Ready to Reset: Post-Holiday Follow Up
So the holiday season is finally over. All the shopping, gift-giving, cooking, decorating, visiting, and traveling is now past but I wonder how many of us recognized the opportunities for a divine reset as we navigated the ups and downs of the holiday season. Were there any really hard and challenging moments that left you wondering what in the world was going on? Maybe it was a stinging remark by a family member or friend, or possibly you experienced unanticipated sickness or loss? Maybe it was a dashed expectation or just a general feeling that something was not quite right? At times, amidst all of the “expected” joy and celebration, we all can find ourselves experiencing some of the exact opposite.
Well, the good news is… it’s not too late to process those circumstances through the lens of the Gospel and look for what the Lord intends! In this update, we want to offer you a few follow up resources to remind you again that God is sovereign, He loves you and His love is not based on anything you’ve done, are doing, or ever will do. He always gives us more than we ask for (even if we can’t see it in the moment), and He has His hand on every aspect of our lives. He means all things for His glory and our good. We hope you will take some time to review these resources and remember how God ordains resets in our lives.
For some excellent resources in the RBC Bookstore, check out:
“Because He Loves Me” by Elyse Fitzpatrick
“Broken Down House” by Paul Tripp
“Jesus the King” by Tim Keller
“One Way Love” by Tullian Tchividjian
“Step by Step” by James Petty
For the link to the teaching from the Women’s Ministry’s “Ready to Reset” event, please visit the RBC Women’s Ministry Facebook page at www.facebook.com/restonbiblewomen
There you will find the link to the teaching as well as an email to send in any questions. We will get those answers back to you as soon as possible. And don’t forget to “like” us while you are there to be sure to receive regular updates and encouragements.
A blessed New Year to you all!
Christmas in the Bookstore
Looking for a great gift idea for the children or adults in your life? Be sure and stop by the RBC Bookstore (located in the lobby, just inside the main entrance) after a Sunday worship service to see our exciting selection of new resources, in hardback versions, just in time for the Christmas gift-giving season. There is a resource to fit every need, and don’t forget they are offered at discounted prices. If you need help or more suggestions, stop by and ask one of the volunteers. Here is just a sampling of new resources that would make a great gifts:
for Adults
By Tim Keller, Prayer – Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God
With his trademark insights and energy, Keller offers biblical guidance as well as specific prayers for certain situations, such as dealing with grief, loss, love, and forgiveness. He discusses ways to make prayers more personal and powerful, and how to establish a practice of prayer that works for each reader.
By Ravi Zacharias – Why Suffering: Finding Meaning and Comfort When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
Why would a loving and powerful God allow so much pain and suffering? In WHY SUFFERING? Ravi Zacharias and Vince Vitale carefully walk you through a variety of responses that considered together provide a clear, comprehensive, and convincing answer. God’s decision to allow temporal suffering is understandable when viewed from an eternal perspective. Divine goodness shows how to conquer, not in spite of, but even through suffering. WHY SUFFERING? provides an answer to the problem of pain and suffering with emotional sensitivity and intellectual integrity.
By Paul Tripp – New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional
Mornings can be tough. Sometimes, a hearty breakfast and strong cup of coffee just aren’t enough. Offering more than a rush of caffeine, best-selling author Paul David Tripp wants to energize you with the most potent encouragement imaginable: the gospel. Forget “behavior modification” or feel-good aphorisms. Tripp knows that what we really need is an encounter with the living God. Then we’ll be prepared to trust in God’s goodness, rely on his grace, and live for his glory each and every day.
For Family Devotions during the Christmas Season:
By Marty Machowski – Prepare Him Room: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Family Devotional
This brand new, four-week devotional, guides your family on an unforgettable advent journey, exploring some of the most wonderful prophecies in the Bible and how God fulfills them in Christ. The memorable and meaningful activities, songs, and stories of Prepare Him Room, will quickly become the fabric of your family’s Christmas memories for years to come
For Toddlers and Children:
By Deepak Reju – Great Kings of the Bible
The three greatest kings of Israel were Saul, David, and Solomon. However, many years later a different king would come. This king was born in a stable, not a palace. He served the sick, the poor and the needy and was without any sin. This king is Jesus, God’s Son. He is a very different king. His greatest victory was his death on the cross and because of that God made him, the greatest of all kings; the King of Kings.
By Sally Lloyd-Jones – Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing
From Jago and Sally Lloyd-Jones, the creators of the bestselling Jesus Storybook Bible, comes this gorgeous and innovative collection of 101 simple-yet- profound thoughts on faith. Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing shares profound spiritual truths from the Bible told in a conversational tone drawing insights from creation, history, science, the writings of great thinkers, preachers, and writers, to turn the reader’s eyes toward the God who loves them with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always, and Forever Love.
Perfect for family devotions, bedtime, story time, or even as a companion to The Jesus Storybook Bible, this accessible yet theologically rich book reveals biblical truth in word and image, all working together and designed to do one thing: to make the reader’s heart sing.
By Joey Allen – Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers (series)
The most foundational teachings of the Christian faith are presented in this little four book series, set at a level preschool and elementary children can understand. The series includes The Gospel, The Trinity, The Scripture, and The Mission.