I’ve started a new project that I thought I would share with you. I’ve begun to go back and collect my posts on books of the Bible and copy them into documents on each book. So far, these cover the books of Colossians, 1,2 and 3 John, 1 and 2 Peter, Galatians and Hebrews.
Having these posts in one document is one thing, but having something useful is quite another, so I’ve started adapting them into… what? You see, my problem is that I’m not sure what they are! They really aren’t books per se, they’re… something though. I haven’t figured out what they are yet; a survey maybe.
Since Colossians was the first book I blogged all of the way through, I started there. After adapting the text to a new format, whatever it would be called, I then added some questions for each of the former posts. These are broad questions that are there to provide topics to reflect upon or discuss with others and I’m calling it “Reflections on Colossians.”
These little “Reflections” can be used for personal devotions or studies. They could be used for small group studies or devotions, and if you’re experienced, they could be used for Sunday school classes; oh yes, you should get some rip-roaring discussions in a larger class! At any rate, the first one is done in a sort of Beta edition and posted on my website in pdf format for anybody who might want to check it out. Please understand that hey are free of charge, and you are free to use them in any way you like. By all means, should you find it useful, share it. I don’t really care if you ripped off the content for your own, as long as it isn’t used for commercial purposes. The whole point here is to build His Kingdom, so let’s get building together!
If you’d care to visit my website, here’s the link: Don Merritt Online
If you want to download the pdf the link is: Reflections on Colossians
Should you choose to download this, can I ask you a favor? Would you please let me know your thoughts? Was it helpful, useful or worth the effort to download and read through? Do you have any suggestions for how I could improve it and make it a better tool for people? Any ideas for what to call them? Did you hate it? Why? Anything along those lines would be very helpful and much appreciated, and my contact info is in the file.
Thank you all for being so awesome and reading all the way through this!
Don
Life Project Blog 
Sounds like great fun, Don! Thankee!
We shall see!
You are doing just what I told my husband you should do! Your “lessons” needed a home where they could happily co exist and be visited by people en masse. Greatest idea since sliced bread!
Now katie, sliced bread was a pretty good idea, although I’m pretty good at slicing it by hand. This probably won’t be all that big, but it’s fun to mess around with! 🙂
Don you always take the air out of my compliment balloons. You need to work on accepting them and be done with it! :)))))
I have been told once or twice that my people skills can use some work!
THANK YOU KATIE!!!
Better?
You’re a quick learner! YAY!!!!!! :))))))))
Hello Don,
I haven’t been blogging long, but I started doing something very similar to what you have going on.
I am going to give this a try. My small group just finished an 8 week discussion on Acts (which was wonderful!) and I currently teach the adult Sunday school class at my church. Perhaps these questions will help get people talking! Thank you!
Great! I’ve written small group curriculum for several years, and those kinds of questions seem to generate lots of thoughts; usually one or two in the batch will get someone going, who gets someone else going and then you’re off to the races! Hope it works for you!
What a beautiful thing. And unusually a few thoughts stir in response to your questions.
What I have come to value, enjoy, and feel so safe is your gentle style. The road trip style, a gentle guided tour, an expert who walks and sits with us.
We had a cruise down the Nile some years ago. The history was brought to life by the twice daily “temple time” stops with an Egyptologist. A wonderful chap who knew not only the history, but the anecdotes, and also “details” from years of bring submerged in the stones and the stories. I started that week as a sceptical tourist, I ended that week as an enthusiast.
You bring that same “life and breath” to this wonder we call the bible. I begin as a jaded obligated follower, I journey as an increasingly committed friend.
Having scanned the first five or six episodes, I have a suggestion. That the questions run as a separate and parallel section. There and available for teaching, discussion, groups. And the verses stand as they do here. A relaxed and gentle walk with an expert who sees me the reader as a friend (the stop and read questions – for me – interrupted the journey).
As for titles? I agree. You have a style not easily labelled in the academic, earnest, dry and dusty, flippant publications already available. For that reasons “reflections” is a label not quite capturing the essence for me. There is so much more.
(And there my brain clicked off)
Thanks Paul. As usual, you’ve thought of this in a way I hadn’t considered, and I really appreciate that! It never occurred to me that anyone would want to read it through, as opposed to one part at a time. (Academic bias?) I’ll have to think about that! So, this is the first one I’m saving!
Thanks Don – and I exclude “academic bias” from any of your writing. Expert and friend: yes (you were in my mind when I was writing my piece this morning). Roadtrips, journeys, meander, gentle walks, peeking at things I hadn’t noticed – all of that. Bringing life and love into words “we think we already knew”.
Thanks Paul… that was a great piece!
🙂
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Awesome! Thank you Don! May God bless you with the desires of your heart. Amen.
I really appreciate that Jeanie, thanks!
A very generous offer Don. If I was still teaching Sunday school I might be tempted to download it. I will look at it that’s for sure. Thanks for all your contributions to Bible study.
Thank you Meredith
Really excited you did this! Downloading now! Thank you, Don!! 🙂
Thank you Skye, I really appreciate it!
That’s a great effort; thank you for compiling this work: I am going to download it to my computer, but will not get a chance to review it fully right now, but when I do I most definitely provide feedback for edification. I can hardly wait for Hebrews. That was lively and meaningful for me. vw
Thank you! I agree, Hebrews should be the best of the bunch
🙂
Can’t wait to read this. Thank you 🙂
Hope you like it!
Maybe…just maybe I should follow you! I’ve been told I should collect the 400+ articles that I have on my laptop and organize them into several books. That is going to be a difficult task for me. At the present time, I have no idea where to begin this task. I applaud your efforts in creating books and pdf formatted texts of your writings. Maybe I’ll start doing pdf formatting first. This might help me to see what kind of audience I can draw. The first thing that I need to find out is what is God’s Mind concerning this task.
Ah yes, that’s the journey! Start out with some “God time” and if you get the go ahead, the fun begins. I’ve been told the same thing for a long time, way before I ever blogged. Now I’m at the “I wonder what I have here” stage…
Don, what a wonderful idea! Will be checking them out.
Thank you Elaine, please let me know what you think!
I sure will Don!