Traveling Light!

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Traveling Light

As you probably know, the airlines are limiting and charging for the bags you bring along on your plane trip. Melodee and I made sure that we did not take too much luggage.  However, this does remind us of the most important travel tip we can give you. Whether you’re traveling to Hawaii, through life or through your Bible, you must travel light.

That is why we have mentioned so few traveling items.  Along the way in your journey through the Bible it is quite possible that you will leave some baggage behind. What baggage would you possibly leave behind?  It is our hope that you will leave behind:

–      Bitterness. One of the main reasons that God has communicated through the Bible is to tell you that life can be full of joy! The past can be forgiven and overcome.  Consider these words from David, past king of Israel:

Psalm 16:11

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

–      Anger. Anger is the cancer of the sole.  It burns like a fire. It destroys like a disease.  The Bible says that anger is learned.  And since anger is learned it can also be unlearned. Consider these words written by Solomon, past king of Israel:

Proverbs 22:24-25

Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.

–      Worry.  Some estimate that up to 80 percent of all physical diseases and illnesses are triggered or enhanced by worry. Yet worrying can be cured! The Bible says,

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

–      Selfishness. The destruction that comes from selfishness is not apparent at first.  Often it takes years to reap the harvest that eventually will come. However, tell-tale signs do become evident along life’s journey. A lack of friends can be the visible sign of a future filled with loneliness.  The Bible will encourage selflessness. Consider these thoughts from the pages of the Bible:

Proverbs 18:24

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Matthew 22:39

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 John 3:11

For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

–      Judgmentalism. Being critical and judgmental repels people from us. It sends our adult children to distant states, seldom calling or caring. At night our phone and doorbell does not ring.  The more we’ve put others down the less they want to be with us.  Jesus counters this attitude with these words:

Matthew 7:1-2

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

–      Lack of forgiveness. Forgiveness is at the center of the very fabric of relationships. Without forgiveness we simply cannot develop close friends.  In developing forgiveness, there is no greater model than God. He provides forgiveness to anyone who asks. He is the model of tremendous forgiveness. In a discussion with one of his followers, Jesus told Peter these words:

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

–      Confusion. Troubled? Having difficulty in life?  Worn out, struggling, unsure of what to do?  God promises answers in the Bible! He gives direction through the Bible.  The examples we read about in the Bible provide valuable insight.  The experiences of others give understanding to life. Consider these words from the Bible:

Psalm 19:7-11

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.

There you have it.  All the preparation you need to journey through the Bible.  And that is where we are – journeying through the Bible!

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment: “How to Pack for our Journey Through the Bible” on Sunday when we talk about “What Camera Will You Take on the Journey?”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue our study through the Bible with our next installment: “God Postpones Israel’s Invasion Plans” on Thursday.

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Does God's Love Change You?

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Does My Worship Transform Me?

We have just finished reading the book of Leviticus – the book of worship for the Old Testament God-followers. Their worship was to “set them apart” from the rest of the people on the planet. The question for us at this point is: “Does my worship transform me?” “Do I change as a result of being in God’s presence?”

As you worship God with God’s people in the coming weeks, look for two things: (1) Look to see if your attitude is correct, and (2) Look to see if you have changed as a result of being in worship of God!

o   Look One: Is my attitude correct? Many people today complain that they don’t get anything out of the corporate worship services of their church. One of the major reasons for this is them! When you come to worship this week, ask yourself these simple questions about your attitude …

§  Am I here to receive God’s leadership for my life this week?

§  Am I here to distinguish the lifestyle of God and the lifestyle of the people around me?

§  Am I here to sacrifice the ways I live that don’t lead to life – according to God – for the abundance God wants to give me?

§  Am I here to change – and thereby experience life to the fullest from God?

o   Look Two: Have I changed as I leave my worship of God? True God-worship brings about core changes. Can you see any of these in your life? Or more, can those who know you best see these changes?

§  Can anyone see my passion to pursue faith as a result of my worship of the living and true God today?

§  Can anyone see my passion to pursue moral excellence as a result of my worship of the living and true God today?

§  Can anyone see my passion to pursue knowing God better as a result of my worship of the living and true God today?

