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5 MORE Bible Verses from 1 John to Help You Kick-Off the New Year

Last week I wrote about five verses from 1 John I’m pondering. Truth be told, I had to narrow it down to those five. The more I think about it the more I wanted to share the other ones that have been hitting me.

In case you missed last week’s post, you’ll want to start here (for some background). 

Now let’s take a look at one more verse from each chapter…

1 John 1:6

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.” NIV

This whole verse (and paragraph for that matter) is powerful. Lots to chew on.

However, the part that gets me is “…live out the truth.” We talk a lot about knowing the truth. Not as much about living out the truth. Seems like living it out is a tad more important than knowing it.

It’s one thing to know the truth. It’s another to live out the truth. #ChooseTheLatter (1 John 1:6)

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5 Bible Verses from 1 John that Will Help You Kick-Off the New Year

Do you have a Bible verse – or verses – you ponder throughout the year? I spent the last couple months of 2016 soaking in 1 John. As I begin 2017, much of John’s letter is guiding how I’m approaching the year. (And that’s a good thing.)

Before diving into the verses themselves, allow me a few sentences to “set the stage” a bit. 1 John doesn’t have a specific audience (like “to the church at Philippi” or “to Timothy, my dear son”). This letter is for all of us who desire to be authentic, faithful followers of Jesus.

John writes to people who live in a society where opinions about what is true – and who is worthy of worship – are varied and abundant. So do we.

He writes to people who want to honor Jesus with their lives, but are bombarded by worldly temptations. So do we.

He writes to people who are surrounded by a message of self-centered living, rather than self-sacrificial giving. So do we.

He writes to people who have the opportunity to change the world by loving others as deeply loved children of God. So do we. 

Sure, John wrote 2000 years ago. But this letter is for you, my friend.

Here are five verses…one from each chapter. Read. Ponder. Pray. Live. Repeat.  [Read more…] about 5 Bible Verses from 1 John that Will Help You Kick-Off the New Year

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Big Changes for My Podcast

I am guessing you’ve probably noticed there hasn’t been a new episode of the Falling in Love with God’s Word Podcast in 2015. (Or maybe you haven’t!) Along with every new year comes time for looking back, evaluating, looking ahead, and planning.

I've recorded 36 episodes in the last 18 months. I'm not pulling the plug...just making some changes. Here's why (and how YOU can make it even better)!As much as I enjoy creating the podcast, my gut tells me I need to focus my efforts on other things right now. This does not mean I will be deleting the podcast (you can find all the episodes here) and it does not mean there will never be a new episode (there will be).

What it does mean is I won’t be recording a new episode every other week (as I have the last 18 months). It also means the format and content may very well change.

Since I deeply value you and am honored that you give your time to this blog and podcast, I wanted to collect your input before determining exactly what the Falling in Love with God’s Word Podcast will look like moving forward.

Would you do me a huge favor and take 60 seconds to answer three questions in the survey below?

For those of you who like the background story… [Read more…] about Big Changes for My Podcast

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6 Christmas Truths that Last All Year

Do you ever experience Post-Christmas Let Down? So much time, effort, money, and energy. And then – poof! – here we are in January.

For some, you wish the season was still going on. For others, you’re ready for life to calm down a bit. Either way, most of us only really think about Christmas…well…during Christmas. But what if the truths of the Christmas Story could be carried all year long? What if this was God’s intention from the beginning?

6ChristmasTruthsThatLastAllYear

This has been an interesting Christmas season for me. Not better or worse than other years. Just different. I found myself “pondering” a bit more. Pondering not what God wanted me to “learn.” Pondering more of what He wants me to “know.”

And it’s a deep-down knowing. A truths-that-make-a-difference knowing. A chew-on-this knowing.

God reminded me (and I’m about to remind you) that the truths He revealed that first Christmas are truths to be carried all year long. Truths that will make a difference in everyday life. Truths about who God is, who we are, and what He’s up to. [Read more…] about 6 Christmas Truths that Last All Year

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3 Secrets to Making 2015 Your Best Year Ever

Did you know that 25% of people break their New Year’s resolutions within the first week? Another 40% or so join the Non-Finisher’s Club before the kids hit summer vacation. I have certainly been guilty of not succeeding at things I have said I want to accomplish. You, too?

[featured-image single_newwindow=”true” alt=”Most of us “hope” 2015 will be a great year. These 3 secrets will make sure it is.”]

You might be asking, “Why is Keith talking about 2015 while there are still leftovers from Thanksgiving in the fridge?!” It’s the first week of Advent and most of us are in the party-shopping-planning-cooking-wrapping-decorating busyness of the Christmas Season.

There is a really good reason I’m writing about it now (instead of the first week of January like a million other bloggers will do). This reason is actually the first of three secrets that will help you move from “I hope 2015 is a good year” to “2015 will be a fantastic year!”

[Read more…] about 3 Secrets to Making 2015 Your Best Year Ever

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The 4-Month Challenge That Could Change Everything

Last week I promised to share my detailed plan for what I am going to do for my New Year’s Resolution. In that post  we looked at three questions you need to ask first. I was going to just write out my plan, but making a video is a lot more fun. So here you go…

 

[callout]NOTE: This post is in reference to the Bible Read Thru for 2013. I did my first BRT in 2010 and have been doing it every year since. In December, I’ll be posting an invitation for you to join me next year![/callout]

So…You just want to skip the video and read the highlights? Ok, ok, here is the challenge: [Read more…] about The 4-Month Challenge That Could Change Everything