5 simple steps to get the most amazing study Bible on the planet right now (for free)!!!

One of the most important things for someone who loves Jesus to be engrossed in is the Bible. Not to merely read it but to study it, learn it, and live out its message. That type of study takes time, work, and resources. For the last 10+ years the best tool I've found and used for my own study is Logos Bible Software. It is the most amazing resource that actually saves me time and makes the work of studying fun and easy.

I'm incredibly pumped about a new resource that Logos has recently released, a brand new study Bible called Faithlife. There really isn't anything else out there like it and it has the potential of empowering the church for Bible study like never before. Check out this short video that gives an overview:

Thankfulness for someone who encouraged thought

A great man of God passed away yesterday: Chuck Colson.

There are leaders of the faith who have inspired me, those who have equipped me, those who have encouraged me. But Chuck Colson is a leader who challenged me to think about and understand my faith. And in doing so he inspired, equipped, and encouraged.

The first time I ever heard Chuck Colson I had no idea who he was or that it was him I was listening to. At the beginning of his song, "Heaven in the Real World," Stephen Curtis Chapman had a sound bite of Colson saying this:

"Where is the hope? I meet millions of people who feel demoralized by the decay around us. The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us, or what laws we pass, or what great things we do as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people. And that's where our hope is in this country. And that's where our hope is in life." 

His life story is about that hope. His story is a testimony to the powerful grace of God.

If you've never heard of or interacted with the work of Chuck Colson, I highly recommend you do.

Read his obituary press release here.

Read his story here.

Check out his books here. If you want some suggested starting places I'd go with The Faith, How Now Shall We Live, and The Body. 

And check out this video...

Give yourself permission today

We are not machines. You were not meant to work 24/7.

God doesn't want you to be like that.

So give yourself permission today to take a break.

Go for a walk

Watch a movie

Play Monopoly

Start a novel

Take a nap

Watch the Bears

Eat ice cream

Play dolls with your daughter

Wrestle with your son

Lock the kids out of the bedroom

Make dinner from a receipe

Sit in a coffeeshop

Visit Lincoln Park Zoo

Get out of the city, go to a forest preserve 

Play Xbox

Go apple picking

Go pumpkin picking

Read your Bible - Try Psalm 139 

Color or paint

Knit

Window shop

Visit Navy Pier

Go on a boat ride

Play guitar

Take another nap

Do something...other...than...work!

Read this or this for some other insights.

You need to take a break. Give yourself permission to do it.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.  Exodus 20:8-11

"Call me buddy"

The most read post from my blog this year so far as been when I wrote about Baylee not wanting to grow up.  This is another one of those "out of the mouth of babes" stories.

Yesterday I went out back to the garage to load the car with some things for work.  Coming back I heard a kid's voice calling me, "Are you Baylee's dad?"

The voice was coming from the second story of our next door neighbor's building.  I hadn't met our new neighbors yet, but this was one of their little boys.

"I am Baylee's dad.  My name is Bobby, what's your name?"

Crazy Love for Free!

The 20's group that I lead at New Like Oak Forest just finished reading together the book Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. It is a a great book about what it means and looks like to be madly in love with God. It's a great book that I highly recommend you check out. Here's the book's website: Crazy Love.

The cool thing is that you can get it for free! Apparently the website ChristianAudio.com offers a free download each month, and this month it is Crazy Love!

It's completely legit. All you have to do is create an account to get the download. No strings attached, except probably an email from them a month.

CLICK HERE to go to the sign-up/download page. Make sure you use the indicated coupon code to get the book for free!

Mile Deep

Our New Life location just ended a discipleship campaign today called MILE DEEP. We had 137 people participate at various levels throughout since we started in February. This is the video I edited for the service today when we acknowledged people: