March 2006

Hi All,

Through out the course of a month I have many ideas of what I should write about, funny thing is I never do write about them. Sometimes I will get them written down and sometimes not. Interestingly enough God usually has a different message that he wants me to send and this month is no different.

The latest chapter in the "Pure Excitement" study that we are doing with the middle school was called "Get Growing." It starts out comparing our faith to a roller coaster ride. Sometimes we are up and sometimes we are down. The first question, "What part of the roller coaster are you on right now? Are you climbing closer to the Lord, or do you feel you are waiting at the bottom?" I was not surprised at the response, complete silence. Most adults would give you the same response. What really got the discussion going is when the kids were asked what is the first commercial that comes to mind. This continued through a discussion of movies, television shows, music, and magazines. It was observed that most of us watch television everyday as well as listening to music, reading magazines etc. Then it was asked how often they read the Bible. The answers were as varied as the kids. From reading during Sunday school and confirmation to once every couple of weeks to not in a couple of years. That begged the most important question, why? "It is hard to understand." "It does not make sense." "Too many thines and thous." To illustrate this, let's look at one of the most well known verses in the Bible, John 3:16:
American Standard Version (ASV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Amplified Bible (AMP) For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.
English Standard Version (ESV) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
King James Version (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
New King James Version (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
21st Century King James Version (KJ21) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
New International Version (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV) "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.
New Life Version (NLV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God's Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever.
New Living Translation (NLT) "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
The Message (MSG) "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

Who knew there were so many versions of the Bible? Of just the King James Bible? There are lots more than this. It was not that long ago that the King James Version was considered by the majority to be the inspired word of God and that choosing a Bible was mainly about how it looked physically. What everyone needs to do is to find one that fits him or her the best. How to go about that can seem like a major undertaking. There are several resources available in doing this. If you have online access you can use a search site like Google and type in "choosing a Bible" and you will get several articles and websites that can help you. One of those is from Zondervan Church Source. Another option is to go to one of the local Christian bookstores and they will be glad to assist you. Want to compare several versions side by side? Go to BibleGateway.com and and you can compare up to 5 versions at a time. Another thing to remember is what you want to get out of a particular version. The Message and The Message Remix are wonderful for just sitting down and reading through like you would a book. Others versions have been adapted for reading through, others to be used as a devotional, to study, and some have been written with references on how to apply the Bible to your daily life. But wait, they are broken down even further. Is your choice for anyone, or is it more specific (i.e. for teens, men, women, children, etc.).

The most important thing about the Bible should always be that you are reading it on a regular basis. There are several reading plans available to help you with this. If you need help with any part of this process, let us know, would love to help you out. God's message to me this month is to work to help the youth find out more about this process and to find a Bible that they can understand and that is interesting.

Because of Him,

Terry

A conversation with God
Hi God. We often forget that we are Christians every day, not just on Sunday. Lord help us to be Christians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. One way You help us is through reading Your Word, the Bible everyday. Another is through a prayer that is called the Christ Prayer which I will close this prayer with:
Christ be in my life and in my living (place hands over chest)
Christ be in my heart and in my loving (hands over heart)
Christ be in my mouth and in my speaking (hands over mouth)
Christ be in my eyes and in my seeing (hands over eyes)
Christ be in my ears and in my hearing (hands over ears)
Christ be in my mind and in my thinking (hands on head)
In Jesus’ name, Amen.