Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Faith…and How to Bring Them Back!

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

We are thrilled to welcome Drew Dyck to the Transformed podcast today! Drew Dyck is the author of Generation Ex-Christian: Why young adults are leaving the faith…and how to bring them back (Moody, 2010). Drew manages the Leader Training Team at Christianity Today International. His responsibilities include overseeing four online publications geared for ministry leaders: BuildingChurchLeaders.com, SmallGroups.com, TodaysChildrensMinistry.com, and RoundTripMissions.com. Before coming to Christianity Today Drew was the editor of New Man magazine. He has written more than 100 articles for Christian and secular publications, and is a regular contributor to Faith Today, Boundless.org, and ConversantLife.com.

Drew grew up in Red Deer, Alberta in a pastor’s family and has three older brothers. After moving to the U.S. 10 years ago, Drew has lived in Portland, Pasadena, Orlando, and now, Chicago. He graduated from Portland State University with a B.A. in English before attending Fuller Theological Seminary, where he earned an M.A. in Theology. Drew has also served as a Bible study leader, small group leader, and youth pastor. He and his wife, Grace, attend Jericho Road Church. They love discussing theology with friends, hanging out in used bookstores, and traveling when they can afford it.

You can learn more about Drew here.

You can order Drew’s book, Generation Ex-Christian here.

You can read Matt’s review of Drew’s book on Church Central here.

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Israel Defeats Many of the People in Promised Land

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Joshua: The Invasion of the Land for Israel (about 25 years)

In Joshua we see the nation of Israel finally achieving the long-awaited victory over the inhabitants of the land promised to Abraham by God. In this book, we see the systematic war of conquest led by the new military leader, Joshua. It is his name that this book bears. As we read, it is easy to see the mistakes of the past have been learned, and avoided as much as possible. It is easier to understand the book if we divide it into four parts. Today we will look at the third part …

Israel Defeats Many Of The People In The Land (Joshua 7-12)

Once the victory of Jericho is accomplished, plans are made to systematically take over the land. As the nation of Israel fight to conquer the inhabitants of the land, the principles of God lead them; either to victory when heeded, or defeat when ignored. As we read through this section, watch as …

  • The disobedience of one man causes defeat to the entire nation! (Joshua 7)
  • The destruction of a city results from the removal of the disobedient member! (Joshua 8 )
  • The deception of an enemy occurs when leaders fail to consult the Lord and obtain His wisdom! (Joshua 9)
  • The devastation of an enemy alliance happens as a result of the supernatural intervention by the God of the Universe! (Joshua 10)
  • The dominion of the nation of Israel transpires over a major part of the Promised Land after a long period of time at war! (Joshua 11-12)

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment on Thursday when we talk about “Israel Divides the Remainder of the Land.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking on Sunday, March 27th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Are We Living Jesus’ Ultimate Purpose?” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 27 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

Hope to see you there!

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Israel Takes the Fortified Stronghold of Jericho

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Joshua: The Invasion of the Land for Israel (about 25 years)

In Joshua we see the nation of Israel finally achieving the long-awaited victory over the inhabitants of the land promised to Abraham by God. In this book, we see the systematic war of conquest led by the new military leader, Joshua. It is his name that this book bears. As we read, it is easy to see the mistakes of the past have been learned, and avoided as much as possible. It is easier to understand the book if we divide it into four parts. Today we will look at the second part …

Israel Takes The Fortified Stronghold Of Jericho (Joshua 6)

Jericho is the lynchpin to the success of the military campaign in the Promised Land. As such, it is the first and most difficult obstacle that confronts Joshua and the nation of Israel. In this chapter, God desires to demonstrate his power over the enemies of Israel, and infuse the people of God with a critical principle:

Whatever God gives first, belongs to God!

Notice …

  • The strange attack plan of God, marching in silence and then, on the last day, shouting in praise! (Joshua 6:1-17)
  • The separation of the spoils for God, not allowing Israel to take anything of value from the victory! (Joshua 6:18-19)
  • The success of this peculiar plan of God, enjoying the victory God had supernaturally given to them! (Joshua 6:20-27)

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment on Tuesday when we talk about “Israel Defeats Many of the People.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking on Sunday, March 27th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Are We Living Jesus’ Ultimate Purpose?” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 27 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

Hope to see you there!

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Joshua: Israel Crosses Into the Promised Land

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Israel Crosses Into The Promised Land (Joshua 1-5)

One of the keys to understanding any place you visit is to have a general, broad grasp on its history. When Melodee and I went to Hawaii, although we are went for romance and leisure, a general understanding of this tropical paradise was helpful.

And so it is with our journey through the Bible. On our second route through the Old Testament, we see how Israel rose to power and how it was erased from power. We also see the tender compassion of the God of the Universe in the return of a remnant of the nation of Israel to their homeland.

Major Old Testament Route No. 2:

Taking A Walk Through The History Of Israel

On this route we will explore approximately 1,000 years of the defining history of Israel. Our second route was written as a diary or journal of the actual travels of the people of God in the Old Testament.

It will include the glory days of David and Solomon and the disastrous days of Civil War and captivity.  It will end with a broken and weak remnant that is allowed to return to their conquered home in Israel. When we complete this route, we will have read the entire history of the Old Testament.

Joshua: The Invasion of the Land for Israel (about 25 years)

In Joshua we see the nation of Israel finally achieving the long-awaited victory over the inhabitants of the land promised to Abraham by God. In this book, we see the systematic war of conquest led by the new military leader, Joshua. It is his name that this book bears. As we read, it is easy to see the mistakes of the past have been learned, and avoided as much as possible. It is easier to understand the book if we divide it into four parts. Today we will look at the first part …

Israel Crosses Into The Promised Land (Joshua 1-5)

In these first chapters, we see immediate action being taken by Joshua. He refuses to let time pass. He has learned his lessons well and will not procrastinate when God has told him to go. He has also learned the most valuable leadership lesson: When in leadership, LEAD! Notice as you read…

  • How Joshua takes his commission seriously and acts quickly to fulfill God’s will. (Joshua 1.1-18)

In this section we see the commission of God upon Joshua given in verses 1:1-9; and Joshua’s action in verses 1:10-18.

  • How Joshua acts quickly to move the nation across the Jordan, and how his faith is met by the supernatural provision of God. (Joshua 2-4)

Joshua moves quickly by spying out his first obstacle, the fortified city of Jericho. (Chapter 2) He acts quickly to move the children of Israel across the Jordan in chapter 3, and God opens the flooded Jordan River, just as He did at the Red Sea 40 years earlier. Finally, we see God’s wisdom in placing the Memorial Stones Monument next to the Jordan River as a lasting reminder of the Supernatural crossing and the faithful fulfillment of God’s Word. (Chapter 4)

  • How Joshua prepares the nation spiritually by identifying the new generation of men with the covenant of Abraham through circumcision. (Joshua 2-4)

Circumcision: The surgical removal of the foreskin of the male sex organ. This action served as a sign of God’s Covenant relation with His people.

In the Bible’s first mention of circumcision, God instructed Abraham to circumcise every male child in his household, including servants, “in the flesh of your foreskins” <Gen. 17:11>. The custom was performed on the eighth day after birth <Gen. 17:12>. At this time a name was given to the son <Luke 1:59; 2:21>. In the early history of the Jewish people circumcision was performed by the father. But the surgical task was eventually taken over by a specialist.

Circumcision of the Jewish male was required as a visible, physical sign of the covenant between the Lord and His people. Any male not circumcised was to be “cut off from his people” <Gen. 17:14> and regarded as a covenant-breaker <Ex. 22:48>.

Although circumcision was required by the Mosaic law, the rite was neglected during the days when the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness. Perhaps this was a sign that the nation had broken their covenant with God through their disobedience. The rite was resumed when they entered the land of Canaan, with Joshua performing the ritual on the generation born in the wilderness. (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

The nation is now across the great obstacle of the flooded Jordan River. Joshua acts so as to remove the final obstacle to victory – the spiritual problem. In this action of circumcision, Joshua rolls away the “reproach” of Israel. By this we understand that God sees that the nation is now willing to fulfill His words by obedience. To Him, this is the final condition for His help to His people.

