Father, it’s been a beautifully hot day. It feels like summer is finally here! Thank You for the diversity of Your creation and all it has to offer. May we make the most of Your generous gift!
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Hey, it’s me live again! I appreciate your bearing with me as I’m taking the time to address another chapter in my life. Of course, what I’ve been posting is me; it’s just me from nine years ago.
We must be wary of settling into a status quo state of mind. Status quo is Latin for “existing state.” We understand that phrase to mean the current state of things: how things are now. It’s one thing for life in general to get that way, but it can become problematic if we allow ourselves to go down that path spiritually. Becoming dissatisfied with the status quo nine years ago is what got me going down the path of journaling and eventually blogging, but recently, I began to feel that dissatisfaction once more with how things were going – that existing state – and felt the need for a “spring cleaning” of my spirit, if you will.
There were things occupying my time and brain power that weren’t necessarily bad, but they were distracting and, most problematic, time-consuming. I was faithfully writing my blog and preparing each week for our worship services, but even that wasn’t enough to keep my head and heart steered in the right direction.
I started taking just a few moments each morning for some quiet time—just me and the Lord in the dark, quiet hours before getting ready to head off to work. I’ve developed an interest in podcasts, so I did a little digging and found one by BibleProject.
I’ve mentioned BibleProject before in MoreThanUseless, and they are amazing! For the entirety of this year, they have devoted their podcasts to studying Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, as found in Matthew’s Gospel. I began listening to it on the digital media service Spotify but soon discovered that BibleProject has a top-notch app! And so began my journey on this next “chapter” of my life.
I tell you this because, if you are so inclined, I believe you would find it truly rewarding to get into it yourself. BibleProject has all kinds of study materials readily available. You can access some things through your computer, but the app on your phone or tablet makes everything readily accessible! It’s available in Google Play or Apple’s App Store.
Here’s some direction if you would like to begin with their Sermon on the Mount series: Once you open the app, go to the bottom of your screen and click the “explore” link. At the top of your screen, you will find a Sermon on the Mount header. Touch the header, and then I recommend you listen to the first podcast, so touch that link and scroll to the bottom (they already have 25 episodes available to listen to!). You can go through those one right after the other at your own pace, if you wish, or as I have done, you can go back and forth with the playlists they have available – these include Scripture readings, videos, podcast clips, and other articles. One other note: the podcasts sometimes have links to other resources you can read or listen to.
Click here for a link to their website.
Click here for a short introductory video to the app…
…oh, and by the way, it’s all free! (though you can support them if you wish!)
June 17th, 2024, Mon, 4:03 pm
