A Truth We Are Believing

John 1:4–5

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Take heart, darkness still cannot overwhelm the light.

A Way We Are Living

Simple ideas can create big differences. 

After years of sleeping on the floor in our oldest son, Levi's room during his illnesses and after recovering from surgeries, Amy came up with the brilliant idea to buy an extra bed. Game changer! 

Don't be afraid to do things differently. Simply doing something because it’s what you have always done is a lousy reason to struggle forward.

A Book We Are Reading

Have you noticed specific authors that repeatedly serve as faithful guides to help satisfy your heart in God? For whatever reason, John Bunyan is one of those men for me. Bunyan is famous for his fantastic work The Pilgrim's Progress. But did you know that he wrote almost sixty other works? Many of them are extended books on the person and work of Christ. 

I am currently reading Bunyan’s book The Work of Jesus Christ as Advocate and it has not disappointed. Like many of the Puritans Bunyan writes with theological depth, pastoral sensitivity, and rigorous exegesis of God’s Word. In this book Bunyan mines 1 John 2:1 and turns his gaze upon the advocacy of Christ. Here is a taste of his message:

"Is not this a wonderful thing, that Christ should first take our sins, and account them his own, and then plead the value and worth of his whole self for our deliverance. ... He pleads his ownself, his whole self, and all that he is and has; and thus he put us in good estate again though our cause was very bad. ... As he is said to be an Advocate, so he is said to be a propitiation, or amends-maker, or one that appeaseth the justice of God for our sins."

An Idea We Are Pondering

Martyn Lloyd Jones use to end personal conversations after his Sunday sermon by exclaiming, "Keep on going on." When asked why, he commented, "Because there is no alternative." 

Keep on going on.

An Item We are Recommending

If you have been involved in language study, you know that a little bit each day goes a long way in developing and maintaining aptitude for a language. 

If you have studied Hebrew or Greek, I highly recommend The Daily dose of Greek (here is the App) and The Daily Dose of Hebrew (here is the App). 

Both put out three minute videos each and simply walk through one verse in the original languages. I try and use these daily to press onward in knowing the Bible in its original languages.