Here are my thoughts and highlights from Psalms as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "Know the truth and tell the stories." That’s a great formula for teaching.
• I love it that God gives me a fresh start. "You lifted the cloud of guilt from your people, you put their sins far out of sight."
• "Every time I’m in trouble I call on you, confident that you’ll answer."
• The God I worship is described as tender, kind, not easily angered, immense in love and he never quits. I want to be more like that.
• God is my refuge.
• "Good people will prosper like palm trees." God apparently loves palm trees too.
• God likes new songs. What’s my new "song?"
• I’m told to "take the news of his glory to the lost."
• "On your feet now–applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter." That sounds like NewSpring.
• "God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever."
• "God brings grain from the land, wine to make people happy." Bet you didn’t know that God created wine for us to enjoy.
• "The good person is generous and lends lavishly." Guess I can’t be a tightwad with money.
• "While bad neighbors maliciously gossip about me, I’m absorbed in pondering your wise counsel."
• Rest is a good thing. "Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?"
• I don’t need just the right words to talk with God. "You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence."
• "Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts." Again, this reflects the importance of sharing stories, especially with my kids.
• "He’s not impressed with horsepower; the size of our muscles means little to him." That’s reassuring.

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Psalms as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "If you make a run for God–you won’t regret it!"
• I love it that David was honest and didn’t hold back his emotions when he communicated with God. "Listen, God! Please, pay attention!" Or, "God, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you?"
• "You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers." We try to welcome those same people at NewSpring.
• "God! God! I am running to you for dear life; the chase is wild."
• Through prayer, I get to have a conversation directly with God. "He hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence–a private audience!"
• Pride has the potential to derail me. "Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work."
• David didn’t like religion either, but he was committed to his relationship with God. "I hate all this silly religion, but you, God, I trust." And, "Being religious, acting pious–that’s not what you’re asking for."
• "Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you." God is ready when I’m facing pain or hopelessness.
• Self-help leads to a dead end. "There’s no such thing as self-rescue, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps." I need Jesus to experience life change.
• I love it that God laughs. Seems like that’s something God should do.
• God isn’t meek–he’s powerful.

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Isaiah as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion while you go right on sinning." Guess that’s God’s description of a hypocrite.
• "Work for justice. Help the down-and-out." I wish that one was easier for me.
• I’m amazed at how often pride is addressed in the Bible and how little we like to talk about it. "Doom to you who think you’re so smart, who hold such a high opinion of yourselves!"
• "I’ll go. Send me!" I’d like to say I’d respond the same way. Sometimes I wonder if I would.
• "Call out his name. Ask him anything!" It’s encouraging that there are no dumb questions when I pray.
• God commanded Isaiah to take off all his clothes and walk around town naked for three years. I’m glad that’s no longer a prerequisite for ministry.
• "God will wipe the tears from every face. He’ll remove every sign of disgrace."
• "We writhed in labor but bore no baby. We gave birth to wind." I could be wrong, but I believe this is the first documented instance of flatulence in human history. Just remember…he who smelt it, dealt it.
• "Honor me by living holy lives."
• "They look big and important, true, with officials strategically established in Zoan in the north and Hanes in the south…" [Insert your own boxers or briefs joke here.]
• "But God’s not finished. He’s waiting around to be gracious to you. He’s gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right–everything."
• God has done some unusual things to get people’s attention. To get Hezekiah’s attention, he rotated the earth backwards. That’s pretty cool.
• "You’re the preacher of good news. Speak loud and clear. Don’t be timid!"
• God promises to energize me when I’m tired. "Those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind."
• "Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you." I’ve had to hold tightly to that promise in the past.
• Isn’t it ironic that we’re supposed to "sing to God a brand-new song" and yet we tend to get hung up on whether or not we should be singing some really old songs?
• "When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down… I am God, your personal God."
• "Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?"
• It’s encouraging to know that because of what Jesus did for me, God doesn’t keep a list of my sins.
• At one point God said, "Do you question who or what I’m making? Are you telling me what I can or cannot do?" I think religion can become our way of telling God what he can or cannot do. Instead of worshiping Jesus for what he can do, we embrace rituals and rules–reducing him to fit our limited understanding of an omniscient and all-powerful God.
• "But my setting-things-right lasts, my salvation goes on and on and on."
• I’m convinced that God wants me to have hope for the future. "Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I’m creating."

