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Dive In Dig Deep
Hosted by Aaron Lee | @diveindigdeep · EN
Christian bookstagram dad.
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Sinful Patterns: Adam, Eve, You, and Me
3w ago00:01:25Tap to summarizeI noticed in my small group that the men tend to idolize selfishness, while the women tend to idolize sovereignty. Men have a certain self-centeredness, and women have a desire for control. While these are generalizations from my personal small group sample, I do see some biblical connections.After the Fall of Man, we see a pull towards selfishness, self-centeredness in Adam. Rather than taking responsibility, he shifts the blame onto Eve. At the same time, sin introduces a new tension for Eve. There is a struggle over control and leadership in their relationship, as “your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”I was struck by these sinful patterns so early in the Bible. It certainly heightens my awareness of these idols in my own life. It makes me grateful for our Father, who loves us despite our familiar sins. It makes me treasure the Son, who saves us. And it makes me pray to the Spirit, who gives us the power to persevere.
Transcribe →Selfishness and Sovereignty: Common Idols for Men and Women
3w ago00:01:11Tap to summarizeLast week, I wrote about idolatry, and I want to share more observations from my small group. If I were to generalize from our small sample, I’d say the men tend to idolize selfishness, while the women tend to idolize sovereignty—two “S” words to make it easy to remember.For me, my idol was my iPhone, which I traced back to a desire for laziness—to give my attention to my phone instead of to God and others, and to be selfish with how I use my time. Whether it’s an iPhone or other distractions, many of the men in my group struggled with an idol of selfishness.For the women, the common idol was sovereignty—the desire to be in control. Whether it was wanting things to go according to plan or planning everything in extreme detail, there was often disappointment when things fell out of their control.I’ll make some biblical connections with this in my next newsletter!
Transcribe →C Is for Christ: A Soft Reminder from My Son
4w ago00:01:04Tap to summarizeWe were at Legoland this weekend, and I have a confession: I get stressed out when we’re on vacation. I get stressed out at home too, but this is different.It’s like I somehow forget about God more easily, and I forget that he’s in control. I get caught up in the minutiae of what the kids are doing, and just the overall uneasiness about being away from the familiar.There are large letters at the entrance of Legoland that say WELCOME, and my son Ark wanted to pose in front of the C because, as he said, “C is for Christ.” I was happy and also humbled. It was a soft reminder from my son that I am still a Christian while I’m on vacation and that Christ is still King.I’m thankful for Jess, who deals kindly with my stress. And I’m thankful for my kids, who show me the Savior.
Transcribe →My iPhone Idolatry (Part 2): Eliminate Your Idols
4w ago00:02:01Tap to summarizeI recently shared five reasons why were talking about our spouses’s idols in our marriage small group. The prompt was that we were supposed to state what we think, or what we perceive, what we’ve seen to be our spouses’s idols — and also if and how they have been fighting off these idols. Specifically for this small group question, I wanted to define an idol as anything that gets in the way of loving God and loving others. Yesterday I wrote how Jess said that my iPhone was my idol, and I said it was tied to my sin of selfishness. Today I’ll share what Jess said about how I have been fighting my iPhone idolatry.Jess was kind and gladly said that she noticed I had been trying to fight my iPhone idolatry by confessing it to her and also purposefully putting my phone away or out of reach when I am with my kids. I was happy that she could say this without hesitation. And I believe this is still what I want. When I shared about iPhone idolatry in my most recent sermon, I said it with conviction and hope.When I put my phone away, I’m more proactive in playing with my kids. It’s easier to find time to talk to Jess. My Bible study is better and I can find more times to pray. Putting my iPhone away allows me to be more present to love God and love others. It’s something I’m still working on, and something that I think will be an ongoing battle in our modern age, but I think it’s a fight we can win, and an idol we can all put away.He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel.” — Joshua 24:23
Transcribe →My iPhone Idolatry (Part 1): Identify Your Idols
4w ago00:01:32Tap to summarizeWe were talking about our spouses’s idols in our marriage small group. The prompt was that we were supposed to state what we think, or what we perceive, what we’ve seen to be our spouses’s idols — and also if and how they have been fighting off these idols. Specifically for this small group question, I wanted to define an idol as anything that gets in the way of loving God and loving others.Jess was the first to share and her answer came quickly. She said that my iPhone was my idol. This is not news to me haha. I know this is true, and I’m quick to confess it. It goes with me everywhere. It serves not only the work that I do but I also use it for entertainment. I give a lot of time, attention, and energy to it. And I feel actual anxiety when I don’t know where my phone is! One of our small group members actually wanted to know what sin we could tie to its use — and I said that it’s probably selfishness that drives me most to it. Prioritizing my own work and relaxation over loving God and others. When I shared about iPhone idolatry in my most recent sermon, I did have some personal weight behind it.In Part 2, I’ll share what Jess said about how I have been fighting my idolatry.
