Praise God! I survived reading Leviticus on my journey through the Bible. Every time I read through that book of the Bible, it reminds me of my local government days and the joys of reading sections of the city code books. That aside, here are some thoughts and highlights from Leviticus:

• There were many references to offerings being a "pleasing fragrance to God." Hope my life smells like that.
• There are times when we are unaware of the sin in our lives.
• God desires holiness. He wants his people to be set apart for him. The fancy word for that is "consecrated." Throw that one out at a party. People will think you’re smart.
• I love the times when people "cheered loudly" as part of their worship.
• God didn’t allow the people to eat pigs back then, but for whatever reason they were allowed to eat locusts, crickets and grasshoppers. I’ve not read about that diet in Men’s Health.
• I don’t think I would have been a part of the clergy in those days. The priests were responsible for examining people’s skin rashes.
• To the woman who called the church complaining about our sex series and suggesting it doesn’t say anything about orgasms in the Bible–you’re wrong. It’s right there in chapter 15 of Leviticus. Also mentions something about leather in that same paragraph. I’m sure the two topics are completely unrelated.
• God didn’t want his people to live like the people in Egypt (where they used to live) or the people in Canaan (where they were going). "Don’t do what they do." There’s that consecrated thing again.
• Leftovers were OK to eat on day two but not on day three. I’d agree with that.
• "Set yourselves apart for a holy life. Live a holy life, because I am God, your God. Do what I tell you; live the way I tell you. I am the God who makes you holy."
• It’s not lost on me that fronds of palm trees were used for worship and celebration. Apparently God loves palm trees too. (By the way, I’ve always wanted to say "frond" on my blog.)
• If we ever reinstate that "Year of Jubilee" deal, I don’t want the property back that I used to own in Iowa.
• God keeps promises.

As I continue my journey through the Bible this year, here are my highlights and thoughts from Acts:

• I think it’s humorous that they prayed then they essentially drew straws to decide who should take the place of Judas in ministry and leadership.
• Peter was characterized as having a "bold urgency" in his ministry.
• The early church was all about growth. "Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved." And, "…the congregations become stronger in faith and larger in size." Do you think God is disappointed when churches don’t grow?
• We need to make sure our feet are pointed in the right direction. "Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you , and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus."
• Peter and John had a powerful ministry even though they had no training in Scripture and no formal education. What they did do, however, was spend time with Jesus.
• Unity was a high value in the early church.
• I love this response to critics of the early apostles: "Let them alone. If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it–and you better not be found fighting against God!"
• Sometimes God lets us choose our own way and live with the consequences.
• There’s no questioning the power of the Holy Spirit in the growth of the early church. "The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully."
• I love it that my faith is one that embraces all people. "God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from–if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open."
• Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in each church. Interesting. No voting.
• At one point, the religious leaders where chastised for trying to "out-god God" by loading the new believers down with rules.
• Paul quoted poets of the day to help introduce people to Jesus. Who are our poets of the day?
• I love Paul’s engagement of people where he was "doing his best to make the things of the kingdom of God real and convincing to them." That’s an active faith and ministry. Part of our responsibility in ministry is to convince people of their need for Jesus.
• "Curiosity about Paul developed into reverence for the Master Jesus." I’d love for people to say the same thing about me.
• Do you think Paul shortened his sermons after the incident when the boy feel asleep during his message and fell out the third-story window? Can you imagine what the conversation must have been like in the debrief meeting for that service?

Acts is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I’m inspired every time I read it because it talks so specifically about the growth and impact of the early church. I’m quite confident that the church today can also experience that type of growth and impact in people’s lives.

I just passed another mile marker on my journey through the Bible. Here are some highlights and thoughts from my time in Exodus:

• It’s encouraging to me to learn there were times when the Israelites, while in their slavery, were only able to groan and cry for help, and God listened to their groanings and responded. I don’t think God needs perfect prayers.
• God knows our pain.
• Can’t tell you how many times I’ve responded like Moses and said, "Why me?" and then needed to hear God say, "I’ll be with you."
• Moses prayed. God did what Moses asked. I should pray more.
• It’s interesting that Pharaoh ignored God’s plan. He became stubborn. He wouldn’t listen. And then his heart turned rock-hard. Where are the hard places in my heart?
• God did something incredible, then the people took time to worship him. "God is my strength, God is my song, and, yes! God is my salvation. This is the kind of God I have and I’m telling the world!"
• When the Israelites left their slavery and experienced freedom, they started complaining to God. God still listened and responded to their complaints. I’m guessing he didn’t like their complaining, but he still loved them. Dads do that.
• "God said to Moses, ‘Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel.’" There’s a leadership lesson. Leaders should go out ahead of the people they’re leading. We need to ask ourselves: How are we disciplining our lives to be in a place to which we can lead others?
• I love the picture of ministry teamwork that God offered when he instructed Aaron and Hur to hold up Moses’s arms.
• Jethro was the best kind of in-law. He warned Moses about the potential for burn out. "This is way too much for you–you can’t do this alone." Jethro encouraged Moses to identify and empower new leaders to share the load. Leaders need other leaders.
• Do you think there’s a reason God listed "No other gods, only me" as the first of the ten commandments?
• We may no longer live under the law as Christ-followers (grace is a good thing), but I think the ten commandments still reflect what God values in our relationships with him and with others.
• "As God had commanded." That phrase was repeated over and over and over again. Moses was obedient to God’s plan. "Moses did everything God commanded. He did it all." Where am I holding back from God’s plan?
• It’s interesting that God gave so many details for the construction of the tabernacle, its contents and the clothing that the priests were to wear. Then, he asked that skilled craftsmen, those gifted in these areas, would complete the work. I could be wrong, but that sounds an awful lot like a strategic plan–a simply strategic plan.