§  Can anyone see my passion to pursue self-control as a result of my worship of the living and true God today?

§  Can anyone see my passion to pursue patient endurance as a result of my worship of the living and true God today?

§  Can anyone see my passion to pursue godliness as a result of my worship of the living and true God today?

§  Can anyone see my passion to pursue love for other Christians as a result of my worship of the living and true God today?

§  Can anyone see my passion to pursue love for everyone as a result of my worship of the living and true God today?

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment: “How to Pack for our Journey Through the Bible” on Tuesday when we talk about “Traveling Light on the Journey.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

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What Camera Will You Take on the Journey Through the Bible?

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

What Camera Will You Take on the Journey?

A 20th anniversary trip to Hawaii is truly something to be remembered. Melodee and I had dreamed of such a trip for years. Now that we were going, we wanted to take some of the trip home for our scrapbook.  We wanted to be able to share our experiences with family and friends. So we needed some visible record of our journey. Before we left we stocked up on data cards, made sure we had the battery charger for our camera, and made sure our camera was working in excellent condition.

A trip through the Bible is also something to be remembered.  But how does one ‘take photos’ when they are reading? How do we record our journey as we go? Obviously, we will not use a camera. Our camera for this journey will be the journal we mentioned in Thursday’s blog. How do we “record” our journey in our journal? Consider these picture-taking tips:

–      Write down a brief outline as you go. Consider something like a day-by-day journal to help you remember some of the details you may forget in a week or so. You don’t have to be exhaustive, just right down the things that caught your eye.

–      Try to sketch out a scene that you want to remember. After all, that is what photo-taking is all about. You do not have to be a great artist to do this.  Sketch the people in the scene, or the landscape and try to determine how the events take place.

–      Write down lists. One of the great advantages of a journal is that it allows you to write down what came first, second, and so forth. It allows you to categorize your list with a topic.  When reading through Proverbs, you may wish to write down a list of descriptions or characteristics the Bible describes concerning wisdom, foolishness, or any of the other hundreds of topics explained.

–      Sketch family trees. It is enjoyable to know who is related to whom.  This makes your journey much easier.  As you are reading, keep a separate page for each family line.  In Genesis, start with Adam.  You can compare your family line with the account in the Bible for accuracy.

–      Maintain comparison or contrast lists. A simple comparison of whom God speaks to and whom God ignores is a great place to start.  Contrasting what God calls evil and what he calls good is another great list. Be creative! Follow your interests and the sure to examine their opposites.

–      The Word in Worship Daily Devotional Journal. We have written a simple journal to help you both record your prayer requests and make your prayer life easier as well as journaling your Bible reading experiences. This journal revolves around 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and helps you seek to answer four questions every day from the passage you have read. You can learn more about this at EaglesInLeadership.org and in the back of this book.

There are dozens of other ideas that you and your companion can come up with as you travel through the Bible.  If you think of new ones as you go, write them down! Your photo record will become almost as valuable as your Bible if you will spend the time and use it. Please share them with us in the comment section below as well!

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment: “How to Pack for our Journey Through the Bible” on Sunday when we talk about “What Camera Will You Take on the Journey?”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

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Numbers: The Book of Failure

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Today we discover that …

The Book of Numbers, The Book of Failure.

(About forty years)

On our 20th anniversary trip to Hawaii, one of the key sights that I wanted to see was Pearl Harbor. In particular, the USS Arizona memorial was of great interest to me. A national cemetery and shrine to the brave men and women who were slaughtered in their sleep on December 7, 1941, the memorial is also educational. It teaches the clear lesson of vigilance in a time of apparent peace.

Numbers records the journeys of the nation of Israel as they are prepared to invade Canaan, their failure to do so, and the penalty God imposes upon them as a result of their failure. It should also teach us. The lessons this book of history teaches us has to do with faith, obedience, confidence in God, and the penalties of failure.

