It only took me four years, but. . .

I finally read the entire Bible! I know that God's Word is tremendously important, so I like to spend time in the Word. I always got bored when I tried to read the entire book, though. (Some of the Old Testament can be really slow.) So I figured that I would try reading one page a day, starting with the New Testament, then on to the Old Testament. After four years, I have completed the entire book. Now, I'm off to read it over again. . .

Are there any good Biblically-based movies?

I have watched many Biblically-based movies, but none seem to compare to the impact of the Bible itself. I watched The Nativity Story last week -- it was OK. The Passion of the Christ was pretty good.

Biblically-based movies either seem to catch a very brief snapshot of the Bible in two to three hours, or they are enormously long epics like The Ten Commandments.

What is it about Biblically-based movies, that none have the same power and passion as the Bible itself?

What are your thoughts? What's your favorite Biblically-based movie?

Slow down and focus, part II

Tom Henderson shared an interesting tip on how to study scripture in response to yesterday's post:

I listened to a two-part series last week from the program Grace to You about how to study scripture. One recommendation that John MacArthur had was to find a short book of the Bible (he suggested 1 John) and read it in one sitting. The next day, read it again. Read it every day for a month. Feel free to make notes or marks in the margin. As your eyes see it again and again on a consistent basis, especially if you read it in the same Bible, your recall and absorption will improve.

He then suggested following it up with a longer book, broken up in to parts of a few chapters each month. Then, alternate longer books with shorter books.

I think as soon as I get my primary Bible back (I left it at my mother's church over vacation), I'm going to try this.

Thanks, Tom. It's really exciting when the words of the Bible come alive in our hearts, and tips on getting there are very appreciated!

Slow down and focus

In today's hurried world, we often become hurried Christians. To know God's word, it's important to slow down and not get constantly caught up in the world's quest for ever-increasing speed.

Keri Wyatt Kent addressed three ways to "breathe life into your conversations with God" in Today's Christian Woman:

• Deep Listening
• Breath Prayer
• Being There

Reading the Bible shouldn't be a daily task to check off of our to do list; it should have meaning and importance. And the best way to get that is to slow down and focus.