Ps 119:127-132      (New International Version)

Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.

Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment on Monday when we talk about “Israel Takes the Fortified Stronghold of Jericho.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking today Sunday, March 13th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Falling in Love with Jesus!” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 13 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

Hope to see you there!

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Spiritual Drift and Affluence!

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Spiritual Drift and Affluence!

Deuteronomy 8:11–14 (ESV)

11 “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery …

Spiritual Drift. In a recent conversation with Drew Dyck, author of Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Faith … And How to Bring them Back, he made an interesting comment. Drew said, “In recent research nearly 70% of young adults confessed that the reason they left the faith was that they simply drifted away.” (See my review of Drew’s book here. Listen to my podcast with Drew on Wednesday this week!)

How does our heart drift away from God? One of the greatest dangers to spiritual vibrancy is affluence. Some have called it affluenza. Let’s discover the 5 dangers of affluenza that Moses warned the nation of Israel about and think how they affect us today.

  • An abundance of food – imagine having no food in the home and not being sure where your next meal is coming from. That’s what its like for over 1/3 of the world’s population. With a visit to the favorite restaurant of your choice always an option and the fridge, cupboard and freezer filled, we can get complacent about asking for to “give us this day our daily bread.”
  • A comfortable home – having been homeless for a year let Melodee and I know what we had lost. We prayed daily for God’s care – which he provided – and we thanked him many times a day for the blessing of a roof over our heads. However, when we own our home and can make the payments, we often take this need for granted and forget to thank God for it.
  • A growing career or business – over the years, if we apply ourselves, we can begin to see how OUR efforts have allowed us to rise. We seldom think about God’s hand of favor and soon we start believing the lie that we are “self-made” people. This leads to more drift as we need less and believe we are able to bless our own lives.
  • A good salary and savings – a pension, a full 401k, a laptop, a web-enabled cell phone, trips away on the weekends, and most all of the comforts a person could imagine (with a wish list for the next big thing, think iPad 2), our false image of our own self-made security is about complete. Who needs God when they can provide for all their needs?
  • A growing lifestyle of prosperity – Moses uses an interesting phrase here to wrap up this thought; “and all that you have is multiplied.” In other words, God provides abundance – and we in America know it all too well. Yet, this very provision can be a curse if we fail to nurture our heart close to God every day.

It is our hope that you will avail yourself of some time alone with God every day. We have created tools for just that purpose. Avoid the drift … walk purposefully toward God and with God every day!

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment on Sunday when we talk about “The Book of Joshua: Israel Crosses Into the Promised Land.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking this coming Sunday, March 13th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Falling in Love with Jesus!” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 13 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

Hope to see you there!

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When Fear Grips Your Viability!

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

When Fear Grips Your Viability!

Deuteronomy 7:17-26 (ESV)

17 “If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’ 18 you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, 19 the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So will the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20 Moreover, the Lord your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed. 21 You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. 22 The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. 23 But the Lord your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed. 24 And he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under heaven. No one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them. 25 The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. 26 And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.

Fear. It grips all of us at one time or another. And nothing is as debilitating as when fear paralyzes your mission. What do you do when you are afraid and it is affecting your mission and ministry? Moses shows us that there are things we must do and things God will do for us in such situations. First, let’s look at our responsibilities when fear grips our mission’s viability …

My Responsibilities

  • Don’t let fear control you! (7.18a)
  • Remember what God has done! (7.18b)
  • Victory will put an end to their fame! (7.24b)
  • Destroy their worthless idols completely! (7.25a)
  • Don’t desire any of their profits from sin and shame! (7.25b)
  • Don’t bring their possessions into your home! (7.26a)
  • Detest all that their lifestyle enjoyed! (7.26b)

While this is happening, God is working. Now get this: God works AS we advance. It’s about faith in action – God works when he sees us trust him! Note what God will do:

God’s Actions for Us

  • God will fight for you! (7.19)
  • God will antagonize your enemies! (7.20)
  • God will be in your midst! (7.21)
  • God will advance your cause! (7.22)
  • God will confuse them and make you victorious! (7.23)
  • God will defeat their leaders for you! (7.24)

When fear grips you next time, review this passage and take the steps listed above. God will work as you launch out by faith.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment on Friday when we talk about “Spiritual Drift and Affluence.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking this coming Sunday, March 13th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Falling in Love with Jesus!” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 13 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

Hope to see you there!

