We don't feast on the Bible to know the Bible. We feast on the Bible to know the God of the Bible. He wants relationships. Friendship with us. This Book is a love letter.
It is an invitation into knowing Him.
So we feast on His Word to know the One who is the Word. And we need to know more of God, and the Bible is how we get to know Him. You know, I'm excited. today because we're going to talk about Feasting. Who doesn't love a good feast?
Well, it's not the kind of feast we're thinking of. It's better. It's better. It's better. Wendy Spink is back.
It's been a while since you've been on Family Life Today. How many years, do you know? Oh, let's see. I don't know, four? Little Rock?
Yes. How long have you been here in Orlando? Jim Mitchell, how long have we been in Orlando? Bruce? I was 21, so we're coming up on four years.
Wow. Yeah, because we were last time we were together. You guys were already in the process of most people were gone. Yeah. And I had to come through a back door, and things were draped over and.
We were transitioning. Very impressive, wasn't it? Yeah, is this a little more impressive? This is incredibly impressive.
So, if you're listening to the podcast, hop on over to YouTube and see it because, yeah, it's just a beautiful thing. That's what Wendy just did. She sent our listeners to become viewers. And hit the subscribe button and follow. There you go.
And hit the like button and leave us a good review. And by the way, I'll say this to our monthly partners. Thank you. This. What you're looking at, you helped build because of your monthly giving.
It really did. I mean, I'm not kidding. It's really because of listenership. Helped build. Right.
But who really built? Jim Mitchell built this table. The table. Yeah, so I don't know how to do it. I don't think we've ever said that to our viewers.
This table was built by our producer, Jim Mitchell.
So anytime you want to do shout-outs, do some marketing, you just bring me in. I'll point out all the things that we've been doing. I totally will. That's what we're going to be feasting on. Sugar Fast.
Yeah, the last conversation we had was on fasting from sugar, and you don't remember. What did I say? You said you were going to do the sugar fast. I think I said I was. I'm like, Dave, I can't do it without you.
And you're like, okay, I'm in. I'll do it. Did we do it? I did it for a while, but then my partner. I'm blaming it on you.
Yeah. Yeah. But I've done it before, and it's kind of amazing. It is amazing. It's how transformative it is.
There's a lot of people around the country doing the Sugar Fast. Yeah. Yes. That book has.
Sold a lot of books, and you can sell more. Go get it in our show notes, familylife today.com. We have Sugar Fast there. And what was your other one, which is so good too? The 40-day social media fast.
Yes. Yes. And it really, um And that's really where this conversation starts because When we decided we an online community of women I was leading It was actually in the context. My first time coming to family life was for the book Triggers from moms who were struggling with anger. You try with Amberly.
And with Amberly. And so it was in that context, that conversation, where I said, hey, what would happen if we set down sugar for 40 days? Would we be calmer, kinder, more consistent, maybe even more Christ-like? Just because of physiologically. What's going on in our bodies?
We see what happens with our kids. Yes. Is it possible that we get them down for naps, we go to the pantry, we have a handful of? chocolate chips and a sugared latte. And maybe they wake up, and we can't handle those hours between nap time and dinner time.
It's not just them melting down, it's us. You're getting personal now. Right, I know. I'm totally stepping on toes.
So it started as a physiological fast, but it was like a week. Into the very first year, and this was about. Yeah. And we found out, oh, no, no, no, no, no. This is a spiritual fast.
And what made it a spiritual fast is we realized we were running from sugar high to sugar high to get us through our days instead of turning to the most high. And so when we set down the thing we were turning to. It opened us up to turn to the Lord.
So good. And so I said, So, what else is it? Because God never asked us for a sugar sacrifice. What else are we turning to? And that's why it became social media.
And then we've had conversations about fasting from just so many things. I love how you went to a social media fast, but you asked your online community. I know, I know there but it th isn't that a testimony. That's where we'll finish. What were you going to say?
But there's so many things that we're running to. But what we learned is when you set down what you're consuming as though that's what you need. It frees up your day. It frees up your eyes. It frees up your belly.
It frees up your hunger. In your heart. to turn to the only thing that can really satisfy you. fulfill you. Transform you and is what your life is.
Save you, sanctify you, encourage you, edify you. Long term. Yes. And do you guys feel like That's the enemy's strategy to distract. Absolutely.
And he uses all of those things to distract him. There's so many great quotes. I think it's A.W. Tozer who said, Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, no matter how harmless it may appear to be. Wow.
And I think it's in screw tape letters where C.S. Lewis talks about this is the tactic. Let's just keep them distracted. And so we're talking about feasting today, but we're not talking about literal food. We're talking about feasting on God's word.
I love it.
So that's how we got here. Is I would say in those fasting resources, so there's the 40-day sugar fast, the 40-day social media fast, the purpose of fasting is always. feasting. We're going to set down the things we're consuming. That we can get hungry again for God's word, for his sweet presence, for his sustaining word.
And we're going to do it in community, but you can do it on your own. You can do it with a friend, you can do it with a spouse, tell them not to drop the ball. And this is a devotional. It's a devotional. It really is a daily devotional, which I think a lot of people.
Feel, I can. I totally successful at this because the 12-chapter books, it's like, oh, I'm distracted by my kids needing me, or I need to leave for this. I need to run to the grocery. I need to. And it's hard to read 30 minutes, but here it's like the length of a blog post, you know, but it's deep, it's meaty, it's rooted in scripture, and it'll carry you through these 40 days.
But with the 40-day feast, when I wrote this one, I was very, very cautious. I did not want to give them. a book that was the answer. I wanted to point them and whet their appetite. I was going to say it's an appetite.
For the real feast. Yeah. Because my book isn't.
