Open Windows devotional - spring 2012 sample
SPRING 2012
Celebrating LARGE PRINT
Years
1937-2012
Happy Anniversary Southern Baptist Guide for Personal Devotions
SPRING 2012 Volume 76 — Number 3
“his windows being open . . . toward Jerusalem.”—Daniel 6:10 Open Windows devotional magazine motivates adult disciples to grow in Christ through daily Scripture reading, biblical insights, prayer starters, and a daily missionary prayer emphasis. Open Windows (Large Print) (ISSN 0162-4296, Item 005075106) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2011 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway. com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@ lifeway.com, fax 615-251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@ lifeway.com, fax 615-251-5933 or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. The 2000 statement of The Baptist Faith and Message is our doctrinal guideline. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version. Printed in the United States of America
Production & Ministry Team __________________________________ Betty Hassler Content Editor Dale Royalty Graphic Designer Laura Allison Production Editor Chandra Bennett Editorial Project Leader Alan Raughton Lead Adult Ministry Specialist David Apple Adult Ministry Specialist
Management Personnel __________________________________ Bret Robbe Director Leadership and Adult Publishing Ken Braddy, Debbie Johnson, & Ron Keck Managing Directors Leadership and Adult Publishing Bill Craig Director Leadership and Adult Ministry Gary H. Hauk Director, Publishing LifeWay Church Resources Send questions or comments to:
Editor, Open Windows, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0175. Or make comments on the web at www.lifeway.com.
Open Windows long-awaited 75th anniversary is finally here! We celebrated God’s goodness to us beginning with the Winter 2011 issue of the magazine. Throughout 2011 we paid tribute to previously published writers and covers from our seven decades by featuring many of them on our pages. In January, 2011, we opened a social media site that has become popular with our readers. Here we post reader comments, interesting facts and stories about our writers, and previews of upcoming issues. I hope you have visited facebook/openwindowsdevotions and left us a message. In March, 2011, LifeWay Christian Resources held a 75th celebration chapel service, followed by the placement of a commemorative plaque in a “trophy” case near the entrance to our Visitor Center. The Spring 2011 magazine offered a special eightpage bonus section with fun facts about Open Windows, reader comments through the years, and a historical time-line of national, denominational, and institutional markers related to events in Open Windows history. This Spring 2012 issue will be the final one to feature past writers. We’ve chosen selections from Easter devotions from 1941—timeless truths! I like the way a local business advertises: We’re not good because we’re old; we’re old because we’re good! Blessings,
Writers This Quarter *Previously Published Devotions Dianne Barker (Mar. 1-5) Sunday School teacher, Oak Grove Baptist Church, Gray, Tennessee; author; women’s events speaker David T. Seay (Mar. 6-10) retired LifeWay editor; deacon and Sunday School teacher at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, Tennessee Donna Maust (Mar. 11-20) International Mission Board career missionary to Ecuador; writer; home church, Gentilly Baptist Church, New Orleans, Louisiana Schuyler Peterson (Mar. 21-25) senior pastor, Fort Johnson Baptist Church, Charleston, South Carolina Diana C. Derringer (Mar. 26-April 4) Sunday School teacher, Campbellsville Baptist Church, Campbellsville, Kentucky; writer; retired family services clinician *W. R. Pettigrew (Apr. 5,9) deceased; pastored in Charleston, South Carolina, and Walnut Street Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky *A. J. Dickinson (Apr. 6) deceased; pastored in Mobile, Alabama, and First Baptist Church, Newport News, Virginia *W. H. Faust (Apr. 7) deceased; pastored more than 40 years in Georgia; former secretary of evangelism and vice president, Georgia Baptist Convention; member of board of trustees, Mercer University, Macon, Georgia
Writers This Quarter *Previously Published Devotions *Roland Q. Leavell (Apr. 8) deceased; former president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary 1946-58; vice president, Southern Baptist Convention James R. Burke (Apr. 10-14) director of missions, LaFayette/Marshall Baptist Associations, member North Oxford Baptist Church,Oxford, Mississippi Mar vin Minton (Apr. 15-24) senior pastor, Crawford Road Baptist Church, Phenix City, Alabama Beverly Hill McKinney (Apr. 25-30) small group director, Grace Baptist Church, Rogue River, Oregon; curriculum and devotional writer Donna F. Savage (May 1-10) Sunday School director and pastor’s wife, Foothills Southern Baptist Church, Las Vegas, Nevada; writer and speaker Pattie Reitz (May 11-15) wife of USAF chaplain, Anchorage, Alaska; author; www.wivesoffaith.org David C. Noble (May 16-25) pastor, First Baptist Church, Harrisonville, Missouri; author; consultant, www.buildinghealthychurches.com Mar vin Owen (May 26-31) leadership development strategist, Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention; former LifeWay editor; member Boyd Avenue Baptist Church, Casper, Wyoming
Thursday, March 1
An Extraordinar y Life Devotional Passage: Psalm 19:7-14
Read the Bible Through: Numbers 22–24 Mark 5:1-20
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
W
hile teaching a couples’ Sunday School class, I paused midway through the lesson to read aloud today’s key verse. Although I’d read that verse many times, the possibility of such a life suddenly filled me with awe. I said to the class, “What an extraordinary way to live!” As a young wife and mother of two small children, I longed for a closer walk with Jesus. I’d given Him my heart at age seven, but I struggled with inconsistency and discouragement. Something was missing. Encountering Psalm 19 sent me searching for the Lord with all my heart. I learned following Him requires total surrender, acknowledging His Lordship, seeking Him above all, trusting Him as my daily Savior, and relying on His indwelling Spirit to keep the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart acceptable in His sight. I’ve never regretted my decision to surrender fully and follow Him. It unlocked the door to the abundant life Jesus promised, and it’s an extraordinary way to live! Father, I choose daily surrender of everything I am and have to You.
Celebrating LARGE PRINT
Years
1937-2012
Happy Anniversary Southern Baptist Guide for Personal Devotions
SPRING 2012 Volume 76 — Number 3
“his windows being open . . . toward Jerusalem.”—Daniel 6:10 Open Windows devotional magazine motivates adult disciples to grow in Christ through daily Scripture reading, biblical insights, prayer starters, and a daily missionary prayer emphasis. Open Windows (Large Print) (ISSN 0162-4296, Item 005075106) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2011 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway. com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@ lifeway.com, fax 615-251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@ lifeway.com, fax 615-251-5933 or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. The 2000 statement of The Baptist Faith and Message is our doctrinal guideline. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version. Printed in the United States of America
Production & Ministry Team __________________________________ Betty Hassler Content Editor Dale Royalty Graphic Designer Laura Allison Production Editor Chandra Bennett Editorial Project Leader Alan Raughton Lead Adult Ministry Specialist David Apple Adult Ministry Specialist
Management Personnel __________________________________ Bret Robbe Director Leadership and Adult Publishing Ken Braddy, Debbie Johnson, & Ron Keck Managing Directors Leadership and Adult Publishing Bill Craig Director Leadership and Adult Ministry Gary H. Hauk Director, Publishing LifeWay Church Resources Send questions or comments to:
Editor, Open Windows, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0175. Or make comments on the web at www.lifeway.com.
