read it…hear it…take it to heart

There is something about reading as opposed to just hearing isn’t there?

I think we all have different learning styles and methods and many would argue that they are visual verses auditory.  I think I remember that when we read something, we retain something like 30% and if we only hear something, we retain 10%, but if we read and hear we retain 60%.  Then if we go and practice, teach or share what we have just read and heard, we are up to retaining 95%.

I know that I need to get into God‘s Word each day – I used to slip in my cd for the morning drive into work – we called it, “Faith comes by hearing,” and it did do its job.  However, there was no lasting effect.  I have used many different approaches to my time spending reading God’s Word.  Today, I read for one specific purpose – I am looking for those clues, those gems of instruction that point the way to having true success in my life.

You guessed it – I then take what I have read, share it in this posting.  Then all day long I either am sharing, practicing or teaching what I have learned for the day.  Most of the time, I can tell you what I read and what I learned and how that made a difference in my life for quite some time.  In fact, the breadth of my understanding seems to be growing more and I find that I am not so narrow-minded as I read God’s Word each day not as a rule book, but as God’s narrative, His story, revealing His character to me.

It is actually a lot of fun!

 

Related articles

• How Teens learn best? is mine credible or not? (edgarallanpoetential.wordpress.com)

Did everything the LORD commanded

This is simple enough to understand – doing everything that God instructs you to do is a no brainer so that you can be successful and accomplish what you need to do and do it well.

The issue most of us have is doing “everything.”

Most of us can’t – and for those who know what I mean because they have tried – this is a very easy thing not to do – that is – doing everything that we are instructed to do.

I think we see this “feeling” in the garden with Adam and Eve.  They almost did everything, except decided to do one thing they knew they shouldn’t have done – just one thing – I mean, what could one thing done wrong mess up the entire system?

Yet we make decisions like this every day.  I heard of a denominational Bible College, very conservative in nature, and checked this number out with as many outside and inside people who I could – 60% of their graduates experience a sexual experience outside the confines of marriage.

They are in our pulpits, Christian education, mission fields etc.

Still answered the call to serve, but this one thing, everyone is doing it and it feels right…

Paul describes it best when he suggests that the heart is will, but the flesh is weak.

How to make the flesh as strong as the heart?

Can it be as easy as making a decision?  Make the decision to do everything – everyday, one day at a time.  Can following Jesus each and every day be the secret?  I think so, Paul suggests it’s so and he describes that this learning curve is possible but only accomplished when we make the decision.

 

Related articles

• Some thoughts on Worship for Sunday school (reachingyouth.wordpress.com)