

We cannot say that God will give us the desires of our hearts. If we delight in him, he will change our desires so that they glorify him, and he will satisfy those desires. He will even give us himself.

Psalm 37 is not the only place in the Bible that we see this glorious truth, but we can see it here if we read carefully. A sugary half-truth is no match for the deep, brilliant promises of God.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

New Opportunities for Old Practices

By

open bible

Eduardo Braga (2017), public domain

We’re already a week into 2019, so you’ve probably had your fill of blog posts and articles about New Year’s resolutions. Even if you’ve been able to focus on habits instead of resolutions, one can only take so much.

For a Christian who likes a fresh start with their fresh calendar, most advice focuses on reading through the Bible in 12 months. Here at Knowable Word we love the Bible and we love to read the whole thing (even quickly!), but in this post we’ll move beyond reading plans, apps, and translations.

For me, forming resolutions brings up feelings of duty and drudgery. So I prefer to think of the opportunities that the new year brings, especially when it comes to spiritual practices.

3 Bible Opportunities for the New Year

If you’d like to engage more with the Bible in 2019, here are three ideas.

Study a Book of the Bible

The beginning of the year is a great time to join a small group Bible study or a new Sunday school class. But it’s also an opportunity to study the Bible on your own.

Reading the whole Bible in a year will change you in ways you might not be able to discern. But studying the Bible carefully might just rock your world. There’s nothing quite like learning the meaning of a portion of Scripture and taking the time to apply it to your life.

If you’ve never studied the Bible before, don’t worry. You can do this! You don’t need to be an expert to study the Bible. In fact, we’ve created this website just for you! Poke around and make yourself at home; we are here to help.

We have a summary of our Bible study method here, with more details and explanations here. If you’re just getting started, you might consider printing some of the worksheets on this page.

Read a Book of the Bible Intensely

Instead of aiming to read the whole Bible this year, why not focus on just one book each season? Choose one book of the Bible and read it as many times as you can in three months. You’ll be blown away by all that you discover.

While understanding the large story of the Bible is crucial for Christians, so is internalizing all of its teaching. Aside from studying the Bible, one way to get the Bible’s message into your heart and bones is to read and reread and reread it.

Of course, the length of the book will affect how many times you can read it in three months. But no matter the length, keep reading. Repeated readings of the Bible follow a predictable pattern, a pattern it’s good to know before you begin.

You probably won’t have any problems up front. For your first three or four readings of the book you’ll be engaged and interested. Then somewhere around reading number five you might start to feel bored. You’ll want to skim, to skimp, to assume you’ve gained all there is to gain. Press on, because the gold lies ahead! With readings number nine, ten, and beyond, you’ll see the text with new eyes. You will notice nuances and depth and tone that one or two readings could never reveal. Read with a pen and paper nearby, and prepare to learn from God himself.

Memorize a Book of the Bible

While reading and studying the Bible are important, there’s no way to get yourself closer to the Bible than to memorize it. Memorized Scripture can become the mental soundtrack of your life in 2019.

If you’ve never taken up this practice, here are a few things I’ve learned. Over a period of weeks and months, I can memorize an average of one verse every two days. If your pace is similar to mine, this means that memorizing entire books of the Bible is within your grasp this year! The book of Titus has 46 verses, meaning you could memorize it in 92 days (just three months!). Similarly, Philippians (104 verses), Colossians (95 verses), 2 Timothy (83 verses), and Philemon (25 verses) are all possibilities. You could even tackle the first eight (82 verses) or the first ten (120 verses) Psalms. Think of the opportunity!

Remember Jesus in Your Resolutions

As we think and plan about making more of the Bible in 2019, we must remember the gospel. We must remember Jesus.

Jesus loves, knows, and has obeyed the words of the Bible perfectly. And because he obeyed for us, we can offer our efforts to read, study, and memorize the Bible to God as acts of worship. We’re not resolving to change our behavior in order to grab God’s attention and make him love us. Rather, because he loves us we can look to the Bible and learn what it means to live as a child of God.