I write in my Bible, a lot. I write notes about scriptures and about things that encourage me. Here are 10 things I’ve written in my bible that remind me of what’s important.
#1 Jesus was approachable and touchable, I should be too.
#2 Enjoy your spiritual Journey. It’s a marathon not a 40-yard dash.
#3 Be Yourself and Don’t Try to Be Who You’re Not.
#4 Stay Positive.
#5 Don’t lose Sleep Over what Critics Thinks.
#6 Put Your Family First.
#7 Turn Water into Wine.
#8 It’s God’s Grace and He can Give it to Anyone He wants.
#9 Pray Ridiculous Prayers.
#10 Don’t Quit.
What are some things you have written in your bible?
I am a Christian husband and father, who moonlights as the minister for the church of Christ in Childress, Texas. My wife Lea and I have been married for 22 years. We are doing our best to raise our 4 boys, who are all growing up way too fast.
I love the ‘pray ridiculous prayers.’ I do, I just didn’t realize they were classified as ‘ridiculous’ until now.
Monalea
“We are too busy NOT to pray.”
SD
Trey,
I wanted to comment to note a couple of things for now. I will write about some of the things in my Bible later today. First, didn’t you have this heading before with a different list? I noticed you didn’t have but one comment, no offense Monalea and thought you might feel lonely. I read just don’t always comment. Third, Kathy says, ‘my mommy told me not to write in books’. Last for now and in case I don’t get back today, keep writing in your Bible it helps me find my place to see the notes I’ve taken.
James
SD – I like that one.
James – This is the first for that heading. I guess when you do as many top 10 lists as I have, they all start running together. ha
Also, I’m never worried about comments. Sometimes there won’t really be anything to comment about. I understand that.
Blessings
Most preacher ALWAYS have something to add…….
www
Since we’re on the subject of looking at people’s notes in their bible: I love looking through Lea’s bible. It gives me such insite into what she thinks is important. It kind of gives me a window into her “spiritual” heart that I really enjoy looking at.
i have a pocket bible that is falling apart and needs to be replaced.
I collected short phrases in the back
few can go, many can give, all can pray
you can’t outgive God
availability is more important than ability
A people prepared for a promise
Born once, die twice
Born twice, die once
the greatest enemy of learning of the illusion of (already having) knowledge
Despair is always presumptuous
blowing out your candle won’t make mine shine any brighter
brian
I guess I am unusual in that I have kept the writing to a minimal in my current preaching Bible.
I am wierd too in that I use several Bibles and have not ever really been attached to any single one.
I do have Bibles where I have written many things in them- sermons, poems, thoughts, notes, etc., but with the one I now use, I decided not to clutter it. Just let the word speak.
The binding is becoming lose however (I am rough on preaching Bibles) so who knows what I may do with the next one.
I’ve got a lot of statements like this in my Bible. Here are a few of my favorites:
“Men don’t reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, they reject it because it contradicts them.”
“I don’t have to worry about the light shining, I just need to keep the lamp clean.”
“Any circumstance out of my control is in the will of God.”
“Somewhere, sometime, someone is going to come along that believes the Bible and they’ll embarrass us all.”
“Man is not governed by what he knows, he is governed by what he loves.”
“I’m going to have problems with or without Jesus…I’d rather have Jesus.”
“The entire world is against what we’re doing for God, but all of Heaven is for us.”
Hope these are a blessing!
Brian – Born once, die twice… never heard that. That’s good.
Danny – I think your a little rough on you bibles. You throwing them around when you preach?
Baptist Man – I AM going to have problems, so I’d rather have Jesus too.
Good thoughts!
I have a short list of OT references to “forgiveness of sins” because I read N.T. Wright’s explication of the phrase. It shed’s new light on what Baptism is all about, and since I grew up CoC, that is kinda an important topic for me.
I did not write “turn water into wine” but I think I would like to do that now. Is it okay for me to copy you?
Jesus is Lord!
MG … I’ve heard it other places before, so it didn’t originate with me, brother. Feel free.
I write in Bibles I have given to my kids and others,
This Book will keep you away from satan.
satan will keep you away from this book.
Monalea
*Just pray -it all counts.
*You are in the storm by His appointment, with His presence, and for His purpose. Sometimes He calms the storm, sometimes He calms His child.
For some reason, this one has always stuck with me. Guess that’s why I wrote it in my Bible.
“Raise your child to become the adult you would want to have as a friend.”
And “Pray like a servant”
SD
Trey, that really hit the spot or the bruise – all 10 of them.
Being approachable – that is a great reminder for the teacher in me.
Enjoy your spiritual journey – tough one today. I am not enjoying it much right now. It is hard.
Be yourself – Sigh. Right now being myself is scary and it tends to upset apple carts.
Stay positive – oops. I think I am failing this one.
Don’t lose sleep over what critics say. – Can you tread a little more gently Trey? I seem to remember being up in the middle of the night last night because something someone said woke me.
Put your family first – not so hard because I love my husband deeply. Kids are grown and gone.
Turn water into wine – Faith, faith, where art thou tonight?
God gives his grace to anyone he chooses – makes me mad right now. I am in more of a hang him mood. But not by choice. By choice let grace abound.
