January Reading

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling
• The Time Machine - H. G. Wells
• Perelandra - C. S. Lewis
• Jesus No Equal - Barry St. Clair
• Devotions on the Greek New Testament - J. Scott Duvall & Verlyn D. Verbrugge
• Beowulf - J. R. R. Tolkien
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J. K. Rowling
• Writing on the Wall - Brian Heasley
• Galileo - Mitch Stokes
• The NIV Application Commentary: James - David P. Nystrom
• The New American Commentary Vol. 36: James - Kurt A. Richardson
• The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: James - John MacArthur
• The Letter of James - Clayton K. Harrop
• Power from God - Charles Finney
• Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in James - David Platt

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)

Top 20 Books Read for 2015

1. Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus - J. Mack Stiles
2. The Pastor As Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision - Kevin J. Vanhoozer & Owen Strachan
3. Mere Humanity: G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien on the Human Condition - Donald Williams
4. The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis Volume II: Books, Broadcasts, and the War 1931-1949 - Walter Hooper, Editor
5. Tolkien: How an Obscure Oxford Professor Wrote the Hobbit and Became the Most Beloved Author of the Century - Devin Brown
6. Why Church Matters - Joshua Harris
7. The Spiritual World of the Hobbit - James Stuart Bell
8. The Princess and the Goblin - George MacDonald
9. On the Incarnation - Athanasius
10. Preach: Theology Meets Practice - Mark Dever & Greg Gilbert
11. Bedeviled: Lewis, Tolkien and the Shadow of Evil - Colin Duriez
12. How to Be Rich - Andy Stanley
13. The Knowledge of the Holy - A. W. Tozer
14. Literature: A Student's Guide - Louis Markos
15. Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
16. Gorgias - Plato
17. Four Faultless Felons - G. K. Chesterton
18. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
19. Credo: Believing in Something to Die For - Ray Pritchard
20. Strange Fire - John MacArthur

This list of 20 books was compiled after reading 68 books this year.  As always, if you're only going to read one book, make sure it is the Bible.

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

Top Five Pink Zebra Sprinkles That Should Be

5. Pipe Smoke
4. Nitrocellulose
3. Gun Oil
2. Saw Dust
1. Bacon

We Sing...

We sing "Come, Now Is the Time to Worship," as long as that time ends at 12:00 sharp.
We sing "We Bow Down," but we don't.
We sing "Come, Christians, Join to Sing," but many simply refuse to do so.
We sing "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever," but we're tired of it after three minutes.
We sing "Here I Am to Worship," but we showed up late and sleepy.
We sing "Shout to the Lord," but we don't.
We sing "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing," but we rarely use the one that we have.
We sing "You Are My All in All," as long as it's Sunday morning.
We sing "Go, Tell It on the Mountain," but we won't go across the street.
We sing "How Great Our Joy," but we forget to let our faces know.
We sing "Tell Me the Story of Jesus," but hope the preacher doesn't take too long doing it.
We sing "Standing on the Promises," but we're really just sitting on the premisis.
We sing "I Know Whom I Have Believed," just don't ask us about Him.
We sing "I Am Resolved," but we change our minds again.
We sing "Sweet Hour of Prayer," but we barely pray for a few minutes.
We sing "I Surrender All," but we don't mean it.
We sing "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus," as long as we get to lead.
We sing "Wherever He Leads I'll Go," as long as it's comfortable.
We sing "We'll Work Till Jesus Comes," but don't ask us to do anything.
We sing "Take Time to Be Holy," but we don't make it back to the evening service.
We sing "Find Us Faithful," but really people will find us faltering.
We sing "Shall We Gather at the River," but we struggle with gathering together on Sunday.
We sing "God Give Us Christian Homes," as long as it's an American version of Christianity.

What is wrong with us?

October Reading

1. Why Not Just Be Christians? - Vance Havner
2. The Spiritual World of the Hobbit - James Stuart Bell
3. Father Brown: The Essential Tales - G. K. Chesterton
4. Case Closed?: Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science - Susan Hughes
5. More Than A Queen: The Story of Josephine Bonaparte - Frances Mossiker
6. Selected Poems and Four Plays - William Butler Yeats
7. Literature: A Student's Guide - Louis Markos
8. The Princess and the Goblin - George MacDonald
9. The Secret of Pirate's Hill - Franklin W. Dixon
10. The House of Hades - Rick Riordan
11. SPLASH: Show People Love And Share Him - Ken & Paula Hemphill
12. The Pilgrim's Regress - C. S. Lewis