Well, I hope it's a good book. It's not the good book. And that's what we want to get hungry for. It's a good book, and it's meaty. I thought when I picked it up, it was going to be.
There are quotes. maybe half a paragraph, pray this, which some devotionals are and are great. This is not a full-length chapter, but it's more than just one page. Each page takes you somewhere. And then gives you time to say, okay, that led me to the word of God.
Now I want to sit with God. And so let's dive into these words. Very good. I've been saying this all year. And I've probably believed it my whole life, but because I'm on year 18 of going through the one-year Bible.
Yes. I think that has changed me more than anything. More than anything. It really allows me to see who God is. But who he says I am in the scriptures.
And it's like After year 18, I read it this morning.
So good, and I've read it so many times. We'll be driving, and she does that. This is so good. Let me read it out loud to you. I'm like, You're gonna read the Bible again out loud?
It's awesome, you lucky dog. But she loves it, and it's a, it's a like you said, it's a feast. It is a feast. There's always something new, there's a new flavor, there's a new, there's something that I've never noticed that before. How did I never notice that before?
Because the Holy Spirit, who lives in us when we're in Christ, is always pointing out new things, and it's what I need that day. You know, that the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and one of the things that I love so much because I often hear from people, I like I believe But I don't read it.
So Bible believers aren't Bible readers. And there are only a few reasons really why. One, they're just so busy, they've fallen out of habit, maybe. But a lot of people have never gotten into the practice of being a Bible. Reader.
Are they intimidated? I think it's a how am I going to understand it? I don't understand it.
So I love to point out, and because I've experienced myself, the same Holy Spirit that inspired the writing of the word. Is the Holy Spirit that inspires the reading of the Word?
So good. And God is so kind. to reveal to us what we can understand the first time through. And then he opens our eyes, opens our minds, gives us the ability to perceive meaning that we didn't understand the first time through. You're growing in your ability to understand it.
So the word is actually expanding. As you expand in your knowledge, as you expand in your ability to comprehend, he says, Oh, good, because I have more for you. And sometimes it's not just a mental understanding, sometimes it's a. My heart is inclined to you. Or, I had to go through seeing that those other things didn't fulfill me.
Oh, it's because look how long-suffering you are. Those things can't suffer long with me. Yeah. And I mean, there's just so many reasons, but another thing I love is he's a really clear communicator. Yeah.
And we tell ourselves the Bible's confusing. I don't know where to start. And so we never start and so we never find out How simple The message of the Bible is. What's interesting, I can remember. My family, we didn't go to church growing up.
And I slept in a double bed with my sister, who's six years older. And we got in this phase because my mom brought home a Bible. I don't even know where she got it. And It was a version that we could actually understand. It wasn't a King James.
And so we took the Bible, my sister and I, and we decided to start reading it. And she said, I heard somebody say we should start in the book of John. and so she starts reading it, and we read it for probably five days in a row. And I remember saying to her, and mind you, we've never heard the gospel. I know nothing, zero, neither of us do.
And I remember saying, I don't get it. Like, how do we get to heaven? Is it the. Are we supposed to be good enough, or what is it? I don't get it.
and she said mean either we put the Bible away and we made a pact with one another. Whoever discovers the truth needs to come back and tell the other one of how we get into heaven. And so Years through you. I was 10 at that time that we were reading. 16.
Okay, go on with the story. And so then, when I was 16, she was married. She came back home and she said, I found the answer. Praise God. And my sister and I both gone through sexual abuse.
She was bulimic.
So many years, anorexic. She wasn't looking good. She was in a tough marriage. But she came home this time and she looked amazing. Amazing.
And I said, What happened? She goes, It's what I found the answer to. It's Jesus. And I said, I'm not really into the Jesus thing anymore. I'm kind of into boys, you know?
But she said, no, I'm going to tell you everything. And she shared the gospel. We ended up running because I was in track. She ran with me for six miles. The whole gospel laid out.
I came home, got on my knees, gave my life, surrendered to Jesus. What a story. But then here's the amazing thing. Later after she'd gone home, she said, you need to be in the Bible. The word is going to grow you.
You're going to be discipled through God's word. It will change you. And I remember reading the same scriptures. And now, because I'm in Christ with the Holy Spirit, I read it, and I'm like, oh, God. I get it.
I get it. He has illuminated my mind. I feel led that if you are listening right now and you have tried before. to understand it. Maybe you were young in the faith.
Maybe you were not yet even saved. And you've told yourself. That you just don't have the ability to understand it only with the help of a Bible teacher or a pastor on Sundays. I just want to encourage you to try. Again, and it really doesn't take much trying, so there's got to be a different word.
Go do it again. Yeah. Open yourself up. Again, to the one who is the word, and then open up the word and. A feast might sound a little bit intimidating.
Have a nibble. Yes, start in the book of the Bible. Absolutely. But I do say in this, one of the days' devotions. just because you should be able to read it for yourself.
doesn't mean you have to read it by yourself. Uh It's okay to, you're talking about reading the book every year, you know, like the Terra Lee Cobble, her Bible recap. Yes. She's got a podcast. She's got the book.
Great resource. Great resource. There are so many people that do daily recaps on YouTube. And so you don't have to do it and suck the marrow out of it by yourself. Like there are, it's okay.
Commentaries are okay. But But start reading. Yeah. I love that.
Now, what's your journey? When did you start? I've got a history with God. But I don't remember when I fell in love with God's word because it was just a very natural. Progression.
I had a Sunday school teacher at church. Her name was Ruth Gosting. And like, she was ancient when I was little, but you know, she was like, she was always old. And she had this squeaky, high-pitched voice, and she would tell the Bible stories for the kids and put the felt Jesus up on the felt board. And, um, And yeah, tell us Bible stories, but sing songs.
Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so. And I believed that Jesus loved me because Ruth told me that the Bible told me so. And then my mom at night singing the same song, telling me the Bible tells me so. Like, why would I not? Love God's word because He's telling me He loves me, and I'm being told by people who are.
Actively, demonstratively showing me that I'm loved. And so I believed that the God of the Bible loved me before I could read the Bible for myself. But my first Bible that I remember having was a Precious Moments Bible. And you know, I'm sure that there are many women listening to this broadcast right now going, oh, you mean the white one? The white one.
The gold edges and then the pictures of the precious moment figurines. You don't know what that is, Dave? I do not know what you're talking about. But if I look through it. I see notes in the margin.
I see dates. I see flyers from various church camps I went to. I've got a bookmark in there from Indian Village and beads at the bottom of it. Like it is full of mementos, which tells me I've got history. with God in His Word.
Which is just so cool. But then I hit the age where I was going to college and my dad said to me You may not take your precious moment's Bible to college. He was sparing you. She's like, it's time to grow up a little bit. Yeah.
So he bought me a life application Bible, and that was my first time having a Bible with commentary. Not only was it big, it was big. And so I took it to college. And the way I describe that Bible is. Thud.
You know, you'd put it on a bedside table and thud, right? And my roommate, my freshman year of college, was Muslim from the Middle East. And so sh she would watch me read my Bible and she said, I have never seen someone read the Quran the way you read your Bible. And I said to her, You should. You should absolutely, then you can tell me what you believe, and I can tell you what I believe.
And so, I'm growing, I'm growing not only to know it, but I'm getting so full of the word, it's spilling over. I'm wanting to share it. I start going to Campus Crusade for Christ, now crew, and um. And I remember this was freshman year of college. Where were you?
You asked me, like, when did I fall in love with God's word? And I'm telling you about all my Bibles right now because I've got stories with Bibles. And so I was in Boston.
So it was at Harvard because my school didn't have Crusade. And so there was a teacher there, and he's doing the Friday Night Message. for multi-campuses come in here for Kempsker said. And he was talking about prayer. And when you are praying.
So obviously in line with God's will. There's an eager expectation to see Him answer. And so he encouraged us at the end of the message Pray for something. Ask God for something that you imagine would be right in line with his will. And so I said, God, I just got a new Bible, and I've got a, you know, college students.
Um budget. Could you just send me one? Because I want a smaller Bible so I can keep it on me and share my faith. And that thud, you know, big honking Bible. I can't carry that around the city.
It feels intimidating to a person. Not only that, but it's too heavy. Yeah, it's gonna break my back. And so the next The next school day that I went to the post office there on campus, there was an unmarked paper package. in my my um little post box And it was a small Bible.
With no return address. Come on. Totally telling the truth.
Now you found out who it came from. I did. Years later, it was from my uncle Bob. And I only know this. He never told me because I saw my mom had the same one.
I was like, I got that Bible. And she said, Yeah, Uncle Bob sent it to us. But even the timing of it, you had just brought it. No, it was so the Lord. Anyway, I've got history with that Bible until that Bible.
fell apart, like just fell apart. Um but I really believe that a Bible that's fallen apart It represents a life that's been put back together. And that Bible walked me through seasons when I had fallen apart and it bound me up again. I mean, it just really did a number on me. And that's what God promises.
And so, I mean, I just, I've got a history with a Bible. I mean, I'm looking at the verse you have. Jeremiah 15:16, it says, Your words were found, and I ate them. And your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart. for I am called by your name, O Lord God of hosts.
Yeah. I mean, that's where you get the feast. Yeah. I ate them. Yeah.
And if you don't have I mean there are two things. One, I'm not feasting because I don't know how. Two. I've never acquired a taste for it. I don't get what you mean.
Good point. This sounds so foreign, like a new language. And I think that there are some prayers that we could pray. And I'm very cautious. I don't want anyone to think that praying is an Abra-Cadabra magic trick.
We're not the puppeteer and God is not our puppet. Hmm. But, um I had a pastor in Escondido, California. Pastor Dennis Keating, and he would say each Sunday he would Get up at the podium, put his hands on it, look out at the congregation and say, Did you come? To hear from the Lord this morning.
And then you would pause. Which would require us to answer the question. Oh, that's right. That's what I came to church for, is to Hear from the Lord, and I found myself asking the question in my own quiet time. with the Lord, is I would open my Bible and I'd start to read wait, wait, wait.
Did I come to hear from the Lord? And so if you haven't yet experienced the sweetness of God's Word, Ask him for it. Your words were found, and I ate them, and they became. To me? A joy, sweetness, My delight.
God I I've found your words. Here they are. I've not experienced that. Would you? Help me to experience how sweet you are.
how clear a communicator you are. And that you love me and you have life abundant for me, and the secret is found here as I get to know who you are. I'm going to grow in your grace. I'm going to grow in the knowledge of you. I'm going to get more excited about it because, to be honest, God, I'm not always excited to open your word.
Would you help me get excited, develop a. A hunger, a taste, a sweet tooth. And I have found, and maybe you guys have too, but the longer I'm out of the word, I lose my taste for it. You do. Like you're out of the habit, and then you forget the habit, and then you're not longing for it.
Absolutely. And so to be patient with yourself. Like the first day you're like, okay. I read it. And maybe you didn't think, oh, this was amazing.
But maybe you thought, okay, I was obedient, and this was, I did it. The next day he You might have a little more of a taste for it. But I'm telling you, the more you're in it, the longer you're in it, you acquire that taste to the point where you're longing for it each day. Like, I can't wait to see what I'm going to read today. Oh, I love your heart, Anne.
Yeah, my journey was so different than both of yours. Yeah. Um I grew up in a divorced family when I was seven. My dad left. My little brother dies.