Pray Ridiculous Prayers – Alright, God change a man that psychologists would probably term unchangable. Open his eyes to truth. Send him a dream tonight that confronts him and encourages him all at the same time. No matter where he turns in the next week – challenge him with the truth. Overwhelm him with your grace.
Don’t quit…….Alright, I won’t.
Trey,
The main things written in my Bibles are a Scripture Chain from an evangelism class, Sharpening of the Sword, outlines and a few inserted word replacements, for example in Luke 16:23 the word is not hell but hades.
There are a few references in the front and back: 2 Cor 5:14 Christ Love compels us; Heb 12:4 In you struggle against sin you have not resisted to the point of shedding blood; John 10:28 no one can snatch them out of my hand.
The other writing is mostly in the form of underlining and highlights.
James
I just did the one thing I hate to do. I had to buy a new Bible… so I have absolutely nothing written in it. I have a study Bible that I underlined and marked and wrote in so much that some of the text is almost unreadable.
But now I have that shiny stiff slick paper that I struggled with through last Sunday’s sermons.
Can I copy them.
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
Hello Trey and everybody,
Never dare to post a comment but now I have to tell you how much I enjoy reading all your writings and ‘top ten’ lists. It’s been a blessing to discover that people on the other side of the ocean think, feel, rejoice and love the Lord as much as we do in here. Please, pray for the church in Poland.
Kasia, Warsaw
Brandon and Di – hang in there. I’ve had those kind of days too
Don – As for the new Bible, I feel your pain. I’ve been there. Still have that new bible that is exactly like the old bible, but haven’t got everything moved over that I want to. SO, I’m still carring around the old one that’s falling apart.
Bobby – you’re always welcome to anything here.
Kasia – Honored to have you stop by. Amazing that you’re across the world. Glad you enjoy. I pray for the church there on Wednesday’s when I pray for the missionaries and AIM students. I will add you to that prayer list. I hope you’ll come back by again and say “hello” every now and then. Blessings
Trey,
My Bible is full of writing. One of the most prevalent is “Wow” –everytime I see that next to a passage, I feel it all over again. It reminds me to be amazed at how great God’s love and power are.
I don’t know if you were at the Sunset Workshop where Abe Lincoln’s own personal bible was displayed. I remember looking through that in awe. The man was a walking and talking sermon. His book of choice showed it.
I was really sad that someone stole it at that workshop. But, I will never forget how amazing it was.
Peace
Neva
Neva,
Haven’t heard the story of the stolen bible. That REALLY happened? Unbelieveable.
How could you steal an artifact like that? I hope it turned the new owner into a walking sermon as well.
Kathy
Wow, steal a Bible. I could understand a thief stealing a car, money, shoplifting, but a Bible….I would like to be there when the thief explains that to God. Is there irony here or what???
Monalea
Maybe they should have checked ebay to see if they were selling it?
Sorry, bad joke.
My bible has been stolen before–I was so mad–I would have rather someone stole my underwear off the clothesline than steal my sword.
Peace
n
And two of mine were stolen at the
)
Benevolence office when I was the benevolent minister at Sunset.
(One was a gift and had my name engraved on it—Ned Cooper, not Mr. Neva
Mr. Neva
Next time I’m at Sunset I’m leaving my bible in the car!
I’d be furious if someone got my “main” bible that has all my notes.
OK,
Nobody’s going to comment on the underwear on the clothesline thing?
I want to start a “Dryer Fund” right here right now. Gas or electric?
I pledge $20.
Something else in my bible:
No Jesus – No Peace
Know Jesus – Know Peace
I think it might still be around had it had Mr. Neva on it. Not sure they’d have known what to do with that one.
Don
You make me smile
Don, where do we send our pledges? Count me in too.
Trey, I too am shocked about the Bible being stolen among a bunch of preachers. For some years Bobbie Paden told me of books in the library that were taken and not returned. Again, preachers. Not too sound cynical but are there really a bunch or is it just one or two?
My other thought was about Cline’s Bible. How many of you ever ‘found’ his Bible?
James
Preacher thieves? Now that’s a new category in my mind?!?!?!
James,
Cline has two that he uses all the time. One he leaves on “his pew” for Sunday morning and another at home. The pew bible has been found many times. It was not unusual to find a student in the darkened auditorium reading it.He showed me his other one once, it was beautiful, as is he.
peace
Neva
PS–as far as preacher thieves, don’t yall “steal” sermons all the time? just takes one little step to get desensitized and before long you are stealing bibles, what will you steal next, you, you preachers, you?
n
hum… now that you mention it… I bet the thief on the cross was probably a preacher.
Where I went to college the Library lost books every graduation. It seems some of the “preacher boys” permanently checked out selected books to help start their preaching libraries so they could spread the good news to the “sinners” of the world.
My guess is this is a fairly common practice in most “Christian” Colleges. I’ve always hated book thieves because any one who would steal a book just to have it in their library probably won’t read the thing. {I know, I know- hate the theft and not the thief…sure}.
We loose at least two song books a year in the congregation…. I still don’t know how you can’t figure out that SONG BOOK wasn’t in your trunk when you bought the car
Don,
I knew I could count on you to comment on the ‘underware’ and yes I’m taking up a colletion at church for the dryer fund.
Neva, ha ha you are right about preacher’s stealing sermons all the time.