Weekend time with the Lord ...
LIFE OF DAVID
LESSON 5: THE DECAY, DECLINE, AND DEMISE OF KING SAUL
It may be because I grew up in a tourist town where one of the primary "industries" is Shakespeare (four theatres with the largest permanent Shakespearean theatre in the world outside the UK). And it may be because of these Shakespearean overtones I cherish ... that I simply can't get enough of the captivating narrative of King Saul.
If you haven't already ... dig into the Word this weekend and see a man, much like Macbeth, who is intoxicated by his own grasp for power. I can't but sympathize with this tragic character as we watch his descent into ultimate destruction. And before you say, "Hey! I'm looking for something a little more uplifting this weekend" (and you'd be right to think this) ... may I encourage you: the life lessons here are RICH. So rich, that I am seeing many situations, people, personalities, leadership styles, life decisions with fresh eyes. And I thank the Lord for it! Hope you join me in this journey in 1 Samuel. Weekend beauty...
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy Psalm 96:11-12 NASB Enjoy some gorgeous landscape photography from my favorite nature photographer, William David (my brother). 
Weekend food for thought ...VODDIE BAUCHAM ON THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE AND RACE
I am not qualified to speak to this matter.
I grew up in a country north of here; one neither insulated nor exempt from the evils of the human heart. But it was (and remains) a far different social landscape. I can not claim personal experience or knowledge regarding many of the deep social divides that have (historically) fractured certain regions of this nation. I both laughed ... and was deeply moved through Voddie's teaching. I watched a second time even ... so I could better understand and articulate my biblically-shaping views on these matters. See what YOU think about Pastor Voddie's claims (Peter and I have met and deeply regard Voddie Baucham). Would love to discuss/wrestle/think this through with whomever is interested. THE ALMOST INVISIBLE CHURCH
I would say we have all seen God working POWERFULLY at Calvary SD. But this was an encouragement to look for and appreciate His hand even ... especially ... in the simple places.
"Let your eyes skate past the megachurch industrial complex and take note of the almost invisible church in your neighborhood that you’ve driven past a thousand times without noticing. Check on it some Tuesday night, and see if there aren’t lights on in the basement. Maybe the food pantry is open. Or the congregation is offering financial management classes or marital counseling for couples who are struggling. It might just be the choir practicing, giving some souls an appointment to look forward to each week that pulls them out of their loneliness."
"I’m not against big churches. God is at work there too. My point is simpler: We tend to think that God is at work somewhere else. We spend our time wishing that we could be part of what God is doing, all the while missing what God is doing right under our noses because it looks small and insignificant and because it’s hard work." YOU CAN VISIT WITH BRILLIANT MINDS
Books are God's grace to us! I love that.
"When we aren’t growing in our doctrine and devotion then we remain infants who are still very much of the flesh we were saved from and we aren’t being transformed by the Spirit we were saved by. This means we stay at square one and as Paul said, we remain on milk and not solid food. Practically this means that we don’t know very well the God who saved us.
Books are God’s grace to us because in them we are given access to the thoughts and teaching of some of the most brilliant Christians to ever walk the earth. Even after these writers are gone, we can still be taught by them and learn from them. God uses good books to shape, grow, and challenge us in our doctrine and our devotion. We have been blessed now in our age to even be able to access these titles on our smartphone; some are even available for free. We, more than any generation before us, are without excuse to still be infants in Christ." ROAD BUILT BY BIBLICAL VILLAIN UNCOVERED IN JERUSALEM
I enjoy watching for archaeological discoveries that CONTINUE to reinforce the truth of our Word and our God! Check this out!
"A long-buried street that led pilgrims to the Jewish Temple 2,000 years ago was commissioned by Roman governor Pontius Pilate."
WHY YOU MAY BE TEMPTED TO NEGLECT YOUR CHURCH
Here are two reasons you may be tempted to neglect meeting together with God’s people.
Weekend kitchen adventures ...Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe (click link here)
We are making this at our house this weekend.