I mentioned yesterday that I’m one month into my journey through the Bible. Here are some highlights and thoughts from my time in the Gospel of Mark:

• It’s interesting that Jesus chose normal guys to join his first ministry team. Think there’s a reason he passed on inviting the religious scholars?
• And, when Jesus asked them to join the team, "They didn’t ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed." Ouch. I can’t remember the last time I just did it–no questions asked.
• Go ahead. Count how many times Jesus showed up and "as usual, a crowd gathered." Funny. Crowds were normal in Jesus’s ministry. Shouldn’t crowds be normal as well today?
• "They rubbed their eyes, incredulous–and then praised God, saying, ‘We’ve never seen anything like this!’" I pray people say that same thing when they connect to our ministry at Granger. "We’ve never seen anything like this!"
• "With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke." Jesus was a storyteller.
• Jesus sent the 12 apostles out in pairs. There’s that community thing again. It’s as if Jesus actually wants us to share life with other Christ-followers.
• "They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different." I want to continually have that "joyful urgency" in my life.
• "Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?"
• "Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave."
• "Jesus was matter-of-fact: ‘Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you.’"
• Jesus said the two most important commandments were to love God and love others. At which point a scholar responded and talked about loving God with all our passion, all our intelligence, and all our energy. I love it that my faith is one of passion, intelligence and strength.
• Jesus died on a cross. And, then he was raised up. He overcame death. He appeared to a number of people. He spoke to them. He said, "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all." That’s our mission.

I’ve just wrapped up the first month of my journey through the Bible. Things are looking good. Actually ended the month ahead of pace having wrapped up Genesis and Mark and well into Exodus. Here are some highlights and thoughts from my time in Genesis:

• "God spoke: ‘Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature.’"; "God said, ‘It’s not good for the Man to be alone.’" Looks like God designed us to enjoy community with others.
• "God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day." Do you think God would have checked email on the seventh day?
• Isn’t it interesting how our sin naturally separates us from God and others? We have this natural instinct to hide that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve.
• I’m glad my kids learn about the ark-builder Noah rather than the get-drunk-and-dance-naked Noah.
• What is the deal with all the women allowing their husbands to sleep with servants and concubines?
• "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said him, ‘I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt!’"…at which point Abram fell flat on his face.
• Abraham’s formula for success may have been these two words: "I’m listening."
• Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup. Lentil soup? I can see a big, juicy steak, but lentil soup?
• I love reading about Jacob, because my son’s name is Jacob. But Jacob, my son, is really more like Isaac in that he blesses me with laughter.
• Jacob said, "God is in this place–truly." He whispered in awe, "Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven." That’s a great picture. We’re standing at the Gate of Heaven.
• Egypt prospered because Joseph was disciplined when times were good and stockpiled a surplus. I think that strategy of "stockpiling a surplus" still works today.
• Obedience must be a good thing, because this refrain was repeated pretty frequently: "…just as God had commanded."

Tomorrow I’ll update you on my trip through Mark.

It’s been several years since I’ve read through the entire Bible, so I decided before I left for vacation several weeks ago that that would be one of my goals for 2006. Because I’m more interested in the story than the study this time around, I’ve been reading Eugene Petersen’s The Message. This will be the first time I’ve read The Message cover-to-cover, and I’m really enjoying it so far.

In case some of you may be interested in joining me on this journey, I’m using a book-at-a-time reading plan from the Discipleship Journal. The plan alternates between Old and New Testament books and includes a second reading through a chapter of the wisdom literature or Isaiah. There are also "reflection" days built into the schedule. That’s code word for "catch up" in my mind. Hopefully all of that will keep me from getting stuck in Leviticus. The great thing, of course, is that you can start the reading plan anytime during the year.

I’ll keep you posted and share highlights along the way. Let me know if you decide to join in the journey through God’s Word.