He's five. I'm seven.
So all like. two or three months time. Moved from one state to another where my mom's parents were. Anyway, she was a uh You know, Bible-believing woman, mom.
So she took me to church. Honestly, I sat there and listened to these sermons. Two things I thought: I'll never become one of those. There's no way. These guys are boring.
And I felt scared by the Bible because I didn't understand it. And again, some of it was the preaching didn't make it clear, so I felt confused. And anyway, I get older and older, I get into high school, and then I'm like, I really don't understand it. And I've got intimidated by it by it, because I'm like, There's not even one book. There's like a whole bunch of books, you know?
So I'm very biblically illiterate. And I get to college. And so, long story, but I come to Christ my junior year. And a guy says, We have a Bible study on Friday nights. You gotta come.
And I remember thinking Friday night when you were supposed to go partying on Friday night in my first ever Bible study. I don't even remember the Bible I had. I think my mom gave it to me. I think it was the. The book, The Living.
Remember the back in the 70s? It was a big campaign. The green one with the gold letters. That's the one my mom brought home. Yeah, well, I wonder who was giving those out.
I don't know. It was a big deal. It was kind of a big deal. It was the thing. I got one.
I'll never forget. I walked across campus with my ball state. football letter jacket on. Bible underneath 'cause I was ashamed. I'm not even Christian.
Look at you now.
Well, I mean, I'm just thinking, yeah, I'm a, I don't want anybody to know I'm going to a Bible study. This is like, what are you doing with your life? And here's what happened: I go to this Bible study, it's in a Uh another student's room, dorm room. And he teaches John 3. Nicodemus, I remember it like yesterday.
It's the first time in my life the Bible. was clear. It was practical. It was alive. I remember when he said, Let's turn to John 3.
I literally looked around the room like, How do these guys know where that is? I didn't. I'm looking at table contents, you know. I'm all embarrassed. I don't want anybody to see that I don't know what John is.
That's where I was, and here I am. But I mean, it's like, I remember walking back to my dorm room like this. Wow, like pulling it out. Like, this book is amazing. It was my first taste.
I think it's really important for those who are tuning in to. Just hear that you were raised in church. And there's various degrees of what you do with that, right? Right, right. I mean, you could be a hey, I.
I never really understood it. Right. I walked away. The Bible, or just the simplicity of the gospel message. Yes.
Right. And some people believe it. To whatever degree they're able to, without ever really getting into it and letting it. Shape their thinking and their life, and wherever you are in your journey. Like right now is a time.
Meggie, y you obviously tuned in for this episode. But If now's the time where you're going to Tune into the word and dive into the word and say, Okay, I'm ready. To understand it, like I want to know where the book of John is. I want to open it to chapter three. I want to read for myself what was so transformational in Dave's life.
God, what you did in him. What you reveal to him, would you reveal it to me? Yeah. He will. Yeah, he will.
I love it.
He does that. The honest. Prayers that you're offering our listeners. Like, just tell God: Lord, I've struggled with this book. I don't get it.
And I don't know when people say, This is so cool. This seems so cool to me. Be honest and ask him to reveal himself. It's a start. And it's a slow start, too.
And one of the things that's my favorite is I have. Uh, women reach out to me who are like, I'm talking about the veterans in your church, okay? These are deeply Bible-believing women. Yeah. Who loved the book?
There are women who used to be Like on fire, as we used to say, right? For the word, like, oh, I was insatiable, right? You remember that term. And then there are women that say, I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm willing to give it a shot. And I've heard back from women in all these different Stages and women sitting down and doing this with their husbands or their sons as well.
And it's hitting. It is hitting. Of course, it would hit. Because we're just talking about one. What what is God's word?
Yeah. Two. Why should we read it? Three, how do we read it? And four, how do we live in response?
Because we're told in the book of James, we don't want to just be readers of the word or hearers of the word. We want to grow to do what it says. I like how you've divided that up too in your devotional. But before we get onto that, let me just remind people right now. I'm going to look at the camera and say, you can get this book, FamilyLifeToday.com, show notes, get it.
Let's commit for 40 days. and see where it goes, because I know it's going to keep going, but start small. It's not the rest of your life, 40 days, familylife.com, show notes, get the book. Yeah. How about this one, Wendy?
This is day eight, Bible wounds. Yeah. Because Psalm 107 says he sent out his word and healed them. But some of us, what do you mean by Bible wounds? I mean, some, I think the popular term today is church hurt.
Yep. Um Where either the scripture was weaponized and you always left feeling bad about yourself, or you weren't, oh, this is a big one. Maybe maybe as an adult, maybe as a child you went and you just never quite felt like you were in the in-group. You you go to church? In this current season, and there's nobody outside the person holding the door that really greets you or wants to know you.
Women's events go on, men's events go on, but nobody puts their hands on your shoulder and says, Come with me. Hey, let's meet up for coffee first. And you just kind of feel on the outside. Um I think I tell in that chapter the story of Ruth Gosting. And as a child, I.
Loved going to church because I was loved by someone at church. I believe. and believed. that the God of the Bible loved me because I was told by people who loved me well. And if you have not been loved well.
Maybe You've experienced the opposite. Maybe you've been hurt. by a very religious Mother, father. Church leader Grandfather and maybe you want to trust that God is good, but your experience is that the people that love God or believe God didn't love you well, then I just want to encourage you to I mean, even now, just slow down, take a couple deep cleansing breaths. And separate.
The Love of God From the From the attempts of people in this world. to represent him. You know, Jesus came for us because we fail so terribly as humans. all have sinned and fallen short, and some people have sinned. By hurting others.
By hurting children. by hurting women. And if you have been. Hurt. Um There is healing for you.