When one looks at Numbers, there are clearly three parts to the book. In the first part we see:

Moses Prepares The Nation for Invasion

(Numbers 1-10)

With high expectations and a ready heart, the nation of Israel prepares for the conquest of the people of Canaan. As we begin our travel through this book, we see a Commander-In-Chief preparing his people for a successful invasion. Watch as God and Moses prepare for the invasion by how:

  • God organizes the people in preparation for the impending invasion. (1-2)
  • God organizes the priests in preparation for the impending invasion. (3-4)
  • God sets apart the nation of Israel in preparation for the impending invasion. (5-10)

 

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment: “How to Pack for our Journey Through the Bible” on Sunday when we talk about “What Camera Will You Take on the Journey?”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook. 

 

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

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Taking the Right Equipment on the Journey Through Your Bible!

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

When packing for our journey through the Bible, be sure to pack …

Any Particular Equipment Necessary

On many vacations and journeys, those traveling want to experience or explore, not just “sight-see.” Some journeys may include mountain climbing. Others may go deep sea diving. And yet still others will go on long bicycle trips.  Each of these journeys requires specific equipment that makes the trip effective, efficient, and enjoyable.

We will need to possess some specific equipment (reference books) to make our adventure through the Bible more enjoyable. Among the most important, it is important to have:

–      Bible handbook – this book explains what is happening in the text book-by-book, chapter-by-chapter, in the same order as your Bible. We recommend Unger’s Bible Handbook (Moody Publishers).

–      Bible dictionary – this book provides an explanation of words or events, people and places that are not commonly known today. We recommend the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Holman Reference).

–      Bible map book – this book will provide details on maps based on the time period you are currently reading through. We recommend The New Moody Atlas of the Bible (Moody Publishers).

–      A blank notebook or journal – this book will be your notes, thoughts and records of your experiences, questions and discoveries along the way. We recommend a multi-tabbed notebook of a similar size to your Bible.

–      Highlighters – several different colors of highlighters can be coded by you to mean different things.  Once you have highlighted a passage in a certain color, you’ll know immediately the significance or topic before you re-read the passage again.

–      Colored pens – just as with our highlighters, different colors of ink can indicate different topics or different discoveries.  Perhaps red for the words of God, green for instructions making life easier, etc.

–      A Bible you feel comfortable writing in – we suggest purchasing a “wide margin” Bible.  These are designed with the traveler in mind. Their larger margins allow you to make notes as you read.  Whatever Bible you purchase, it will become very important to feel comfortable writing all through it.  If you have difficulty with the idea of writing in it, think of the Bible more as a textbook. How you write and what you write in your Bible is up to you.  Be sure that what you write helps you when you go back and review your journey. We recommend the ESV Journaling Bible as a first time choice.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue our study through the Bible with our next installment: “The Book of Numbers: The Book of Failure” on Friday.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

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Understanding Jesus – A Conversation with Ed Vasicek

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

We are excited to welcome Ed Vasicek to the Transformed podcast today. Today we are talking about his new book, The Midrash Key, a book that traces Jesus’ Teachings Back to Their Old Testament Jewish Roots!

Ed received his B.A. from Moody Bible Institute in 1979. He has served as Pastor of Highland Park Church in Kokomo, IN, since 1983, and occasionally speaks at the Messianic Jewish Congregation Ahavot Yeshua in Indianapolis. Ed has published over 500 columns for the “Opinion Page” of the Kokomo Tribune, has been quoted on the front page of USA Today, and has published numerous articles in Pulpit Helps magazine and other journals and theological websites.

Ed’s book, “The Midrash Key”, is based on the premise that many of Jesus’ words are excerpts from sermons he preached based upon Old Testament texts. He used an ancient style of Jewish preaching called “Midrash.” By locating the “mother texts” Jesus used in the Old Testament — and then factoring in the Jewish debates of the day (as seen in the Talmud, for example) — we can increase the CONTEXT of Jesus’ words and fine-tune our understanding. “The Midrash Key” does so reverently (from an evangelical perspective). Understand Jesus like never before!

Matt heartily recommends The Midrash Key, and hopes that you will purchase a copy of Ed’s book. You may do so here.

You can purchase The Teachers Guide to The Midrash Key here.

You can learn more about The Midrash Key here.

You can learn more about Ed’s ministry here.

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Are You Coming to Radicalis?