Weekend worship ...
Brand new worship from Matt Redman. Take a listen!
Weekend Scripture memorization & reflection...
Weekend reading ...
Weekend (discounted) Kindle reading that may be of interest.
Western Civilization is wealthier, but it isn’t happier.
We are the richest people ever to walk the face of the earth, but according to research, we aren’t becoming happier. Families and communities are increasingly fragmented, loneliness is skyrocketing, and physical and mental health are on the decline. Our unprecedented wealth doesn’t seem to be doing us much good. Yet, when we try to help poor people at home or abroad, our implicit assumption is that the goal is to help them to become like us. "If they would just do things our way, they’d be fine!" But even when they seem to pursue our path, they too find that the American Dream doesn’t work for them. What if we have the wrong idea altogether? What if the molds we are using to help poor people don’t actually fit any of us? What if the goal isn’t to turn other countries into the United States or to turn America’s impoverished communities into its affluent suburbs? In Becoming Whole (building on the best-selling When Helping Hurts), Brian Fikkert and Kelly M. Kapic look at the true sources of brokenness and poverty and uncover the surprising pathways to human flourishing, for poor and non-poor alike. Exposing the misconceptions of both Western Civilization and the Western church about the nature of God, human beings, and the world, they redefine success and offer new ways of achieving that success. Through biblical insights, scientific research, and practical experience, they show you how the good news of the kingdom of God reshapes our lives and our poverty alleviation ministries, moving everybody involved towards wholeness.
Reading the Bible need not be a haphazard journey through strange and bewildering territory. Like an experienced tour guide, How to Read the Bible Book by Book takes you by the hand and walks you through the Scriptures. For each book of the Bible, the authors start with a quick snapshot, then expand the view to help you better understand its message and how it fits into the grand narrative of the Bible. Written by two top evangelical scholars, this survey is designed to get you reading the Bible knowledgeably and understanding it accurately.
In an engaging, conversational style, Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart take you through every book of the Bible using their unique approach:
John Stott has been a giant on the landscape of the worldwide church for more than half a century. Here, however, are almost three dozen brief, very human-sized portraits of a man who has been a radical disciple of Jesus all those years.
One of the outstanding gifts that God gave to John Stott was an incredible capacity for friendship. Never did the word single seem less appropriate than for this lifelong bachelor. So in these sketches by his friends, relatives, coworkers and worldwide partners in the gospel, we see portions of his life and personality that many have not. We see the small acts of kindness and service he performed such as regularly emptying wastebaskets and taking hours to find the old, toothless mother of a priest in India. We see a poignant portrait of Stott as he continues to follow Christ in the midst of age and physical decline.
Biblical Christianity is more than just another private religious view. It’s more than just a personal relationship with God or a source of moral teaching.
Christianity is a picture of reality. It explains why the world is the way it is. When the pieces of this puzzle are properly assembled, we see the big picture clearly. Christianity is a true story of how the world began, why the world is the way it is, what role humans play in the drama, and how all the plotlines of the story are resolved in the end. In The Story of Reality, bestselling author and host of Stand to Reason, Gregory Koukl, explains the five words that form the narrative backbone of the Christian story. He identifies the most important things that happen in the story in the order they take place:
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Weekend time with the Lord ...
LIFE OF DAVID
LESSON 5: THE DECAY, DECLINE, AND DEMISE OF KING SAUL
Work on these homework pages in preparation for our next women's bible study (Thursday, November 7)
Life of David Class follow-up and resources ...
This is one of our "core distinctives" teachings by Pastor Ray Bentley.
Weekend Scripture memorization & reflection ...
Weekend food-for-thought ...The Strength of Silence
"But when I’m in the middle of a busy season of life, I find myself pushing my time with God into smaller and smaller chunks of my day. Other priorities take the place of that time, and before I completely realize what happened I’ve sacrificed the sweet depth of my relationship with God for the temporal busyness of my schedule.
Over the last several weeks, I’ve been reminded in different ways of the importance of prioritizing times of silence when I can think, read the Bible, and pour out my heart to God." Evangelical Celebrity and the Root Problem behind ‘Big Eva’
"Fundamentally, the negative aspects of a Christian celebrity culture are an outgrowth of our desire to have a leader we can see. We want a king like the nations have to lead us into battle. We want the Christian movie star, musician, or pro athlete to appeal to our non-Christian neighbor and persuade them that Christianity is reasonable. We want these kinds of figures because we love Christ (good!), but also, perhaps, because we’re unsure whether the regular, ordinary Christian can accomplish the mission.
We are the ones who make evangelical celebrities too big to fail. At least, until they break our hearts. We must put to death the lie that we need nationally known Christians in order for the kingdom of God to advance. After all, if you follow the money behind celebrity culture, where does it come from? From regular, ordinary Christians all too ready to open their wallets for the Next Big Name. It’s profitable to build a Christian celebrity platform because there’s a ready and willing market. We must put to death the lie that we need nationally known Christians in order for the kingdom of God to advance." Why Do Some People Become Lifelong Readers
"Joining their tribe seems simple enough: Get a book, read it, and voilà! You’re a reader—no tote bag necessary. But behind that simple process is a question of motivation—of why some people grow up to derive great pleasure from reading, while others don’t. That why is consequential—leisure reading has been linked to a range of good academic and professional outcomes—as well as difficult to fully explain. But a chief factor seems to be the household one is born into, and the culture of reading that parents create within it."
Classical Music and Christianity (Christianity & Culture Series at calvarychapel.com)
"Humanity has always been drawn to music; this is a curious thing. The implications seem to point us beyond a world of random chance and evolution. A recent scientific study has discovered that our brains are quite literally made for music – that is, there is an ingrained longing and appreciation for music that is a foundational aspect of humanity.3 In fact, the very beauty of music, its power to stir the emotions and evoke such passion seems to be hardwired into our very being. This speaks to us about the origin of music – something that can only be properly explained within the Christian worldview."
"Revolutionary tells the story of biochemist Michael Behe and the revolution he helped spark with his book Darwin’s Black Box, inspiring a new generation of scientists and thinkers who are challenging Darwinian evolution and exploring evidence in nature of intelligent design."
As we know, random changes and unguided natural processes routinely succeed in assembling functional equipment for a range of uses. Wait…it doesn’t work that way? The Revolutionary Behe website, at http://revolutionarybehe.com/, features more information about Dr. Behe’s research, other molecular machines, and evidence for intelligent design, and the stories of revolutionary scientists changing the evolutionary paradigm. See the documentary now. Accent Expert Breaks Down Four Amazing Things About Language
Ever wonder why we pronounce words differently than we did 100 years ago? Dialect coach Erik Singer breaks down four of the most mind-blowing facts we know about human language. We love words around our house and this was quite fascinating!
Weekend kitchen adventures ...Maple Apple Blondies
These chewy Maple Glazed Apple Blondies taste like sweet apple pie with a warm maple icing. This homemade apple blondie recipe is the perfect fall dessert.
Weekend worship ...
Katherine and I made a quick drive over to St. Louis this week. This song played on our drive no less than 30 times as we worshipped together. If you're like us, you may need a tissue.
Weekend reading ...
Weekend (discounted) Kindle reading that may be of interest.
Comments are warmly welcomed below!
Weekend time with the Lord ...
Lesson 4: LOST DONKEYS AND A FLASK OF OIL
Complete the last half of the lesson including word studies, cross-references, and journaling Scripture (Ephesians 1:13-14 and Psalm 139:7-12) Life of David class follow-up and resources ...
SAUL: A HISTORICAL BACKDROP
A Jewish perspective on the factors that influenced the Israelite shift from the Era of the Judges to the Era of the Kings, and the events that led to crowning King Saul as Israel’s first monarch in 879 BCE. This video was produced for Lesson 2 of Strength and Struggle, a course by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute.
