In this issue: activities to encourage spiritual growth as a family.

This week’s activities for spiritual growth focus on listening, seeking wisdom, and staying connected to the Spirit. In many ways, the noise of the world is louder than it has been in a long time. It can be hard to listen well and hear the voice of the Spirit speaking to us. I want to encourage us to be still, listen to the Spirit through other believers as well as through God’s Word, and seek wisdom above all else.

This issue brought to you by Sam Butler

Get Outside, Get Wisdom

WRITE AN AGURIAN PROVERB

A what?! Let’s first define “proverb.” A proverb is a simple saying that focuses on a piece of general truth or wisdom, based on common experience. It is a wise word about the way the world works. One of my favorite writers of biblical proverbs is a man named Agur. He wrote the 30th chapter of the book of Proverbs. He shares his wisdom that he gains specifically from nature and his mother. (Listen to the wisdom of your moms!)

Scripture exhorts us to search for wisdom above all else. One of the many places that many wisdom-writers in Scripture look (especially Agur) is in nature.

So…

Go outside. Go to a park. Drive and find some quiet. Sit still and listen. Wisdom is imbued into nature itself.

Here are some of biblical proverbs from Agur that glean simple wisdom from watching and listening to nature and how God has made her work.

• “There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’” (Proverbs 30:15-16)
• “There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.” (Proverbs 30:18-19)
• “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.” (Proverbs 30:24-28)

Write some words of wisdom like Agur. Do this as a family and share the wisdom that you found that God has woven into the fabric of the world. What has God taught you about the way the world works? How can you take that wisdom into the rest of your life?

MASK UP AND GO ON A WALK

Wisdom is woven into the fabric of the world. It also pours forth from fellow believers who are older, more mature, and more in-tune to the Spirit. Walk with these people. Walking together is a foundational method to gospel-centered discipleship in both Scripture and the life of the Church.

Ask someone that you look up to and admire to go on a walk. My wife and I recently went on a walk with an older couple at a nearby park. It was an amazing chance to get outside and learn a bit of life from people who are older and wiser.

Who in your life right now do you wish you could glean wisdom from? Reach out to them and ask them to go on a walk. Things to ask or discuss with them:

• What are you learning about who God is?
• What are you most thankful for right now? Why?
• What are you reading/listening to right now that is helping you navigate through life?
• If there is a particular situation in your life that is posing you difficulty, ask if they wouldn’t mind listening and sharing their thoughts with you. Be bold.
• At the end of your time, ask if you can pray for them.

Stay Inside, Stay Connected to the Spirit

READ A BOOK — OF THE BIBLE

You heard me right. A whole book of the Bible.

I often feel daunted when thinking about reading Scripture, and I am inundated with small portions of Scripture through books, podcasts, Bible studies, etc. I rarely feel as though I have the time, patience, or fortitude to read large portions of Scripture.

I mean, who has 9 hours to read through Genesis, right?!

However, I was surprised this week when I started doing some research and math into how long it would actually take me to read through a book of the Bible (see the handy infographic below). Only a few books of the Bible would take the average person longer than a movie. Most books can be read in the same time it takes to watch a single episode of your favorite TV show. Some books can be read in entirety during a single commercial break (seriously!). Convicting, right? It was for me too. But it’s also empowering! For many (myself included), the Bible is a gargantuan mountain with many barriers to reaching the top. However, many of those barriers are figments of my imagination (like how long it would take me).

Some (possibly counterintuitive) tips to reading entire books of the Bible:

• Don’t worry about “studying” the book. Just read it. Grasp the overall purpose. Many of the books of the Bible were designed and written to be read in one sitting. Leave the commentaries and internet behind for now.
• Read aloud as a family. Ashley and I read out loud to each other often and it’s a great way to open the door to processing difficult and inspiring texts on a practical and familial level.
• Say a simple prayer before you start reading: “Spirit, open my eyes, ears, and heart to what you are saying through (book/author).”
• If you come across a word or reference that you don’t know, simply look up the definition. Nothing more. Or, better yet, ask the people you’re reading with if they know what it means.
• After you’ve read the entire book, if you want to begin to dive deeper, I suggest checking out the videos and material from an incredible organization called The Bible Project.

Here’s the infographic mentioned above. Click/tap the image to download the .pdf version.

PRAY NAMES

So many times I find myself praying in a way that ignores the specifics, like names. Not only are names incredibly important to the heart of God, saying the names of those we pray for creates in us an empathy for that person that may not have previously existed.

In a recent episode of Denver Seminary’s podcast, professor and host, Don Payne said, “We all have a lot to learn by paying attention to our reactions [to names]. We have a lot more to learn about the redemptive power of the Gospel in light of our reactions. And also a lot to learn about our reactions in light of the Gospel.”

Pray using people’s names. If you don’t know their names, find them out. Pay attention to your reaction to those names. What does your reaction say about what God may be doing in you? What should your reaction to these names be?

Pray for your enemies. Pray for your allies. Pray for your family. Pray for our government officials. Pray for your teachers. Pray for your bosses. Pray for your neighbors. Pray for our public servants. Pray for those affected by racial tensions in the United States. Pray for those affected by COVID-19.

Pray simply: “Father, I pray for (name). Grant him/her wisdom for/in the midst of (situation).”