I can vividly remember the conviction I felt reading a short book by a pastor on his deathbed called, “A Dying Man’s Regrets.”
In it, he implores Christians to, “have regular hours for rising in the morning and for our work.” For, “Life then becomes much more simple and easy — it is like a well-adjusted framework, in which the Lord has only to act…While, on the contrary, if I rise at any hour, the time will be regulated only by the impulse of the moment, that is to say, by various circumstances…Thus, method, and a life peacefully regulated before the Lord, is a thing of the highest importance to enable us to do much for the service of God.”
Admittedly this has never come naturally to me.
One example will drive this point home. Many years ago, before marriage, I led a high school Sunday school class. The youth pastor kept asking for an outline of the coming weeks, but I couldn’t/wouldn’t provide it — my immaturity on full display.
In reflecting on this area of my life, I felt something akin to the words spoken by Paul to the people in Athens, “these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.”
All that to say, heading into this year I felt the Lord impress upon me to commit to sending out monthly newsletters by print. So, on February 15th, I sent out our first newsletter by mail. Today, I just returned from dropping off the eighth issue at the post office.
I’ve learned much through the process as the Lord has taught me the importance of structure and discipline.
This has bled over into the way I lead our family each week in our Bible study time. Prior to this year, I would do this somewhat spontaneously, letting it come from an overflow of my personal devotions or acting on a spur-of-the-moment inspiration.
Now, I am creating outlines ahead of time and printing them out for each person as I commit us to going through a passage word by word. This has been extremely valuable and I know it is just one more way in which the Lord is demonstrating His kind patience as He graciously prepares us for what is coming next.
I wonder what structure or discipline the Lord may be asking for from you?
Print and download
As a reminder, for those of you who are not on the mailing list, you can download and print each of the newsletters here (in your print settings choose double-sided, flip on short edge and they’ll come out perfectly on 8 1/2 x 11 paper).
Here are the issues published to date:
01 | DAY AND NIGHT
02 | ON SEEKING
03 | HOW LONG AND HOW THEN?
04 | WHAT IS THIS LOVE?
05 | LIFE WITHOUT REVIVAL
06 | THREE WHO PERISH
07 | OUR DOORPOSTS
08 | AS MOSES
Family study outlines
While these were never written with the intent of broader distribution, I’ve felt led to make some of our more recent family Bible study outlines available. Let’s not neglect the sacred time of bringing the family to the altar in the home (I say this with much soberness and urgency). If these help others to do that in any way, praise the Lord. Here’s the link.
Currently reading
“The Normal Christian Life” by Watchman Nee
“Exposition of Romans 9: God’s Sovereign Purpose” by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“The Tongue of Fire” by William Arthur
“The Problem of Pain” by C.S. Lewis
“Commentary on Hebrews 6” by John Owen
Receive the newsletter in the mail
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Repenting and rejoicing,
Derek