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Eagles In Leadership strongly encourages you to attend Radicalis! Dr. Matthew Lee Smith will be there, and he hopes you will be too!

Rick Warren invites you and your team to join the Radicalis Generation, February 22-25, 2011

Rick Warren along with Matt Carter, Steven Furtick, David Gibbons, Shawn Lovejoy, and Pete Wilson will be speaking in the main plenary sessions. There will also be great worship experiences featuring some of the best talent in Christian music. Radicalis promises incredible experiences that will encourage radical fellowship, radical growth, and radical surrender to God. Join Pastor Rick and the plenary speakers as they focus on church planting. Bring your entire team!

15 Conferences! 3,000 pastors and leaders! 4 days! Say yes to God and attend.

You can register and learn more about the conference here!
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Acceptable Steps for Walking With God in the OT

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Today we discover that …

Acceptable Steps for Walking With the God of the Nation of Israel (Leviticus 18-27)

The nation of Israel, once cleansed of their sins, was to do all that was humanly possible to remain sin-free. They did this through a radical change of their lifestyle. This change is known in the latter half of the book of Leviticus as sanctification.

SANCTIFICATION: The process of God’s grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God’s righteousness. Accomplished by the Word of God <John 17:7> and the Holy Spirit <Rom. 8:3-4>, sanctification results in holiness, or purification from the guilt and power of sin.

Sanctification as separation from the world and setting apart for God’s service is a concept found throughout the Bible. Spoken of as “holy” or “set apart” in the Old Testament were the land of Canaan, the city of Jerusalem, the tabernacle, the Temple, the Sabbath, the feasts, the prophets, the priests, and the garments of the priests. God is sanctified by the witness of believers <1 Pet. 3:15> and by His judgments upon sin <Ezek. 38:16>. Jesus also was “sanctified and sent into the world” <John 10:36>

Sanctification in the Atonement. As the process by which God purifies the believer, sanctification is based on the sacrificial death of Christ. In his letters to the churches, the apostle Paul noted that God has “chosen” and “reconciled” us to Himself in Christ for the purpose of sanctification <Eph. 1:4; 5:25-27; Titus 2:14>.

Old Testament sacrifices did not take away sin, but they were able to sanctify “for the purifying of the flesh” <Heb. 9:13>. The blood of the new covenant <Heb. 10:29>, however, goes far beyond this ritual purification of the body. The offering of Christ’s body <Heb. 10:10> and blood <Heb. 13:12> serves to purge our conscience from “dead works to serve the living God” <Heb. 9:14>. Because our cleansing from sin is made possible only by Christ’s death and resurrection, we are “sanctified in Christ Jesus” <1 Cor. 1:2; Acts 20:32; 1 Cor. 1:30; 6:11>. (1986). Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TB: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Sanctification, or the process of setting one’s self apart for God, was to be observed in five major areas of the life of Israel. Among them:

  • The people were to be set apart for God by the use of these laws. (Leviticus 18-20)
  • The priesthood was to be set apart for God by the use of these laws. (Leviticus 21-22)
  • The worship was to be set apart for God by the use of these laws. (Leviticus 23-34)
  • The land of Israel was to be set apart for God by the use of these laws. (Leviticus 25-26)
  • Things were to be set apart for God by the use of these laws. (Leviticus 27)

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment: “How to Pack for our Journey Through the Bible” on Wednesday when we talk about “Equipment for the Journey.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

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How to Pack For The Journey Through Our Bible! (Part 1)

Posted on February 6, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

How to Pack For The Journey Through Our Bible!

I can give you a six-word formula for success: “Think things through – then follow through.”

–   Edward Rickenbacker

Man never plans to be failures; they simply failed to plan to be successful.

–   William A. Ward

Sometimes it is not good enough to do your best; you half to do what’s required.

