Dave Dishman

Guidance from Overlooked Men and Women of the Bible

Category: Growth (Page 11 of 15)

Eat This Book

April 1, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the importance of the Scriptures in our lives as followers of Jesus. The world we live in does not lead to stability in any form. Cultural changes assault us daily. Those who mock and denigrate the Christian faith do so from a variety of public platforms. Scandals among those who claim to represent Christ, like the Catholic priests sex debacle, only lend credence to those voices claiming that our faith is repressive and harmful. However, we know that the world has it all wrong, that there is great value and hope in the Christian faith. How did we become unmoored?

I’m not sure how to cure the ills of our culture, but I do know that as a follower of Jesus, there is one place where I go to find solid ground, truth and hope. That’s the Bible. Without a firm foundation, how do we stand against any force that opposes us? I try to open my Bible daily, to read something, even a couple of verses. Because, what else do I have in life to counter the often oppressive nature of the world in which we live?

Eat This Book, by Eugene Peterson, pushes us to remember that the scriptures are the primary text for Christian spirituality. We set aside the holy scriptures and replace them with our experience or the world’s seeming knowledge at our peril. God speaks to us through the Bible, and Peterson teaches us to read this Bible in ways that help us better hear what God is trying to tell us.

This is a book to be read a bit at a time. Like all the other books I’ve read by Eugene Peterson (he translated The Message, if you’re wondering why his name is familiar), it takes time to roll through his thoughts. But it’s worth it. I recommend this book to anyone interested in getting more out of your Bible and learning to go deeper in your faith journey.

Dropping In

March 28, 2019 / / 0 Comments

When you grow up in the Ozarks you don’t get to the ocean often, so I didn’t know much about surfing at all when I started Dropping In. However, since finishing the book I realize that I’ve missed one of life’s great experiences. I also didn’t know many surfing terms, like stoke, before picking up this work, except to know it referred to a good feeling. Now I understand the meaning is much deeper than that.

My friend, Shane Sebastian, has written an excellent book about living the Christian life in the way God intends. You don’t need to be a surfer to enjoy his thoughts, but surfing makes an exciting metaphor for discovering and walking with God.

I especially appreciated Shane’s chapter on Eternity. We seldom talk about this today, yet those we influence need to wake up to the reality that this life is not all there is. We need an anchor in this life and the next, and Shane reminds us beautifully of that fact.

So, pick up this book. It would make for a great small group Bible study, especially for a group of guys looking for adventure. You’ll enjoy Shane’s enthusiasm for surfing, for life, and for the Lord. You’ll learn practical lessons for living a life pleasing to God. When you’re finished you might even try your hand at surfing and experience stoke as only a surfer can.

My New Crush – Marie Kondo

February 11, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I have been watching a new show in Netflix, called Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. Apparently, some people like the show and others can’t stand it. I don’t get that, because personally, I love it.

Sure, there’s some issues. Marie gets on her knees and embraces the spirit of the house before she gets started. Then, it’s hard to decide if something “sparks joy” as she recommends when it happens to be simply a utilitarian item. For instance, after watching one episode, I went through my underwear drawer and dumped it all out. No joy sparked. But my wife quickly replaced everything and corrected my thinking. No underwear for her spouse apparently ignited the opposite of joy.

The show, featuring Marie’s methods, gets close to the heart of one of the major issues in the United States and in our personal lives. We have way too much stuff, and we cling to our stuff way too long. A friend told me years ago that, “things are to be used and people are to be enjoyed.” We often switch those around to our detriment. This show brings us to a point of dealing with the mounds of material goods in our lives that get in the way of caring for the people God puts in our path.

The Bible speaks to us about issues like gluttony (the desire to consume more than we need), and covetousness or greed (the desire for more and more material gain), and sloth (the avoidance of work, in this case of picking up your house). Buying and hoarding more and more stuff are symptoms of larger heart issues. What material items do we cling to that block us from deeper relationships with God and neighbor?

So, a big thank you to Marie Kondo, the tiny Japanese lady who is helping us go through closets and garages and basements and attics and drawers full of our junk. In the midst of such purging, let’s remember our Lord, the giver of all good things, the Creator of all the raw materials we use, the lover of our souls. For our souls, and those souls around us, often hidden behind walls of possessions, remain of ultimate value in regards to our time on earth. I applaud anyone who helps us get beyond our stuff and back to a place where we can think about the most important parts of life.

Try This Goal for 2019

January 7, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Do you keep track of goals for each new year? I’ll admit, I’m a goal-maker and list-keeper. Some of my goals will look like most everyone’s, like, “lose some weight,” or “eat more salads.” I’m not sure how committed I’ll be to those goals. But there is one goal that I will work to meet and I encourage you to join me in trying.

One of my goals this year will be to read the Bible front to back. You might like to join me in making that a goal for you, or you might like to set a goal of reading half the Bible this year, or to read the New Testament this year, or maybe simply read a few minutes daily.

You might prefer to listen to the Bible. Many people I know would rather listen than read, so why not apply that to the Scriptures? If you have a commute as part of your life, that’s a great place to listen to the Bible being read to you. And maybe you’ll yell less at your fellow commuters when they annoy you in traffic.

So, regular goal-setter or not, I encourage you in joining me in making more room for reading, listening and understanding the Bible in 2019.

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