But they do not. Reflect or represent The tenderness. the kindness of the God of the Bible. And so if you have been hurt, and most of us have, Invite the Lord to do what he says he does, which is bring healing. I have come.
that they might experience healing, that they might experience Relief that they might experience, release from prison, from bondage. From brokenness we're told that God loves the broken hearted, We see throughout the scriptures that he loves the broken bodied. We see throughout the scriptures that he restores people. to wholeness, restores families, restores people to God. And so often even in the Bible That others do wrong to people.
And those people are the ones that Jesus came to and lifted up out of positions of brokenness. And brought healing to their lives, and he can do it for you. I mean, what you just said is so helpful and healing. Yeah. How have you been able to, because we all have to deal with this, separate the love of God from the people of God?
Yeah. When the people of God. Don't live up to the Word of God that they even quote. And they hurt you. And again, you've said a lot there because there's sin, there's brokenness.
And those people could be in our homes, even. In your home, in your church. We've gone through church hurt. In some ways, you're shocked. We shouldn't be because we're all sinners, but we're shocked.
We expect People don't Adhere to the Word of God and know the Word of God or preach the Word of God. Yeah. I think so often we don't even know we're weaponizing it. I mean, even well-intentioned moms and dads, you know, as we're doing Bible studies, and I think that this is true.
So, I'm going to tell you something that I would say to my kids, but if I harp on it, it actually becomes destructive.
So I would say Sons, if you obey me, it goes well for you. It's just like what God says: children, obey your parents and the Lord, and it will go well for you. Like, that is biblical truth. But it's a very thin line when all of a sudden you're shaming and becoming authoritarian and demanding respect.
So the the most well-intentioned, loving parent. Can also hurt their kiddos if they're not careful.
So, God, teach us. I think we will lead us. We're going to, right? Yes. but there are some who very much are I I I think in positions of power usually.
and whether that's uh parent. or a husband in the home, Using the scriptures, using his position of power and hurting people. It can happen in churches. Um where you you know I'm gonna Whether intentionally or not, non-intentionally. unintentionally Sending a message of shame rather than an invitation for healing, right?
And then there are churches where. It feels like if you're not in the in group. You're in the out group. And that does not represent the love of God.
So it can be the word, it can be a lack of loving welcome. Right? Yeah. So there are lots of ways to do that. And do you have a practice of Bible study that helps you understand?
Because one of the things, you know, in my story is I. Didn't understand it. You know, and back then there were no online commentaries. Right. You know, where I could tap into scholars who have studied these over generations now.
Yes, there's so much more now at our fingertips, literally at our fingertips. I would encourage people, one, to open it up. Yep. Start there. To start there.
I have an acronym for feast. You have like three acronyms. I like it. I know.
Well, you're an acronym guy. Not only do I, but I say, okay, now you come up with an acronym. It's so fun to get creative on how you're going to feast.
Well, this is your middle section, is really your devotionals are how to study God's word for yourself. And I love the practicality of that. Yeah. So, I mean, to, I pivoted from your question here because, yes, there are ways to get into community. And I think that understanding it is done well in community, but so much of this is getting into a rhythm of opening the word.
So when someone weaponizes the word of God against you, you actually have a discerning mind. Yeah, you know, we're told to test the spirits, we're told to. to handle the word well. And so, we can't do that if we're not even opening the word and reading it for ourselves. I'd love to just talk about how do we do it?
What are a couple of things we can do if we're just saying, okay, Wendy, I believe you.
So, what does it look like to open the word? And so, I have a pre-reading plan, and that's to pray. If you pray before you eat a meal, God bless this food. Thank you for the people around this table. Would you nourish us, our bodies, so that we can go out and be your people?
Whatever your go-to prayer is, you likely have one. Let me just say, we say these prayers. People, God is listening. Yeah, He is. Even your most rote prayers, right?
Repeated prayers.
So let's have one for when we open. Like it could be Pastor Keating's. Did you come to hear from the Lord this morning? Hey, God, I just want you to know. I'm here to hear from you.
Give me the ears to hear you. Give me the eyes to see you. Give me the mind to perceive you. Give me the heart to experience your love as I read. Give me the spiritual taste buds to experience the sweetness of your word.
And then give me the will to surrender and love you back. Here I am. Show off. I'm yours. Amen.
That's good. Not every some people are gonna be like, I don't pray like that.
Okay. God. Reveal yourself to me. Amen. Here we go.
Oh God, I don't get this. Help me to get it. Yeah. Just give me a nugget, Lord.
Something. Like, give me a breadcrumb. Yeah. And I'll look for the next breadcrumb. And before I know it, I'm going to be down the path in a relationship with you.
But, and that is, so that's my F for my acronym for feast. It starts with friendship with God. He wants relationship. Fellowship. Friendship with us.
This book is a love letter. It is an invitation into knowing him, abiding with him, abiding in him, abiding in his word. He abides in us. This is a knowing. Invitation.
So we feast on his word to know the one who is the word. We don't feast on the Bible to know the Bible. We feast on the Bible to know the God of the Bible. We don't need to know more of the Bible. We need to know more of God.
And the Bible is how we get to know him. Right? So it starts with friendship. E is eat.
So whether you're doing the verse of the day on your Bible app. You're just reading through a passage over and over every day this week because a friend of yours said, Hey, I'm going to read through this section of Ephesians 6. I've never really understood the armor.
Okay, I don't even know what you're talking about, but I'll do that every day this week, and then we'll get together on Sunday before church or after church, and we'll grab brunch and we'll talk about what we learned.
Okay. or you're reading a chapter a day. Or you're reading through the Bible, right? Whatever it is, the next portion is to eat, right?
So we start with friendship, and we're going to open it up, we're going to eat. A is for apply it.