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Malachi as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• I need to regularly consider how blessed I am in Christ. "Take a good look. Then you’ll see how faithfully I’ve loved you and you’ll want even more."
• "There are people who know how to worship me all over the world, who honor me by bringing their best to me." Like Perry, I believe "their best" has less to do with how I dress (though shopping at the Buckle helps) and more to do with how I serve.
• The principle is affirmed again, "When you do offer something to me, it’s a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I’m going to accept it? This is God speaking to you!" God wants my best.
• God is concerned about "the smallest details" of my marriage.
• I can’t get lazy about my marriage. "’I hate the violent dismembering of the ‘one flesh’ of marriage.’ So watch yourselves. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t cheat."
• "Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams." I’ve experienced incredible blessings in my life. I wonder what would happen if an entire church honored God in this way.
• Those that honor God will be "bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking." Not exactly sure what that’s all about, but it sounds like fun.

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Zechariah as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• God cares very deeply for his people. "I feel very possessive of them."
• "Quiet, everyone! Shh! Silence before God. Something’s afoot in his holy house. He’s on the move!" If I don’t regularly quiet myself and listen, I may miss a move of God.
• God really wants us to love each other. "At that time, everyone will get along with one another, with friendly visits across the fence, friendly visits on one another’s porches."
• "Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?" I desperately want to be a part of a ministry that impacts the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across the world, but I also need to embrace our situation today when the ministry is small.
• Be alert.
• "Put your minds to a life of responsive obedience to the voice of your God."
• "Should we plan for a day of mourning and abstinence next August." I knew there was a reason why August wasn’t my favorite month of the year.
• "You’re interested in religion, I’m interested in people." What’s my focus? Am I encouraging people to be more religious or to care more deeply about others?
• "God became angry, really angry, because he told them everything plainly and they wouldn’t listen to a word he said."
• Don’t be afraid.
• "Keep your lives simple and honest." Sounds like a simply strategic idea.
• When God does something amazing through a group of people, others are interested in learning more. "People and their leaders will come from all over to see what’s going on. The leaders will confer with one another: ‘Shouldn’t we try to get in on this? Get in on God’s blessing?…What’s keeping us? Let’s go!’"
• "Religious experts spout rubbish. They pontificate hot air." God, please don’t let me become religious.
• "I know their pain and will make them good as new. They’ll get a fresh start, as if nothing had ever happened."
• Part of my responsibility as a dad is to pass the God-sightings on to my children. I need to "keep the story alive" with them.

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Haggai as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• God pointed out that "people procrastinate." It’s funny. There are times when I’m waiting on God, and he’s actually waiting on me.
• "Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over." I need to make it a discipline to step back, consider and pray about where I’ve been and where I’m going.
• God said, "Rebuild the Temple. Do it just for me. Honor me." My life needs to honor God. Often times that just involves listening to God and doing what he says.
• "Put into action the word I covenanted with you… Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back."
• "I am about to shake up everything, to turn everything upside down and start over from top to bottom."

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Jude as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "Relax, everything’s going to be all right; rest, everything’s coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way!" I need that reminder to relax and rest.
• There are people with "pious skin" that don’t embrace the grace of God.
• "These people sneer at anything they can’t understand." What is it about human nature that chooses to distrust what we don’t know…even when it involves other Christ-followers or churches.
• "Carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love."
• "Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin."

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Zephaniah as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "Seek God’s right ways. Seek a quiet and disciplined life."
• God has set a precedence for dealing with "arrogant leaders." They’re not his favorite.
• We accept that God is love, but we tend to forget he’s also just. "God remains righteous in her midst, untouched by the evil. He stays at it, day after day, meting out justice. At evening he’s still at it, strong as ever."
• God is present among us. "He’ll calm you with his love."

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Habakkuk as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "What’s God going to say to my questions?" Isn’t it kind of reassuring to know even people in Bible days had questions for God?
• "This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming next." There are times when God reveals a vision for what’s coming next. He directs certain people to share that vision with others.
• My timing is not always God’s timing. "If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time."
• "But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive." That’s the kind of life I want to live.
• "I’m singing joyful praise to God. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. Counting on God’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength." I’m really not all that hip on the gymnastics for Jesus movement. I can’t even do a round off.

Here are my thoughts and highlights from II Peter as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others." My prayer is that my interactions with others always reflect this type of character…even with people that are hard for me to like.
• "Better not to have started out on the straight road to God than to start out and then turn back." In other words, God cares more about what direction I’m heading rather than where I’ve been.
• God wants me to stay focused on him and the mission he’s called me to live out. "Hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention."
• God "doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change." That, unfortunately, suggests not everyone will turn their hearts toward God. But, it’s encouraging to know his desire is that no one will be lost. God’s love and forgiveness is for everyone who will receive it.
• "Do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace."