Starting Tomorrow: Reading Through the Bible in A Year–Anyone Want to Join Me?
Below is an excerpt from an email I sent to the twenties group at my church yesterday. I’d like to open this up to any of you who read this blog and would like to join the journey, beginning tomorrow morning (September 1st). If you’re game, pick one of the several Bible reading plans below and leave a comment or shoot me an email and throughout the year we can chat here and there on this blog about our reading.
“In two days it’s September 1st. Traditionally I use September 1st as my
marker for starting up a new year of Bible reading. I know of three people
within the twenties group who one month ago started together a plan to
read through the Bible in one year. I’d like to spread the love.
Beginning this September 1st I’m going to start my 5th or 6th year of
following a read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year-plan.“This year I’d love
to do this along with some of you. Below I’ve attached a folder with a
variety of different plans I’ve used through the years. I’d love it if
some of you also chose one of these plans and began, on September 1st,
a quest to read through the Bible in a year. This isn’t that hard to
do. It averages out to just over 3 chapters a day–you could do that
in 15 minutes a day. For those of you who choose to do this along with
me what I’m thinking is that we can just chat together throughout the
year, a minute here or there when we see each other on Thursdays and
Sundays, and talk about how our reading is going and how God is
teaching us and transforming us through our reading. If you’re game,
email me and let me know.”
Download bible_reading_calendar.pdf
Download bible_reading_chart.DOC
Download Biblereadingrecord.doc
He Lives to Make Intercession For Them
Here’s a verse that stirs my prayer life, gives me confidence when preaching & teaching, and shouts good news:
“…he [Jesus] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he lives to make intercession for them.” Heb. 7:25
Baptism
At our outdoor service this last Sunday I had the privilege of baptizing, along with Mark Mitchell, my good friend Dan Maass.
Warm Wellspring
This last Sunday I had the pleasure of preaching at Wellspring Community Church in San Leandro. I preached on Philippians 2:3-11 before a very warm congregation and in a very warm auditorium (the air conditioning was broken). While preaching that sermon I arguably sweat more than I do when lifting weights or running 3 miles in the hot sun. The upside was that I didn’t need to workout that afternoon.
I’m impressed with how pastor Sam Shin is shepherding his congregation at Wellspring. Everyone I met was incredibly friendly and quite intentional in speaking about the gospel. If you haven’t done so already, check out Sam’s blog, Gospel Prism.
Blogging Baptism Debate Roundup
Justin Taylor sums up the “credobaptism-paedobaptism-membership-Lord’s Supper debate” that’s been going on in the blogosphere these last two weeks.
Tuesday List: Other Jobs I’d Like to Have
For this week’s Tuesday List, here’s a list of some of the different jobs I’d like to have if I didn’t have a call on my life to be a pastor. Please note that this list operates under the assumption that I’d also have the requisite skill and gifting to perform these professions for, as you’ll soon see, my resume falls short for most of these potential professions.
1. NFL Football Player. Because I like to hit people, I’d play defense. I’m better on defense than offense. I’d play outside linebacker or defensive end (I played defensive end in high school and during my freshman year of college). I’d play for the 49ers. Frank Gore and I would lead the team back to her old glory days.
2. Ultimate Fighter. I’d fight in the light heavyweight division (205lbs.) or middleweight division (185lbs.).
3. Adventure Travel Company Business Owner. I’d start my own adventure travel company along with my buddy Campbell, we’d call it “Epic Journey,” and we’d lead groups of people on epic adventure trips (backpacking, rafting, mountain biking, etc.) where we’d simultaneously preach the gospel to our clients and direct them to plug into a healthy local church when they returned home.
4. Architect. I’d design both commercial and residential buildings and aim to include secret passageways in most all of my designs.
5. City Planner. I’d design cities that have a multitude of central gathering places that facilitate city community, that have hip downtown cultural centers, that have a high percentage of open space and parks, and that offer ample low income and upper income housing options.
6. Professional Downhill Mountainbiker. I’d ride my bike down mountains and get paid for it. I’d start my own line of biking gear called, simply, “RAD.” My racing name would be Cru Jones.
7. Chef. I’d become extremely proficient at making, serving, and selling my favorite dish: pizza. I wouldn’t cook anything besides pizza. I’d make my pizzas in one size only: Large. And I’d serve one free dark beer (must be over 21 and must not abuse alcohol) with each purchase of one of my famous pizzas. I’d make sure to include the cost of the beer in the pizza price.
8. Professional Backpacker. I’d get paid to go backpacking by writing articles and books about my backpacking adventures.
9. Stuntman. I’d design and execute high profile stunts for films and have my brother perform any of the stunts that I was too afraid to perform.
10. High School Teacher and Football Coach. I’d teach History, English or, maybe, Physical Education (as long as we could devote half the year to Dodgeball and the other half to Full Contact Badminton) and I’d coach the varsity football team, quickly becoming one of those inspirational coaches that changes everybody’s lives, wins tons of games, and gets a “based on a true story” movie made after him.
Buzzard Blog 1 Year Anniversary: Thank You, I’m Shutting Down My Blog, That’s Not True, A Way You Can Serve Me (2 Quick Questions I’d Like Your Feedback On)
Today marks the 1 year anniversary of Buzzard Blog. And I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for reading and interacting with what I write here. When I launched this blog on August 20th, 2006 I had just a handful of visitors. Things picked up from there. Today, several hundred people read Buzzard Blog each day.
So, thank you. Thank you for helping make this blog a success through your regular visits, comments, encouragements, and suggestions. I mean it–thank you.
Once, a few weeks back, I had the thought of shutting this blog down once it reached its 1 year mark and walking away from the blogging world, grateful for my fruitful year of involvement. But, like I said, I had that thought only once. It was a quick thought–I gave it about 11 seconds of my attention and I’ve never thought about it again.
And so today I launch into my 2nd year of Buzzard Blog: Musings on the Gospel, the Church, & Culture. And as I enter my sophomore season I’d like to ask for your help. There’s 1 key way that you could serve me here at the outset of this 2nd year. Below are 2 questions. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave me a quick comment in response to these 2 questions as that would help me better shape the content of this blog over the course of this next year.
1. What have you appreciated about Buzzard Blog?
2. What would you like to see more of or less of on Buzzard Blog?
Thank you,
-Justin Buzzard
Seminary
Danny Slavich: the top five things he’s learned in seminary.
