Skip to main content

These are a Few of my Favorite Things (For Growing in the Lord that is!)




Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study.  Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life.
-          Henry L. Doherty

I am eager to learn all that you want me to do; help me to understand more and more …
-          Psalm 119:32, CEV

Growth – all our lives are about growth.  We grow taller; we grow wiser; we grow in skill and ability; we grow older.   But how do we keep learning as we grow?  Well, like Maria von Trapp in the Sound of Music sharing her favorite things, things that help her avoid fear and sadness, I want to share with you some of my favorite resources for growing and avoiding discouragement, stagnation, and lukewarmness! :)  So, here you go!


Favorite Bible Study Tools/Websites:
-          E-sword - a great downloadable resource with lots of free translations of the Bible (each of which you can search for specific words/phrases, when you’re doing a word study, for example), a Strong’s Concordance, some daily devotionals, an 1828 Webster’s Dictionary (one of my favorite tools), and more!  Awesome resource!
-          http://www.biblestudytools.com/ - and online place to search for specific words/phrases in translations that may not be available for free through E-Sword.

Favorite Places to download free and biblically sound sermons to listen to and be transformed by:
-          Living Word Christian Church - my Pastor back home! :D
-          Andrew Wommack
-          John MacArthur - some of these are very old sermons, and I have not listened to any of them yet (having just discovered this page this last week, but he has a good reputation for Biblically sound books)

Favorite Places to BUY sermons/books from great ministers of faith
-          Andrew Wommack again
-          Dr. Mark T. Barclay
-          John and Lisa Bevere
-          Mark Hankins
-          Jerry Savelle (and family)
-          Dr. Philip Goodeaux (click bookstore tab)
-          Joyce Meyer

Favorite Christian Shopping Website of all time

Favorite Translations (Ok, to be honest, just a few of them :D – in no particular order; also, I tried to find the least expensive copies of each translation – not the fanciest – but for sake of time, I used only one website; you may find cheaper shopping around a little more): 
-
-     ERV
-                                                  Any of the Lovetts's Light Translation/Commentaries (they’re sold individually by book of the 
                          Bible – and they’re awesome)
               On Hebrews
              And there are LOTS more!  Just search for “Lovett’s Lights” :D
-          Translations I haven’t spent enough time in to call favorites, but ones that I’m inclined to like anyway:
-          Paraphrases I like to use in translation studies but would never recommend as primary Bibles:
Ben Campbell Johnson
Johnson’s Cotton Patch New Testament



When you need more information about a certain country (for prayer or potential ministry):
-          Operation World - there’s also a great book by this title – you can order it through the website – but I use it daily, and it is blessing me!  Oh my goodness!  It gives prayer concerns, answers to prayers, demographic listings of how many people in each country are Christians, etc.  VERY helpful in praying for the nations!
-          CIA World Factbook - this is a great place to go for basic information and information on any international/major societal issues within a country you may have a burden from God for
-          Campus Crusade's Ministry Locations info - If Campus Crusade has a ministry outreach there, their website will be really helpful too.  I enjoy using their information.

Places to look for mission trip opportunities:
-          Short Term Missions.com  - a great search engine of short term mission trip opportunities
-          Reign Ministries
-          Adventures in Missions


So, did I miss anything?  If you have an idea of another kind of "favorite" growth tool you'd like me to blog about, jot a comment on here, and I'll see what I can come up with!  Hope the resources in this one are a blessing to you!  And have fun growing!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Deadly and Victorious: When God is like the Horn of a Mighty Fighting Bull

“The Lord is my fort where I can enter and be safe; no one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain where I hide; he is my Savior, a rock where none can reach me, and a tower of safety. He is my shield.  He is like the strong horn of a mighty fighting bull .” Psalm 18:2, Living Bible Drama, spectacle, bold colors, life and death artistry … There is something stunning and simultaneously frightening about the ancient tradition of bullfighting, something about its playful interaction with danger that creates a delicious thrill for the audiences it draws.  In its home countries of Spain and Portugal, nearly one million people attend these events every year, anxious to see who will conquer the bull with the greatest flair or be injured trying. [1]   To be honest with you, I have yet to fully understand all the intricacies of the sport or its appeal to spectators, yet whenever I read Psalm 18:2, I think of bullfighting.  Our God is like the horn of a might...

Discipleship, Lesson 1: Eternal Life and Knowing God

Several months ago, nearly a year to be honest, I bought a workbook entitled "Discipleship Evangelism," a book meant to shepherd people through the discipleship process.   Lately, under conviction of the Holy Spirit, I’ve been praying about whether or not I’ve ever truly “discipled” someone, or if I’ve simply spent my Christian life attempting to win “converts,” and I’ve been continually reminded of this book.   So, with that heavy on my heart, I’ve decided to work through the book myself, to ground myself in the truths I want to be able to teach others, and to share with you what I’m studying here in my blog.   So here we are: Lesson 1: Eternal Life. The first lesson is focused on John 17:3, which says, “Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent.”   And in this lesson, Andrew Wommack writes, “Many people think that everlasting life is living forever.   Well, every person lives forever.   It’s a misconc...

Learning to Wait

“Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord …” – Psalm 27:14, 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible                 This verse formed the basis of the sermon yesterday at church, and it was painful.  Sitting in my pew, tears sprung immediately to my eyes as Pastor began to expound on this verse.  For the last several months, my heart has been wrestling with this idea of “waiting.”  There are dreams God has placed on my heart, dreams I long for, ache for, weep for, that I literally dream about at night with such clarity and such a sense of realness that I wake in confusion as to which is real – what I saw in my sleep or what I see now that I am awake … dreams I wish I wasn’t waiting to see come to fruition any longer.  I have fasted and prayed, have waged war with the devil, have aligned my words with the Word of God … and still I wait.  At least I thought ...