Stalking God

Pastor Mike asked me to teach the 7th & 8th graders this fall.  I gladly accepted.  And as I've contemplated meeting with these kids on Sunday mornings, I've tried to think of ways to make what I teach stick -- not in their heads, but in their hearts.  I've run across two things lately that have challenged me regarding that.

First, in one of the closing chapters in Bob Goff's book, Love Does, is one called: "Memorizing Jesus".  In that chapter, Goff talks about "stalking Jesus".  That is, collecting information and memorizing facts. But that's it.  He said he quit a "Bible study" he was part of because he wasn't doing anything with what he learned.  He in turn, started a "Bible doing" group.  They read, "what God has to say and then focus all their attention on what we are going to do about it."  Goff says by engaging in the Word, we will remember it better because we are living it.  Good stuff!

The second was a comment made by D.A. Carson regarding Psalm 27, verse 11.  This verse talks about teaching and leading.  But Carson's comment challenged me.  He wrote; "This cannot be said too strongly or too often; to claim that one is pursing God without concomitant reformation of life and growing conformity to the ways of God is wicked and dangerous nonsense."  That ties right back to Goff's thoughts above. Reform and conform - continually.

This is a great reminder of James 1:22-24, that tells us not to just read the Word and forget - but to put it into practice.