Tag Archives: Salvation

Day 101: Belief

Daily Sheet: Day 101: Belief

Family Book: “I Believe: The Nicene Creed”

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Travel: Congo

Map: Mary Kingsley’s Travels

Video: “Creed” – Rich Mullins (with introduction by Rich)

I hope I would leave a legacy of joy; a legacy of real compassion.  Because I think there is a great joy in real compassion.  I don’t think that you can know joy apart from caring deeply about people, caring enough about people that you actually do something.  But I have a feeling like if my life is motivated by my ambition to leave a legacy, what I will probably leave as a legacy is ambition.  But if my life is motivated by the power of the Spirit in me, if I live in the awareness of the indwelling Christ, if I allow His presence to guide my actions, to guide my motives, those sorts of things, that’s the only time I think that we really leave a great legacy.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.  My ambition to be a good guy is a fleshly ambition.  And when Christ calls us to take up our cross and follow him, a lot of us think that what that means is we’re supposed to lay down our vices, and we’re supposed to cling to virtues, but I think that unless Christ is Lord of our virtues, our virtues become dangerous to us and dangerous to the people around us.  I think that when Christ calls us to take up our cross, what He means is you must die not only to whatever vices are in your life, which he will eventually kill out, you must also die to whatever virtues are in your life.  Your life is not valuable because you are an articulate speaker, your life is not valuable because you are a generous person, your life is not valuable because of any of that.  If we empty ourselves of everything and allow God to be present, then it’s no longer us, it’s Him.  Then it becomes a spiritual thing.  And that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.  And that’s when I think Christianity really begins to make sense.

Video: “Creed” – Rich Mullins with Third Day (with Croatian subtitles)

 

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Day 88: Vision

Daily Sheet: Day 88: Vision

Family Book: “On the Oregon Trail”

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Travel: Idaho; Oregon; Washington

Hymn: “Be Thou My Vision” – Chelsea Moon

Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart.  Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.  Thou my best thought by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true word.  I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord.  Thou my great Father, I Thy true son, Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise.  Thou my inheritance, now and always.  Thou and Thou only, first in my heart.  High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won.  May I reach heaven’s joys, oh, bright heaven’s sun.  Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my vision, oh Ruler of all.

Video: “Be Thou My Vision” – Fernando Ortega (set against images from the Hubble telescope)

Consider the following three translations of Proverbs 29:18:

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.  (New American Standard Bible – NASB)

Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; But blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.  (New International Version – NIV)

Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.  (King James Version – KJV)

Questions:

  • Is vision important?  Why or why not?
  • What does Proverbs 29:18 teach us about vision?  Use the above three translations to explain.
  • How are vision and restraint linked?  How can you apply this in your own life?
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Day 87: Leadership

Daily Sheet: Day 87: Leadership

Family Book: “The Lewis and Clark Trail”

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Travel: Missouri; Iowa

Map: The Lewis and Clark Trail

Questions:

  • What are the marks of a good leader?
  • What are the marks of good leadership?
  • How are we to respond to bad leaders and/or bad leadership?
  • Consider the following lyrics: “People of God, rise up and shine God’s love.  We are the light of the world.”  …How do these words relate to leadership?

Song: “People of God” – Gungor

We could have tongues of angels; We could move mountains with our faith; We could give everything away, but if we don’t have love we’re left with nothing.

We could see blind eyes opened, know all the mysteries of our faith.  We could sing all the highest praise but if we don’t have love, we’re left with nothing.

People of God, Rise up.  Rise up and shine God’s love.  We are the light of the world.

Love is what holds it all together.  Love never fails, it never dies.  There is no deeper truth.  We know that God is love, our God is love.  Tear down the walls that divide us; Let love rebuild and unite us.  All we need is love.

 

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