–   Sir Winston Churchill

As our 20th anniversary trip to Hawaii approached, we were anticipating our days with great joy.  Soon our attention turned from anticipation to planning to pack.  What would we take, what would we need?  As we thought through these questions, a simple reality came into view: Pack only the things that are needed while we were there.  So we had to ask ourselves, “What will we be doing in Hawaii?” Once we mapped out our anticipated activities in Hawaii, packing became very simple. Among the things we would need were,

–       Suitable clothing

–       Any particular equipment necessary

–       Our camera

–       Traveling light

The same is true when we consider a trip through the Bible. When traveling through the Bible, we will need to pack:

–       Suitable clothing – these will be the attitudes that will clothe us as we journey

–       Any particular equipment necessary – this will include the necessary tools (books) that we will need in our exploration

–       Our camera – by this we refer to our means of recording our journey as we go

–       Traveling light – of most importance, we want to be sure not to pack too many items because we will have to carry them our entire journey

Let’s start packing!

Suitable Clothing

Since Hawaii is a tropical paradise whose average temperature is 80 degrees, we left our heavy jackets at home.  And we didn’t need our snow boots. As we packed for Hawaii, we filled our suitcase with shorts, short sleeve shirts and blouses, and our swimsuits.

When traveling through the Bible, it is not what you wear on your body that makes for suitable clothing.  Since we’re taking a spiritual journey, we will be clothing our soul or spirit.  We do that by putting on certain attitudes.  What attitudes do we need to put on in order to journey through the Bible?

–      Teachability – this attitude allows us to sit as a student and learn.  When we possess this attitude, we reserve judgment for later.  It is a key attitude necessary in every important endeavor in our lives. How much more so as we journey through the Bible? David, the writer of Psalm 119, demonstrated this quality when he asked God:

Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, and teach me Your statutes. I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies. (Psalm 119:124-125)

–      Humbleness – this attitude reflects a second side of teachability. When we possess this attitude, we submit to the leadership of another.  In our journey through the Bible, we are submitting to the leadership of the text.  We simply are willing to listen, to read and postpone taking charge as we read.  Much like when we allow another person to drive us to a new destination, we submit to their route. Humbleness is a key attitude in God’s eyes. Listen as he says,

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

–      Curiosity – far from setting your mind in idle and coasting through this journey, you will need to be very curious.  If one of your main objectives is to get to know God in this journey, you need to know that he has left clues all along the trail.  These clues were not left for the feeble-minded.  They were left for the very curious, the very diligent seeker.  Consider these words attributed to God,

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

–      Reverence – this is the attitude that expresses how valuable someone or something is to us.  Reverence is what we express when we date our spouse, set-aside a day for our family, or go to a house of worship.  We must be certain that we treat this journey as being very special to us.  If we’re going to invest a portion of our lives in the pursuit of understanding the Bible, it must be given the respect it is due.  We need to keep this attitude in the forefront as we journey.

–      Open-mindedness – you will not agree with everything that you read as you journey through the Bible.  That is not necessary.  What is necessary is that you keep an open mind.  Since you have picked up the Bible to expand your spiritual horizons, just allow the story to unfold in its own way.  Being critical seems to be a gift for some people.  Remember what one person observed:  “Any fool can criticize, complain and condemn; and most fools do!”  In our journey we are trying to get an overview, the big picture.  Staying open-minded will allow you not to stumble over smaller issues and items until you see the whole picture.

–      Patience – amongst the greatest attitudes needed is the attitude of patience.  We will look at a book that is, in reality, 66 books put together over 1500 years, from no less than six major cultures.  It will be impossible for you to gather and glean everything that you desire in your first journey through the Bible.  Being patient with your self, making notes for future study, and enjoying what you do understand and see are key elements on this trip.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment: “How to Pack for our Journey Through the Bible” on Tuesday when we talk about “Equipment for the Journey.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

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Super Bowl Sunday – An Interview with LeRoy Butler

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

We are thrilled to bring you this special interview with our own Mike Powers and LeRoy Butler, as we think of the Super Bowl this Sunday!

LeRoy Butler, III (born July 19, 1968) is a former American football strong safety who played his entire career with the Green Bay Packers (1990–2001). He spent his childhood in Jacksonville, Florida, challenged by physical problems that forced him to wear leg braces and use a wheelchair at times while undergoing therapy. In 2007, he was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team, which selected the “Top 33” players in the 100-year history of Florida high school football.

Sit back and relax, and enjoy Mike’s interview with LeRoy Butler!

You can learn more about LeRoy at his website here.

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