November Reading

• The Preaching Event - John R. Claypool
• C. S. Lewis on Faith - Lesley Walmsley
• The Abolition of Man - C. S. Lewis
• Tremendous Trifles - G. K. Chesterton
• Thoroughly Married - Dennis Guernsey
• Christian Reflections - C. S. Lewis
• Past Watchful Dragons - Walter Hooper
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Jessie L. Weston
• The Great Divorce - C. S. Lewis
• Sonnets from the Portuguese - Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• Reflections on the Psalms - C. S. Lewis
• Shakespeare on Leadership - Frederick Talbott
• Who Moved My Pulpit? - Thom S. Rainer

October Reading

• The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Philippians - John MacArthur
• Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary - John Phillips
• The Power and the Glory - Graham Greene
• Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Philippians - Tony Merida & Francis Chan
• Be Joyful: Even When Things Go Wrong, You Can Have Joy - Warren W. Wiersbe
• The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church - Dave Gibbons
• Aslan's Call: Finding Our Way to Narnia - Mark Eddy Smith
• The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative - Steven D. Mathewson
• Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories - C. S. Lewis
• The Quotable Chesterton - Kevin Belmonte
• The Visionary Christian - C. S. Lewis
• Perelandra - C. S. Lewis
• Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis
• The Warden - Anthony Trollope
• Lessons from the Ladder - Neil Joiner
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
• Things That Cannot Be Shaken - K. Scott Oliphant & Rod Mays

Here's Hope

Hope.
And joy.
That's what Jeremiah 31 is all about.  The people of Israel had for a long time walked away from God.  God, through the prophets, repeatedly warned them of coming judgment if they didn't repent.  They didn't, and God did.
But then in the middle of what must have seemed a completely hopeless situation, God sent them another message of hope and restoration, in fact event better than that--a new covenant!  That new covenant was established by the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Jeremiah 31:6 says, "For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.'"
Perhaps you have been straying from the faith.  Maybe you have walked out on God.  Maybe you have abandoned His people, the church.
Maybe your life seems completely messed up, broken, and without any shred of hope or joy.
The good news is that can change.  "Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God."
Today is a new day. Start fresh.  Return to the Lord.  If you've walked away from the church (for whatever reason), make it a point to go back this Sunday.
You may be thinking, "No way!  Good will never have me back after what I've done."  I'm so happy to tell you that you are wrong about that.  God is ready and waiting with outstretched arms to welcome you back.
If that's you today, then go ahead and agree with God that your life is empty without Him in it.  Ask for forgiveness and take the necessary steps back into a growing, vibrant relationship with Him, through His Son Jesus Christ.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Let Us Boast

James, the half-brother of Jesus, warns us about a kind of boasting that is evil (see James 4:13-16), but that doesn't mean that all boasting of any kind is evil.  There is at least one kind of boasting that is always good and right for us to do, and that is to boast about God (what He has done, what He is doing, what He will do).
"Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:31).
The Apostle Paul also said, "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14).
The Prophet Jeremiah writes, "Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the LORD'" (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
So what are some things Christians can boast about today?

• Boast in the fact that Jesus saves.
• Boast in the fact that God can be known.
• Boast in the fact that God is the God of love, justice, and righteousness.

Don't boast about yourself; boast about Jesus Christ!

3 Recommended Devotionals

It's that time again.  Each new year welcomes a great opportunity to start fresh with quiet times and devotions.  Here's three devotional books that you might want to check out this year.

1. Glorifying God: A Yearlong Collection of Classic Devotional Writings by Thomas Watson - Compiled by Patti M. Hummel (365)
2. A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God - Trisha White Priebe (60)
3. A Hobbit Devotional - Ed Strauss (60)

December Reading

1. One to One Bible Reading - David Helm
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling
3. Mere Humanity: G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, & J. R. R. Tolkien on the Human Condition - Donald T. Williams
4. The Great Divorce - C. S. Lewis
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J. K. Rowling

November Reading

1. Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
2. Tolkien: How an Obscure Oxford Professor Wrote the Hobbit and Became the Most Beloved Author of the Century - Devin Brown
3. Psalms: Reading and Studying the Book of Praises - W. H. Bellinger, Jr.
4. Out of the Silent Planet - C. S. Lewis

Store It Up

There is great value in knowing God's Word.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."  2 Timothy 3:16-17

"I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You."  Psalm 119:11

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

So often, people fail to memorize Scripture because they fail to try.  Excuses abound.  However, memorizing Scripture doesn't have to be an overwhelming, daunting task.  Anyone, young or old, can do it.

There are many strategic methods for learning Scripture by heart, but perhaps the simplest is to use 3" x 5" index cards.  Index cards are advantageous for a few reasons.  First, they are lined. That helps with writing part.  Second, index cards are easy to hold (in small quantities anyway).  They are handy, if you will.  Third, because of their size, they are portable.  You can easily take them anywhere.  Last, because they are made of paper, a little piece of tape will allow you to attach one just about anywhere: on the mirror, on the dash of your car, in your locker, on the refrigerator, by the door, etc.

Over time, learning one verse by heart each week, you will have learned 52 verses in a year.  Of course, that would be the minimum.  You can learn as much as you set your heart and mind to memorize.