SPIRITUAL FITNESS FOR THE NEW YEAR

“Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.   (1 Timothy 4:7b-8 NIV)

A new year invites us to reset our priorities. Many of us will focus on physical health -- dieting, exercising, or finally using that gym membership. Paul reminds us this has value, but he also points us to something far more lasting: training in godliness.

John Ortberg writes in "The Life You've Always Wanted" that if we want to grow spiritually, we must “stop trying and start training.” Trying depends on momentary effort. Training builds steady habits that shape us over time. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident; it grows through intentional practices that open our hearts to God’s transforming work.

This year, consider simple rhythms that strengthen your soul: Prayer as a daily conversation with God. Scripture as nourishment for your soul and guidance for the journey. Worship as a posture of reverence and gratitude. Community as the place where we support one another and grow best.  Devotional reading as the source of encouragement from those who are spiritual trainers. These practices are the gymnasium of the soul. And the promise is clear: godliness brings blessing not only for eternity, but for the life you’re living right now.

If you know of someone like you who would like to be part of a daily spiritual fitness routine this year, encourage them to follow this blog or subscribe to this e-mail through the link at the bottom of the column to the right.

As you step into the new year, may you train -- not try -- and may Christ be formed in you more deeply with every step.   

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™  

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SPREADING THE WORD – Part 2 of 2

In the days after Christmas, it’s easy to pack away the wonder with the ornaments. But the shepherds remind us that the birth of Christ is not a seasonal story -- it’s a sending story. “They spread the word” (Luke 2:17). The good news they received was too good to keep quiet.

As followers of Jesus, we stand in their lineage. We, too, have encountered the Savior. We, too, have been entrusted with a message that brings amazement, comfort, and hope to weary hearts.

So how do we “spread the word” today? We do it by living with the joy of people who have truly met Jesus.  Joy is contagious, especially when it’s rooted in grace. We do it by telling the biblical story and by speaking naturally about what God has done in our lives.  Not forced. Not scripted. Just honest gratitude. We do it by embodying Christ’s love in small, faithful acts.  Kindness often opens doors… and ears… to the words we share. We do it by remembering that the message itself carries the power.  We don’t have to impress -- just point to Jesus. 

This week, as the world settles back into “normalcy,” let’s resist the temptation to let Christmas fade. The shepherds didn’t return to their flocks unchanged. They carried the wonder with them, and they shared it freely. May we do the same. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™  

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SPREADING THE WORD – Part 1 of 2

"So [the shepherds] hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."  (Luke 2:16–18 NIV) 

Christmas Day has passed. The wrapping paper is gone, the cookies are thinning out, and the world is slowly returning to its routines. But in Luke’s Gospel, the story doesn’t end at the manger. In fact, something begins there -- something that continues long after the angels’ song fades into the night sky.

The shepherds, ordinary men in an ordinary field, became the first evangelists of the New Testament. They didn’t attend a seminar. They didn’t rehearse a testimony. They simply shared what they had seen and heard. Their encounter with Jesus overflowed into proclamation.

And notice the response: “All who heard it were amazed.”  Not because the shepherds were eloquent, but because the message was astonishing. God had come near. Hope had taken on flesh. Salvation had a name. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™  

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JESUS IS WITH ME

“So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”   (John 1:14 NLT)

My favorite “preacher” story… is about a father who was having a hard time getting his daughter to bed one night. They had gone through their night ritual hundreds of times. This particular night was no exception. A glass of water. A trip to the bathroom. A prayer. A hug and kiss. “Tuck me in Daddy!” Over and over again it went. Frustrated, the father said to his little girl, “Sweetheart, you have to go to bed. Now when you get scared, I want you to say out loud, ‘Jesus is with me. Jesus is with me.’ And then you’ll be OK.” With a final hug and kiss, dad shut the door and went to sleep himself.

In the night a storm arose. It began to thunder, and lightning began to flash. The scared little girl remembered the advice of her dad and said out loud, “Jesus is with me. Jesus is with me!” With that there was a loud clap of thunder and flash of lightning. In an instant, the little girl jumped out of bed, threw open her door, and ran with all her might to her parents’ room. Flinging open their door with a giant leap, she jumped into their bed landing right between mommy and daddy. Dad rolled over, wiped the sleep from his eyes, and said to his little girl, “I thought I told you when you are scared to say, ‘Jesus is with me.’” She replied, “I did Daddy, I said ‘Jesus is with me. Jesus is with me,’ but Daddy, sometimes I needs me a Jesus with skin on!” We all do. 

-- Jorge Acevedo in “Everybody Needs Some Cave Time: Meeting God in Dark Places”

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THE GREATEST GIFT

“But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”   (John 1:12 NIV)

Every December, our eyes are drawn to the gifts wrapped in bright paper beneath the Christmas tree. They bring joy for a season, but eventually they fade, break, or are forgotten. Yet John reminds us of a gift that is eternal, priceless, and beyond anything this world can offer: the gift of becoming children of God.

This gift is not earned by effort or purchased with money -- it is received by faith. To believe in His name is to trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, and in that trust we are adopted into God’s family. The greatest gift of Christmas is not found under a tree, but in the manger, where the Son of God came to dwell among us so that we might dwell with Him forever.

When we receive Christ, we receive identity, belonging, and hope. We are no longer defined by our failures or fears, but by the love of the Father who calls us His children. That is joy that cannot be stolen, peace that cannot be shaken, and love that cannot be measured.

Just as gifts are exchanged at Christmas, share the good news of Christ – the Greatest Gift -- with those who have yet to receive Him. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™   

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