Now, there are in-depth Bible studies, right? You're really diving deep. You're answering a bazillion questions. I think there's a time for that. I think it's wonderful.
But it can be as simple as these three. Simple questions. What? What did I learn about God just now?
Okay. What What do I realize about myself in light of this? And three, What should I do? Yeah. How do I live differently?
Is there something I should stop doing? Because I'm feeling convicted of sin? Is there something I should start doing because I'm convicted of righteousness? Is there Something I don't even know what it means, and I just need to lean in more about how I should be living. This is part of the sanctification process.
And Wendy, I don't think we always stop to ask that question. No, no, because when you ingest. But don't digest. It leads to Oftentimes, spiritual indigestion or malnourishment, right? Because we're not getting the nutrients out of what we just ate.
We're like gobbling it up, checking the box, and moving on.
So you ingest the word, but applying it helps us to digest it. And then So we've got friendship, we've got eating it up, we've got applying it. S is for savoring it. Even after you've done the application, now you've got to take what you learned with you. Like, if all you do is close your Bible and move on.
How do you savor it? What's that look like?
Well, sometimes it'll be like I love keeping little note cards on my desk or wherever I study the Bible.
Sometimes they're tucked into the pages, and I'm like, oh, I want to write that verse down. And I'll tuck it into my Bible, I mean, my pocket or back into my Bible, but usually in my pocket or in my purse, or I, you know, put it by my sink or on the mirror or in my car. And I'm like, oh, that's right. God did not give me a spirit of fear. But of love, power, and a sound mind in Christ.
That's the verse I need to savor, then the verse I need to meditate on. I need to not only read it, I need to believe it. I need to let that verse seep into me and believe, because I'm struggling with anxiety and my mind feels just fractured and bouncing. But I read in God's Word. that I have a sound mind.
That's part of my inheritance. What does that mean? I want to suck on the I want to chew the cud as a cow does over and over. I want to take it with me. But if I left my snack, if I left my meal, if I left my feast, in my Bible And I was only there for, let's say, let's say I had a meaty time with the Lord.
I was in the Bible for 25 minutes. Or you were in the Bible for three minutes. How many minutes are you not in the Bible?
So take it with you so that you might savor the sweetness of that which. Was so good. I know that when our kids were little, it's just like you have kids on. You're going to get to the tea. Oh, I will.
Yeah, I'm going to get to tea. But they. They're on you all the time.
So I'm like, I don't even know how I read my Bible anymore. And so I would, you probably did this too. I had my Bible everywhere. Oh, yeah. I had my Bible.
That's why I needed the little Bible that I prayed for. Yes. I had one in the kitchen. I had one in the bathroom. I had one in the car as I'm waiting for kids in a school.
in the school line. And There's such a temptation because now we all have our phones, which has the Bible on them, too, which is good. But man, as soon as I pick up my phone, you're just captured by whatever post was on there. And so even to discipline our minds, because how will your life look different if you're in the word, digesting and eating of the word versus social media? Our lives will look so different and our hearts will be so fulfilled as we get in God's word.
And maybe we discipline ourselves to think, I'm not going to go on to social media until I have feasted on God's Word. The word before the world. Yeah, that's really good. All right, now the tea.
Well, absolutely. And I mean, I think that what you're saying leads to the tea, which is. We ultimately we want to be transformed. Yes. You are what you eat.
So, I mean, I've got, I joke, God will never call me to a 40-day cheese fast. I love cheese. Who doesn't love a good charcuterie board, right? Yes. But if all I ate was cheese I'd be physically bigger.
I would look. Different. And if all I do is consume reels, if you're listening, I've got my thumb going. I'm like pepper miming, right? We're all convicted with you, by the way.
All I do is consume social media. Then I will start looking by that which comes across my feed. But if I start feeding, On God's word. Then I'm going to start. being transformed.
And looking more like that. I had a friend when my kids were young, Miss Angie. And she had a sing-song voice and she was so patient with the kids and she was always having creative party ideas. And I loved to be with Miss Angie. My peer, but I would even say to the kids, who's the best mom in the world?
And we would all cheer, Miss Onjo. What's the happiest place in the world? And we lived close to Disneyland, and we would still say Miss Angie's house. And when I would spend time with Miss Angie, I My voice. Pattern.
Even sounded more like her. My joy was more like her joy. It was contagious. It was like I was rubbing up against her and I was taking on her character. And that is true when we spend time in God's Word.
You are what you eat.
You are whom you spend time with. You become more like their character. And so we want to consume more of him. This is time for you to share the dog fighting story. The dog fighting story?
Yeah. It's the who wins the dog fight? Yes. You've heard that one. That's around.
But it goes with it for generations. It's told like it's a true story. Who knows? But it was like this guy, you know, takes dogs down. Again, this is horrible.
Dog fights are terrible. Don't bet money on the dog. Don't Google dog fight. But he would always bring his dogs, and he had a certain kennel of dogs, and his dogs. He always bet on the right dogs.
And somebody came to him one day and said, I'll never bet again, but can you tell me, do you know who's going to win the fight? And he goes, yeah. And he goes, how do you know? He goes, I can't tell you. He goes, No, I'm never going to bet again.
I'm not going to use this. But you must have a secret. And he goes, Well, it's not a secret. Whatever dog you feed the most wins. And it's the spirit and flesh.
You know, it's how it's used: what are you feeding on? What are you eating? And we eat the world. We we feast on the The world's mindset. Ask the Lord, what are we feeding?
Yeah. And it could even be for some of you listening, um whatever it is right now that you're binge watching. You know, if I'm not calling out sin. I'm just saying if what you're watching right now is Game of Thrones and Yellowstone. Her American Idol.
Oh. That was me.
Well, I'm specifically sharing ones that, you know, I'm okay listening to a whole lot of cussing with a whole lot of sex in it. I'm not saying me, I'm saying if that's what you're saying, that that's what I'm saying. We're like, wow, wouldn't it be okay? Actually, I prefer it. Me and Family Life don't agree with that.
No, but if you're consuming, let's say, three hours with three episodes at night, you and your husband is aware of it. Oh, it's not influenced me at all. Yes, it is. It is. You're feeding that, but you're at church for a 37-minute message once a week.
Alright. Which one is going to win? Which dog is going to win? Flash or the spirit? Yeah.
Yeah, do we need to restate what I was trying to say in that one? We got it. You know, like I'm saying, what am I feeding? Yeah. What am I watching?
But as a pastor, For 40 years almost now, I sense, and there are surveys that back this up. When I even say, hey, let's turn to... You know, let's turn to Malachi. We're going to. Malachi as well.
Yeah, Malachi, the Italian prophet. Yeah. I mean,. Honestly, you look out there, and today, again, everybody's got a device. But back in the day when people had opened their Bibles, most of the room can't find that book.
They're just not familiar with the book. The only time they open it is right now. This 30 minutes once a week. And if you were a golfer or anything else, and you're like, I'm going to become a great golfer, I'm going to play 30 minutes once a week. You'll never.
Shoot par. It's like we don't apply that concept to anything else that we really want to be good at. But the Word of God is just like, oh, it's not that important. It's the most important thing you can do. I would recommend something.
If you have a church. that has a Grounded. theologically grounded and intentional children's ministry. As long as You are a Bible-believing Christian, whether this is in your comfort zone and your gifting or not. See if you can serve in children's ministry.
If you do not know the word yet, you don't understand the message, the arc of scripture. You don't know where Malachi is. Start serving in your children's ministry. They won't ask you to teach beyond your knowledge, but you might start learning. Or get for your children or your grandchildren the Jesus Storybook Bible or the Jesus Bible.
There are a couple children's Bibles. And I tell you, as a As a woman who to some degree does know the word. It is it is oftentimes in the context of teaching children. that I'm most moved by sim the simplicity of the gospel. And also, they're oftentimes learning the fruit of the Spirit.
They're learning. to feed the spirit, not the flesh. And they're learning it on a very, very elementary Level. Literally. And simplistic, and you can remember it.
Yes, and they're going to learn the books of the Bible. You can learn with them. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus. You'll be singing it. You can also just do a Bible search on YouTube for books of the Bible song.
And then Challenge yourself. To sing along with Young children, the books of the Bible. It's a great idea. Maybe even here in the show notes, you guys can add a link to something like that because there are so many great resources out there.
Well, even, oh gosh, I'm going to forget his name. Who's the guy that does the little video before each book? Yeah, it's the. Is it on your version? Bible Project.
Wow. There are so many good ones. There are so many good ones that will just explain it simply. Here's the book. I will do those.
Even me too. I'm on my. I don't even know how many times through the Bible I've done. I've shown them at church for a series. Yeah.
We're going to study this book. Watch this. Yes. It's so well done. It gives the background, it helps you understand.
Well, Let's end by talking about your last section, Wendy. Commit to stay hungry, faithful and unashamed of a biblical worldview. Oh, this is a hard one, but I think so important. There is so much Well, actually, you and I were talking over Over lunch. There's a movement that's let's be progressive, is the term, right?
We're progressive Christians. What do you think that means?
Well, I think what it was intended to mean originally was: hey, there's this historical reading of the word in Christian churches in North America interpretation of the Bible, but we want to be more inclusive.
So we just want people who are homosexuals to feel safe and comfortable here. We will have. Uh yeah. Maybe more women pastors preaching. We will, and so they start.
broadening what a lot of the more conservative churches are doing. And I absolutely think it's okay to have really meaningful dialogues about what does the word say and how do we show the love of Christ. to the people. In our communities and invite them in and give a safe place.
So I think that the purpose of The church the churches who have become more progressive, I think the intention is really, really good. I think it's um Elisa Childers has a book called Another Gospel. She talks about progressive Christianity as eventually, if you broaden and broaden and broaden what the gospel is. What it includes, you can broaden it to the point where it's actually not the gospel anymore. It's no longer the gospel.
So I say you can progress beyond the gospel, is the way I put it. And so many progressive churches, because they don't want to hurt people's feelings. They want everyone to feel included. That suddenly they don't want to address sin.
So sin becomes like it's an off the table topic.
Well, we don't talk about homosexuality. We don't talk about um It was just anything that might offend someone, gender. And so before you know it, You're not talking about sin, but there is no need for Christ. There's no need for redemption. There's no need for his death.
There's no need for his death. There's no need for his resurrection. We don't need Christ if there was no sin to separate us from God. And so. And now we've lost the gospel.
You've absolutely, you don't need it. Right. Why would you need good news when there's never been bad news? We've got to read the word. To know the word.
So when we're taught something that is counter. The word we will know it and say no. I know what the word is, and we will be like Dave leaving the Bible study, holding up our Bibles, saying, Nope, nope, nope, I'm not ashamed of this. I'm not looking to start fights. to for for division's sake.
But I am willing to stand up for truth's sake because of love, not because of the opposite of love, not because I'm looking to be judgmental, but because Christ came. Motivated by love to bring people to the Father, and sin separates us from the Father, so the loving thing to do is to recognize that sin exists. And we want to, in love, call it out, speak the truth in love. Of course, we have to first shine the light of truth in our own lives, which is why we need to open the word too. Say, God, I give you access to the cobwebby corners of my life and heart.
Shine a light there first. And I'm telling you, I've said this so many times: we are being discipled by our culture. We live in it. You can help it. We're being conformed.
