Monergism.com is giving away 5 of the new ESV Study Bibles - ESV Study Bible Giveaway.

The following is a summer challenge I issued to our church family by email this week.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been enjoying an early morning, fast paced walk with Carolyn on a pleasant trail in the woods near the house. It’s really all I can do to keep up — she’s been walking about an hour a day, almost every day, for a couple of years now. On our walk this morning I saw a tall pine tree lying beside the trail. The tree looked like it had been blown over recently.

What I found interesting about it was the fact that though the tree had been standing not long ago, probably about 20 feet tall or so, a young pine, and appeared to be healthy, I saw no tap root. From what I understand about pines they grow a deep tap root that gives them strength and stability. Evidently the tap root of this tree had been compromised or was simply insufficient to withstand the severity of the storm that hit it.

How’s your spiritual tap root? Two characteristics seen in 1 John of believers who are strong in their walk with Christ are that they are people in whom God’s Word abides (1 John 2:14) and they are people who abide in Christ (1 John 2:27) — that is they yield to the work the Holy Spirit is working in them.

Let me encourage and challenge you to give attention to strengthening and growing your spiritual “tap root” by reading God’s Word this summer. Summer will go by quickly and I know there are many things we’d like to do during these wonderful but few warm days in Northern Michigan. Take time to enjoy them, but don’t neglect God’s Word. Better yet, get outside, pull out your favorite lawn chair or Adirondack and enjoy God’s Word while you enjoy His creation. And then be certain that you approach God’s Word with reverent humility, ready to obey as God’s Spirit works in you. Grow your spiritual tap root deep this summer.

February 24, 2008 - AM Service
Read The Letter - Colossians 4:15-18
Pastor Kevin | Higgins Lake Baptist Church

Three great, and free, reasons to get a not-so-free iPod — of course, you could just listen to these on your PC too.

1. The recent Pastors Conference Audio from DesiringGod.org
2. J. Vernon MacGee’s Thru the Bible - MP3 Download’s of his 5-Year Program
3. The NIV Bible in MP3 - Listen and Download
   — not my translation of preference but free and worthwhile

Pulpit Magazine recently wrapped up a helpful series evaluating the arguments used to support the King James Only position. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4

“The safest way to hear God speak is to read your Bible. And beware of every other notion about how you are going to hear from God.”

Allister Begg, Why Bother With the Bible - Part One B

eBible.com has gone live today. You could call eBible.com the Web 2.0 of online bibles.

Frank Turk takes on the TNIV debate–Who’s afraid of TNIV?

Pulpit Magazine’s blog has moved to my favorite blogging software, WordPress, and today posts an important piece on interpreting scripture. What Does This Verse Mean “to Me”?

The nucleus of all that is truly practical is sown up in the teaching of Scripture. We don’t make the Bible relevant; it is inherently so, simply because it is God’s Word. And after all, how can anything God says be irrelevant?

Crossway is offering the ESV New Testament for 50 cents a copy through March 31, 2007 in a bold move to get the Word out. I think this is a great opportunity for you or your church to get copies of the New Testament in one of the best translations out there into the hands of as many people as you can.

Check out the Spread the Word site for details.

NASB MacArthur Study Bible available soon…

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