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Listening to the Promises to the Future Leader

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Listening to the Promises to the Future Leader

(Deuteronomy 27-34)

As we open the third part of the book of Deuteronomy, we see how fresh hope was established. The old, rebellious generation is dead and gone. Now, with new blood and a new people, God is able to accomplish what He desired to do forty years before. Watch for these themes as you travel to the end of this great book of renewed hope!

  • God’s Covenant is explained to the next generation of Israel. (27-28)
  • God’s Covenant is entered into by the next generation of Israel. (29-30)
  • God’s Covenant Leader (Joshua) is enlisted for the next generation of Israel. (31-34)

And that concludes our journey through Deuteronomy and all of Route Number 1! At this point, we have traveled almost 2,400 years! We started with two people in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, and now have a multitude of nations in the greater Eastern world.

As we close this route out, we are about to embark on our second route through the Old Testament. In Route No. 2: Taking a Walk Through The History of Israel, we will explore approximately 1,000 more years. We will see a cycle in our next route between victory and defeat, and learn the lessons of a dozen lifetimes!

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment on Thursday when we talk about “When Fear Grips Your Mission’s Viability.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking this coming Sunday, March 13th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Falling in Love with Jesus!” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 13 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

Hope to see you there!

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Vision Casting to Conquer Great Obstacles!

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Vision Casting to Conquer Great Obstacles!

Deuteronomy 7:1-5 (ESV)

7 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than yourselves, 2 and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. 3 You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, 4 for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. 5 But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire.

When you know you are about to face some HUGE opposition to your mission, what do you say to your team? Moses, schooled for 40 years by God’s example, leads his people in preparation for the conquest of the Promised Land. It would not be easy, but God would help them win. How did he prepare the hearts of the nation? There are five telling tips to casting a great vision.

  • Start by telling them victory is inevitable! (7.1-2a) Moses not only told them that God was going to give them victory, in the ESV the word “when” is repeated. In other words, “This is going to happen and when it does, this is what we do!”
  • Be sure to explain what victory looks like! (7.2b) Defeat wasn’t enough on this mission from God. The soldiers were to “devote them to complete destruction.” The mission parameters were clear long before the first man stepped into the battle.
  • Clearly define the non-negotiables! (7.2c) God knew that if these men were to allow their enemies to live, they would undermine their effort and bring certain disaster to the mission. Therefore, everyone knew that this was an “all or nothing” scenario.
  • Warn them of the inherent dangers that lie ahead! (7.3) Surprisingly, the greatest dangers were not the battles, but from the spoils of victory. Here, the danger was in the common practice of taking the women of the conquered peoples as wives. Moses says that bringing someone into your home that has no passion for God is the same as inviting the enemy into the community to destroy it.
  • Remove the temptation to tolerate evil! (7.5) While we respect the faith of others within our nation, Moses knew the dangers of idolaters and wanted no presence or possibility of spiritual drift to happen among God’s people in Old Testament Israel. A wise leader does all he or she can to minimize the dangers to the spiritual vibrancy of their team.

Vision casting “sees” the desired outcome and then “visualizes” it (helps the other person see it) for his or her team. All great obstacles are overcome by faith in God and seeing God’s desired outcome before it happens. Eagle leaders help others see what God wants and help them get there.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment on Wednesday when we talk about “Listening to the Promises of the Future Leader.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

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7 Actions to Stop Spiritual Drift

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

7 Actions to Stop Spiritual Drift

Deuteronomy 6:10-19 (ESV)

10 “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, 12 then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. 14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— 15 for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.

16 “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. 17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. 18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers 19 by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised.

Spiritual drift. These words should freeze our blood when we read them. One of the greatest enemies of our faith is not the obstacle we face, or the enemy who attacks us. No, one of the greatest enemies to our spiritual life is that we would simply ignore God. We get so busy that we forget God – he doesn’t remain an integral part of our daily relationship and routine. Moses reminds us that here are seven repeated actions that stop drift in its tracks and provide us with an anchor for our faith.