We're being discipled by the culture automatically. It just happens. You will be discipled. Yes. And so if we don't know the word, you're right, Wendy.
We will just conform. But if we know the word and we know what it says and we know that it brings life and it is the best feast we will ever taste. When you taste of the Word of God. The world feels much less apt. It loses its sweetness.
Hey, I got to ask this: I got two moms of boys. Yes. How did you guys do this with your kids? Yeah. Not perfectly.
Go ahead, Wendy. You are amazing. I love that.
You take this one. You know what? I've learned is I will answer that question, but just a caveat for the moms listening who maybe have grown children. whether you did it and knocked it out of the park and your kids love the Lord. Or you did it and you thought you were knocking it out of the park.
And they. They aren't far. They don't know the Lord. Yeah, they're not. Yeah.
Let's just remember that the God who wrote the word who inspire the word. Is the one who is the word chasing them down in all spirit and truth today? Because we feel incredible guilt. Man, did we ever. And so sometimes when I'm praying for my children today, And they're grown now.
I will just spend time praying for the soil. Lord, I just bless the soil of their lives. Holy Spirit, would you just knock out some of the. Of the rocks, pull some of the weeds. Toil the soil.
Chase them down. Moisten it with your tears. And Thank you for the privilege of having planted so many gospel seeds in their lives. Help me, Lord, even now. to model well.
A life of love and joy and service that represents you well. And I think too, Dave, I feel like I have done some good things. And I asked the boys, like, what do you remember? Nothing. They basically remember, but.
The thing they do say, Mom, I do remember this, is you reading your Bible. Yes. I remember that Bible always being on the table. Like every day, the Bible was out on the table.
Well, I had, because we were homeschooling for quite a few years, I had all the fun devotionals. I mean, I call them fun.
Okay. My kids are like, oh my gosh, again. But I mean, I had, and now I'm printing up coloring pages. And now let's make a, let's make a specific meal that goes with the theme of the book we're reading. I would walk Jesus if I were your child.
Would say she was a little extra, right? That's awesome.
Well, when you're done a lot, and then they ended up there telling you you did too much, or you didn't do enough. It is always the same. Lord that brings revelation and faith. It is the gift of the Spirit that gives eyes to see and a spirit that gives And if you've done nothing as a mom, Just know it's never too late. Maybe your kids are all gone.
Maybe you have grandkids or not, but you can still start your own journey. Feasting on God's word. Absolutely. Growing in your faith. Yeah, and the key that it's an it would be an overflow.
Yes, that's what I was going to say. I couldn't deny it because they see it coming. Coming out of mom or daddy. You can't help but talk about it.
So I'll use one more acronym for your book as we close and say. Forget everything and start today.
Next feast. Forget everything. Forget everything. I didn't have to look. I remember.
And there's so much grace in that, isn't there? And it doesn't matter what happened yesterday or last year. Maybe you were in the Word for decades. With the kids, with your husband. And let me ask his grace.
God is never beating you up. He's not saying, well, finally, you're in the Word. He is always cheering you on. One more day I'm giving you. He never does that.
We say it to ourselves, but that's not who He is. No, it's interesting. When you were saying earlier about praying. You know, you think, I don't often think about praying before I open the word. That was a great reminder to say, wait, all the things that are really, really important to us, we pray.
Like being in the NFL as a chaplain. Guess how many teams pray in their locker room before they go on the football field? Every team. Really? Because it's so important to the city, to the organization, to everybody there.
Whether they believe in God or not, everybody wants to pray. It's like before battle. Yeah, everybody prays in a fall.
So when you said today, you know, pray before you open the word, I'm like, why wouldn't we? This is just as important, it's more important than winning an NFL football game. I remember doing a chapel years ago. Again, I didn't use acrostic, I used seven P's, and I called it the Seven Piece of Bible Study. See if this worked.
I don't even remember. I'm sure it's good. I'm going to try and remember it was. Number one, it's got to be a priority. Yes.
This is one of the most important things you'll do every day. Number two, you need a place. I would say Find a place that you love in the house. It doesn't have to be, but it could be a chair or, you know, somewhere you do it. Number three.
Pray. I had that as one of the things before you open the word, pray. Just so you know, many Bible teachers, pastors, well-intentioned bloggers, we've got we know things and we forget to do them sometimes.
Okay, go on, I've even forgotten I had that one when you said I'm like, go ahead. That one passage. You need a passage you're going to study. Whether you're going through the whole Bible or going through a book, don't just randomly say, I'm going through the book of Psalms or whatever. Have a passage.
Yeah. Get a pen.
Now, today it'd be maybe a digital device, but take notes or write in your Bible, scribble things there. You may hand this to your grandkids someday, and they'll see. That's my heart. I love you, too. You know that, man, he didn't just.
Look at the passage. He took notes he had a pen. I mean, is that five? Second. Six was ponder.
Think about it. Savor was yours. And then seven was practice. Do it. Live it.
Transform. Nice. There you go. Nice. Well, it's not as good as it is.
No, it's a good alliteration. It's a good feast, but it works. And you know what? Wendy's book has scripture every day in it. Yes.
And they're good scriptures. Food for thought.
Some questions afterwards. Yeah. Food for thought.
That's it. Food for thought.
FamilyLifeToday.com, show notes. We've got a link. Get her book right there. Bruce is going to tell me something. No, that was the first time.
Oh, okay. Hey, thanks for watching. And if you like this episode, you better like it. Just hit that like button. And we'd like you to subscribe.
So all you got to do is go down and hit the subscribe. I can't say the words. Hit the subscribe button. I don't think I can say this word. Like and subscribe.
Look at that. You say it's so easy. Subscribe. There we go.
