What’s Your Type? Wired to engage the Bible.

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Jeff

We all talk about the things we are excited and confident to speak about. I’ve noticed many men need both of those elements (enthusiasm and confidence) to open up, whereas women are more apt to speak on themes and topics they are excited about, and ask questions when we lack confidence. So, while I rejoice that women around the globe are diligently studying the Scriptures, I lament that us men tend to let others seek God for us and we’ll just sit here and watch. We’re missing out.

Yesterday I borrowed from the May/June 2011 Bible Study Magazine feature, Breaking Down Your Bible Study Type. The author listed five types of people who engage the Bible: the Newbie, the Perpetual Planner, the Nonconformist, the Extreme Extrovert, and the Ascetic. I confessed I am a mix between the ascetic and the nonconformist, which isn’t always help since I lead people and its often helpful for a pastor to set the pace and pattern and not deviate from it. Thus I’ve learned to color between the lines and trade color crayons with other people too.

Are their others? I think so. Today I want to expand the list of “types” to include many of those I interact with weekly.

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What’s Your Type? Breaking down how you engage the Bible.

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Jeff

I’m a sucker for good content wrapped in stellar design. So, when a publisher like Logos takes an interest (Bible study) and wraps it in a magazine with great typography, apt use of white space, and plenty of well-made charts, I have a hard time setting it aside. The magazine passes what I call the ‘six foot test’ — from six feet away do you want to move closer and read it? Yep. Things like that don’t get thrown away; they have some alluring quality making you want to hold onto them.

Bible Study Magazine is a great monthly read. And it’s not just for Bible nerds. Anyone from a novice to the curious to theo-dorks and everyone in between would benefit from BSM.

Their May/June 2011 issue has a special section “9 Ideas for Better Bible Study.” One of the nine is #2: Breaking Down Your Bible Study Type. An intro from author and BSM associate editor Rebecca Kruyswijk:

What’s your Bible study “type”? Are you the newbie or the planner? The nonconformist or the extrovert extreme? We don’t like to think we fit into categories, but we certainly need to examine the habits that keep us from interacting with the Bible.

Recognizing who we are, and how we’re wired, will help us launch into meaningful and life-transforming devotions before God. Kruyswijk gives five categories or labels for people who seek to study the Bible:
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Training Partners.

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Jeff

This morning I was grateful to lead a sixth grade boys Bible study. Exactly thirty boys entering their teen years were mostly respectful, and enthusiastic. Sometimes rowdy, mostly funny, and definitely happy to be there among friends, they returned each time to listening to an adult persuade them to trust God and live in His goodness. Thankfully I know many by name, so I can speak into their lives with credibility.

I spoke on Training Partners, a connection between two recent messages and Scripture passages they recently heard taught by men they respect.

A training partner is someone who invests in you, and you in them, as you grow stronger in a shared area of our lives. In middle school lingo, it is the guys we share life with in doing challenging things (sports, homework, etc.). They recognize the difference between trying and training, and that alone helps us see all the people who help us succeed in life. Even as we considered many ‘solo’ sports (golf, tennis, motorcross, being their examples). How many of us create our own gear, or drive ourselves to the course/court? Did we entirely teach ourselves how to play? If we’re wise, we watch others and want to do what they do how they do it. In fact, that’s why we wanted to play that sport to begin with — someone introduced us to it, and made our playing possible.
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A parenting workshop for those doing pretty good (or even great) as parents.

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Jeff

Whenever we hear and announcement or see a 30-second commercial about a product or an idea, we subconsciously ask ourselves “Do I need this?” If we buy into what the marketers want — a want to want it, based our their projecting the ‘need’ we hadn’t realized before — we’ll buy what they are selling. Or, we’ll figure out the best version to get that is similar to what they’re selling.

Here’s the idea I’m selling you today:

You need to be at this Parenting Worship, on Saturday, January 22nd (9am-2pm).

As a friend reminded me this morning how all of us grew up with imperfect parents (bless them!). There was a year when we stopped communicating with and trusting them, and they were less effective in raising us. They were in many ways echoing the pattern they saw in their parents, living the same pattern out in raising us. So, let’s think about what age or year that happened in your family. Without wisely and godly counsel, you as a well-meaning parent (and me) will repeat this same pattern. We may be doing great right now, but there will be a day when we are not doing great. Let’s commit to planning for that day.
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