Transcribe →Talking About Idolatry: Small Group Discussion
4w ago00:01:12Tap to summarizeWhat are your spouse’s idols? This was the discussion question for our marriage small group this past weekend. Here are several reasons why I wanted to talk about it:Idolatry is insidious, so it’s good for us to examine our lives and name our idols.Our spouses know us best. I’m generalizing here, but we likely spend the most time with them, and they see us at our most sinful.That kind of honesty builds humility. Getting used to plainly naming our sin reminds us that we don’t always see ourselves clearly and that we need each other.It also strengthens trust and intimacy. Honest, grace-filled conversations about struggles can deepen a relationship rather than weaken it.In a marriage group setting, we can better understand what each couple is facing and encourage and support one another as we grow more like Christ.
Transcribe →Get to the Point: Mature Communication
Apr 1700:00:26Tap to summarizeJess said it took one of our kids 10 minutes to tell her a simple story. Too much filler, aimless tangents, and no sense of urgency.If we want to mature as communicators, writers, teachers, and preachers — let’s learn how to get to the point!
Transcribe →Mistaking New for Good: Meaning and Movement
Apr 1500:01:03Tap to summarizeOne common error is mistaking what is new for what is good. Some will say that a sermon was good simply because they learned something new. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. Preachers should do their due diligence in studying and preparing, and this does and should lead to new and fresh insight.But learning something new isn’t helpful unless it actually does something for the hearer. Otherwise, it risks being simply “nice to know.” Does it move their heart to love the Lord more? Does it cause them to cry out over their sin? Does it lead them to make a change in their life?When we encounter something new in Scripture, let’s thank God that His Word is so rich. But let’s also ask what it means and how it moves us.
Transcribe →Have you heard from God? Hearing with our hearts.
Apr 1400:01:16Tap to summarizeI was thinking about AI and the Christian, sermon preparation, the books that we use to study, the sermons we see online — and a question I find myself coming back to as a preacher is if I have truly heard from God? Did I hear from him myself?On one level, I can say that I heard from God simply because I read my Bible. It’s not wrong to say that. But on a deeper level, and what I’m aiming for as a preacher and teacher and proclaimer and herald of God’s word — is if I truly heard it myself, firsthand.I believe that God speaks directly to us from his word. It’s not an audible voice, but it’s more than just words on a page. It’s a touching of the heart. The type of hearing I want is to feel his words. To let them sink and set inside my soul. This is what I ask for when I pray as I prepare my messages.
Transcribe →Children's Ministry Mission Fields: Target Demographics
Apr 1200:01:33Tap to summarizeI had a quick conversation with a 1st grade student at Awana on Friday night, sort of on the side, and it all happened really fast:Student: I can do 4th grade math.Me: 4th grade math, wow! How did you learn that?Student: My parents want me to learn. They said that they want me to get ahead. They said that it will be hard now so it can be easier later. They said if I don’t want to work at McDonalds, and if I want to be the owner of 10 companies, then I will need to work hard now.Me: Wow, how does that make you feel?Student: I wonder what’s so bad about being in the middle.Me: That’s a good question. You should ask your parents that. Do your parents go to our church?Student: My parents are Buddhist. I only come on Friday nights. On Sundays I have piano and tennis lessons.Me: Are you a Christian? Do you believe in Jesus?Student: I don’t know if I believe in Jesus or if I believe in the Chinese Jade Emperor.Me: We’re going to learn more about Jesus tonight. I hope that you come to trust and believe in Jesus.And then our conversation was cut short. I hope to follow up with this student. In many ways, this student fits our target demographic. The children’s ministry mission field harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Would you please say a quick prayer for this student and our children’s ministry workers?
Transcribe →