Open Windows long-awaited 75th anniversary is finally here! We celebrated God’s goodness to us beginning with the Winter 2011 issue of the magazine. Throughout 2011 we paid tribute to previously published writers and covers from our seven decades by featuring many of them on our pages. In January, 2011, we opened a social media site that has become popular with our readers. Here we post reader comments, interesting facts and stories about our writers, and previews of upcoming issues. I hope you have visited facebook/openwindowsdevotions and left us a message. In March, 2011, LifeWay Christian Resources held a 75th celebration chapel service, followed by the placement of a commemorative plaque in a “trophy” case near the entrance to our Visitor Center. The Spring 2011 magazine offered a special eightpage bonus section with fun facts about Open Windows, reader comments through the years, and a historical time-line of national, denominational, and institutional markers related to events in Open Windows history. This Spring 2012 issue will be the final one to feature past writers. We’ve chosen selections from Easter devotions from 1941—timeless truths! I like the way a local business advertises: We’re not good because we’re old; we’re old because we’re good! Blessings,
Writers This Quarter *Previously Published Devotions Dianne Barker (Mar. 1-5) Sunday School teacher, Oak Grove Baptist Church, Gray, Tennessee; author; women’s events speaker David T. Seay (Mar. 6-10) retired LifeWay editor; deacon and Sunday School teacher at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, Tennessee Donna Maust (Mar. 11-20) International Mission Board career missionary to Ecuador; writer; home church, Gentilly Baptist Church, New Orleans, Louisiana Schuyler Peterson (Mar. 21-25) senior pastor, Fort Johnson Baptist Church, Charleston, South Carolina Diana C. Derringer (Mar. 26-April 4) Sunday School teacher, Campbellsville Baptist Church, Campbellsville, Kentucky; writer; retired family services clinician *W. R. Pettigrew (Apr. 5,9) deceased; pastored in Charleston, South Carolina, and Walnut Street Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky *A. J. Dickinson (Apr. 6) deceased; pastored in Mobile, Alabama, and First Baptist Church, Newport News, Virginia *W. H. Faust (Apr. 7) deceased; pastored more than 40 years in Georgia; former secretary of evangelism and vice president, Georgia Baptist Convention; member of board of trustees, Mercer University, Macon, Georgia
Writers This Quarter *Previously Published Devotions *Roland Q. Leavell (Apr. 8) deceased; former president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary 1946-58; vice president, Southern Baptist Convention James R. Burke (Apr. 10-14) director of missions, LaFayette/Marshall Baptist Associations, member North Oxford Baptist Church,Oxford, Mississippi Mar vin Minton (Apr. 15-24) senior pastor, Crawford Road Baptist Church, Phenix City, Alabama Beverly Hill McKinney (Apr. 25-30) small group director, Grace Baptist Church, Rogue River, Oregon; curriculum and devotional writer Donna F. Savage (May 1-10) Sunday School director and pastor’s wife, Foothills Southern Baptist Church, Las Vegas, Nevada; writer and speaker Pattie Reitz (May 11-15) wife of USAF chaplain, Anchorage, Alaska; author; www.wivesoffaith.org David C. Noble (May 16-25) pastor, First Baptist Church, Harrisonville, Missouri; author; consultant, www.buildinghealthychurches.com Mar vin Owen (May 26-31) leadership development strategist, Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention; former LifeWay editor; member Boyd Avenue Baptist Church, Casper, Wyoming
Thursday, March 1
An Extraordinar y Life Devotional Passage: Psalm 19:7-14
Read the Bible Through: Numbers 22–24 Mark 5:1-20
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
W
hile teaching a couples’ Sunday School class, I paused midway through the lesson to read aloud today’s key verse. Although I’d read that verse many times, the possibility of such a life suddenly filled me with awe. I said to the class, “What an extraordinary way to live!” As a young wife and mother of two small children, I longed for a closer walk with Jesus. I’d given Him my heart at age seven, but I struggled with inconsistency and discouragement. Something was missing. Encountering Psalm 19 sent me searching for the Lord with all my heart. I learned following Him requires total surrender, acknowledging His Lordship, seeking Him above all, trusting Him as my daily Savior, and relying on His indwelling Spirit to keep the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart acceptable in His sight. I’ve never regretted my decision to surrender fully and follow Him. It unlocked the door to the abundant life Jesus promised, and it’s an extraordinary way to live! Father, I choose daily surrender of everything I am and have to You.
