blhowes
Puritan Board Professor
Sorry about the brain dump/long post. For those who'd rather not read the entire post, here's the condensed version: How do you prioritize those things that you'd like to learn about? Time limits what we can learn, and we can't possibly learn everything we'd like to.
[rambling]
I'd like to once again praise the Lord for this board and for its blessings - more specifically the people on the board and the diversity of thought expressed in an atmosphere, predominantly, of love and edification.
I'm sure most who have been on the board for a while can attest to the fact that they've benefitted from the time spent here. And, as I think Adam has said, its just a nice place to hangout.
It may sound weird, but I've been making a conscious effort lately not to participate on the board as much as I use to. One reason is I'd like to cut back on my trivial posts (about post count, etc) that are 'fun for a season', but in excess are a waste of time and board bandwidth.
I'll blame my main reason for cutting back on the board itself. You've instilled in me a desire to read more. At somebody's recommendation, I started reading (and am almost finished) Thomas Watson's book The Ten Commandments. I'm reading it slowly, kind of meditatively, so I can think about what he's saying. Anyway, after reading the chapter about the fourth commandment, I found myself convicted about this part of the commandment:
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
As Ecclesiastes says, there is a time to every purpose under heaven. In addition to seeing that I should remember the sabbath and keep it holy, I also started seeing that I need to work harder while I'm at work and, while at work, not divide my time/attention so much between work and the board. So, that's my main reason for cutting back on my participation.
Finally, my question:
Which, in a very roundabout way, leads me to my question. How do you guys/gals prioritize your study time? It seems there is so much I'd like to learn and there's so little time left to learn it.
As a baseline, I'm in the habit of reading through the Bible every six months, and will continue doing that. After that, I need to pick and choose what to study, and still have time for playing with my kids, taking out the dogs, paying bills, etc, etc.
It seems that on any given day, there are two or three things I'd like to learn about. For example:
1. As I'm reading Thomas Watson's book, it strikes me how little I've been taught about the law over the years. I can't remember a single sermon preached in the churches I've been a member of that talks about the law in general, or about the individual commandments specifically. The idea has always been, we're under grace now, not the law. Therefore, not much was said about the law. Yes, Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law, but what are those requirements?
I'm interested in making up for lost time and learning what I can about the 10 commandments, collectively and individually. I've started listening to a preaching series by a baptist preacher called Doug VanderMeulen on the 10 commandments and want to listen to another series or two after that. And, "at the same time", I'd like to read more as well.
Part of me wants to learn more so I can know what God expects of me and my family. But, more importantly, I want to get to know Jesus better by understanding what it means to say that He fulfilled the requirments of the law. What requirements did he fulfill? Its real clear what my character is like as I see myself falling short of the law's requirements, but what I want to see more clearly is what Jesus' character is like as he obeyed all the requirements.
2. I also recently read an interesting article called English Bible History, which talks about some of the high points of the development of the Bible from the time of Wycliffe to the present. Reading about those who were burnt at the stake so that I can read a Bible in the english language makes me want to learn more about those involved - Wycliffe, Hus, Gutenberg, Colet, Tyndale, Coverdale...
3. As I'm finishing up this time through the Bible, and am in the last of the minor prophets, I want to get a better understanding of where each prophet fits into the historical timeline of what was going on in Israel, and what things happened in Israel from the time each prophet wrote until the time of Christ. (When each prophet spoke of future events, I'd like to understand Israel's history well enough to recognize what was and wasn't fulfilled literally).
These are just examples of the kinds of things I'd like to be learning now. I'm realizing that I can't work, take care of family responsibilities, and learn everything I'd like all at once. I need to prioritize my learning and get to them when I get to them.
How do you prioritize those things that you'd like to learn about?
[/rambling]
[Edited on 3-25-2005 by blhowes]
[rambling]
I'd like to once again praise the Lord for this board and for its blessings - more specifically the people on the board and the diversity of thought expressed in an atmosphere, predominantly, of love and edification.
I'm sure most who have been on the board for a while can attest to the fact that they've benefitted from the time spent here. And, as I think Adam has said, its just a nice place to hangout.
It may sound weird, but I've been making a conscious effort lately not to participate on the board as much as I use to. One reason is I'd like to cut back on my trivial posts (about post count, etc) that are 'fun for a season', but in excess are a waste of time and board bandwidth.
I'll blame my main reason for cutting back on the board itself. You've instilled in me a desire to read more. At somebody's recommendation, I started reading (and am almost finished) Thomas Watson's book The Ten Commandments. I'm reading it slowly, kind of meditatively, so I can think about what he's saying. Anyway, after reading the chapter about the fourth commandment, I found myself convicted about this part of the commandment:
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
As Ecclesiastes says, there is a time to every purpose under heaven. In addition to seeing that I should remember the sabbath and keep it holy, I also started seeing that I need to work harder while I'm at work and, while at work, not divide my time/attention so much between work and the board. So, that's my main reason for cutting back on my participation.
Finally, my question:
Which, in a very roundabout way, leads me to my question. How do you guys/gals prioritize your study time? It seems there is so much I'd like to learn and there's so little time left to learn it.
As a baseline, I'm in the habit of reading through the Bible every six months, and will continue doing that. After that, I need to pick and choose what to study, and still have time for playing with my kids, taking out the dogs, paying bills, etc, etc.
It seems that on any given day, there are two or three things I'd like to learn about. For example:
1. As I'm reading Thomas Watson's book, it strikes me how little I've been taught about the law over the years. I can't remember a single sermon preached in the churches I've been a member of that talks about the law in general, or about the individual commandments specifically. The idea has always been, we're under grace now, not the law. Therefore, not much was said about the law. Yes, Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law, but what are those requirements?
I'm interested in making up for lost time and learning what I can about the 10 commandments, collectively and individually. I've started listening to a preaching series by a baptist preacher called Doug VanderMeulen on the 10 commandments and want to listen to another series or two after that. And, "at the same time", I'd like to read more as well.
Part of me wants to learn more so I can know what God expects of me and my family. But, more importantly, I want to get to know Jesus better by understanding what it means to say that He fulfilled the requirments of the law. What requirements did he fulfill? Its real clear what my character is like as I see myself falling short of the law's requirements, but what I want to see more clearly is what Jesus' character is like as he obeyed all the requirements.
2. I also recently read an interesting article called English Bible History, which talks about some of the high points of the development of the Bible from the time of Wycliffe to the present. Reading about those who were burnt at the stake so that I can read a Bible in the english language makes me want to learn more about those involved - Wycliffe, Hus, Gutenberg, Colet, Tyndale, Coverdale...
3. As I'm finishing up this time through the Bible, and am in the last of the minor prophets, I want to get a better understanding of where each prophet fits into the historical timeline of what was going on in Israel, and what things happened in Israel from the time each prophet wrote until the time of Christ. (When each prophet spoke of future events, I'd like to understand Israel's history well enough to recognize what was and wasn't fulfilled literally).
These are just examples of the kinds of things I'd like to be learning now. I'm realizing that I can't work, take care of family responsibilities, and learn everything I'd like all at once. I need to prioritize my learning and get to them when I get to them.
How do you prioritize those things that you'd like to learn about?
[/rambling]
[Edited on 3-25-2005 by blhowes]