“If we’d put more Bibles in the high schools, we’d need less of them in the prisons.”

—Ravi Zacharias, in a speech at the Double Tree Hotel in Bloomington (MN) two weeks ago

Why This Book?

Let 14-year-old Douglas Nichols help you rejoice in a most marvelous gift from God.

Yes, he is the grandson of Doug Nichols who heads up Action International and has spoken at a Desiring God pastors conference.

• Self-control
• Converts
• Lips
• Good works
• Children

Answer: The Bible associates all of them with fruit.

All of the following can be found in God’s word, according to Psalm 119. 

Do you want ...

To have more understanding than your teachers? (v. 99)

To understand more than the aged? (v. 100)

To be wiser than your enemies? (v. 98)

To have an answer for those that taunt you? (v. 42)

To not sin against the only one who can damn you for it? (v. 11)

To keep your way pure? (v. 9)

In his devotional to the Lead Team earlier today, Pastor Jason Meyer took us to the second verse of Paul’s letter to the Philippians:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.—Philippians 1:2

“Grace to you” does not only express Paul’s desire that enabling power from God be given eventually, but that RIGHT NOW by the reading of this letter the reader would receive enablement.

According to Julie Smith Lowe, it would be easy to conclude that young people (and others) need to care less about the external and more about the internal. While there is merit to that, it is more important that attention be given to the eternal.

For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.—2 Corinthians 4:18

“If you understand Isaiah 53 as traditionally read by Christians, you understand Christianity.”
—John C. Beckman, Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Bethlehem College & Seminary, in a presentation to the board at its last meeting

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'"—Hebrews 3:7–11

2 Timothy 3:14–17,

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.