Think like Jesus - the Bible....

Avid reader or not, you probably have some books where you live - and increasingly people find their reading material on a laptop, Kindle, Nook or even your phone. What do we read? and why do we read what we read? What is the big picture impact of the varied diet of what I read? Am I getting smarter? or being entertained? or more aware of the real world? or even closer to God?

In Sunday's sermon I spoke of the great gift of the Bible in the most compelling way I'm capable of... Watch it here!

My primal thoughts were 1. Any time we read the Bible, God is pleased. I like that: if I can do something that I know will please God, I want to do it daily. And 2. The way to think like Jesus is to read what Jesus read and talked about all the time, namely the Scriptures.

The Bible is itself a library of 66 books, wildly divergent in style and tone, best read in sips than in huge gulps. You benefit from having a plan, or a guide, or being in a group. I once had a lawyer tell me he couldn't understand the Bible. I snickered a little - as attorneys devise complex documents only other attorneys can comprehend. My grandfather, with an eighth grade education, wore out a couple of Bibles, reading, understanding, adoring, obeying.

Where to begin? Go to this page and click on Year Through the Bible, a series I did highlighting the key passages you need to be familiar with. There's more info on that page as well. Or ask around, research it a little - or just start reading Mark, or John, or the Psalms, or Philippians: every page beautiful, moving, helpful, and holy. This is the way to think like Jesus.