Deep engagement with the Bible can dramatically improve your general health, according to the State of the Bible (SOTB) research by the American Bible Society (ABS). People with higher levels of Scripture engagement have better well-being scores compared to those who are less engaged with the Bible.
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Do specific key indicators exist that we should intentionally seek to nurture and grow as we navigate our Christian faith journey over the course of our lives? How can we better stay in step with God’s purposes and his mission? What should we learn from the example of Jesus, walking naturally in his footsteps as he leads us closer to the heart of God and the deepest needs of the world?
Bible Gateway interviewed Kevin Harney (@KevinGHarney) and Sherry Harney (@OrganicOutreach) about their book, Organic Disciples: Seven Ways to Grow Spiritually and Naturally Share Jesus (Zondervan, 2021).
What is an “Organic” Disciple?
Kevin and Sherry Harney: An “Organic” Disciple is a follower of Jesus who is growing in faith in natural ways, every single day. Spiritual maturity should be a habitual part of our daily life. Yes, there’s a need for discipline and effort, but God delights when our journey with Jesus becomes natural, like breathing. In our book, Organic Disciples, we explore how to learn from Jesus, become like our Savior, and then go with the Lord on his mission to bring grace and truth to the people in our broken and hurting world.
We believe discipleship is not just about our relationship with Jesus. It’s bigger, more glorious, and should be world-changing. God’s desire is to, “equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).
This is the one-hundred-ninety-fourth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here.
“He has sent me to proclaim…recovery of sight for the blind.” Luke 4:18
By Eric L. Motley
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. —Romans 5:5, NKJV
Dating back to its earliest days, Madison Park’s most prominent feature was the absence of white faces. It was built by the hands of people seeking not just a sense of community but a safe haven—free from the perils of their recent enslavement.
When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, approximately three million men and women were set free, at least in theory—the Proclamation immediately affected only 20,000 to 50,000 slaves where the Union Army had taken control. It wasn’t until two years later, when the Civil War ended, that the Proclamation systematically freed thousands of men and women, with nearly all liberated by July 1865. With almost nothing more than the clothes on their backs, a little farming knowledge, and an extraordinary capacity for resilience, they moved their families to find land they could work—land that for the first time would yield profit and prosperity for them and not a master.
By Christopher Reese
We live in a world in which there is no lack of things to worry about. We encounter financial and health challenges, relational difficulties, pandemics, and political polarization, to name a few. We also internally wrestle with questions, such as “Who am I?” “What am I to do?” “How am I to be loved?” and “How can I become all that God intended me to be?” 1 Each of these circumstances creates uncertainty, and often our instinctive response is to worry. Scripture, however, exhorts us not to worry, and so we even worry sometimes about our worrying! The Bible has a great deal to say about worry! I’ll explore what Scripture says about this issue and how we can prevent it from robbing us of joy and peace.
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This is the one-hundred-ninety-third lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here.
We need to understand the people in our lives who have gone through significant loss. One of the most purposeful things any of us can do is to show compassion and to be present with those who have suffered loss. We all have different preferred ways of doing that. Whether we prefer sending a card or an email, responding on social media, having a face-to-face conversation, picking up the phone, or sending flowers, that’s fine. We just need to do something. Don’t believe that the best thing is always to give your friend or loved one space.
We cannot ignore loss, and we must not multiply it.
By Abide Christian Meditation
When you’re lost in the dark caverns of loneliness, it’s easy to believe that you are alone and will always be alone, that you will always strain your eyes looking for a glimmer of light. You can easily believe that your suffering is meaningless and that your pain will keep you isolated forever.
But that’s not the truth! God is always with you, and he is ready to comfort you.
When you are afflicted by loneliness, ponder these truths from Psalm 139:1–12:
What would you say to the statement that God’s purpose for your life is for you to struggle well? That it’s about driving the evil dictator out of your heart and establishing the true King so you can overcome the deceptive strategies of sin aimed specifically at your weaknesses that bend your behaviors to broken ends? That in our living we must both flee some things and pursue others?
Bible Gateway interviewed Ben Stuart (@Ben_Stuart_) about his book, Rest & War: Rhythms of a Well-Fought Life (W Publishing Group, 2022).
What is the message you’re conveying at the start of your book by saying the atmosphere has changed and we need to adapt to survive?
Ben Stuart: Shifts in the atmosphere of society have had a profound impact on our vibrancy and on the way we interact with God, one another, and ourselves. But because these changes are in the atmosphere, we can’t see them. But we feel them. Recent data backs this up: there’s something about modern life that doesn’t promote human flourishing.
Anxiety and depression are on the rise, particularly among young people. Increased political and philosophical polarization incites fear, uncertainty, and anger. The constant comparison of our lives with others’ pristine presentations online fill us with discouragement.
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