My pastor is an expository preacher which basically means he preaches straight through a book of a Bible instead of topically. It's a big blessing because you can see Scripture in the context of which it was written which is the way it was made to be read if you think about it.
After all, when you read a book or a letter, do you start in the middle, jump to a sentence at the beginning, read the end of another book....etc.? It's probably why I like to teach history in order, too!
Anyway, knowing what my pastor is going to preach on next Sunday allows me to review that passage ahead of time. That's why this passage is really standing out to me this week!
For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:43-45 ESV emphasis mine)
This is so convicting. What comes out of my mouth when I haven't run it through my "spiritual" filter before I speak it? I'm not going to tell you, but obviously it's something I need to work on or I wouldn't be writing about it! It reminds me of a quote from Amy Carmichael:
If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted.
Sometimes when I'm jolted, I'm not very sweet.
What am I doing to work on it? I'm working on filling my heart with more good than bad. I'm reading the Word more. I'm reading godly books more. I'm listening to audio sermons, Scripture on CD, and Christian music more. AND I'm talking to myself more and listening to myself less. Unfortunately, when we listen to ourselves, it's usually grumbling or negative, so in this case, being slow to listen and quick to speak the truth is a good thing!
Give me some ideas. What do you do to be brimful of sweet water, so don't spill even one drop of bitter water?
If you don't receive Above Rubies magazine, go to www.aboverubies.org and sign up for the emails and magazine now. It's been a real blessing to me.
In the February 2010 issue, Nancy Campbell gave her usual update concerning her family. What really caught my eye, was a birthday tradition they do and one of their family's homeschooling activities.
First, "At each birthday, everyone gives a speech to the birthday person. We say all the good things we feel about them, affirming them in their character qualities and blessing them...Over the years, we have noticed that these birthday person, but they have the added advantage of teaching the children to learn to give speeches. This is preparation for learning how to "speak in the gates." In my Above Rubies #77 editorial, I wrote about how God wants us to prepare our children to be able to speak and contend for the truth in the governing places of the city and nation. It is in "the gates" that laws are made to affect the nation."
Second, continuing the thought, "It doesn't happen by chance. We must prepare and train them, not only in godly convictions, but how to communicate these convictions. Because I want our children to understand the roots of our founding fathers and our great Constitution, I decided to have a class to discuss these issues. Each morning, Mercy [one of her daughters] six of the grandchildren, from 11-17 years come together. Currently, I read to them from Liberty and Tyranny, A Conservative Manifesto by Mark Levin. We rarely get through a chapter each day. Instead, I read about 12 pages and we discuss the issues together. I also choose new words from the chapter for them to learn I give each a page a day with seven to ten words and their meanings plus a few quotes from what we have read. They have to choose one of the words to write a sentence which they bring the next morning to read aloud. Yesterday, Meadow won the prize for incorporating four new words into one sentence! Wow! Not to be beaten, Zadok included five of the words in one sentence today!"