THE HOUSE OF SAUL
This is a great chart showing Saul's lineage.
KING SAUL VIDEO
This is a short clip of a history channel movie. It's graphic so be forewarned. Weekend Scripture memorization ...
Weekend food-for-thought ...
A BEGINNER'S LOOK AT THE BLACK HEBREW ISRAELITE MOVEMENT
Our own gracious and articulate Tramaine!!
THE LORD BLESS THEE: REMEMBERING PASTOR CHUCK
"In 1980, my dad heard someone sing the Aaronic blessing ..." If you're like me, you may want to have a box of tissues handy. This one was moving. And this is a video of the first time Pastor Chuck introduced this song to Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa about 1979. This is Calvary Chapel gold here, haha! (For years, I had a soundclip of this as a ringtone every time Peter called me! I miss that ringtone.)
THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT
God doesn’t want his secret to contentment to be a secret. He wrote it plainly in a book. In this lab, Pastor John Piper uncovers it for us. This is fascinating to actually watch how Pastor John works through a text.
JUST PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY
Five interesting reasons why maybe our phones should be put away while at church. Weekend kitchen adventures ...
LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP
I don't know about you ... but we're SOUP SEASON is in full swing at our house. 
Weekend worship ...
An absolutely LOVELY new instrumental album called The Maker & The Instrument.
Here are links to the whole album. Weekend reading ...
Discounted kindle books that may be of interest.
Calvary Women Reminders ...
Comments are warmly welcomed in the comments section below!
Weekend time with the Lord ...
This week's Bible Study Lesson:
Lesson 4: Saul - Lost Donkeys and a Flask of Oil We'll cover this content next Thursday together. Focus on the blanks linked to the Word itself. The blanks associated with the arrows, we'll work on together next week. Life of David class discussion follow-up & resources ...
WORD STUDY: ENVY
We had an interesting discussion on "envy." I think for many of us, this word meaning has dissolved into our understanding of the word "jealousy." I completed a more thorough WORD STUDY on "envy" this morning ... its occurrences in the Word, its explanation by trusted Bible scholars, and finally its definition by the incomparable Noah Webster himself! LEARN TO SAY THE SHEMA (HEAR O ISRAEL) IN HEBREW This is the central prayer of the Old Testament, and of Jews to this day (Deut 6:4-5). OLD SCHOOL MOVIE ABOUT SAMUEL! I couldn't help but giggle through this ... but it is awesome. TABERNACLE TOUR This is a must see event. The tour guide does a fantastic job connecting elements of the tabernacle to the Person and work of Christ. Weekend Scripture memorization ...
Weekend food-for-thought ...
"Deconstruction, Doubt and Finding Faith Again - Lisa Gungor and Alisa Childers"
Lisa Gungor and Alisa Childers have both had successful careers in the Christian music industry but both went through profound seasons of doubt and deconstruction. The process of ‘reconstruction’ took them to very different conclusions. They discuss their journeys with Justin and each other.
"I Kept Going"
A lovely account of a nine-year-old who ran the wrong way ... and won a different race. Isn't this so how God works in our lives, sometimes?
"God, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll: An Interview with Alice Cooper"
Pastor Greg Laurie sits down with rock legend Alice Cooper. Alice Cooper is widely considered to be the father of "Shock Rock" and has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. While he is known for his music career, most do not know that he is a committed Christian.
"Dr. Christopher Yuan: Holy Sexuality and The Gospel"
Dr. Christopher Yuan, author of Holy Sexuality and The Gospel, joins us for episode 32 of The Chris Craft Show. We discuss his amazing life story, salvation from a rebellious mindset, and God’s desire for us to be holy with our sexuality. Dr. Yuan speaks about the importance of his identity being found in Christ rather than in his sexuality. Weekend kitchen adventures ...
Candy Acorns Recipe
These are pretty cute! 
Weekend worship ...Weekend reading ...
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Reminders for Calvary Women ...
Calvary Women
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer ... praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
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