  • Fear God! (6.13a) Many have sought to lessen the impact of this word, calling this godly reverence. While this is true, even in the New Testament, the word translated “fear” is the word “phobos” – from which we get the word, “phobia.” God wants us to remember constantly who he is and who we are not. Love for him doesn’t mean we can blithely live selfish, sin-packed lives without consequence.
  • Serve God! (6.13b) Paul reinforces our need to change the center of our universe from ourselves to Christ when he says “and [Jesus] died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:15, ESV)
  • Speak Truth! (6.13c) While we are no longer to take oaths (Matthew 5.37), we are supposed to speak the truth. Why? Because God listens to every word and we will give an account for even every idle word (Matthew 12.36; Romans 14.12). Asking friends to keep us accountable here is a valuable tool against forgetting God’s presence and purpose in our lives.
  • Worship God! (6.14) God is like a spouse – no dating, no infidelity! (Ephesians 5.32) Purity is about pleasure, trust and passion. Drift ends when we throw ourselves into God alone as our life. (Colossians 3.4)
  • Respect God! (6.16) Testing God’s limits is a foolish thing to do, as the nation of Israel could attest to after doing donuts in the desert for four decades! Love, trust and respect all flow from the same heart spring of love.
  • Obey God! (6.17) Our culture likes to cut corners … this is the stuff of spiritual drift, and evidence we haven’t been in God’s presence recently. God places his “commandments, testimonies and statutes” in the Word for our benefit. Jesus was clear that He had come to give us an abundant life (John 14.6), and that life comes from obedience to God’s guidance. (Deuteronomy 4.40)
  • Live God! (6.18) Drift ends when we commit to doing what is “right and good in the sight of the Lord.” Integrity flows from a heart that is close to God and loves God. It anchors the soul and provides a sure and steady course for life.

Drift ends when we passionately pursue Christ! Living these seven repeated actions can no only transform your life, they can provide direction every day!

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment on Tuesday when we talk about “Vision Casting to Conquer Great Obstacles.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking this coming Sunday, March 13th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Falling in Love with Jesus!” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 13 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

Hope to see you there!

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Transferring Faith to the Next Generation

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Transferring Faith to the Next Generation

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (ESV)

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Every parent, pastor and Eagle Leader wants to know how to transfer his or her faith into the next generation. While there are many great books, seminars and tools available, God created children and knows exactly what is most essential. In Deuteronomy God gives six essentials for transferring your faith into another.

  • Love God passionately! (6.5) Let’s face it, more things are caught than taught. If your faith doesn’t register on the Richter Scale, it probably won’t register on anyone else’s either.
  • Live God’s Word daily! (6.6) If the Word of God isn’t a part of your daily routine to the point it becomes hardwired into your DNA, you won’t pass it along to another. The evidence of belief is action.
  • Leave God’s wisdom clearly! (6.7a) All too often there is a disconnect between the words on the pages of the Bible and the “how to” in real life. If you are going to transfer your faith, show them how you do it, live it, flesh it out.
  • Link God’s truths continually! (6.7b) Since God is the author of life, we should be able to see how His Word constantly applies to our every situation. Speaking up about these takes some of the mystery away from faith and elevates it to the realm of reality in others.
  • Look to God’s commands repeatedly! (6.8) Jesus told us that, “out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45, ESV) When God’s Word is highly valued, our conversations are fresh with His practical understanding.
  • Linger over God’s perspectives visually! (6.9) In my mother’s home a simple plaque is still visual in my life: “Time wounds all heals.” This awful advice is seared into my conscience because it was displayed in our kitchen. How much more profitable than to have God’s wisdom displayed for all to catch?

Raising children (physical and spiritual) is hard enough in this world. God wants to help. These essentials can make a huge difference in the life of those we want to transfer our faith into.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible. We will continue this series with our next installment on Monday when we talk about “7 Actions to Stop Spiritual Drift.”

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking this coming Sunday, March 13th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Falling in Love with Jesus!” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 13 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

Hope to see you there!

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